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.
Here’s a grammar resolution for 2022: vow to eliminate the phrases “new normal,” “deep dive” and “circle back” from your vocabulary. While you’re at it, get rid of “no worries” as well. Those are four of the phrases on the 2021 Lake Superior … Read More
If you’re a new associate and want to impress your firm, be sure to keep your legal research skills sharp. Lawyers who can quickly and accurately analyze a fact situation, identify key issues, and figure out how to get answers will always be in demand. “Present your findings in a stra… Read More
First, the bad news: students are graduating from law school with an average debt of more than $139,000. Now the good news: paying off a debt that big is not only possible, but it can be done without undue agony or years of financial insecurity. It takes discipline, patience and a strict budget. Most import… Read More
Although most firms are in the process of rebounding from COVID, many of their top-performing lawyers remained deeply concerned. They worry about how their firm in particular – and the profession in general – is going to navigate the long-term turbulence of working remotely, implementing ne… Read More
A solo attorney may ethically represent his law firm PLLC and also testify as a witness in a fee dispute with a former client. This is so despite the prohibition of NC Rule of Professional Conduct 3.7, which says attorneys cannot serve as both advocate and witness in a matter. That’s the ruling … Read More
This year, are you asking Santa for a personalized ornament of your favorite lawyer – complete with a hook and ribbon to hang on your Christmas tree? Or maybe you’re wishing for a personalized Cameo video greeting from the actor who plays the bailiff on Judge Judy or the UPS delivery driver from … Read More
Although this holiday shopping season promises to be more “normal” than the past two years, consumers still say they plan to do most of their buying online. Businesses of all types are accommodating them by offering curbside pickup, shipping discounts, and expanded ecommerce options. As a … Read More
It just wouldn’t be Christmas without the annual Lawyers Mutual Holiday Movie Countdown, in which we recap the 20 most popular yuletide films of all time as ranked by Rotten Tomatoes. We know that for a whole year you’ve been anxiously awaiting answers to essential questions, such as:… Read More
Want a quick and easy marketing tip to close out the year? Send emails to five attorneys who know you, like you and trust you. Ask them to write a testimonial for your Avvo profile. Want another tip? Attend a networking event in your community this week. Pick one that has little or nothing to do with the l… Read More
If your firm doesn’t accept online fee payments, it’s a wonder you’re able to keep your office doors open. That’s because 66 percent of clients prefer to pay their attorney fees online, according to the 2021 Clio Legal Trends Report. Other top preferences: automated payments and payme… Read More
In this remote work era when tech savvy is essential, a new survey shows that more than two-thirds of in-house counsel think lawyers are technologically incompetent. In a similar survey done just two years ago, only 50 percent doubted the tech skills of outside lawyers. “The eye-popping ta… Read More
If you practice trial or appellate law, you should know about a comprehensive revision of the North Carolina Rules of Appellate Procedure. The Supreme Court of North Carolina adopted an order amending the rules on October 13. The rules apply to cases that are appealed on or after January 1, 2022. &ldqu… Read More
There is something to be said for practicing law like a beginner, regardless of how long you have actually been doing it. Unfortunately, some of us take a different path. Read More
You’ve been told a thousand times to return phone calls promptly, but you might mistakenly think that advice mostly applies to calls from clients. It also applies to calls from other attorneys. Failing to reply promptly when another lawyer calls, texts or emails increases your risk of malpractice and … Read More
With the median student debt load topping $150,000, a majority of recent law graduates question whether their legal education was worth the cost. Even so, six out of 10 say if they could do it all over, they’d still choose to go to law school. Those findings are from a new survey, Student Debt: the Ho… 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.