2021

article thumbnail

Top 5 Tips: Taking Depositions in a Post-Pandemic World

Attorney at Work

While much of the world stopped last year, depositions didn’t. Cases forged ahead and lawyers scrambled to establish new ways of taking depositions and handling proceedings that, for decades, had been routine. As we emerge out of the pandemic, many of the pivots intended as bandages for uncertain times will become permanent changes to the way we conduct and prepare for depositions.

article thumbnail

No-Code Legal Automation Startup Josef Raises $2.5M

LawSites

Josef , an Australia-based, no-code software platform that enables legal professionals to automate common tasks, has raised $2.5 million. The funding round was led by Australian venture firm Carthona Capital , with participation from U.S. investors, including The LegalTech Fund. Added to the startup’s $1 million seed round in 2019, this brings its total funding to $3.5 million.

Software 145
professionals

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

‘Talk Justice’ seeks to amplify ‘unexpected’ voices in support of civil legal aid

Legal Talk Network

Aiming for a wider reach and audience, the civil legal aid podcast Talk Justice has joined the Legal Talk Network. Produced by the Legal Services Corporation , the podcast features a rotating lineup of hosts covering civil legal aid funding and access to justice. LSC views the podcast as a way to better communicate with legal aid providers and with public officials, the public, and the business community.

Judge 143
article thumbnail

Handling Questions: A Presenter’s Guide

LLRX

OK, you have gotten through the body of your presentation satisfactorily. Time to relax, right? Nope. There is one hurdle left: The question and answer period. This is when some presenters wilt and others shine. With a few tips, some experience and a modicum of intestinal fortitude, you can shine every time. Jerry Lawson's extensive experience as a speaker is put to good use in this article as he provides best practice advice for each stage of your presentation.

136
136
article thumbnail

Visibility Into the Strategy & Supporting Documents of Major US Law Firms

Law Firm Intelligence by Trellis aggregates state trial court data across the Trellis platform enabling users to: look up a particular metric related to a specific law firm (such as, how many cases a law firm had or has against another law firm), and see the actual dockets and documents supporting the metric. Trellis data is maximized in a revolutionary and unique way to provide users an exclusive look into a law firm litigating in state trial courts.

article thumbnail

How Attorneys Can Use Legal Data for Strategic Law Firm Positioning

Attorney at Work

Using legal data for strategic law firm planning is no longer reserved for BigLaw. With the improved access to litigation data from numerous vendors in the exploding legal tech ecosystem, solo practitioners, small law firms, and regional and midsize firms can take advantage of insights from data to position themselves as leaders and market movers in their respective practice areas and jurisdictions.

Law firm 144
article thumbnail

Podcasting Tips for Lawyers

Attorney at Work

Considering a podcast for your law firm? Here are some podcasting tips to get started. Although podcasting has been around since 2005, it seems like it has suddenly become “a thing” for lawyers. The big spike in the number of podcasts left some of us wondering what they are, why they are so popular — and whether it’s too late to start a podcast of our own.

Lawyer 145

More Trending

article thumbnail

Escaping the Overworked and Overwhelmed Cycle

Attorney at Work

We’ve all been there: Working long hours on numerous matters, we feel we can never catch up, much less get ahead. In the legal industry, this is often the norm. But is the norm actually a “normal” amount of work? In this COVID-19 environment, and amid the “ Great Resignation ,” lawyers and staff who remain in the firm often have more responsibilities and work than before the pandemic.

Attorney 144
article thumbnail

Woman-Led Remote Litigation Startup Raises $1 Million Seed Round

LawSites

Lightning Law Technologies , a Seattle startup developing software for remote testimony and legal proceedings, has raised a $1 million seed, which the company will use to accelerate development of its platform. Founded by Seattle trial lawyer Alisa Brodkowitz , the startup is developing an end-to-end platform for remote testimony, mediations and legal proceedings.

