A recent opportunity to testify as an expert witness in a big legal malpractice trial inspired this question: “How is the standard of care for legal malpractice related to or affected by risk management and claim avoidance strategies that lawyers ...
Tagged with: risk management
Read More »If you are an established lawyer, you probably give back to your community by your involvement in civic, charitable and pro bono activities. How many times in the past year, however, did you “pay it forward” at the office ...
Tagged with: mentor
Read More »The practice of law is extremely demanding, and research indicates the levels of substance abuse and mental health issues are highest among attorneys. Due to the stress of the work, it permeates every aspect of a lawyer’s life, placing ...
Tagged with: candor
Read More »The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides eligible employees who work for covered employers with up to 12 weeks (sometimes more) of protected time off work. Most employees use FMLA in good faith. However, there are some bad ...
Tagged with: FMLA
Read More »People often ask me where I get new client referrals. The answer is complicated. But I think one thing that helps generate business is having a varied and interesting personal and professional network. Though it would be easy to hang ...
Tagged with: referrals
Read More »Most trial presentations center on a narrative — that is, the facts of the case, woven into a story. With rare exceptions, that story should be told in chronological order. It’s almost always more interesting, more effective, and more ...
Tagged with: story
Read More »It almost goes without saying that a successful trial lawyer needs to be thoroughly prepared. But hard work alone is not enough, and even the most prodigious memory will carry you only so far. A successful trial lawyer also ...
Tagged with: Trial notebook
Read More »The existence, terms and scope of an attorney-client relationship are generally straightforward and understood between the parties. There are times, however, when a miscommunication between attorney and client creates unintended consequences — such as fee disputes, lawsuits or ethics ...
Tagged with: Client Relations
Read More »To try a case effectively, you need to have a theory of the case, and you need to develop themes to help persuade the jury. Although they are both important, they are not the same thing, and both need ...
Tagged with: case theory
Read More »BY BRIAN J. CARNEY BridgeTower Media Newswires Every aspect of trial preparation is important. But just because you spend time preparing a witness, don’t assume the witness will succeed when called to testify. How can a trial lawyer ensure that ...
Tagged with: testimony
Read More »
North Carolina Lawyers Weekly
