Sat.Nov 02, 2024 - Fri.Nov 08, 2024

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Five Superstars Changing the Paralegal Field

The Estrin Report

There are stars, and there are SuperStars. I have come across thousands of paralegals in my career. So many stand out! However, five paralegals (among many) recently stood out for their excellent contributions to the paralegal world. Take a look at their incredible achievements! Huascar Matos Director of Paralegals Here is a brilliant, motivated Director of Paralegals at Foley & Lardner on the fast track!

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Everything You Need to Know About Billable Hours

Paralegal Bootcamp

I started my professional career working for law firms directly out of college. I lived my life in 6-minute increments so much that I scheduled my weekend errands like this: Grocery shopping =.6 Drop off dry cleaning =.1 Billing your time can be stressful if you’re not meeting your firm’s annual quota…or it can be rewarding if you’re exceeding that quota and your bonus is based on that metric.

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Is Law Still the Least Diverse Profession in the U.S.?

LegalTalkNetwork

From an outsider’s perspective, the legal profession might appear to be taking meaningful steps toward remedying its historical lack of diversity. Prominent individuals like former President Barack Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris stand out as celebrated examples of minority attorneys who have reached significant positions of leadership and influence within the field.

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Must-Have Law Firm Case Management Software Features

CARET Legal

What if there was a way to streamline your practice, boost productivity, and enhance client satisfaction – all while reducing stress and improving work-life balance? Picture this: It’s Monday morning, and you’re walking into your law office. Your desk is piled high with case files, your inbox is overflowing, and you’ve got back-to-back client meetings all day.

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No Objections: Better Case Management with AI for Paralegals

Speaker: Joe Stephens, J.D., Attorney and Law Professor

Join this session to get a fresh look at how AI tools can help you work smarter, faster, and more effectively! Attorney and law professor Joe Stephens, J.D., will walk you through the complete journey of a legal case—from the first client meeting through the final outcome—while showing you how artificial intelligence can transform your daily work at each important step.

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Free Attorney Time Tracking Templates and Tips for Law Firms

MyCase

Using dedicated attorney time tracking templates—whether daily, weekly, or monthly—ensures more accurate tracking of billable hours, reduces administrative errors, and streamlines billing for law firms. A couple of things to keep in mind: Use consistent formula cells and sections in the templates to maintain reliable calculations. Follow billing best practices for growing law firms, such as using standardized tracking increments and accurately describing tasks.

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Block Billing: Why To Avoid It + Tips To Bill More Efficiently

MyCase

Block billing is a billing practice where attorneys group multiple tasks into a single time entry instead of separately detailing each task. It can lead to confusion and client disputes over charges, as it lacks the transparency that detailed billing provides. As a busy attorney, maximizing your billable hours is crucial to accelerating cash flow and running a profitable law practice.

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Using Firm Data to Help Price Evergreen Retainers

CARET Legal

Leveraging internal firm data and understanding billing trends allows firms to tailor their retainer pricing to meet their unique client needs. Correctly pricing evergreen retainers is a strategic advantage for law firms. These retainers, where funds are replenished as they deplete, provide a steady cash flow while offering clients uninterrupted legal services.

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Partner? More Like Buddy Of The Firm — See Also

Above The Law

How Much Is A Title Worth?: Nonequity partners cover liability without sharing profits. UK Firm Is Closing Foreign Doors: Eversheds Sutherland is shutting its Beijing office. No Thanks to DeSantis!: Monique Worrell is back in the big seat. Utah Is Considering Its Options: A bar exam alternative may be underway ! Last Call!: Send in your final submissions for Above the Law's 15th annual Legally Themed Halloween Costume Contest !

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5 Surprising Insights That Will Change Your Mind About BI [Sponsored]

Above The Law

Join us on November 20th for this CLE-eligible webinar and learn how BI can revolutionize your law firm's approach to data, driving efficiency and informed decision-making. The post 5 Surprising Insights That Will Change Your Mind About BI appeared first on Above the Law.

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The Ethics of AI: Practical Considerations for Paralegals

Finally, AI advice that understands your job. This isn't just another generic "guide", it's a practical roadmap built specifically for paralegals. What you'll learn: Ethics Without the Panic ⚖️ Decode ABA Model Rules and examples of state guidance so you can leverage AI confidently. Security That Makes Sense 🛡️️ Real-world protocols beyond buzzwords, SOC2 and HIPAA compliance, and data protection strategies that actually work.

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China human rights lawyer in deteriorating health after hunger strike in arbitrary detention

JURIST

Human rights organizations sounded the alarm on Tuesday over the deteriorating health of Chinese legal scholar and human rights lawyer Xu Zhiyong, who has been on a hunger strike for nearly a month to protest his ongoing ill-treatment in detention. Xu , a key figure in China’s New Citizens’ Movement, has been held since February 2020, following his involvement in a meeting of activists and lawyers advocating for government transparency and civil rights.

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Do You Dread the Law Firm Annual Planning Process? 5 Ways to Make It Easier and More Fun

Attorney at Work

Setting annual goals can feel a little overwhelming. But like everything in your law firm, it’s easier if you have a process. The post Do You Dread the Law Firm Annual Planning Process? 5 Ways to Make It Easier and More Fun appeared first on Articles, Tips and Tech for Law Firms and Lawyers.

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How to Use Data Analytics In Your Law Firm

CARET Legal

Legal analytics provides actionable insights that help optimize workflows, enhance client relationships, and boost overall firm performance. The ability to harness data analytics is rapidly becoming a key differentiator for law firms. With vast amounts of data generated from case management, billing, and client communications, firms are shifting away from intuition-based decision-making and making data-driven decisions to improve their operations.

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Divorce Paperwork Preparation in Sacramento: A Comprehensive Guide

LDA PRO

The divorce process can be both emotionally and legally challenging. If you are going through a divorce in California, navigating through the legal paperwork is crucial but often complicated. Many individuals are turning to professional services to simplify this daunting task. Divorce Paperwork Preparation in Sacramento is an essential service that assists individuals in correctly preparing and filing necessary documents.

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Research: The Anatomy of a Legal Brief

Why does it take 20-40 hrs. to create a compliant legal brief? TypeLaw analyzed 10,000+ briefs to determine the anatomy of the average brief—how many words, paragraphs, citations to the record, and more. See the research results in this infographic.

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Civil group calls for accountability from China over human rights violations in Xinjiang

JURIST

The International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), an NGO promoting the protection of human rights, recalled on Monday the need for further action to hold China accountable for grave human rights violations in Xinjiang. The ISHR calls for the Chinese government to ensure the correct and timely implementation of the recommendations made by the the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), in addition to permitting investigations in the region.

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Justices skeptical about Facebook’s data breach disclosure to investors

SCOTUSBlog

Share The justices heard arguments Wednesday in Facebook v. Amalgamated Bank , their first securities case of the year. The case involves the 2015 Cambridge Analytica-Facebook data breach, and considers whether Facebook’s disclosures to investors before the breach was public improperly downplayed the risks that data breaches posed to the company and its stock price.

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How to Not Talk Politics and Survive

Attorney at Work

As much as you’d like to stop them, perhaps with jiujitsu or a handy table lamp, you know that’s unprofessional. Fortunately you can use these proven tactics instead. The post How to Not Talk Politics and Survive appeared first on Articles, Tips and Tech for Law Firms and Lawyers.

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Morning Docket: 11.06.24

Above The Law

* To all you public defenders trying to get criminal clients off. have you considered just winning the electoral college? [ Guardian ] * If you're the worst student at your law school, but belong to FedSoc and want a federal judgeship, STAY IN LINE. [ Yale Daily News ] * Law firms ask judge to dismiss "incoherent" lawsuit. [ ABA Journal ] * Tug of war continues as voters reinstall prosecutor that DeSantis removed. [ Bloomberg Law News ] * The firms poised to benefit from hitching their brand to

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6 Contract Data Analytics Tools To Boost Contract Oversight

Analyzing contract trends with manual contract management is like sifting through a pile of papers in a dimly lit room, trying to find clues manually. Advanced CLM software’s contract data analytics, on the other hand, is like having an AI-based, intelligent magnifying glass that not only highlights key clues but also connects the dots for you. With innovative, AI-powered contract data analytics, you can solve the mystery of trends faster and with greater accuracy, making informed decisions base

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Pennsylvania judge orders new absentee ballots for voters missing mail-in ballots

JURIST

Pennsylvania District Judge David Ridge issued an order Friday for 17,000 voters, who did not receive mail-in ballots, granting them early in-person voting and new absentee ballots to replace the missing ones. Erie County Clerk Karen Chilcott laid the blame on a ballot vendor Election IQ who was hired to send out the mail-in ballots to voters who had applied for them.