Litigator 144
article thumbnail

LawNext: How Law Schools Should Teach Tech, With April Dawson

LawSites

There is broad agreement that if law schools are to adequately train students for careers in law, then technology is a critical part of the curriculum. Despite this, many law schools get a failing grade when it comes to teaching tech. So how, exactly, should law schools teach tech? And what topics should such teaching cover? April G. Dawson has given a lot of thought to those questions.A former computer programmer and litigator, she is now associate dean of technology and innovation and professo

article thumbnail

Pro Bono Net and Legal Aid Groups Partner To Launch Eviction Resource For N.Y. Tenants

LawSites

At a time when many are predicting a tsunami of eviction cases resulting from the pandemic, the organization Pro Bono Net , in collaboration with several legal aid organizations, has launched TenantHelpNY.org , an online resource designed to help tenants in New York understand their housing rights. The new site provides resources to help tenants understand their legal rights and connect with volunteer attorneys to obtain legal assistance.

Attorney 143
article thumbnail

Stay On Top of Newly Filed State & Federal Litigation: Curated Just for You!

With Daily Filings Report by Trellis you will receive an email and csv file daily with all new cases filed in the jurisdictions you're tracking. Each new case will include all case metadata like judge, parties, counsel, practice area, and even direct links to the full docket and complaint. Trellis Daily Filings Reports provide direct access to newly filed state and federal litigation curated just for you.

article thumbnail

New Ethics Principles Call for Proficiency in Technology, Caution in Social Media, for Canadian Judges

LawSites

Two years ago, I wrote a column calling for the duty of technology — which applies to lawyers in 39 states — to be extended to judges. While that has not happened in the United States, it has now happened in Canada. Yesterday, the Canadian Judicial Council published a new and modernized edition of its Ethical Principles for Judges, a set of ethical guidelines for federally appointed judges, originally published in 1998, that cover issues of independence, integrity and respect, diligence and comp

Judge 143
article thumbnail

Lawyer Tech Tips: Ways to (Really) Get Away This Summer

Attorney at Work

Whether you travel near or far, physically or virtually, here are some tips from our tech experts on getting away from it all. Summer’s here and the country’s reopening around us. A time like this will inspire many lawyers and staff members to take a family road trip, spend time off at a nearby beach town, or hop a plane to a farther-away dream spot.

Lawyer 143
article thumbnail

Flipping Bird During Zoom Hearing Costs Lawyer $3,000

LawSites

These days, the duty of technology competence requires lawyers not only to know how to use Zoom, but also to remember that it can record you. It seems a lawyer inconveniently forgot that fact when he flipped the bird during his opponent’s appellate argument on Zoom, and then denied it. It was an expensive lesson, as the combination of those two acts — of flipping the bird and then denying it — cost him $3,000.

Hearing 142
article thumbnail

Attorney Burnout: 4 Traps to Avoid

Attorney at Work

The road to attorney burnout is the same as the road to success — the difference is attitude and perspective. I burned out after 27 years of being a trial attorney. I thought I was doing everything right. Not so. I was working longer and longer hours and enjoying my practice less and less. I couldn’t sleep and, as a result, I was irritable. I suffered from stress, anxiety and depression, and I felt exhausted mentally, emotionally and physically.

Attorney 142
article thumbnail

Developing a Growth Strategy for Your Solo Law Practice: Focus on These 8 Things

Attorney at Work

As a solo law firm, you are small but mighty — able to run a lean business operation, offer customized and competitive pricing, and outperform your BigLaw competitors through personalized legal services delivery. Yet year after year, the biggest struggle for solo practitioners and small law firms is finding time to do what matters most: marketing and growing their practice.

Law 140
article thumbnail

Storytelling: Your Most Powerful Connection to New Clients

Attorney at Work

Storytelling is powerful. There are few things people love more than a good story. Stories inspire; they can evoke powerful emotions and unleash our imaginations. Great Marketers Understand the Power of Storytelling. Great marketers use storytelling as a tactic to build their businesses. In the legal world, this means developing a narrative around your firm that builds feelings of attachment, emotional investment and a strong connection with your target clients.

