Johnny Depp Voids Fee Deal With Lawyer, Wants $30 Million Back

Actor Johnny Depp can void an attorney's fee agreement with his former lawyer, a judge ruled. Attorney Jacob Bloom wanted a percentage of the actor's earnings, and went to work on a "handshake." But Judge Terry Green said the...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2NBjVD4

How to Trash Talk Like Avenatti

There's no doubt that Michael Avenatti is a force to be reckoned with in the media. His television appearances get attention not just because his high-profile cases are hot news topics, but because he knows how to present himself....

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2oq4Glu

Why You Should Define the 'Purpose' of Your Law Firm

Too many lawyers never figure out what they are going to be when they grow up. For some, it's because they never realized their purpose. It goes way beyond making a buck. Purpose is perhaps the most important part...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2omKUav

When the Going Gets Weird, Do You Withdraw?

Regardless of your area of practice, cases and clients can get rather weird sometimes. And not the good kind of weird. It's generally a byproduct of working with individuals, as people can and will act without thinking. But not...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2LFHqcx

Lawyers Escape NDA, But What About the Porn Star?

When it comes to non-disclosure agreements, what's good for the lawyer may be good for the porn star. That's not exactly what a court said in a case against lawyers who signed a confidential settlement agreement. The court said...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2MZ4c3x

How to Get Recognized for Being Awesome

You can't game the system to win the Awesome Lawyer Award. That's because actually there is no such an award. But let's face it, we all want it. The good news is there are many awards that recognize lawyers for...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2wwIQAa

7 Funny #LawyerTwitter Accounts to Follow

If you aren't on Twitter working the social media marketing for your law practice, and you don't ever plan on doing so, you still might want to check out #LawyerTwitter, as it has been so hashtagged. There's some really...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2wmR4M7

Are Catchy Phone Numbers Worth It?

Vanity phone numbers are not like vanity license plates, which are more about fun than business. When you buy a vanity phone number, it's really an investment. Like 401-444-4444; that number cost attorney Ronald J. Resmini about $300,000. At...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2MCI4Na

Justice Kagan's Best Writing Tips

Legal writing isn't easy. Whether it's a letter for a client, a complaint, a motion, or other pleading, clear writing can help you win the day for your client. However, sometimes trying to synthesize legal arguments and long fact...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2Nt4MU4

Should Your Law Firm Have a YouTube Channel?

If you talk to marketers, you've probably been told that you need to put some videos on your website for potential clients. After all, video is one of the strongest marketing channels out there to reach consumers in an...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2LmYYKj

3 Mostly Fun Ways to Beat the Commute

Google will tell you there's no way around the commute. It's a lie. There are at least seven ways to Sunday to get to work faster and better, but you'll only need three. It's about getting into a groove,...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2N9DO3N

Flat-Fee Law Firm Bought and Sold

A recent headline out of a Chicago business journal highlights the sale of a divorce law firm that charges flat-fees. It was purchased by another family law firm in the area that was looking to expand. While flat-fee family...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2PwvJYH

Your Out-Of-Office Email Message Needs Some Work

A laid-back out-of-office message may work for writers, but it may not work so well for lawyers. Read more on FindLaw Legal Blogs.

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2w6KHMJ

3 Lessons Lawyers can Learn from Weird Al

Weird Al is one of those celebrities who you never really expect to find in the news. And when he does pop up, it's always something positive. Most recently for the lovable comedian, it was announced that he'll be...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2MFVjMc

Seriously, Tell Your Clients to Shut Up

It's hard to believe the poop that comes out of some litigants' mouths. Paula Emerson is one of those people. She almost literally pooped on her own case. She used a poop emoji on a Facebook post to threaten...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2N6F8V0

Whatever You Do During Trial Breaks, Don't Let Them See You Eat

When trial lawyers and clients break for lunch, a kind of paranoia sets in. They circle around a lunch table, ever careful not to sit too close to opposing counsel or parties. In the courthouse cafeteria or elevators, they...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2OO2tLR

What to Do When Reddit Lawyers Advise Your Client

With the number of online resources available these days, it's a wonder that Reddit still exists. The site is well known for being a cesspool of negativity combined with pessimism and anti-establishment hysterics. Yet, there's actually a chance that...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2OR6Vt4

'Disclose More Evidence,' Tennessee Tells Prosecutors

Everybody knows prosecutors have a duty to disclose exculpatory evidence, but reasonable minds may differ about how much. That is the sticking point in a debate that is heating up in Tennessee. In a new ethics opinion, the state...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2MZdgT3

In-N-Out Sends Beer-ly Funny Cease and Desist Letter

In-N-Out Burger caught wind through the social media grapevine that a local San Francisco brewery had created a beer and beer can design that gave homage to the regional fast food chain. However, rather than accept the homage and...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2L1Grmu

How Much Experience Do You Need to Start Your Solo Law Firm?

