Practice Pointers
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Technology, Trials
Technology In Trial (Part 1): How To Excel With Excel
Some practical pointers from legal technology columnist Jeff Bennion about how to use Microsoft Excel during depositions or at trial. -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 02.17.16
* Bill Cosby may be trying to avoid a criminal trial, but even his $$$ may not be able to stop it. [Jezebel]
* Apple is taking on the FBI and it should matter to everyone. [Gizmodo]
* You know how Justice Scalia died on a hunting trip? Yeah, it was a free trip provided by someone who got a favorable Supreme Court result last year. Move along, nothing to see here. [Washington Post]
* No, you didn’t learn it in law school, but negotiation is an essential skill to lawyering. [The Anxious Lawyer]
* Quails — yup, the birds Justice Scalia was hunting when he died — react to Justice Scalia’s passing. [Medium]
* The Fair Labor Standards Act won’t be of any help to NCAA athletes trying to get paid. [USA Today]
* Are Scalia bobbleheads going up in value in the wake of the Justice’s passing? [Ebay]
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Litigators, Technology
How To Be Persuasive – A Guide For Lawyers
You begin to notice a pattern with the attorneys who are consistently good – they are very good persuaders, no matter what practice area they're in.
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Biglaw, In-House Counsel
3 Pieces Of Advice I Never Want To Give Again
Words of wisdom from Biglaw partner turned in-house counsel Mark Herrmann. -
Boutique Law Firms, Litigators, Small Law Firms
Prepare For The Physical Realities Of Actually Being In Court
Make sure that you prepare yourself for how you will perform your work in court, including how you will access information. -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 07.22.15
* Taylor Swift has renegotiated her photography contract. Where her old contract allowed her to rough up photogs, there’s now a blank space, baby. Ugh. [Poynter]
* How much of a dick is this guy? At his federal criminal trial his sole character witness admitted, “we’re not friends.” [NY Post]
* Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to practice in Florida without taking the bar exam. [South Florida Lawyers]
* The Eighth Circuit just terminated the country’s most restrictive abortion ban. [Jezebel]
* Dewey witness breaks down on the stand. Let’s just be excited that I managed to get that blurb written without being cajoled into making a “Dewey know…” joke. [Law360]
* Negotiating salary and benefits for you folks not on lock-step. [Corporette]
* Do you want a free copy of an LSAT Logic Games guide? Then act now… offer expires Friday. [Blueprint For LSAT]
* A reminder that there are some crazies out there and sometimes you need to put in writing that you’re not going to represent them. [What About Clients?]
* An attorney doubled down on racist, offensive comments… and now he’s been fired. [WHAS 11]
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Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 07.14.15
* A positive review of Go Set a Watchman (affiliate link) from Professor Brophy. I haven’t read it, but it strikes me as a weird choice to make Doctor Manhattan a racist in this one. [The Faculty Lounge]
* Standard gun nut operating procedure is to stay quiet after a mass shooting, but this guy decided to explain why Dylann Roof didn’t take advantage of a “loophole” to avoid a background check. And he’s right. “Loophole” suggests there was a drafting mistake as opposed to an intentional, cynical effort to gut the one gun regulation pretty much everybody agrees on. [National Review]
* Everyone knows that the federal government is comprised of three equal branches. But, why do you think that? The Constitution certainly never says that. An interesting question. [Concurring Opinions]
* Arts students work harder than law students. Let that sink in. [Legal Cheek]
* The Economist just can’t help itself from writing contrarian reviews. They’re like hipsters if hipsters were old-timey Tories with handlebar mustaches and… actually, wait, is The Economist run by hipsters? [Lawyers, Guns & Money]
* The Welsh government responded to an official inquiry in Klingon. Which, admittedly, is easier to understand than Welsh. [Lowering the Bar]
* Important practice tip when dealing with a new client: check out the last several complaints filed against them and search for a pattern. [What About Clients?]
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Screw-Ups, Technology
Practice Pointer: Don't Let Your iPhone Spellcheck Your Brief
Check out this error, which is both entertaining and educational. - Sponsored
How Generative AI Will Improve Legal Service Delivery
Learn how emerging tools will likely change and enhance the work of lawyers for years to come in this new report. -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 06.18.15
* It was First Amendment Day at SCOTUS this morning! Here’s a recap. [PrawfsBlawg]
* Exclusive report on the new CSOL president’s meeting with students. He explained how Infilaw had a terrible track record and offered nothing to the school. Just kidding! But he did suggest introducing “a Boy Scout-inspired ‘merit badge system’” to the school. So there’s that. [SC Lawyers Weekly]
* Facebook made this legislator vote the wrong way on a bill. #banBoomers. [Lowering the Bar]
* Texas became the first state to ban fracking bans. Looks like they understand hierarchical government in some situations. [Breaking Energy]
* Allegations of political influence peddling in Orange County pot industry. I didn’t make it to the big ATL Business of Bud conference the other day, but this sounds scandalous. On the other hand, “drug trade influence peddling” used to involve fewer gavels and more Glocks, so this is a positive development. [OC Weekly]
* Do you have strong feelings about FRCP 56(d)? You should. An excellent practice tip. [What About Clients?]