Law firm 141
article thumbnail

Five Ways to Reduce Lawyer Burnout and Improve Employee Retention

Attorney at Work

Last week I served on a panel about attorney burnout for a bar association club for attorneys in their first 10 years of practice. The panelists had lots of helpful guidance and information to share. The last question asked by an attendee, however, perfectly exemplified the real problem with burnout, and the way I answered repeated the same problem pattern.

Lawyer 139
article thumbnail

5 Organizational Skills for Lawyers

Attorney at Work

When you think of organizational skills for lawyers, you probably think first of the physical things: an uncluttered office, pristine case files, and the ability to find exactly what you’re looking for exactly when you need it. But critical organizational skills also include time management, strategic planning, the ability to set priorities, and self-care.

Lawyer 139
article thumbnail

Fastcase Names Its 11th Annual Class of Fastcase 50 Innovation Honorees

LawSites

If you are wondering where the innovators are in law, look no farther than the Fastcase 50, the annual award doled out by the legal intelligence company Fastcase that honors 50 of the law’s “smartest, most courageous, innovators, techies, visionaries, and leaders.”. Fastcase today announced its 11th annual Fastcase 50 honorees, which adds up to 550 innovative leaders in law over the lifetime of the awards.

article thumbnail

Turn Leisure Reading into Marketing Gold

Attorney at Work

Do you read books? Of course you do. Maybe you like to escape into James Patterson’s latest thriller or load a beach read into your smartphone for those precious few minutes of downtime. Many lawyers anticipate extended time for leisure reading during travel or while on vacation. Getting Smarter With Nonfiction Leisure Reading. Perhaps you read books to improve your lawyering skills.

Judge 138
article thumbnail

ILTA Reveals Final Attendance Numbers for Its Hybrid ILTACON

LawSites

Much uncertainty surrounded attendance at this years ILTACON , the annual conference of the International Legal Technology Association, and the first hybrid version of the conference, as the rise in the Delta variant of COVID-19 cause some to reconsider in-person attendance. Last week, two major vendors announced that they were withdrawing their staff from attending in person, while continuing to support and participate in the conference virtually. iManage was first to withdraw, followed by Lite

article thumbnail

Why I’m Pulling My Chips Out Of Attending ILTACON In Las Vegas

LawSites

It is fitting that Las Vegas is a major mecca of gambling, given that, next week, several hundred people will take a gamble on their safety to attend the physical portion of the first-ever hybrid ILTACON, the annual conference of the International Legal Technology Association. While I’d planned to be among them, I have decided to hedge my bets and attend virtually.

Law firm 138
article thumbnail

Setting Boundaries in the Office (or Home Office)

Attorney at Work

Many of us struggled with balancing our work responsibilities and personal lives even before the pandemic destroyed our regular routines and norms. With technology allowing 24/7 work-from-everywhere access, setting boundaries was a challenge. During the pandemic, however, boundaries seemed to disappear as we worked alongside our families or housemates at home, and all professional, educational and personal activities happened in the same timeframe and physical space.

article thumbnail

Intapp, Tech Provider to Legal and Financial Firms, Files Papers for IPO

LawSites

Palo Alto, Calif., based Intapp , a major provider of cloud-based business applications for larger law firms and financial services firms, filed papers Friday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed initial public offering of its common stock. For the legal technology industry, where IPOs have been few and far between, the news is significant.

article thumbnail

Take Advantage of Adobe Sign for Collecting Digital Signatures

Attorney at Work

Whether you’re just now jumping on the digital signature wagon or you’re looking to consolidate your subscriptions, Adobe Sign may be the answer. Adobe Sign is included with all Adobe Acrobat Pro DC subscriptions, saving you money and reducing the number of products you need to get the job done. Learn more tips like this in Affinity Consulting Group ’s “ Adobe Acrobat for Legal Professionals.”.

e-filing 137
article thumbnail

Calming Down an Angry Client

Attorney at Work

As much as we like to believe that if we do everything well, our clients will always love us, it’s just not true. Here are 10 steps to soothe an angry client. You know the scenario. It’s the end of the day. The phone rings and you pick it up, knowing you really shouldn’t. You should just let it go to voicemail, pack up your laptop, and go home. “What the bleep is this?