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“When it comes to costly engagement rings, Mass. is a no-fault state, state’s highest court rules”

HowAppealing

“When it comes to costly engagement rings, Mass. is a no-fault state, state’s highest court rules”: John R. Ellement of The Boston Globe has this report. Lance Reynolds of The Boston Herald reports that “ Massachusetts SJC orders $70K engagement ring be returned to man in failed love story.” Jenna Russell of The New York Times has an article headlined “ A Massachusetts Couple Called Off Their Wedding.

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The morning read for Monday, Nov. 4

SCOTUSBlog

Share Each weekday, we select a short list of news articles and commentary related to the Supreme Court. Here’s the Monday morning read: Supreme Court takes up Louisiana racial gerrymandering dispute (Lawrence Hurley, NBC News) Supreme Court will weigh in on new mostly Black Louisiana congressional district, after election (Mark Sherman, The Associated Press) Supreme Court orders more review of Alabama’s request to execute inmate courts said is intellectually disabled (John Fritze, CNN) Facebook

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Morning Docket: 11.05.24

Above The Law

* "Several Big Law firms treat nonequity lawyers as full partners for tax purposes" without giving them the share of profits the actual partners in the firm receive. [ Bloomberg Law News ] * Texas loses bid to bar DOJ from sending monitors to ensure the state abides by voting laws. AG Ken Paxton -- who settled outstanding felony charges against him earlier this year -- argued that Texas was fully capable of keeping things legal. [ Lawyer Monthly ] * Biglaw firms not as eager to give time off to

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Prep with Purpose: How to Build Better Trial Binders

Speaker: Joe Stephens, J.D., Attorney and Law Professor

Get ready to master the art and science of trial preparation organization that top attorneys rely on in this exclusive webinar! Attorney and law professor, Joe Stephens, J.D., will walk through proven systems for creating comprehensive trial notebooks and binders that transform scattered case materials into a powerful command center. Learning Objectives: Strategic Organization 📊 Learn the essential sections every trial notebook needs and how to structure them for maximum clarity and acce

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Mexico Supreme Court narrowly gives clearance to controversial judicial reforms

JURIST

The Supreme Court of Mexico narrowly denied a challenge to controversial judicial reforms on Tuesday that were enacted by the government in September of this year. The reforms will make all judges in Mexico elected by a popular vote and establish an elected judicial disciplinary court to oversee judges. The number of justices in the Supreme Court will also reduce from 11 to 9, and their tenure will be fixed at 12, rather than 15 years, with no possibility for re-election.

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“Supreme Court retention vote could spark major changes in state’s judicial system, experts say”

HowAppealing

“Supreme Court retention vote could spark major changes in state’s judicial system, experts say”: M. Scott Carter and Jordan Gerard of The Oklahoman have this report. Barbara Hoberock of Oklahoma Voice reports that “ Oklahoma voters opt to remove one Oklahoma Supreme Court justice.” And Clifton Adcock of Oklahoma City Free Press reports that “ One Oklahoma Supreme Court justice is ousted after dark money groups dumped millions into judicial races; Voters chose

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10 Simple Principles for Building a Thriving Law Practice (No Superhero Cape Required)

Attorney at Work

Jay Harrington | Building a successful legal practice isn’t nearly as complicated as most lawyers make it out to be. The post 10 Simple Principles for Building a Thriving Law Practice (No Superhero Cape Required) appeared first on Articles, Tips and Tech for Law Firms and Lawyers.

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Who You Gonna Email? Digital Health Question Busters!

FDA Law

By Jennifer D. Newberger — Though digital health is not new, it can still often be difficult to determine with precision the regulatory requirements applicable to a particular software product. Sometimes this is because FDA has not opined on a specific set of facts, but more often it is because FDA seems to take different approaches to the same technology offered by different companies.

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The Tech-Savvy Paralegals Playbook: How To Leverage AI

Speaker: Allison Mears, Adela Wekselblatt, and George Socha

Artificial intelligence is reshaping the legal industry, and paralegals are at the forefront of this transformation. As AI becomes more integrated into legal workflows, paralegals can streamline their daily tasks, enhance efficiency, and add greater value to their firms and organizations. But what exactly does AI mean for paralegals today—and how can you leverage it to your advantage?