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.
In the midst of the pandemic, it’s more important than ever to build strong, enduring relationships with your clients. It’s the backbone of your practice. Satisfied clients refer friends and colleagues. They also return for repeat business because they trust the lawyer to handle it properly. An a… Read More
Ever find yourself being ignored, muted or talked over in Zoom meetings? Waiting patiently does no good. Neither does clicking the Raise Hand button or gesticulating madly from your little box. And trying to barge into the conversation uninvited may come across as rude. What’s a Zoomer to do? “… Read More
As your team returns to the office post-pandemic, you can show your appreciation – and lessen the inevitable stress – by throwing a celebration for all the birthdays, work anniversaries, and other milestones that occurred in the past 18 months. And if you aren’t inclined to throw a shindig,… Read More
The skillset a solo practitioner needed before the pandemic may be different than what’s needed afterward. Previously, it helped to be great with people and have high emotional IQ. Now it helps to be great on Zoom and have a cool background filter. Not long ago, you were thinking about looking i… Read More
With ransomware attacks disrupting everything from gasoline to hamburgers, it’s important to know the basics of social engineering and how to keep your firm safe. It’s all about education and training, starting with the fact that variations of social engineering have been around forever. “… Read More
Around one in three lawyers started drinking more over the past 18 months, according to new data. Thirty-four (34) percent of female lawyers and 29 percent of the male lawyers reported their drinking increased during the pandemic. Women who reported an increase were seven times more likely to engage in… Read More
Law Lessons from Shoeless Joe’s Last Ballgame Read More
Lawyers are feeling so overwhelmed these days that many are working part-time, and a significant number are thinking of leaving the profession altogether. Most of the rest are highly stressed about income and job security. Meanwhile, lawyers across the board want their firms to emphasize wellness and q… Read More
A new tech tool that cranks out powerfully compelling case briefs is the latest example of how AI is helping lawyers succeed. Clearbrief – an AI-powered legal writing tool – was developed by a lawyer and former prosecutor. It evaluates briefs for accuracy in citations, depth of caselaw, and persuas… Read More
If you want a more powerful website, make sure your office location, phone number and email are displayed prominently on your homepage. Also: include a Call to Action inviting visitors to engage further by contacting your office, scheduling an appointment, or linking to your blog. Another tip: keep yo… Read More
If a disgruntled client posts a negative review of you online, how are you ethically permitted to respond? That question is currently being considered by the NC State Bar Ethics Committee. In April, the committee published Proposed 2020 Formal Ethics Opinion 1, which says a lawyer cannot include confi… Read More
These days every law firm must offer at least a basic level of Digital Service Delivery. Whether you’re 100 percent virtual or 100 percent physical, your practice must include digital operations or risk obsolescence. “Clients just don’t accept delays and don’t see the need for a commut… Read More
More than 80 percent of lawyers define a “multidisciplinary” practice team as one comprised of attorneys drawn from varying firms, practice areas and experience levels. The caveat: only lawyers allowed. Fewer than 20 percent of lawyers take a more inclusive approach, defining a “multidiscipl… Read More
When it comes to your law firm website, the key factor is not how much you paid for it, or what web designer you used. And it’s not whether you love or hate your site. The key factor – actually, the only factor – is how your site is performing. If it attracts visitors and prom… Read More
More people are applying for law school, which means it’s harder to get in. To illustrate: last year, a score of 172 on the LSAT and a 3.8 college GPA would likely have been good enough to get you into one of the top eight law schools in the country. This year, those credentials might not even get you… 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.