Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

Recently, in the state of North Carolina, a judge ordered a Tik Tok influencer to pay 1.75 million for destroying her manager’s marriage citing a common law tort called  alienation of affection. Alienation of affection lawsuits are still legal in a few states, including Hawaii, Illinois, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Utah.

On this episode of Lawyer 2 Lawyer, Craig joins Professor Jill Hasday from the University of Minnesota Law School, as they spotlight the tort of alienation of affection.  Craig & Jill discuss litigation, states that recognize alienation of affection, and the law's treatment of intimate deception.

 Expert Service Provider Richard Rosenblum addresses what real estate brokerages are currently experiencing as their most prevalent E&O claims exposure points and what can be done to reduce risk. 

In episode 589 of Lawyerist Podcast, Stephanie sits down with Barron Henley of Affinity Consulting to talk about the practical, real-world ways law firms can use Excel to save time, reduce errors, and streamline everyday work. 

Barron breaks down why Excel is one of the most underused tools in law firms and shares examples like expense tracking, probate calculations, medical bill summaries, date calculators, amortization tables, document automation, and even embedding live spreadsheets inside Word. 

If Excel feels intimidating, Barron explains how even simple functions can dramatically improve workflows across litigation, estate planning, family law, real estate, and firm operations. 

Listen to our previous episodes on legal tech tools and smarter workflows: 

Listen to our previous episodes on Finances: 

Have thoughts about today’s episode? Join the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X! 

 If today's podcast resonates with you and you haven't read The Small Firm Roadmap Revisited yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Looking for help beyond the book? See if our coaching community is right for you. 

Access more resources from Lawyerist at lawyerist.com. 

Chapters / Timestamps: 

0:00 – Why lawyers should look at their numbers
4:17 – AI updates from 8AM (MyCase/Docketwise)
13:46 – Why Excel is the most underused tool in law
17:35 – What Excel can do that lawyers don’t expect
23:25 – Templates, formulas & real practice examples
31:27 – Using Excel for automation & mail merges
37:32 – Everyday lawyer workflows made easier with Excel
41:23 – Final takeaways 

But seriously, what would be a good legal dominatrix name?

------

Biglaw recruiting director out after racist rant goes public. A squabble between lawyers and their former firm presents important lessons on document management, but we spend most of the time wondering about the best legally themed dominatrix names. And we talk about Paul Weiss getting heckled at the New York Bar Foundation awards gala, providing one more embarrassing story to a rough year.

If you’re dreading your family’s lack of communication this Thanksgiving, here’s a conversation about another group that’s saying less and less with real consequences. In this rebroadcast, University of Texas law professor Stephen Vladeck joins The Modern Law Library to discuss The Shadow Docket and how the Supreme Court’s growing use of secretive, unsigned emergency orders is reshaping transparency, civic discourse, and public trust in the rule of law.

-----

In The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic, University of Texas law professor Stephen Vladeck argues the U.S. Supreme Court is expanding its powers at the expense of the rule of law and public transparency.

A case ordinarily comes before the U.S. Supreme Court after a long appellate process; receives a public hearing where the case is argued before the justices; then a signed opinion or series of opinions and a majority ruling are issued, which generally comes months after oral arguments—and years after a matter first entered the court system. Given the limited length of each Supreme Court term, there has always been the need for an alternative form of response when the court is not in session or a swift response was absolutely necessary. The vast bulk of those occasions have been in capital cases, where a last-minute appeal might be the difference between life and death.

But since 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court has issued many more emergency orders than at any time previously, and on matters ranging from election law to immigration bans, from abortion access to COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings.

By issuing unsigned majority emergency orders rather than signed majority opinions, Vladeck says the court is establishing precedents without supplying the legal reasonings behind its rulings. During a time when the U.S. Supreme Court and individual justices are being criticized for not abiding by a clear judicial code of ethics, Vladeck argues the secretive nature of the shadow docket will only further undermine public trust in the rule of law.

In this episode of the Modern Law Library, Vladeck discusses with the ABA Journal’s Lee Rawles the origin of the term “shadow docket,” the dangers he sees for the court and the country, and what remedies may be available to the republic.

How do you get support and resources to build your family in a male dominated industry? Guest Sarah Moore discusses the importance of parental support benefits for families and employers.

A maximum-security prison may not seem like the natural setting for a homegrown theater program. But at Sing Sing Prison in New York, just such a project has inspired scores of incarcerated men to learn and grow through the stories they step into—offering them the chance to be part of a supportive community and equipping them with life skills to carry home when they return to the world outside.

People in prison are more than just prisoners, and the Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) program continues to help participants discover new strengths through creative expression. In today’s episode, Michael Semanchik welcomes John “Divine G” Whitfield and Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin—both former inmates, RTA members, and actors in the Oscar-nominated film Sing Sing—to talk about their experiences on the inside. They discuss the film project and its ability to teach the outside world about the transformative power of community, art, vulnerability, and purpose.

Creativity and storytelling can restore dignity, bridge divides, and reveal the humanity that is too often overlooked within the prison system. 

Please visit www.FreeDivineG.org to learn the details of John “Divine G" Whitfield’s fight for exoneration.

Divine G and Clarence are friends to another former Sing Sing and RTA-involved inmate, Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez, whose long and arduous exoneration was shared in our last episode. Listen to JJ’s story here: A Murdered Cop and a Mishandled Mugshot – JJ Velazquez’s Wrongful Conviction

Growing a law firm isn’t just about new clients. It’s about building a strong team and a seamless client experience. In this special episode of On the Road, paralegal and law-firm operations consultant Eda Rosa breaks down the long-term strategies firms need to scale sustainably. She explains why continual staff training, proactive workflows, clear communication, and data-driven systems are essential to reducing bottlenecks and improving client satisfaction. From strengthening internal processes to empowering your front-line team, discover how intentional structure and collaboration can elevate your firm’s performance and set the foundation for future growth.

Eda Rosa is a paralegal, educator, and law-firm operations consultant specializing in workflow optimization and team development.

At ClioCon 2025, Patrick Palace sat down with bar leaders from across the country to discuss some of the most pressing issues facing bar associations and their members today.

Jonathan Dunitz shares his deep commitment to promoting wellness and destigmatizing mental health and substance use challenges within the legal profession. Drawing on his own experiences with depression as an attorney, Jonathan offers a personal and insightful perspective, along with practical strategies and resources bar associations can implement to support their members.

Next, Kevin Plachy highlights his bar association’s research into technology adoption and understanding among legal professionals. He presents key findings from the Washington State Bar Legal Technology Task Force’s survey,  Embracing Change: Strategic Roadmap for Washington’s Legal Profession in a Time of Technology Disruption, and offers actionable advice for how bar associations can help their members embrace and adapt to technological change.

Finally, John Mudd discusses fostering bar community and transcending cultural and political divides. He shares how the State Bar of Montana works to uphold professional ethics and the rules of professional conduct—ensuring that lawyers honor their oaths to protect both the rule of law and the people they serve.

Despite our nation’s commitment to justice, the system sometimes falters, allowing the innocent to be wrongfully convicted. In this episode, Ed Watts sits down with Michael Semanchik, Executive Director of The Innocence Center, for a compelling conversation about the fight to free those unjustly imprisoned. Michael sheds light on how these miscarriages of justice occur, the human stories behind them, and the vital role attorneys play in supporting innocence projects.

Learn more on the For the Innocent podcast, and visit Michael’s organization online: The Innocence Center - Securing Freedom For The Innocent.