Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors approved the nominations of Denise Scofield, of Houston, and Santos Vargas, of San Antonio, as president-elect candidates at its meeting on September 30, 2023. Texas lawyers will vote for the president-elect and district directors from April 1 to April 30. The winner will serve as president-elect from June 2024 to June 2025 and as president from June 2025 to June 2026. For more information, go to texasbar.com/elections. [The content for this episode was recorded as a live webcast video on March 26, 2024, at the Texas Law Center in Austin, TX.] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Minor Accident Turns Fatal-----Zavion Johnson was bathing his four month old daughter when she slipped from his grasp and hit her head on the tub. He immediately checked her for injuries but found nothing. Tragically, she harbored unseen internal injuries that Zavion was unaware of. Later in the day, his daughter suddenly turned color. Zavion rushed her to the hospital but it was too late. She died shortly after.Moments after his daughter’s funeral, Zavion Johnson was arrested for murder under a medical theory called “Shaken Baby Syndrome”. It would take 17 years for the criminal justice system to realize its mistake. This is his story... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Haphazard ranking serves as a reminder that service hasn't quite found the right formula after law schools started withdrawing their data. _______________The full U.S. News & World Report law school rankings are out and they are... something. Duke is tied with Harvard? NYU nearly drops out of the top 10? Are we just hurling darts at a dartboard here? In a sense, yes. At least ever since law schools started withdrawing their cooperation. Meanwhile, a Biglaw firm tried to promote healthy sleep despite being the primary reason associates don't sleep and Trump's bond in the NY civil fraud case looks a little suspect. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Trespassing plus time equals adverse possession,” Paul Golden writes in his new book, Litigating Adverse Possession Cases: Pirates v. Zombies. When someone has occupied or used a piece of property as though they own it for long enough, a court could determine that they are the rightful owner—regardless of what the paperwork says. It’s a concept more popularly discussed as squatter’s rights.In this episode of The Modern Law Library, Golden speaks with the ABA Journal’s Lee Rawles about the ancient concepts underlying modern adverse possession law; some quirky state laws; and why societies would allow land to be transferred in this way. They also discuss how the plain meaning of terms like “hostile” are changed when used in adverse possession cases, and Rawles raises a hypothetical—taken from real life—of a neighbor’s crooked fence.During Golden’s first appearance on The Modern Law Library, he explained how the lack of a written contract could be navigated by a savvy lawyer. In his new book, Golden guides attorneys and their clients through the finer points of arguing for and against adverse possession claims. He shares some of the errors he’s seen pop up in adverse possession cases, and offers advice for how to avoid common pitfalls.Modern Law Library listeners have been given a promotional discount code for Litigating Adverse Possession Cases: Pirates v. Zombies through May 10, 2024. For 20% off, go to the ABA’s online shop and enter LAPC2024 at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our goal is to lift you up with every episode, and today we are sharing our mentor’s most valuable life lessons. We hope these ideas help you get through the day with a little more grace, a little less angst and a lot more confidence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guests from the online bankruptcy service Upsolve and Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA) discuss a new, free web resource for people struggling with student debt on Talk Justice. PLA received funding from a 2023 LSC Technology Initiative Grant for the project and brought on Upsolve to develop the tools. Their goal is to raise awareness of available debt relief programs and provide guided assistance for qualified borrowers to pursue student debt elimination. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table:  AI is all the rage in the public media, but how are lawyers using it in real life? For starters, it can help you with written communications. Tone down an angry brief or client communication. Write advertising or blog communications. Even create Excel formulas. (But remember, it’s a tool, not a replacement for your skills!).  How do you convey the value of a paid consultation? Help clients understand what they get by paying for a professional consultation. Sometimes it starts with an explanation that every case is different, and only a paid consultation can explore all available options before hiring an attorney. Tell prospects what they can expect from you and your conversation is more than a sales call. Marketing is important. And it’s expensive. How do you know when you’re getting the right ROI? It takes some math. Do you know how much you’re spending and how many paying clients are a direct result? Plus, the risks and rewards of posting your firm’s phone number prominently. Sometimes putting your number out there generates spam and time-wasting calls when a simple online scheduling tool could be more efficient. What’s right for you?Mentioned in this Episode:ChatGPT 4Paxton AI for legal profession“Michael Cohen Says He Unwittingly Sent AI-Generated Fake Legal Cases To His Attorney,” NPRMicrosoft Excel“PPC For Lawyers: It's About Cost Per Client, NOT Cost-Per-Click,” Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on Legal Talk Network“Getting Started With Local Services Ads,” GoogleCalendlyJoin the next Community Table live. What’s on your mind? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Attorney Greg Lewis from the law firm Vernis & Bowling of Charlotte, NC discusses the advantage of Alternative Dispute Resolution in the litigation process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Dave Sobel shares his insights on the significant impacts of AI technology and provides guidance on choosing IT service providers for law firms. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing AI as a transformative technology but encourages a balanced approach, highlighting the slower pace of actual implementation versus predictions. Dave introduces the concept of 'hard trends' in technology to aid in future planning and stresses the critical role of human oversight in using AI ethically and effectively. Additionally, the conversation covers practical advice on improving law firms' operations through strategic IT partnerships, focusing on measurable business outcomes and security precautions against malware and hacking. Sobel advocates for putting people first, underscoring that investments in human relationships are key to successful technology adoption and business improvement.Dave is the host of the Business of Tech podcast, and owner of MSP Radio. Dave is regarded as a leading expert in the delivery of technology services, with broad experience in both technology and business. He owned and operated an IT Solution Provider and MSP for over a decade, both acquiring other organizations and eventually being acquired. This firm was a winner of multiple awards, including being a finalist for Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner of the Year in the Small Business Specialist category. After his MSP experience, he has worked for multiple vendors at such companies as Level Platforms, GFI, LogicNow, and SolarWinds, leading community, event, marketing, and product strategies, as well as several M&A activities.  Dave gives listeners actionable tips on: 00:00 Intro 01:47 Relating the AI technology explosion to iPhone and the top 3 things to remember when something explodes like this 07:09 Now is the time to think about our ethics and how we will use AI 09:24 AI Checkers - Be skeptical, ways we are already using AI that we may not be thinking  13:30 Good content always needs good craftsmanship, using AI to accelerate and assist our work 16:33 What are the big topics the IT technology realm 19:15 Example of an IT Provider can give the best service and implement tools or systems that are tied to revenue 26:31 Are security issues, malware, hacking the first thing that people talk to him about 28:11 I think my website was hacked - why are they doing that to me? 33:01 Is it anyone's fault in particular if your DO get hacked 37:56 Book Review 40:04 Trends he is already looking at for AI 42:53 What's one thing that works Resources mentioned in this episode:Flash Foresight by Daniel BurrusConnect with Dave here: https://www.instagram.com/mspradio/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/davesobel/ https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews/ https://www.youtube.com/mspradio/ https://businessof.tech/  Connect with me Instagram Pinterest Facebook Twitter Karin on Twitter Karin on LinkedIn Conroy Creative Counsel on Facebook https://conroycreativecounsel.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Lives and Stories of the Wrongfully Convicted_______________Welcome back listeners. There is so much left to cover. In upcoming episodes, we will explore topics like Junk Science, Plea deals, Eyewitness Misidentifications, and Evidence Preservation. There is an amazing lineup of guests. We will hear from real-life exoneree Amanda Knox, Oscar nominated filmmaker Matthew Cook, Hollywood producer Scott Budnick, and famed attorney David Rudolph from The Staircase, a Netflix documentary. So stay tuned... The first episode of season 2, ‘Zavion’s Story’ drops April 11th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices