Aba Journal Podcasts - Legal Talk Network

You may have heard that happy people have a purpose. So what’s yours? Some litigators believe that being a lawyer is their purpose . . . but is that true? The Honorable Tiffany M. Williams from the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law joins Dave Scriven-Young to talk about the importance of knowing your purpose and being fulfilled. Stay tuned for Darryl Wilson’s tips for winning objections!

Who better than a curmudgeon to make your firm more profitable? Famed author Mark Herrmann of The Curmudgeon’s Guide to Practicing Law joins our host Dave Scriven-Young to discuss the best ways to “land whales” through writing, networking, and public speaking.  Stay tuned for Darryl Wilson’s tips for building your book of business!

Not to be confused with “trial by fire,” a trial by Zoom can be a scary new experience for any hardened litigator. Luckily, others have pioneered best practices for courts, judges, and, yes, lawyers to follow. Host Dave Scriven-Young is joined by Judge Marsha J. Pechman and Judge Thomas Samuel Zilly from the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington.  Together they share the journey going from in-person proceedings to a remote environment and road map the process along the way, including advice for displaying evidence, how to read a jury, what to wear, and much more!  Stay tuned for Darryl Wilson’s tips for making great opening statements!

Obviously, we're not advocating for spoliation of evidence or obstruction of justice, but... shouldn't Rudy Giuliani of all people known not to keep evidence of crimes around? He used to run the DOJ office that's investigating his buddies! Meanwhile, the California bar exam gets caught breaking its own rules and the Pennsylvania bar president gets caught trying to protect himself from extortion. Special thanks to our sponsors, LexisNexis® InterAction®, Lexicon and Nota.

The big question is: if ‘Werewolves of London’ had never been a hit, would anyone have ever heard of Warren Zevon? His mainstream popularity may have been limited, but with a cult following and a catalogue of humorously cutting songs, Jared thinks Zevon’s career deserves some recognition. (1:42) Next, the past year’s challenges have made many law firms take a hard look at their financials and realize… they’ve got a big ol’ mess. Jared welcomes Brooke Lively to discuss moves smart law firms should make to have a future-ready, data-driven financial management plan. (9:10) And, finally—the Rump Roast! Jared and Brooke play “Number One Fan” to find out whether their personal preferences line up with favorites of the American masses. (28:25) Brooke Lively is the CEO and founder of Cathedral Capital, a team of CFOs and profitability strategists who help entrepreneurs turn their businesses into profitable companies.  Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest. The Legal Trends Report Minute mus

Michigan Courts reinforced the 4th Amendment in a recent decision about law enforcement’s use of low flying aerial drones without a warrant. Mark McKinnon from Fox Rothschild stops by to walk us through this pivotal case.

Indiana put in place a new law that prohibits employers from forcing their employees to get device implants. Is that a thing?! Craig Wiley from Jackson Lewis joins us to explain it all. Special thanks to our sponsor Nota.

Social justice issues have been at the forefront of protests across our nation.  In order to report on these protests, journalists have been on the front lines of the action. Yet, due to a lack of public trust, journalists are often targeted by law enforcement or counter protesters.  American broadcast journalist Walter Kronkite, famously said, “Freedom of the press is not just important to democracy, it is democracy.”So what are the rights of journalists during protests? What about public citizens? On Lawyer 2 Lawyer, host Craig Williams is joined by Shannon Jankowski, the E.W. Scripps Legal Fellow at Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and David Bralow, Legal Director for the Press Freedom Defense Fund & Senior Vice President, Law, for the First Look Institute, Inc., as they discuss incidents of mistreatment of journalists by law enforcement during recent protests. Together, we explore freedom of the press generally and in the context of protests; and talk briefly about the legalitie

Meet the hosts of Litigation Radio, a brand new podcast from the American Bar Association’s Litigation Section. Dave Scriven-Young and Darryl Wilson tell us about the show’s mission to help litigators develop their careers, win cases, get more clients, and build sustainable practices. Stay tuned for episode one!

Business owner and author, Tom Lenfestey, shares with us his best practices for a law firm succession plan and his top tips for buying and selling law firms. If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to TextExpander, Postali, ESQ.Marketing and SweetProcess  for sponsoring this episode.

Unemployment insurance fraud has been on the rise since the start of the pandemic and it may be showing up on your tax returns! Don’t pay the taxes of a criminal enterprise or let them utilize your personal identification information. Steve Swirsky from Epstein Becker & Green stops by to tell us how to spot this fraud and report it to the proper authorities.

