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  • Marking 25 Years Since 9/11: Revisiting Our Discussion With Special Master Ken Feinberg | Workers Comp Matters

    Marking 25 Years Since 9/11: Revisiting Our Discussion With Special Master Ken Feinberg | Workers Comp Matters
    2026/09/16
    It’s been 25 years since 9/11. In this special episode, we revisit our conversation with Kenneth Feinberg, the architect of the federal compensation plan for victims and their families. As he asks in his book on the subject, “what’s life worth?” Feinberg is an internationally known attorney who was appointed by President George W. Bush to administer the federal fund established to aid those injured in the terrorist attacks and to support the families of those who lost their lives. We reflect on Feinberg’s Herculean efforts and how his team grappled with a national open wound and struggled to put a monetary value on thousands of lives. In today’s often divisive political climate, a brutal period 25 years ago reminds us of a time when our nation came together as one. If any episode of Workers’ Comp Matters bears a second listen, this is the one. Everyone working with injured workers and their families can take a lesson from Feinberg’s extraordinary challenge. If you have thoughts on Workers’ Comp law or an idea for a topic or guest you’d like to hear, contact us at JPierce@ppnlaw.com or APierce@ppnlaw.com. Subscribe to Workers Comp Matters: https://play.megaphone.fm/uzqas4ukq4ysdntrvbgvgg Mentioned in This Episode: “Worth,” a Netflix film on Ken Feinberg’s work, trailer “What Is Life Worth? The Unprecedented Effort to Compensate the Victims of 9/11,” by Kenneth R. Feinberg
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    37 分
  • A Different Law Firm Model: Up Front Pricing and Billing. | New Solo

    A Different Law Firm Model: Up Front Pricing and Billing. | New Solo
    2026/09/11
    What are you charging your clients for, “minutes” or “results?” Guest John Rafferty started his own firm, Highfield Law, in the Philadelphia suburbs, specializing in guardianships and estates. He’s a convert to flat-fee, results based, billing. No more “billable hours.” And it works. Rafferty is also a tech guy. Zoom, phone, face to face, it’s all at the client’s choice. Meeting clients where they want is key, and Rafferty finds many prefer some mix of online and in-person contact. It’s a new world. (And that goes for hiring online and part-time administrative help, too). Hear how Rafferty reinvented his legal practice, from billing to remote work, and how he sets his flat-fee rates based on value and the market. Having the confidence to set a rate, and stick to it, is important. It takes courage, but it’s worth it. And one more thing: “All funds are due up front.” Does this all sound blunt and, frankly, different? Perhaps, but it can take the focus off the money and hours and let clients focus on getting the results they want. (Plus, a bonus tip: where to find the best Philly cheesesteaks!) Questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at NewSolo@legaltalknetwork.com. Topics: Flat-fee billing works if you have the confidence to set your fee and stick to it. John Rafferty went out on his own and established a results-based firm. No more “billable hours.” Meet clients where they are. That doesn’t have to be in an office. Clients are busy, too. Sometimes an online video chat or a phone call is better than having someone “drop by the office.” For solo practices, tech matters. Get comfortable with digital platforms and let them speed up the routine tasks. If a flat-fee project takes fewer hours than you estimated because you were efficient, that’s pure profit. Subscribe to New Solo: https://play.megaphone.fm/snklydceswminrbke6phsq Resources: “Ditch the Billable Hour! Implementing Value-Based Pricing in a Law Firm,” by Shaun Jardine Previously on the Legal Talk Network, “No More Billable Hours: The Move To Value-Based, Results-Based Pricing,” The Un-Billable Hour Clio legal software Smokeball legal software CARET legal software Claude AI Microsoft OneDrive Quo phone system Zoom ClioCon 2026 ABA Techshow 2027
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    40 分
  • EP 718: Deposition Tips, Part 1: Style, Approach, and Brainstorming Before You Ever Ask a Question | The Jury Is Out

