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.
Although one out of three solo lawyers has a home office, up to 90 percent of lawyers in firms of all other sizes work primarily in a traditional office setting. But that gap may be narrowing, as a large majority of lawyers nationwide say they’ve started telecommuting at least part-time because of the … Read More
Here’s an insider tip for citing caselaw in your court filings: be sure to provide sufficient details – who, what, when, where and why – to place the precedent in a clear and understandable context. Just don’t overdo it by throwing in too many facts. Doing the former (too muc… Read More
One lesson COVID has made loud and clear is the importance of clear, candid, and consistent communication in the law office. It’s essential for your firm’s survival in these days of remote work, Zoom hearings, and health and safety concerns. “Our responsibilities haven’t changed, just … Read More
Around one-quarter of one percent (that’s 0.23 percent) of the nearly 1.3 million practicing lawyers in the U.S. are publicly disciplined for ethical misconduct each year. The most common form of public discipline is suspension, followed by disbarment. Those stats are from the ABA 2020 Profile of the … Read More
Wouldn’t it be great to go back and gather the stories from 2020 that were the most useful, relevant and important to your law practice?Guess what? The ABA Journal has done it for you. “The past year presented challenges that left all of us scrambling for guidance, and we did our best to serve re… Read More
So where do you rank as a lawyer: are you excellent, distinctive, superior, or elite?Or perhaps you consider yourself among the Top 100 Lawyers in the Galaxy? Welcome to the wonderful world of lawyer rankings. “It seems that every year, the legal rankings landscape gets just a little more crowded and … Read More
If your 2021 plans include hiring a marketing professional for your law firm, be sure to pick one you click with personally. Poor chemistry is the number one reason marketing relationships fail. Another red flag: if an agency makes extravagant promises of what they can do, but their rates are far below the … Read More
A lesson on coping with change in a creative way. Read More
The start of a new year is a good time to update the bio photo on your website and online platforms. An outdated or unflattering picture – think criminal mugshot – will turn off potential clients. And because every picture tells a story, consider using more than one shot to tell the stor… Read More
LM Blogpost 2 December 2020 – Reeves – Criminal Defense and COVID Lawyers in criminal defense practices have had to embrace remote technology and virtual processes like never before because of COVID. It hasn’t always been an easy or seamless transition. Like other lawyers in “people … Read More
It doesn’t matter what a great lawyer you are if nobody notices you. That’s why your 2021 To-Do List should include a commitment to explore new, creative ways to get your name out there. Some suggestions: grow your social media presence, join a civic group, and boost the SEO for your website. &… Read More
Service to others is the highest calling of every lawyer, says the president of the NC Bar Association. And after the challenges, turmoil and heartbreak we’ve all experienced in 2020, that service will be needed more than ever in 2021. Mark Holt of Raleigh was installed last summer as the 126th … Read More
Here’s a New Year’s Resolution that’s sure to bring good tidings to you, your law firm and your community: commit to volunteering more time for pro bono work in 2021. Lawyers in North Carolina are urged to do at least 50 hours of pro bono service annually, pursuant to NC Rule of Professiona… Read More
It probably won’t surprise you to learn that lockdown has been named 2020 Word of the Year Nor are you likely to be shocked to discover that related terms like pandemic, coronavirus and social-distancing also made the list, which was compiled by the Collins English Dictionary. But you might not … 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.