Forget Twinkies - Enter the 'Hash Brown Defense'

One Connecticut attorney just argued the case of a lifetime before the state's appellate court. And unlike other gimmicky defenses like affluenza, or the Twinkie defense, his "hash brown defense" sounds like an actual winner. It involved a cell...

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Why Lawyers Need Cartoons Like These

By now, lawyers are getting pretty tired of lawyer jokes. Even if they haven't heard them all, they've heard enough. The thing is, attorneys still need something to laugh about. That's why lawyer cartoons are important, and the American...

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How to Deal With a Bullying Judge

Nobody likes a bully, especially the ones in black robes. They are like ogres, trolls that drag people under the bridge and eat them raw. Only judicial bullies do it front a courtroom audience, and no one dares come...

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Emoji Evidence Is More Than a Thing

If a court uses a poop emoji, what does that say about the law? Is it a sign that the law has gone to poop? Or is it a sign that the law is catching up to the times? If...

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Offensive Lawyers: That's Not How the Force Works

Social media has become a force in the law, forcing changes in everything from law firms to the judiciary. So it makes sense that lawyers use Twitter, Facebook, and other social media to fight for legal rights. Unfortunately, some...

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Delaying Is a Lawyer's Best Friend, Isn't It?

We lawyers are problem solvers. And as any problem solver knows, the best time to deal with any problem is tomorrow. For clients facing criminal charges that don't require remaining in physical custody, this is often a welcome tactic,...

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5 Ways to Get Paid for Your Knowledge

After jamming all that law into your head, the way you make money is by getting it out. Typically, lawyers do it by advising clients, drafting legal documents, and making arguments in court. But there are other ways, and...

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Another Reason Your Expert Witness Cannot Use Fake Research

Every trial lawyer knows that a good expert witness can win a case. It often comes down to a battle of the experts, and their credentials are critical. A strong curriculum vitae, backed by research, is the calling card...

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How Fast Is Too Fast to File a Lawsuit?

When a client comes to you seeking justice, often, you'll need to explain that the legal actions you can take in the real world don't work like they do on TV. Unless it's a pressing criminal matter, or there's...

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How to Avoid an Overbilling 'Feeding Frenzy'

Overbilling cases against lawyers don't often make headlines. That's because sooo many people think lawyers overbill that it's not even newsworthy. But once in a while a big law firm goes on an alleged "billing feeding frenzy," and it's...

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3 Reasons Not to Practice Law at Home

There are lots of good reasons for lawyers to work from home. It saves on commute time, office expenses, and other overhead. It offers flexible work hours, freedom to practice on the go, and the ultimate perk -- working...

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How and When Not to Write a Brief

They say two wrongs don't make a right, and that explains how and when not to write a brief. Attorney Dennis McCoobery learned that lesson the hard way. First he failed to file a brief, then he drafted a...

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3 Valentine's Day Marketing Tips for Law Firms

Law firms, like any business that relies on individual customers or clients, might want to lean into Valentine's Day before it's too late. And thanks to social media, even if you forgot to plan anything, you can still do...

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Checking In: How Are You Doing With Those New Year's Resolutions?

By now, most people have blown their New Year's resolutions. Actually, only half of all Americans even make resolutions. The other half, on average, fail in the first month. Of course, lawyers are not your average Americans. They just...

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Was 2018 a Good Year for Law Firms?

According to recent reports, 2018 was a great year for law firms. Net income, profits per partner, rate growth, demand, and productivity all increased. The actual percentages of each metric above may not have reached record highs, but as...

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What to Do When You Make a Mistake in Law Practice

In case you haven't learned, you are wrong. It's as universally true as the Earth is the center of the universe. By the way, everybody except Copernicus used to believe that. Of course, they were wrong. So unless you...

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AI Lawyers Making Work for the Rest of Us

Herman and Lara are "AI lawyers," the newest breed of specialists in the law. They work for AirHelp, a company that helps airline passengers resolve legal claims for refunds and damages from cancelled flights. Herman reviews travel claims, and...

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Are Your Legal Forms Gender Biased?

Lawyers reuse letters, pleadings, and legal docs all the time. A quick copy and paste, coupled with a find and replace ... It's part of practicing. Sometimes, we even borrow language we like from other lawyers and cases. But...

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First School Cyberbullying Case Under David's Law

Local news out of San Antonio, Texas, is reporting that the first lawsuit to allege cyberbullying under David's Law, the state's anti-cyberbullying law for school kids, has been filed. Fortunately, the case does not involve a teen suicide, as...

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3 Tips for Law Firms to Weather the 'Millennial Shift'

Unless your firm hasn't done any hiring in the last decade, you've probably noticed that the Millennial Shift has happened. We've hit that point where Millennials are now entering leadership positions at all levels in great numbers, and with...

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Do You Feel Pain or Gain From Changing Firms?

Body builders -- not lawyers -- made up the expression, "no pain, no gain." There are some mutual truths, however. Lawyers inflict pain, and they usually gain in the process. Of course, that's not what we're talking about here....

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Bully Law and the Strategy Game for Lawyers

Bully law is like bully ball. You know that old-school, hard-hat approach in basketball? Use your strength, back your opponent up, and BAM! What you didn't know is that there's more strategy than muscle involved. You can't play bully law...

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Will Public Defenders Ever Get Reasonable Workload Standards?

It is a known fact that public defenders have more cases than any other type of lawyer out there. In some jurisdictions, public defenders might have upwards of around 200 active cases at any given time. Compounding matters, because...

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Lawyers, Is Remote Work More Than a Trend?

No double-entendre intended, but remote work is not going anywhere. Trends come and go; remote work is here to stay -- as in "stay at home and work." It's a new reality in many professions, including the law. So...

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Fiji Water Girl Sues Company for Cardboard Cutout Photobombs

If you missed the Super Bowl, you didn't miss much. It was the lowest scoring Super Bowl ever. And if you missed the Golden Globes, it doesn't matter as much. That's because you probably heard about the "Fiji Water...

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Controlling the Expectations of the Lebowski Rumor Mill

If you watched the Super Bowl this past weekend, you may remember a certain commercial letting you and every other The Big Lebowski fan down. Some were even more let down, and many in odd Lebowskian ways, when Jeff...

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How to Future-Proof Your Law Firm

If there is a future for the law, lawyers may not be around to enjoy it. Technology is quickly turning them into dinosaurs. Smart robots are taking their jobs, and doing it a lot faster. That's why attorneys need...

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Legal Advice for Lawyers in 5 Words or Less

It's not uncommon for lawyers to need a bit of legal advice from time to time, and, unless we're lucky, when we turn to our colleagues we get a bit of short but painfully true advice, usually in five...

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