Month: October 2022

What to do when your law firm won’t embrace technology

Many legal professionals face the frustration of working at a firm that will not embrace technology. If you’re feeling stuck at a firm that insists on doing things manually, you’re not alone.

A large factor in this dynamic is the generational gap. Older partners may be dead set against drastic changes, while junior attorneys and other legal professionals know how digital technology can positively transform their workplace.

So is the answer to just accept working at a Luddite law firm?

We say no.

Instead, seek out ways of encouraging tech adoption at your firm, even if you are not the ultimate decision-maker on the issue. Then you can work to make some major shifts in the firm’s culture around innovation — or, if your efforts really are wasted, transition to a firm that already has the right

…
Read More

At its annual Clio Cloud Conference today, the law practice management company Clio released the 2022 edition of its annual Legal Trends Report – its seventh year of the report.

It finds that law firms are seeing an average 10% increase in the growth of new business, but that their fees are 3% below where they should be given recent trends in inflation.

It also finds a profession grappling with work-life balance, as many lawyers are changing jobs in search of work-life balance and 49% say they would rather work from home.

“The past two years have fundamentally changed how lawyers define the role of work in their lives,” said Jack Newton, Clio’s founder and CEO. “The challenge for every law firm is to meet the expectations of clients and employees while balancing business objectives in a fluctuating economy.

“Technology is enabling much-needed flexibility for today’s lawyers, and this

…
Read More

On October 7, 2022, President Biden signed an Executive Order (Order) on Enhancing Safeguards for United States Signals Intelligence Activities. This marks the latest step towards the new EU-US Data Privacy Framework (Framework), a replacement for the defunct EU-US Privacy Shield (Privacy Shield).

The next stage in the process is for the European Commission (EC), with input from the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), to assess the Order and Regulations issued by the Attorney General (Regulations) and determine whether they form a sufficient basis for issuing an adequate decision. This process is likely to take several months, during which time businesses must continue to rely on alternative data transfer mechanisms.

Background

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) restricts how companies may transfer personal data outside the European Union (EU). The EC can adopt adequacy decisions in relation to particular countries, international organizations, or sectors if it considers that they provide

…
Read More

LDP_Button_300x250 (1)Ed. note: This post by longtime ATL contributor Brian Cuban is aimed at informing our audience of the invaluable online peer-to-peer support group for legal professionals, The Lawyers Depression Project.  Over the coming months, we will continue to highlight and promote LDP as a community service for our audience.

The Lawyers Depression Project (LDP) started off with a handful of participants meeting virtually a few times a month to talk about coping with mental health while practicing law. Since then, it has grown into a worldwide community of over 900 members, with weekly peer support meetings and other resources like an online forum for lawyers, legal admin and support staff, and law students to connect with each other.

I was so moved by LDP’s commitment to wellness in the legal profession that I became a member of the LDP Board of Directors. As someone who has long been

…
Read More
CASE PREVIEW


By Amy Howe

on Oct 10, 2022
at 3:40 pm

close-up photo of pig in a pen

California wants to ensure that pork products sold in the state come from humanely raised pigs, but the pork industry argues that the state law is unconstitutional. (Robert Crow via Shutterstock)

In 2018, California voters approved Proposition 12, a ballot initiative that its supporters describe as the country’s strongest law to protect farm animals. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear oral argument in a challenge to the constitutionality of the law. The challengers, two groups that represent farmers and pork producers, contend that the law “will transform the pork industry nationwide,” while California and its supporters insist that the impact will be more limited. And both sides of the dispute contend that a ruling for the other side will have legal implications far beyond animal welfare.

Proposition 12 bars the sale in California of uncooked pork products

…
Read More
  • Industry groups appeal ruling that backed California law
  • At issue is Commerce Clause US constitutional provision

WASHINGTON, Oct 10 (Reuters) – The US Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on Tuesday in an industry challenge to the constitutionality of a California animal welfare law in a case that could undermine the power of states to regulate a range of issues within their own borders.

The National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation are appealing a lower court’s decision to throw out their lawsuit seeking to invalidate a 2018 ballot initiative passed by voters barring sales in California of pork, veal and eggs from animals whose confinement failed to meet minimum space requirements.

The pork industry has defended the size of the cages used at pig farms as humane and necessary for animal safety. Animal rights groups have said some pork producers confine mother pigs in cages

…
Read More

Britain’s largest international law firms are struggling to attract and retain staff in the US after the crash in the value of sterling compounded their lack of competitiveness in the world’s most profitable legal market.

At least one major hire in New York fell apart in recent weeks as the British pound slumped by almost a fifth against the US dollar, according to people with knowledge of recent recruitment attempts. Existing senior staff — concerned that foreign exchange fluctuations would further erode their salaries — have also asked for their pay to be increased or pegged to the dollar.

The group of “magic circle” law firms that work on the City of London’s biggest deals have historically fought to match their American competitors on pay due to lower overall profitability and more restrictive remuneration models that prevented outsized salaries for star partners.

Freshfields’ equity partners took home more than £2mn

…
Read More

Family Court LawyersCourts make determinations in legislation and in fairness. The complexity and seriousness of the case assist determine authorized fees, says Wirsch of the Regulation Workplace of Gerald M. Wirsch Many attorneys determine this information during an preliminary free consultation. Charges are decided by whether or not the case will likely be contested, says Thurmond of C&T Legislation Workplaces If the concerned parties have a solid agreement on points similar to parenting time (weekly and holiday schedules), little one assist, division of property, and many others., then the matter is uncontested. On this case, explains Thurmond with C&T Regulation Offices , a flat payment is usually applicable. If the matter is contested, C&T Regulation Offices bills per hour and requires a minimum deposit of $1,500 to begin representation. Contested and complex child custody circumstances are much more pricey as a result of added depositions, mediators, and court docket time.

In collaborative …

Read More