BY BETH BROOKS SCHERER The North Carolina Supreme Court has issued its latest order amending the state’s Rules of Appellate Procedure. The amendments, which were effective January 1, impact Appellate Rules 3, 3.1, 4, 9, 11, 12, 13, 18, 26, ...
Read More »Supreme Court Amends Rules of Appellate Procedure: What You Need to Know
Creating unique value propositions 
What’s a value proposition? It’s what you are offering to provide in exchange for your fee. Your value proposition is your service, product or the experience of working with you. It’s not about your personal brand. It’s not about ...
Tagged with: Value
Read More »A new year means new property valuations across North Carolina 
By CHAD ESSICK and EMILY MEEKER The New Year often brings new resolutions and new opportunities. For property owners in certain counties across North Carolina, the New Year will also bring new property tax valuations. North Carolina law requires counties ...
Tagged with: Property Tax
Read More »Trials and the movies 
Movies and television shows featuring trials and other courtroom procedures have always been popular, and it is not surprising that, with the advent of modern technology, they have found their way into law school classrooms. In today’s world, just ...
Tagged with: hollywood
Read More »Role of trustee made easier with ‘letter of wishes’ 
Before she died, one of your long-term clients appointed you as trustee of a family trust for the benefit of her three children, currently ages 18, 23 and 28. As trustee, you are given absolute discretion over trust distributions, guided ...
Tagged with: Trustee
Read More »A guide to charitable giving under tax reform 
Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, far fewer taxpayers will itemize their deductions when filing their tax returns for 2018 and beyond. This has sent many charities into a bit of a panic as many would-be charitable givers ...
Tagged with: taxes
Read More »5 things clients want from firms for free 
BY MATT PRINN BridgeTower Media Newswires In most request for proposals that deal with the overall client-law firm relationship (as opposed to a matter-specific RFP), you will see questions asking law firms about “value-added” services. By value-added, they mean free. ...
Tagged with: Free
Read More »What rising fast food costs can teach us about legal services 
That feeling I’ve been getting in my gut every time I go to McDonald’s wasn’t (just) indigestion—fast food really has been getting more expensive lately. Bloomberg recently reported that burger prices have been beefing up at a faster rate than ...
Tagged with: Costs
Read More »Sexual harassment incidents increase in 2018 
In early October, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released its preliminary findings examining sexual harassment in the workplace over the past year. In the wake of the #MeToo movement, no one should be surprised to see the figures ...
Tagged with: Sexual Harassment
Read More »Borrowing and the art of trial advocacy 
Whether you are just starting out or an experienced hand, you should take every opportunity you can to watch other lawyers try cases. When a trial lawyer stands up in open court, the lawyer is not only pleading the ...
Tagged with: trial advocacy
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