Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

The Department of Justice is having a rough time getting those trumped up charges (pun intended) from the fed's takeover of D.C. to stick. Plus lawyer getting slammed for trying to use opposing counsel's premature baby as leverage. And infamous law professor Amy Wax has her legal case against University of Pennsylvania thrown out of court, but it's unlikely to be the end of her antics.

How do you assess a product fire case? Follow our analysis and get some key insights as we begin to work up an intake on a tragic hospice bed fire.

As summer winds down and school beckons, we’re looking back in our archives and assigning some back-to-school reading—grown-up style. In this episode, Professor Kathryne M. Young shares advice from her book How to Be Sort of Happy in Law School—from tackling imposter syndrome to finding your own path through law school’s pressures.

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Law school can be a lonely, stressful time, and it’s easy to feel like you’re failing to fit the model of the perfect law student. But there’s no one right way to go to law school, says Professor Kathryne M. Young, author of How to Be Sort of Happy in Law School; you can craft your own experience. In this episode of the Modern Law Library, Young talks with the ABA Journal’s Lee Rawles about tackling imposter syndrome; advice that alumni wish they could give their younger selves; and techniques for getting along with your fellow students. Young uses lessons from her own law school experience and a sociological study she conducted to give practical tips for keeping a mental balance; choosing which courses and activities to pursue; managing the practical aspects of your household and budget; forming relationships with mentors and peers–and even deciding when if it’s time to leave law school altogether. Young’s book offers a holistic approach to surviving–and thriving–under the social, academic and economic pressures of law school.

Hosted by Michael Semanchik, For the Innocent exposes the shocking reality of wrongful convictions through raw, first-person stories from the exonerated. Season 3 returns September 9th featuring powerful accounts from Amanda Knox, JJ Velasquez, Bruce Lisker— three exonerees whose names have become synonymous with injustice— and more. 

Through their voices, uncover how the justice system failed them, what it took to win back their freedom, and the lifelong impact of being branded guilty while innocent. Plus, hear legal and criminal experts break down the systemic flaws from false confessions and eyewitness misidentifications to flawed forensic science and corrupt police officers. This season uncovers the truth behind America’s most haunting wrongful convictions. 

Season One and Two are now available.

How do you save a case after a client announces the litigation process is too stressful and they don’t want to move forward with the case while under oath during a deposition? Plus, The Case Doctors answer another viewer’s question on how to handle a pre-judgement loan that’s tripled in price and how to negotiate a better loan up front.

Discover how redistricting battles could shape the future of American democracy and the 2026 midterm elections. Professor Ned Foley of The Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law, breaks down the Texas redistricting controversy, the mechanics of gerrymandering, and the legal and political standoff between Democrats and Republicans—revealing the high-stakes implications for voters, representation, and the balance of power.

As the November 2026 mid-term elections inch closer and closer, the redistricting of states are at the forefront of controversy. President Trump created a political firestorm when he asked Governor Abbott & Texas Republicans to redraw voting maps that would add  five more congressional seats for the GOP. This new map targeted Democratic U.S. House members in the Austin, Dallas, and Houston metro areas and in South Texas.

In protest, Texas Democrat state representatives fled Texas, hopped a plane to a few Blue states, and refused to vote on the proposed map.  On August 18th, the Democrats returned to the Capitol, after Governor Abbott took legal action against them, but not without making their mark and putting a spotlight on redistricting.

In response to the political chaos in Texas, Governor of California, Gavin Newson, had his own strategy in mind, by proposing California congressional maps, which would add five Democratic seats, offsetting Texas gains.

On this episode of Lawyer 2 Lawyer, Craig joins returning guest Professor Ned Foley,  Ebersold Chair in Constitutional Law & Director of Election Law at The Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law . Craig & Ned discuss the recent Texas redistricting controversy, gerrymanderying, the current standoff between Democrats and Republicans, legalities, and how all of this could impact the 2026 midterm elections.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Common Ground Democracy

Checking in with returning guests Dean Blachford and Ella Sui, who started the Blachford Tax Law firm in Ottawa, Canada in 2021. Blachford is the tax lawyer and Sui is the clerk, paralegal, and more, forming a small tag team specializing in Canadian tax law. 

