The ABA and Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation’s (ABA/HBFF) groundbreaking 2016 study confirmed devastatingly high rates of both mental health concerns and substance abuse amongst lawyers. For example, between 21-36% of attorneys qualify as problem drinkers—3-5x higher than the general population. Moreover, 25-30% of attorney disciplinary matters, 60% of all malpractice claims, and 85% of...
Want to get something for nothing? Has that ever turned out well? Maybe yes...maybe no. But it can with cloud technology. Plenty of legal organizations subscribe to Microsoft 365 and do so primarily for Word, Excel, and Outlook. But there's another great benefit to Microsoft 365 - whether you are a solo attorney or a multi-member firm: OneDrive. Every Microsoft 365 subscription includes...
Selecting legal malpractice insurance can be a daunting undertaking. Due to lack of understanding, lawyers often find themselves without adequate coverage when a claim occurs. This “too little too late” scenario could have been avoided if they had purchased coverage knowing some basic insurance concepts.
In addition, many policies provide coverage outside the realm of legal malpractice coverage...
Law and medicine were always the pair: well-respected professions, pathways to middle class (or better!) comfort, and laggards with technology. Whether you went to a doctor’s office or a lawyer’s office, paper ruled the day. But that’s changing. One of the last bastions of “paper is king” is the executed document – “wet” signatures serving as proof ...
Given the continued reality of remote court, work-from-home, and hybrid firms, online presentations have become a daily necessity for lawyers. However, if you approach a virtual presentation the same way you would an in-person talk, your chances of success may be limited. The good news is that a great online legal presentation is relatively easy to create and deliver if you understand the dynamics...
Everyone has biases. It’s natural. While me might recognize our own explicit biases, the unconscious nature of implicit bias makes them easier to ignore. Unfortunately, ignoring our implicit biases impacts not only our practice success, but our entire life and reputation.
When we are able to recognize our own biases, and those of others, we can be in control of changing systematic biases within our workplace and society...
Smartphones are in reality powerful computers that store massive amounts of data, potentially including information that lawyers are required to keep confidential under the Rules of Professional Conduct, such as client names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and other information.
This program will discuss the data stored by smartphones, and the dangers created by apps that can access ...
Videoconferencing is supposed to be the pandemic equivalent to in-person meetings, from meeting with a client to appearing before a judge. It is equivalent, in the sense that you can still meet or network “in-person,” but the person is encapsulated in a tiny square. It isn’t equivalent when you realize that most participants are sitting at home in the corner of their ...
The popular annual guide to legal technology is back with its 2019 edition. The Solo and Small Firm Legal Technology Guide is the only book of its kind that helps solo and small firm lawyers find the best value for their dollars in legal tech. In clear, understandable language, that authors give a vendor-neutral overview of and recommendations for computers, servers, networking equipment, legal software, printers, security products, smartphones, tablets, and more.
Everyone knows lawyers are not supposed to chase ambulances, but do you really know what that means? What are the ethical traps that lawyers unintentionally fall into when placing information on their websites? Is it okay to say you “specialize” in an area of law? Refresh your memory of the basic marketing ethics rules that you haven’t looked at since you took the MPRE. There are
Note: Attendance at approved live course events are required to be reported by the Maine State Bar Association (course sponsor) to the Board of Overseers within 30 days following the program. Certificates of completion are for attorney records only and should not be submitted individually to the Board and will not be accepted by the Board.