* Tonight is the Family Violence Appellate Project’s annual Battle of the Lawyer Bands. If you want to see bands from Google, O’Melveny, Latham, Jones Day, Lieff Cabraser, and Kirkland & Ellis — and help a good cause — then you’d best be in San Francisco and head over to 1015 Folsom. Buy tickets at the link. [Family Violence Appellate Project]
* You know who aren’t “Beliebers”? The Fourth Circuit. They swatted down Bieber and musical enabler Usher defending themselves against another artist’s copyright claim. Read the full opinion on the next page. [Fourth Circuit]
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Biglaw, In-House Counsel, Litigators, Midsize Firms / Regional Firms, Practice Pointers, Small Law Firms
Are You A Crappy Litigator? A Self-Assessment Test!
Veteran litigator Mark Herrmann provides a test for litigators to take. -
Litigators, Midsize Firms / Regional Firms, Practice Pointers, Small Law Firms, Trials
What Kind Of Clients Do You Have In Flyover Country?
The clients in secondary markets are the same, but they expect a different kind of service. -
Practice Pointers, Romance and Dating, Small Law Firms, Solo Practitioners
The Silent Partner in Solo Practice
How can your spouse, domestic partner or significant other help make or break your solo practice? -
Advertising, Biglaw, Boutique Law Firms, Practice Pointers, Shameless Plugs, Small Law Firms, Solo Practitioners, This Is an Ad, Venable
7 Things That Might Surprise You About Having Your Own Law Firm
Ed. note: This post is sponsored by NexFirm. So you’ve decided to make the jump. Persuaded by the 10 reasons to leave Biglaw, and aware of the 10 common mistakes made by lawyers who launch their own firms, you have decided to hang your shingle. What can you expect in your first few years running […]
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Biglaw, Billable Hours, Partner Issues, Practice Pointers
The Hunger Games: Partners v. Associates
When billable work is scarce, who should get priority, partners or associates? -
Biglaw, Billable Hours, Partner Issues, Practice Pointers
Why Face Time Is More Important Than Ever -- For Partners
Face time: it's not just for associates. -
Conferences / Symposia, Fashion, Holidays and Seasons, Movies, Practice Pointers, Shoes, Small Law Firms
Spring (Fall) Cleaning For Law Firms
Get yourself prepared for the last half of the year, starting now, with Brian Tannebaum's help. -
Biglaw, In-House Counsel, Practice Pointers
'I'll Get This To You On Friday'
If you say that you will communicate with someone on a certain date, communicate with the person on that date. Capisce? -
Attorney Misconduct, Biglaw, California, Celebrities, Depositions, Divorce Train Wrecks, Federal Judges, Gay, Gay Marriage, Law Schools, Legal Ethics, Minority Issues, Money, Morning Docket, Practice Pointers, Racism
Morning Docket: 08.15.13
* The Poly Prep alumni who settled their sex abuse suit against the school are going after O’Melveny & Myers for allegedly playing a part in prolonging the litigation by doing what lawyers do best: lying. [Am Law Daily]
* If you’ve got a case up on appeal and you’re like a virgin, giving oral (arguments) for the very first time, then you should probably consider taking a look at the top 10 tips that’ll help you to prepare for it. [The Recorder]
* The California Supreme Court denied petitions from Proposition 8 proponents seeking to enforce a ban on same-sex marriage across the state. Kamala Harris, the country’s best looking AG, approves. [BuzzFeed]
* The Chapman School of Law will change its name after receiving the second-largest donation ever made to a law school. N.B. The donor isn’t a law school graduate, which certainly explains why he has cash to spare. [National Law Journal]
* Notebooks from the most famous law school you’ve never heard of are now on digital display thanks to Harvard Law. Unlike today’s students, Litchfield lawyers had lovely handwriting. [Brainiac / Boston Globe]
* Keep ya head up: Legendary lawyer Roger Rosen, whose clients range from O.J. Simpson to Phil Spector, will hang up his shingle to avoid prosecution for leaking info to Tupac’s killers. [New York Post]
* Just think, if the judge in Paula Deen’s case had permitted counsel to stay discovery, perhaps the celebrity chef wouldn’t have been able to serve up a slice of her piping hot racism casserole. [Daily Report]
* Sure, Lamar Odom allegedly cheated on Khloe Kardashian with a lawyer, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to get divorced. If they do, we’ll be there for the train wreck. [Ministry of Gossip / Los Angeles Times]
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Biglaw, Billable Hours, Partner Issues, Practice Pointers
Why Face Time Is More Important Than Ever
Anonymous Partner offers some practical pointers about face time for young lawyers. -
Practice Pointers, Small Law Firms
Reinventing Yourself As A Lawyer
Knowing why you want to reinvent yourself is a key step in the process, says Brian Tannebaum.