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 some free risk management advice: it’s wrong to steal money from your client trust account to pay for home renovations, landscaping and a party with a Hawaiian band. Of course it’s wrong to steal from your trust account, period. It will get you disbarred. It may also land you behind ba… Read More
Did you know you have an ethical duty to stay current on issues involving Facebook and social media? And that this duty might require you to investigate your client’s social media presence and advise them how it could impact their case? If not, you should take a moment to review Rule of Professional Con… Read More
If you didn’t get around to making any resolutions on New Year’s Day, don’t worry, you can always use the ones you made last year – or a decade ago. The very best resolutions are evergreen. They don’t begin on January 1 and end on December 31. They bring positive, lasting change t… Read More
In light of all the bleak news and grim issues that confront us, it’s heartening to learn that “justice” was chosen as the Word of the Year for 2018. Indeed, the stories that shaped the year – the Mueller investigation, the Kavanaugh hearing, midterm elections, criminal reform, policing… Read More
The most popular legal topics of 2018 were of-counsel relationships, hourly rates and auto accident UIM releases. Lawyers were also interested in trust account guidelines and … wait for it … Netflix watchlists. Those were the findings of a round-up of the most popular 2018 postings on Lawyers Mu… Read More
A story about the truth of who we are and we arrive in our circumstances. Read More
The best lawyer in the world is ineffective without marketing. Unfortunately, for some attorneys marketing is a dirty word. This need not be the case. Everything you do is marketing, in addition to everything your staff does. Every letter you send, every pleading you file, every client you meet – all are… Read More
Here’s some free risk management advice: don’t set up fake social media accounts in the name of local politicians to influence upcoming elections. It could land you behind bars. Just ask New York City lawyer Richard Luthmann, who has been charged with falsifying business records, identity theft, s… Read More
Want to avoid “your check is in the mail” syndrome? Send your clients e-invoices and offer online options for easy payment. You’ll get paid quicker, and you’ll save money on printing, envelopes, ink and stamps. And it will take far less time than preparing and mailing a physical bill. … Read More
Want to have a happier, healthier and more profitable law office? Start sitting down for a group meal once a week. Do it in the office or go out. And don’t discuss work while eating. Simply share space and break bread together. Another tip: consider telling your employees to take off early on Friday &nd… Read More
A child's experience with a mall Santa spreads joy throughout the years. Read More
When you think about investing in your law practice, your first considerations are probably dollars and cents. And while finances are certainly key to professional success, other areas of investment – which you might be overlooking – are just as important. Wellness, for example. A guaranteed way t… Read More
If you run a law practice, you’re an entrepreneur, whether you consider yourself one or not. So what better way to spend the holidays than watching a film that offers valuable tips and insights for entrepreneurs? Like Office Space, which features cutting-edge commentary on cubicle culture, not to mentio… Read More
How does the Post-It Note – a small, square, unassuming scrap of paper – survive in a sleek, cyber world? Because it works. And because no software program, app or messaging platform comes close to matching its ease of use, versatility or convenience. “Sticky notes have become a classic beca… Read More
You might not think your copy machine poses a potentially disastrous cybersecurity risk. But just ask New York health care provider Affinity Health Plan, which sustained financial losses of more than a million dollars following a data breach involving its copiers. “With so much attention paid to phishin… 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.