This is a fun episode because before they hung out a shingle, Blachford and Sui listened to the entire New Solo podcast library, building an understanding of a solo practice as host Adriana Linares and her guests discussed the challenges, and solutions, new practitioners encounter. Soon after they opened, the duo joined Linares for a podcast to share what they found to be the most impactful episodes. 

So, how did that work out for Blachford and Sui? Four years later, hear what they learned from New Solo and how they put it all to work their firm. Bookkeeping, accounting, systems and processes, collections, clear goals, and careful documentation are all part of the firm’s success.

The firm considered hiring a junior attorney but instead leaned into tech by hiring a remote assistant (in the Philippines) and a human resources consultant. And (of course) this wouldn’t be a New Solo podcast with a whole bunch of cutting edge legal tech solutions.

Questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at [email protected]  

Topics:

Don’t wait to document and establish clear processes, and stress those to new assistants. The things you put off early never get done. Document and follow your processes in the moment, don’t procrastinate.

Mentioned in This Episode:

New Solo podcast, prior episode, “Marco Brown’s Eight Commandments for Getting Paid”

New Solo podcast, prior episode “Ernie The Attorney: A Tech Whisperer Shares His Legal Tech Secrets”

Loom

Zoom Clips

Clio

Introducing ChatGPT

Adobe

HubSpot

SharePoint

LastPass

RingCentral

Tactiq

Calendly

ABA Techshow 2026

Clio Cloud Conference 2025

In episode #575 of  Lawyerist Podcast, learn how to move beyond daily overwhelm and lead your firm with clarity, confidence, and vision as Stephanie Everett talks with Lawyerist Lab business strategist Chad Fox. Chad explains why so many lawyers get stuck in the weeds of $20/hour tasks instead of focusing on high-value CEO work, and how a mindset shift can create immediate clarity and hope. Together they explore the journey from business operator to business owner, the importance of dreaming bigger than what feels “realistic,” and how to delegate effectively without guilt. Real-life success stories highlight attorneys who have built thriving teams, scaled their practices, and reclaimed freedom, offering both inspiration and actionable strategies for sustainable law firm growth. 

Listen to our other episodes on Law Firm Leadership: 

#569 Your Head Is a Crappy Office, and Other GTD Principles for Attorneys, with David Allen Apple | Spotify | LTN 

#564 The Gift in the Struggle: Leveraging Emotional Intelligence for Growth, with Sara Muender Apple | Spotify | LTN 

#560: Stop Doing Everything Yourself! Unlock Your Law Firm’s True Potential, with Leticia DeSuze  Apple | Spotify | LTN 

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: 

00:00 – Introduction: Creating Space to Think Differently 

06:16 – Meet Chad Fox 

07:12 – The Overwhelm Stage 

08:33 – Finding Hope Through Clarity 

11:24 – Dreaming Big Beyond ‘What’s Realistic’ 

15:00 – From Operator to Owner 

17:09 – Building Teams & Managing Perceptions 

20:16 – The $20 Task Trap 

23:44 – What Being a CEO Lawyer Looks Like 

25:50 – Success Story: From Chaos to Growth 

26:50 – Final Takeaway: It Doesn’t Have to Be So Hard 

We know where some of those pro bono payola hours are going.

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Be prepared to be on the clock a lot longer at King & Spalding, where the firm has introduced a 2400 hour “productive” time target. In other words, attorneys will have to figure out how to describe 2400 hours worth of work to the firm’s billing software every year. This seems to follow the overarching retreat from the work from home era, which also made news this week with a firm announcing a new office mandate… but just for some associates. Justice Jackson drew upon a generational touchstone to succinctly describe the Supreme Court majority’s jurisprudence. And a pair of the spineless firms are providing free legal services to the Commerce Department.

We all make mistakes, but what do you do when you make one in court? Judge Jessica Kruse reminds us that how you admit your mistake can often be more important than the error itself.