Jay Reeves practiced law in North Carolina and South Carolina. He was Legal Editor at Lawyers Weekly and Risk Manager at Lawyers Mutual. He is the author of The Most Powerful Attorney in the World, a collection of short stories from a law life well-lived, which as the seasons pass becomes less about law and liability and more about loss, love, longing, laughter and life's lasting luminescence.
Micro Mindfulness in Four Easy Steps When it comes to practicing mindfulness, a little bit can go a long way. In fact, small steps can create big change. “We don’t need anything else to add to our to-do list,” writes Colleen L. Byers for the NCBar Blog. “We don’t need to… Read More
A lawyer may be included in a list of recommended lawyers maintained by an allied professional like a doctor or accountant, provided the professional does not disseminate the lawyer’s name and information in a manner prohibited by the Rules of Professional Conduct. That’s according to NC ethics o… Read More
New York has become the first state in the country to require lawyers to take a specific CLE course in Cybersecurity, Privacy and Data Protection. Lawyers licensed in New York will soon have to complete at least one credit of cybersecurity, privacy and data protection training as part of their continuing legal… Read More
It’s hard enough to keep clients happy when their case is going well; it can be a nightmare when things go south. The key is to build a solid base of trust and compassion on which the attorney-client relationship rests. If that foundation is secure, it will withstand tough times. There are four essent… Read More
If you’ve thought about doing a Mock Trial in a case but were unsure of the costs and benefits – or even how to get started – you’ve come to the right place. This post will break down the basics for conducting a Mock Trial. It will cover the price range (anywhere from almost nothing f… Read More
If you want to visit one of the nation’s top haunted places this Halloween season, you won’t have to travel far. The Devil’s Tramping Ground in Chatham County – which is on a travel list of the 15 Spookiest Spots in the US – is easy to find and cheap to book. The supposedly haun… Read More
Unlike other practice areas, an estate planning practice requires both a short-term marketing strategy and a long-term strategy. The short-term goal is to attract clients. But the long-term goal is to keep those clients over the years, because estate practices often work with clients for generations. Anothe… Read More
One big mistake law firms make when designing an employee handbook is to forget the handbook is a living document that must change over time as the firm changes. Handbooks that are set in stone will create headaches. “The employee handbook is the first opportunity an organization has to establish… Read More
In law school you learned it’s unethical to directly solicit potential clients; a new ABA ethics opinion says you also have an affirmative obligation to ensure your employees and associates don’t either. American Bar Associate Ethics Opinion 501 expands the prohibition on attorneys engaging in im… Read More
I love old buildings – the grander, statelier and more steeped in history the better. It’s one reason I was attracted to the law in the first place. This attraction dates back to my childhood in Kingstree, South Carolina. Three blocks west of the house I grew up in was the magnificent Williamsburg County courthouse. Its multilevel front steps opened onto a wide portico with towering columns and a massive door like the door to a castle. Read More
When it comes to marketing your law firm, Facebook might not be a good bet. That’s especially true if you want exposure to a younger demographic. TikTok has established itself as a top platform for U.S. teens, while teen Facebook users are fast becoming extinct, says the recent Pew Research survey, &l… Read More
The North Carolina House and Senate have approved House Bill 776, and Governor Cooper signed the Remote Online Notarization (RON) into law on July 8, 2022. This legislation allows notaries to identify individuals and notarize their signatures using internet technologies. Homebuyers, for example, will b… Read More
Does your attorney compensation plan mirror your law firm’s values and mission? If not, you might be missing a chance to move your firm from good to great. “Many of our compensation models such as ‘eat what you kill’ are outdated,” writes Camille Stell, CEO of Lawye… Read More
The NC State Bar has amended the rules for attorneys applying for reinstatement from inactive or suspended status. The amendments to the bar’s Rules for the Administrative Committee were approved by the NC Supreme Court in December 2021 and published on the State Bar website in 2022. The amendme… Read More
A law firm that lost almost $200,000 in a Nigerian wire fraud scam can’t recover the money from its depository bank. The firm – not the bank – is responsible for the loss, a federal court in Pennsylvania has ruled. This is so even though the firm did not know the check was a forgery b… Read More
For lawyers handling real estate closings, it’s important to know that seller fraud continues to rise, especially with the upcoming holiday season when distractions are high, and fraudsters are active.
Lawyers Mutual has published previous alerts regarding the new filing requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) that went into effect January 1, 2024. After reviewing additional resources, we want to emphasize concerns that we have about the risks and increased potential liability for lawyers undertaking the reporting requirements. This is especially true for the continuing reporting requirements after entity formation and initial reporting.