What to Do When It Is Too Cold to Practice Law?

What is a lawyer to do when it is too cold outside? This is not a lawyer joke. The polar vortex has closed courthouses across the Midwest, where temperatures have plunged below freezing. It was so cold outside that...

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Amici Brief Explains Emoluments, Scientifically, for Trump

In the litigation over President Trump's alleged violations of the emoluments clause of the United States Constitution, a recently filed Amici Curiae brief by two scholars of law and linguistics goes into painstaking detail over what the word means....

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Death of Mandatory Arbitration in Law Firm Employment?

Rumors about the death of the mandatory arbitration agreement at law firms are not really exaggerated. It is a slow death to be sure, but the restrictive employment agreements are dying. It started about a year ago, when social...

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Lawyers Stick Idaho With Bill for Ag Gag Challenge

For lawmakers in the state of Idaho, the recent debacle over the so-called "ag gag" law has just gone from bad to worse. That's because on top of being slaughtered at the Ninth Circuit, the state is now faced...

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The Real Value of Legal Writing

Like beauty in the eye of the beholder, the value of legal writing depends on perspective. In Los Angeles, for example, an attorney may bill $500 an hour to draft a document that a Dallas lawyer would do for...

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High Profile Hail Mary Good for Business

The recent pass interference no-call in the Saints - Rams NFC championship game has been causing quite the stir on social and traditional media. People are up in arms, as when it comes to bad officiating, this missed call...

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Protip: Pay Clients, Not Scammers

Have you read about the Canadian law firm that accidentally disbursed $2.5 million in client funds to hackers? It's not a joke. It happened, and now the firm is caught in a nuanced legal battle over coverage with their...

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To Pay, or Not to Pay Bar Dues: Is That a Question?

It's that time of year when lawyers pay their annual state bar dues to keep their licenses active. For most, it is an easy "pay-to-play" decision. But for others, it's a $430 question: Should I pay when I don't...

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Don't Just Copy Good Digital Marketing, Make It Better

While copying another law firm's marketing strategy or idea might not be the sincerest (or most welcome) form of flattery, it can certainly be a boon for firms that struggle with their own marketing. But when you see a...

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Pray for Relief, but Be Careful About Praying in Court

Many lawyers have uttered the foxhole prayer. It's that prayer you give after a judge crushes you with a bad ruling. Even the most atheist attorney knows the feeling, if not the words. Whatever you believe, however, you can't...

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House Rules for Lawyers That Work From Home

For those lawyers that work from home, and must share their home with a spouse, significant other, children, roommates, or even four-legged friends, laying down some house rules for when you're lawyering from home is advisable. Consider rules like:...

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Does Your Wall of Law Books Make Your Firm Look Old Fashioned?

If first impressions are everything, what does that say about the old law books at your office? If you have a wall of books, for example, does that tell clients you are well-read or just behind the times? After all,...

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What Is 'Cannabis Justice' and Can You Get Some?

Cannabis justice, for the record, is not a practice area. But many lawyers have capitalized on it. Read more on FindLaw legal blogs.

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When Big Clients Ask Lawyers to Lie

If you've ever been in that situation where a client has totally botched their own case, and then turned to you to ask if you could just forget you ever saw, knew, or heard that thing you definitely saw,...

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Lawyers: This Is How You YouTube!

While the pivot to video may not have been all that it was chalked up to be, there's no doubt that some law firms got it right. Whether or not law firms are getting more business as a result...

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Top 7 Law Practice Management Tips

Whether you're managing a solo practice or have a few or more lawyers below you, sometimes you just need to get some help. After all, what you don't know can certainly end up hurting you. And even though half...

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Report: Most Law Firms Offer Flexible Work Arrangements

If you ever envied another lawyer who had a flexible work schedule, you were not alone. Actually, maybe you were alone -- sort of. Most law firms today offer flexible work arrangements. It's one of the more popular perks...

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Public Defender Crisis Not Grounds for Suing State, Nor Governor

The state of Missouri and the state's governor, Michael Parson, can let out a collective sigh of relief. That's thanks to a recent decision of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that each could claim sovereign immunity in...

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Courts and Law Firms Impacted by Federal Shutdown

Across the country, the federal shutdown continues to cause havoc both politically and in many individuals' everyday lives. Many government attorneys know this first hand as many have stopped receiving pay. Not only are workers going unpaid, and federal...

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Why Build a Multi-Generational Law Firm?

Starting a law firm is one thing; building a legacy is another. It's not about adding lawyers to the roster. It's about establishing a practice that will survive over time. Large or small, a multi-generational law firm should provide...

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Marrying for Money and Other Legal Warning Signs

"Marrying for money" may sound bad, but it is becoming the norm in America. According to research, most Americans want a partner who provides financial security more than "head over heels" love. That's what you'd expect academics to say,...

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How to Avoid Technical Disqualifications

When you're about to file a new case in a jurisdiction you've never filed before in, you might want to take a brief moment to review the local rules to make sure you crossed the right T's and dotted...

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5 Ways for Lawyers to Stay Active After Retirement

Apparently, it's dangerous to your health to be idle in retirement. Studies say people are 40 percent more likely to have heart attacks or strokes than those who are still working. Not to be a skeptical lawyer, but don't...

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Is This the Year to Start Your Own Firm?

Starting your own law firm is like jumping off a rock into the ocean. It's a little scary, especially if you are jumping from some height. But the longer you think about it, the higher it seems to get....

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Divorced? Here Are 5 Must-Do Changes for Your Estate Plan

Jeff Bezos isn't the only one getting divorced this year. As 2018 ended, divorces went up and it could be a trend. Financial uncertainty -- a common cause of divorce -- will likely break up more marriages in 2019....

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Is Lawyer's 'Ku Klux Coors' Facebook Photo an Ethics Violation?

One lawyer is facing some serious backlash after posting a racist meme to their Facebook that was intended as a joke and a test. The photo depicts three Coors Light beer cans wearing KKK hoods fashioned out of those...

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How to Help Framed Clients

It happens from time to time that the police will get the wrong person, and often, you have to wonder just how it happened. In one recent case, a woman was pulled over for running a stop sign, only...

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When Is It Time for a Lawyer to Retire?

As a lawyer, you may find it hard to set a specific time to retire because law life is complicated. Unlike Cinderella, there is no magic hour when your coach turns into a pumpkin. Your car may need a...

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It's Hard Enough to Do Immigration Law Without the Government Shutting Down

As the government shutdown drags on, so do immigration proceedings. Immigration court hearings are being pushed back -- some by years -- because of a political battle over the border wall. President Trump has threatened to continue the shutdown...

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Extortion Is Not the Way to Win Clients

When it comes to making rain, forcing it via illegal means and methods is not a risk worth taking. And while this seems like common sense to the lay and lawyers alike, apparently one politician allegedly doesn't think like...

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Me Retire? I'm Only 106!

Who said old lawyers never die, they just lose their appeal? It wasn't Mordie Rochlin, a 106-year-old lawyer who still goes to the office. He "retired" 35 years ago, but he was going to the firm three times a...

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Is Reproductive Justice the Hot New Practice Area of 2019?

When it comes to a mother's rights, it's fair to say that necessity is the mother of invention. It's not like every law school teaches it -- maternity, delivery, or reproductive rights. If lawyers want to practice in the...

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Now That the Holidays Are Over, It's Time for a Vacation!

For all those attorneys who worked through the holidays, this one's for you. It's time to plan a vacation. It's more than OK, especially if you work for a firm like Orrick. The BigLaw leader rewarded their lawyers with...

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