    EP 718: Deposition Tips, Part 1: Style, Approach, and Brainstorming Before You Ever Ask a Question | The Jury Is Out
    2026/09/10
    Hosts John Simon and Tim Cronin dig into how to read a witness in the first 15 minutes, when to be deferential versus direct, and why walking in with a rigid game plan can cost you if you're not willing to throw it out in the first of a new multi-part series on deposition strategy. They break down what separates attorneys who simply gather information from those who use every deposition to actively build their case and share real war stories from decades of practice. The episode covers five tips on style and approach and four tips on brainstorming before you even build an outline, laying the groundwork for the deeper series ahead: deposition goals, thorough preparation, in-the-room tactics, and cross-examination strategy. As John and Tim put it, the case goes as the deposition goes and this episode explains why. Subscribe to The Jury Is Out: https://play.megaphone.fm/td_bgp7ytmwvduhtrxauqq
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    29 分
  • Look to the States – The Overlooked Power of State Constitutions | State Bar of Texas Podcast

    Look to the States – The Overlooked Power of State Constitutions | State Bar of Texas Podcast
    2026/09/09
    After passing the bar, attorneys take an oath to uphold not only the United States Constitution, but their state constitutions as well. But how well do lawyers understand the rights and protections found in their own state constitutions, and how often do they put them to work in their legal practice? Rocky Dhir welcomes Judge Jeffrey Sutton to explore the often-overlooked role of state constitutions in American law. Judge Sutton shares practical examples of how state constitutional provisions can shape legal arguments and outcomes, and explains why attorneys should look beyond federal law when advocating for clients. By giving greater consideration to state constitutional authority, lawyers can help create a more balanced and nuanced understanding of individual rights at both state and federal levels. Subscribe to State Bar of Texas Podcast: https://play.megaphone.fm/_hh0l5izt4mfkr1zmxo_cg
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    43 分
  • Inside Attorney Misconduct: Power, Ethics, and the Cases That Shocked a Legal Community with Attorney Cynthia Payne | Confessions of a Divorce Assassin

    Inside Attorney Misconduct: Power, Ethics, and the Cases That Shocked a Legal Community with Attorney Cynthia Payne | Confessions of a Divorce Assassin
    2026/09/04
    Attorneys are held to a strict ethical code, but that does not mean they always follow it. Attorney Cynthia Payne, Executive Vice President of US Legal Groups, joins the show to unpack why it took until 2002 for the American Bar Association to formally address whether attorneys can have sexual relationships with clients, and why the power imbalance in that dynamic makes consent far more complicated than it appears. Payne walks through real cases from her decades in the profession, including an attorney whose relationship with a client on a murder case led to a vacated conviction, a case involving a client who felt coerced into a relationship with her own divorce attorney, and an especially extreme case of an attorney who bribed witnesses, revealed client confidences in court filings, and was ultimately disbarred after shooting someone in his office. The conversation also turns to judges who abused their positions, from arrests involving drugs and domestic violence to one particularly bizarre courtroom scandal, and to the gender dynamics Payne has witnessed firsthand across thirty years of practice, including moments early in her career when jurors commented on her appearance rather than her performance. Payne closes with guidance for anyone who feels taken advantage of by their attorney, including how to seek a second opinion, file a disciplinary complaint, and exercise the right to fire an attorney at any time, even mid case. Subscribe to Confessions of a Divorce Assassin: https://play.megaphone.fm/yddxa_zfqjimbgjtoqzijw
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    44 分
  • We’ve Got This Down! What Paralegals Need to Know About Court Reporters | The Paralegal Voice

    We’ve Got This Down! What Paralegals Need to Know About Court Reporters | The Paralegal Voice
    2026/09/02
    Get a look into a part of the legal world that paralegal professionals work with closely, but often don’t get to know: court reporters and transcription and documenting professionals. Guest Jennifer Hines, the founder of Hines Reporters and a 40-year veteran court reporter, chats with Mila Alcantar, a stenography student who represents the next generation of courtroom recording and transcription professionals. The field of professional documentation, recording, and legal transcription is constantly evolving. Depositions, video conferencing, and even understanding languages and dialects are all vital parts of the legal process that intersect directly with the paralegal profession. As the court reporting profession works through a shortage of trained workers, hear how ASR, automated court reporting, voice recording, and even a potential problematic trend in “digital” recording is challenging the field. Curious about how the transcripts you include in legal filings get made and how state requirements vary? How do you know you’re working with a valid, defensible transcript? This episode of Paralegal Voice digs into the process and ethical standards of legal reporting and explains what paralegal professionals need to know. Resources: California Court Reporters Association National Court Reporters Association NCRA A to Z Online Program NALA, The Paralegal Association NALA Conference & Expo 2026 Subscribe to The Paralegal Voice: https://play.megaphone.fm/sq1e-saoq6ga2fue1-y_qw
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    29 分
  • AI’s Role at Your Law Firm: Ethical Delegation to AI Assistants | The Kennedy-Mighell Report

