Not to be confused with “trial by fire,” a trial by Zoom can be a scary new experience for any hardened litigator. Luckily, others have pioneered best practices for courts, judges, and, yes, lawyers to follow. Host Dave Scriven-Young is joined by Judge Marsha J. Pechman and Judge Thomas Samuel Zilly from the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington.&nbsp; Together they share the journey going from in-person proceedings to a remote environment and road map the process along the way, including advice for displaying evidence, how to read a jury, what to wear, and much more!&nbsp; Stay tuned for Darryl Wilson’s tips for making great opening statements!

Trial by Zoom

If you are studying for the July bar exam, you’re not going to memorize every flashcard for the Multistate Bar Examination, and that’s OK. You can still pass.

ABA Journal: Asked and Answered

Think you won't pass the July bar exam? So did many others, but they did, say lawyers

Jane M. Spinak did not set out to write a book arguing for the abolition of family court. She thought she would be making the case for a set of sensible reforms. But the more she dug into the history of the family court system, the previous attempts at reform, and the examples of real world harms the system had caused, the more she began to believe there was no saving it.

In this episode of the Modern Law Library, Spinak speaks with the ABA Journal’s Lee Rawles about her philosophical journey and the writing of her new book, The End of Family Court: How Abolishing the Court Brings Justice to Children and Families.

Spinak walks Rawles through the origins of the family court system at the turn of the 20th century. The movement began with Northern and Midwestern progressives, usually white middle- and upper-class women, who felt there needed to be a way to make the children of recent immigrants into “real Americans.” They also believed, as Spinak does, that adult court was not a place for juvenile offenders.

Over the next century, the purpose and purview of family courts expanded and changed. Today, family court judges may consider juvenile criminal offenses, status offenses, custody cases, adoption, the removal of children from their parents and truancy cases. What has remained constant is the uneven enforcement of child safety laws, which fall primarily on poor and minority families.

“It is doubtless true that many children of the well-to-do are saved from coming before the courts because their families have greater resources and are often able to obtain special care for their children,” reads a report from the Children’s Bureau in the 1930s cited in The End of Family Court. “Whereas the children of the poor are more likely to be referred to courts or committed to institutions when they develop serious behavior problems.”

In this episode, Spinak shares experiences from her four decades in the family law arena, discusses how the children and families impacted by family court are leading movements for change, and explains how family court jurisdictions could shrink as communities step up to support families.

Is family court too flawed to be fixed?

Ernie Svenson-a.k.a. well-known blogger Ernie the Attorney-was an early evangelist for what he calls The Paperless Chase. The basic premise: "Anything you can do with paper, you can do more with PDF. Way more." 
 
Now he spends a lot of time teaching, training and speaking, all aimed at enabling small-firm and solo lawyers with the ability "to save money, make money and outmatch bigger firm adversaries," he says. 
 
In fact, calling Svenson an evangelist is an understatement. "The walls are closing in on lawyers who haven't adapted, with e-filing in the courts and the increased use of the PDF format by others," Svenson says. "It's here. It's good. Do it." 

Don't fear technology, Ernie Svenson urges; 'It's here; it's good; do it'

Microsoft products assist lawyers daily in document review and communication. In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares talks to Ben Schorr, senior content developer at Microsoft, about the different tools Microsoft provides and how they lend themselves to a successful law firm. Their conversation includes Microsoft Office 365, OneDrive, and Outlook. They also discuss resources you can use to learn even more about Microsoft products. Ben Schorr is a Senior Content Developer at Microsoft. He was a Microsoft MVP for more than 19 years and involved with management and technology for more than 25. Special thanks to our sponsors, Clio,  Answer1,  PerfectIt, and Unbundled Attorney

Running Your Firm with Microsoft

Attorney Karen Karabinos from the law firm of Drew Eckl & Farnham discusses judicial estoppel and the impact on insurance claims.

Special thanks to our sponsor, A.M. Best Company, Best’s Recommended Insurance Attorneys & Adjusters, including Expert Service Providers.

The Application of Judicial Estoppel in Insurance Claims

How can lawyers build influence in the legal community? In this episode of Lunch Hour Legal Marketing, hosts Gyi Tsakalakis and Kelly Street talk to Jordan Harbinger about his career as a social dynamics expert and influential podcaster. They discuss Jordan’s networking advice for creating meaningful and useful professional connections. They also delve into how to make good impressions and exude approachability. Jordan Harbinger is a Wall Street lawyer turned interview talk show host, and communications and social dynamics expert.

Jordan Harbinger’s Networking Playbook for Lawyers

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Is family court too flawed to be fixed?

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