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

James Patterson has written bestsellers in many genres. But as he tells the ABA Journal's Lee Rawles in this episode of The Modern Law Library, he has always been fascinated by legal thrillers, courtroom dramas and crime novels. He even considered becoming a lawyer, before his literary career took off.

In his newest release, The #1 Lawyer, James Patterson partnered with co-author Nancy Allen to tell the story of Stafford Lee Penney, a criminal defense attorney in Biloxi, Mississippi, who’s never lost a case. But after handing a high-profile murder trial involving the son of a mobster, Penney finds himself on the other side of the bench as a defendant himself, charged with murdering his own wife.

Patterson has written and co-written more than 300 books, including bestselling series like Alex Cross, Women’s Murder Club and Maximum Ride. He had some writing tips for attorneys, particularly on how to work collaboratively. As Patterson tells listeners in the podcast, he is open about working with other writers on many of his books, and he finds tools like outlining absolutely essential. He also shares with Rawles how he thinks co-writers should handle interpersonal communication while working together.

Patterson says one of the major benefits of working with co-authors is pulling from their experiences to make his books more accurate and true to life. When he wrote The President is Missing with Bill Clinton, the former president could tell Patterson the inside details of how a Secret Service detail worked. When he wrote Run, Rose, Run with Dolly Parton, she walked him through the production cycle for a song.

Allen, who conducted more than 30 jury trials as a prosecutor in Missouri and taught law for 15 years at Missouri State University, contributed her firsthand courtroom experience to The #1 Lawyer. Patterson says they worked to make everything as accurate as possible—while still allowing for a good story. It’s the pair’s second book together, following a previous standalone novel, Juror #3.

In this episode of The Modern Law Library, Patterson shares some of his favorite law-related pop culture picks; news about new and ongoing projects; and describes a very special birthday event with Dolly Parton. He also discusses how his children’s series Maximum Ride got caught up in Florida book bans in 2023. For fans of Patterson’s breakout success, the Alex Cross series launched in 1993 with Along Came a Spider, the author shares updates about what’s next for the intrepid detective—including details about the upcoming Amazon Prime TV series Cross, starring Aldis Hodge.

James Patterson dishes on his new legal thriller, ‘The #1 Lawyer’

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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James Patterson dishes on his new legal thriller, ‘The #1 Lawyer’

Legal Talk Network

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