This is how much experience you need to start a law practice -- zero. Of course, taking the bar exam is an experience. But that's not the kind you want to repeat. Assuming you made it past the bar,...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2vRshzs

Best of the Worst Typos in the Law

You shouldn't really point out others' mistakes if you make bigger ones. Jesus said something like that -- something about splinters and beams. In sinners' words, don't poke people in the eye. But in law and blogging, we get...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2nEDPlh

How Strong Friendships Can Benefit Your Long-Term Career

Believe it. The more friends you have, and the stronger those friendships are, the better you'll be at marketing yourself as a lawyer. If you want to excel in your career down the road, make more friends now and...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2MPGXFK

Channeling Your Inner Cousin Vinny for Trial and Law Practice

If you haven't heard of attorney Vinny Gambini, you haven't lived long enough. He is the best trial lawyer Hollywood never made, played by Joe Pesci with a lot of help from legal assistant Marisa Tomei. That is just...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2Pa3kYb

Going Solo? Get the Free FindLaw Playbook

Are you in the process of starting up a solo practice? If so, do you have a plan? Or do you even know where to start? Whether you plan to focus on tech startup clients or low level criminal...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2wamkNq

Is It Bad to Lose Your True Solo Status?

True solo practitioners work entirely alone -- no lawyers, no staff, no kidding. The true solo is a one-person operation. It requires at a minimum: a lawyer, a laptop, a smartphone, and usually a car and court clothes. Solos...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2vFs7va

So You CAN Follow Opposing Counsel by Drone

Drone law has the potential to be a real thing, but it wasn't supposed to happen like this. According to reports, one attorney said an opposing counsel said he was following her by remote drones. Triple hearsay, we know....

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2nrf8IL

27 Lawyers File Motion to Quash 904 Indictments

When the York County Grand Jury returned over 900 indictments in a single day in June, more than one local defense attorney noticed. After all, that number is two to three times the number that is usually returned in a...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2nrGBKF

Spouse Cheated? There's an $8.8M Cause of Action for That

Alienation of affection is a holdover from another era, before chivalry and duels died. How old is it? Like Alexander Hamilton v. Aaron Burr old, but that was "an affair of honor." Alienation of affection is the other kind...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2Mdk8Pm

Don't Let Them See You Cry in Court

During emotional testimony, witnesses sometimes cry in court. It's part of the courtroom drama. But it's unusual to see a lawyer cry -- at all, much less in a public forum. It could also be really upsetting for the...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2MvUGBy

Why Sometimes Lawyers Should Work Alone

It wasn't necessarily a compliment if somebody once said: "You should become a lawyer." That's because being good at argumentation is not the same as being argumentative. It's the difference between being a good talker and being an annoying...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2KCX6g6

Ethical Dilemma: Taking a 'Good' Case for a 'Bad' Cause

What do you do when a potential client comes in with a winner of a case that runs contrary to your personal beliefs? Read more on FindLaw Legal Blogs.

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2vokglC

Is It Time to Open a Pot Practice in the Big Apple?

A pot practice used to be for small firms and solo practitioners, not big city lawyers. But that is changing as legalized marijuana use continues to take over the country. Most states have approved it for medicinal purposes and...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2AZVNZ9

What to Do When the Judge Says 'You Can't Do That!'

Some lawyers just don't get it. When a judge says "no," it's not an invitation to argue. It's more like an invitation to sit down and shut up. What part of "no," do they not understand? A good advocate...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2AIRW2s

3 Tips to Keep Busy During the Summer Lull

For many lawyers across the country, there are two significant lulls throughout the year: the holiday lull from Thanksgiving to New Years, and the Summer lull. During the holiday lull, most lawyers know what to do: prepare for the...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2OJcx9A

5 Worst Body Language Signals in Court

When you're in court, maintaining a professional demeanor is sometimes easier said than done. When emotions run high, or opponents act stupid, or witnesses don't say what they're supposed to say, do you know what your body language is...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2LTbaaI

Can You Make More Money as a Hermit Lawyer?

How can you build a practice if you are a hermit? We're not talking full-bearded or Hobbit-like hermit. But let's talk about attorneys who are more comfortable working at home or shutting out the world behind an office door....

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2LVCzba

Is Your Solo Practice a Dead-End Job?

With the number of new, and experienced, lawyers that strike out solely, the optimism it takes to get a practice going often overshadows the real pragmatic question that every lawyer should be asking themselves: Is your firm a dead-end...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2LQTV9h

When Waiving Attorney-Client Privilege is Not a Good Idea

When President Donald Trump waived the attorney-client privilege for tapes Michael Cohen made of their conversations, the legal community gasped -- but not for the reasons everybody else did. Everyone knew the tapes, including a discussion to pay hush...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2AtxDpC

A Lawyer Looks at 50 ... And Buys a Motorcycle

For many lawyers, turning 50 was just another day to bill as many hours as humanly possible. For others, it was probably like looking at 40, but worse. For a good number of others, it's something they don't look...

via Strategist https://ift.tt/2v4EC2Y