Legal Talk Network

Newly appointed National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) President and CEO April Frazier Camara shares her goals for the NLADA and the personal history that led her to advocate for access to justice.

If you are studying for the July bar exam, you’re not going to memorize every flashcard for the Multistate Bar Examination, and that’s OK. You can still pass.

Are you struggling with debt? Do you have collectors breathing down your neck, threatening to repossess your property and filing lawsuits against you in court? For many Americans facing this dilemma, their options are fairly limited.

Is there a conservative case for supporting civil legal aid? Prominent conservative and libertarian thought leaders share their perspectives on access-to-justice issues and recent regulatory changes.

The last two years have brought a variety of game-changers to employment law, in large part due to pandemic-era effects on employee/employer relationships. Host Rocky Dhir talks with Tony Campiti and Lawrence Morales about their Annual Meeting presentation on the latest trends and changes in employment law and what Texas lawyers, employers, and employees need to know. 

Tony Campiti is a partner and labor and employment attorney in the litigation section at the Holland & Knight, LLP, Dallas office, representing management exclusively in client counseling and litigation.

Lawrence Morales is a partner at The Morales Law Firm, PC, and a certified specialist in Labor and Employment law by the State Bar of Texas, Board of Legal Specialization.

The Fair Pay to Play Act has brought forth a whole slew of changes, questions, and (if we’re honest) confusion to the world of college sports. Laurence Coletti chats with Jeremy Evans about the details of the Act, which now allows college athletes to secure endorsements and sponsorships without losing scholarship eligibility. Jeremy talks about the pros and cons of athletes' new control over marketing their names, images, and likenesses and discusses some of the legal and ethical issues that have arisen since the Fair Pay to Play Act became effective in 2021.

Jeremy M. Evans is the chief entrepreneur officer (CEO), founder & managing attorney at California Sports Lawyer.

This year’s keynote speaker offers a whole new perspective on work, life, mental health, and cross-industry cooperation. Restaurateur Chris Shepherd chats with Rocky Dhir about the challenges of the hospitality industry and how the Southern Smoke Foundation works to provide support for those in crisis. 

Chris Shepherd is founding director and honorary chairman of Southern Smoke Foundation.

Every attorney dreads the day a crisis erupts. Because it will. But there are “good ways” and “bad ways” to prepare and react. Pretending it will never happen to you is the “bad way.”

Speakers David Margulies and Bradley Adams are experts in crisis management and communication and spoke at the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting on what they’ve learned and how attorneys work with public relations teams both before and after a crisis erupts.

Don’t hide, but speak only to the facts you know are facts

Social media influencers and mainstream media outlets are part of life. How do you respond, react, and reach out?

Is it OK to empathize, sympathize, and even (gasp) apologize?

Hear how to accept a crisis could hit you and understand how early preparation and planning can help.

Generation Z are the new up-and-comers in the legal world. What can we expect from them as they begin contributing to legal processes? From the Annual Meeting, Laurence Coletti talks with conference speakers Laura Graham and Jason Bloom, whose sessions focused on different aspects of Gen Z’s entrance into the legal system. Laura shares highlights from Gen Z: What Kind of Colleagues Will They Be?, delving into this peer group’s unique approach to the profession; and Jason recaps Jury Decision-Making and the Gen Z Juror, explaining how generational perspectives affect trial outcomes.

Laura Graham is a professor of legal writing and director of legal analysis, writing, and research at Wake Forest University School of Law.

Jason Bloom, the founder and President of Bloom Strategic Consulting, Inc., has been a jury consultant for over 20 years

Are you a lawyer who plays League of Legends late at night? A World of Warcraft warrior who engages in courtroom combat during your daytime gig? And have you ever wished you could break into esports on a professional level–whether you're armed with a game controller or a briefcase?

Well, esports is a growing industry, and if you'd like to make it part of your legal practice, a background in gaming can help, says Justin M. Jacobson, author of The Essential Guide to the Business & Law of Esports & Professional Video Gaming. Jacobson started in sports and entertainment law, and he says when representing musicians and athletes, knowing how to engage with your clients and speak in a vernacular they're accustomed to is key to forming a productive–and long-term–relationship with them.

In this episode of the Modern Law Library, Jacobson speaks with the ABA Journal's Lee Rawles about his own career journey into esports management and legal representation, tips for law students on what classes could be useful for this practice niche, and the common mistakes he sees inexperienced clients make. 

When writing his manual, Jacobson wanted it to be useful not only to lawyers looking to practice in this area, but also people who are involved in the esports industry in other ways. In addition to a history of the video game contests that eventually developed into the multimillion-dollar esports industry, Jacobson breaks down the major stakeholders in the sector, including the event organizers, the game publishers, the teams and the talent. From contract writing to immigration issues, intellectual property disputes and tax write-offs, The Essential Guide to the Business & Law of Esports & Professional Video Gaming touches on many different areas of law.

Esports athletes or their friends, loved ones and business managers could also be served by Jacobson's clear breakdowns of issues that crop up for professional gamers. Tune in for Jacobson's advice for parents of talented young gamers who are looking to make a career in esports.