While researching the Manhattan Project, filmmaker Ginny Mohler stumbled on a little-told story of the young watch-dial painters in New Jersey during the Roaring Twenties. Her search for “dial painters” led her to a Wikipedia page on the “Radium Girls,” and a fascination was born. Nine years later, her independent film, “Radium Girls,” debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival, and the documentary is now streaming on Netflix. Hosts Judson Pierce and Alan Pierce interview Mohler about the fascinating genesis of the film, its place in the history of occupational health law, and the complex legal battle waged by the workers.  Do the “Radium Girls” succeed in eliminating radium toxins from the workplace? No spoilers here. Special thanks to our sponsor, PInow.

A couple of stories out of Littler Mendelson this week, as one partner disappears from the website after pointing the finger at his client in federal court while the firm itself ducks special bonuses for associates by handing out hats. By contrast, Kirkland went over the top on associate appreciation with free food. Joe and Kathryn unsurprisingly think the latter is a better approach. The team also discusses new anti-riot legislation legalizing running over protesters.   Special thanks to our sponsors, LexisNexis® InterAction®, Lexicon and Nota.

When Ken Hardison evaluates his own success building profitable law firms and books of business, he knows the credit is shared with the people surrounding him. To pull an A-team together, Harison explains he first lets go of his ego and brings in people a lot smarter than him. And he looks for team members who are hungry, humble, and smart. Hardison and host Christopher Anderson discuss managing a talented team, developing a culture of continual training and mentoring, and keeping core values top of mind. Book recommended in episode: “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” by Patrick Lencioni Ken Hardison is a business development coach and founder of the Powerful Innovative Legal Marketing and Management Association. Special thanks to our sponsors,  Scorpion, Lawclerk, Alert Communications and LawYaw.

With the verdict in, what comes next? Professor David Schultz returns to explain the guilty counts, duration of sentences, and possible elements for appeal as well as what might await the other officers involved.

Emily D. Baker wanted a diversion from 2020, so she started doing her own legal commentary about pop culture, with topics including a pair of "Satan Shoes" associated with rapper Lil Nas X and the conservatorship of Britney Spears. Today, Baker is considered to be an influencer. According to her, she earns more than she did as a Los Angeles County deputy district attorney. Special thanks to our sponsor, LawPay.

Legal-adjacent careers are cropping up in a whole slew of surprising new areas, and recent graduates and seasoned lawyers alike are finding themselves drawn to these new professional opportunities. Dennis and Tom talk through some of these careers, from legal operations to technology to e-discovery and more, and give their take on how law degrees and/or legal expertise can be used to pivot into these new roles. Then, in another edition of “Hot or Not?”, they discuss whether speech recognition and dictation tools are worth integrating into your workflows. As always, stay tuned for the parting shots, that one tip, website, or observation you can use the second the podcast ends. Have a technology question for Dennis and Tom? Call their Tech Question Hotline at 720-441-6820 for answers to your most burning tech questions. Special thanks to our sponsors, Colonial Surety Company, ServeNow, and Nota.

After working as a teacher, then shifting to a career as a paralegal, Amy Johnson made the leap to creating her own business. Marrying her passions for educating and continual learning, she founded The Angle Solutions, a company that gives her a platform for helping others succeed. In her interview with host Jill Francisco, Johnson details her path to entrepreneurship, shares war stories about life as a paralegal, and offers tips and strategies for paralegals looking to improve and advance. She offers practical advice, from the basics of double-checking work to strategies for cultivating curiosity in approaches to tasks and assignments. The two discuss the changing paralegal landscape, alternative career paths, and challenges facing the next generation. Short Bio for Notes: Amy Johnson is the founder of The Angle Solutions LLC. Special thanks to our sponsors, NALA, ServeNow, CourtFiling.net and Legalinc.

As the verdict loomed, Professor Schultz talked with us about tactics deployed by the prosecution and defense. In addition we discussed what influence the death of Daunte Wright might have over jurors as well as why the judge decided to admit certain types of evidence over others. Stay tuned for our predictions on when the jury would return its verdict. {Spoiler... We got it wrong}. Special thanks to our sponsor Nota.

Leading a law firm throughout the pandemic has been no easy task, but the lessons learned have helped many attorneys position their firms for a more tech-focused, efficient approach to business. Jim Calloway and Sharon Nelson talk with Mary Vandenack about how she has managed her law firm through the many changes wrought by the pandemic. She describes their transition to remote work, ways to support team communication and tech needs, and her firm’s focus on redesigning legal services to increase automation and accessibility. Mary E. Vandenack is the founding and managing member of Vandenack Weaver LLC in Omaha, Nebraska. Special thanks to our sponsors, Scorpion, Blackletter Podcast, Alert Communications and Nota.