    AI’s Role at Your Law Firm: Ethical Delegation to AI Assistants | The Kennedy-Mighell Report
    2026/08/28
    AI assistants can be incredibly helpful to attorneys, but what exactly can and should these tools be doing for your law firm? Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell welcome Maddy Martin of Smith.ai for a roundtable discussion on the current landscape of AI assistant tools and their value for lawyers. They examine these tools through the scope of jobs to be done, looking at real-life attorney pain points and explaining ways to identify which tasks can effectively and ethically be handed off to AI assistants to improve both attorney and client experience. As always, stay tuned for the parting shots, that one tip, website, or observation that you can use the second the podcast ends. Have a technology question for Dennis and Tom? Call their Tech Question Hotline at 720-441-6820 for the answers to your most burning tech questions. Show Notes: Copilot for task tracking. Wispr Flow for easy voice dictation. Subscribe to The Kennedy-Mighell Report: https://play.megaphone.fm/yyu1pthsr22j6_xfnb0vnq
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    46 分
  • Law Firm Leadership: How to Lead Yourself Before Leading Your Team, with Debbie Foster & Stephanie Everett | Lawyerist Podcast

    Law Firm Leadership: How to Lead Yourself Before Leading Your Team, with Debbie Foster & Stephanie Everett | Lawyerist Podcast
    2026/08/26
    Leaders do not simply enter a room. They change it. In episode 632 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Stephanie Everett talks with Debbie Foster about leading self, the first cornerstone from their new book, Be a Next Level Leader. Debbie explains why “leaders bring the weather” and how a leader’s emotions, attention, and energy can shape an entire meeting. Together, they explore what happens when leaders make promises they cannot realistically keep, become bottlenecks for their teams, or undermine decisions by delivering them as someone else’s instructions. They also discuss why honoring commitments is essential to building trust, how to renegotiate a deadline without hiding behind busyness, and what it means to speak as a leader even when you disagree with a decision. Debbie and Stephanie share practical scripts, exercises, and shared language law firm teams can use to make better leadership habits part of everyday work. If you want your team to trust your word, follow your direction, and feel secure when pressure rises, better leadership starts with understanding how you show up. Listen to our previous episodes on Law Firm Leadership, Self-Awareness & Building Stronger Teams. #627: Building Stronger Law Firm Teams Through Better Communication, with Zeina Baydoun Apple | Spotify | LTN #615: How to Stop Being the Bottleneck and Build Stronger Teams, with Debbie Foster and Stephanie Everett Apple | Spotify | LTN #596: The Athlete’s Mindset for Lawyers, with Jess Sargus Apple | Spotify | LTN #592: Client Care, Culture, and Character: A Framework for Great Leaders, with William O’Neal Apple | Spotify | LTN #527: Casting Your Vision and Leading Your Firm, with Kevin DeShazo Apple | Spotify | LTN Links from the episode: https://beanextlevelleader.com/ Have thoughts about today’s episode? Join the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X! If today's podcast resonates with you and you haven't read The Small Firm Roadmap Revisited yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Looking for help beyond the book? See if our coaching community is right for you. Access more resources from Lawyerist at lawyerist.com. Subscribe to Lawyerist Podcast: https://play.megaphone.fm/xrm0mqp4tqwi0ozntiu41g Chapters / Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction 01:19 – Why Leadership Teams Need Shared Language 03:16 – Meet Debbie Foster 03:45 – Why Leadership Starts with Leading Self 04:13 – Leaders Bring the Weather 05:27 – Showing Up Fully Present 06:17 – How Broken Commitments Erode Trust 08:15 – When the Leader Becomes the Bottleneck 09:29 – Speak as a Leader, Not a Messenger 10:11 – Disagree, Commit & Support the Decision 12:02 – How Leaders Undermine Their Own Credibility 12:57 – Turning Leadership Theory into Practical Tools 14:31 – Scripts for Renegotiating Commitments & Receiving Feedback 16:10 – How the Book and Workbook Took Shape 17:21 – Shared Language Creates Stronger Leaders 19:26 – Leading When Responsibility Exceeds Authority 21:21 – How Do You Show Up Under Stress? 22:34 – Closing Thoughts
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    23 分