Hearing 137
article thumbnail

As Companies Plan for Return to Work, These New Resources Help You Advise Them On the Law

LawSites

As companies plan for safely returning to the office, two new resources — including one that is free — are available to help legal professionals advise them with access to comparative federal and state legal requirements and case law. One of these new back-to-office resources is an expansion of the COVID-19 State & Federal Compare Smart Chart , a comprehensive, free resource that Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S. first launched shortly after the onset of the pandemic as a way of sup

Case law 137
article thumbnail

Now You Can Listen to Legal News as Law360 Adds Audio Versions of All Stories

LawSites

Law360 , the legal news service owned by LexisNexis, is today introducing audio versions of every story it publishes. For every story published on Law360, readers will now see an icon they can click to listen to an audio version of the article, read by a relatively lifelike male or female “newscaster” voice. Rachel Travers , vice president and general manager of Law360, said this is the first legal news service to offer this feature. “We know that the legal profession has many

article thumbnail

ABA Issues Ethics Guidance On Lawyers Investing In Alternative Business Structures

LawSites

With both Arizona and Utah now allowing nonlawyers to deliver legal services through alternative business structures, the American Bar Association today issued a formal ethics opinion that addresses the question of whether lawyers outside those states may passively invest in an ABS. The issue hinges on ABA Model Rule of Professional Conduct 5.4 , which prohibits lawyers from sharing fees with nonlawyers or practicing in an entity in which a nonlawyer has an ownership interest.

Lawyer 136
article thumbnail

Office Dogs Improve Law Firm Morale

Attorney at Work

Catch up on Ruth Carter’s posts here. Have you met my Lucy Jane? She is a basset hound mix that I began fostering in late April, and we finalized her adoption a few weeks later. She’s come to the office every day since she came into my life, and the entire office is better for it. Insisting on a Dog-Friendly Office. When my current firm, Venjuris, invited me to join them, I said, “Great!

Law firm 136
article thumbnail

5 Tips for Making the Transition to Virtual Law Firm Status

Attorney at Work

Virtual law firm status has worked out so well for some firms, they’re making the switch permanent. Should you? Amid the coronavirus pandemic, office workers everywhere have shown that to be productive, all you need is a laptop, a reliable internet connection and a desk. This begs the question: Do people really need to be inside an office all day?

Law firm 136
article thumbnail

5 Ways to Gift Yourself More Time This Holiday Season

Attorney at Work

Most lawyers I know have at least one thing in common. No matter their practice areas, or the size of their firm, or their work setting, they all wish they had more time. More time to live, to work, to spend with family, to exercise and on and on. Think of all the things you’d like to do if you just had more time. So, give yourself the gift of more time this holiday season.

Paralegal 135
article thumbnail

No Smoke and Mirrors: Smokeball Is an Impressive Toolbox for Law Firm Management

Attorney at Work

Smokeball is a law practice management software with document assembly capabilities. Smokeball has an unusual name, to be sure; but, it actually comes from a famous legal case , which just about every substantive law-loving attorney can appreciate. (I love the smell of precedent in the morning.) Smokeball was founded in 2010 and has been adding useful features for law firms ever since.

Law firm 134
article thumbnail

Six Tips for Being a More Persuasive Lawyer

Attorney at Work

A large part of practicing law is persuading someone to believe, act or agree with your client’s position, whether in a courtroom or boardroom or at a negotiation or dinner table. We seek to persuade juries, judges, colleagues, friends, family or the media that we are right, and others are not. Following these six principles will help you be a more persuasive lawyer.

Lawyer 135
article thumbnail

IOLTA 101: Tips for Solo and Small Firm Lawyers

Attorney at Work

The Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Account, commonly called IOLTA, is one of the most valuable tools for expanding legal representation to appear in recent decades. Unlike traditional attorney trust accounts, IOLTA programs , available in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, allow lawyers to hold client retainers, settlements and other money in interest-bearing accounts.

Lawyer 134