Business of Law

Expert Analysis

• Freelance Attorneys Are An Asset To In-House Legal Teams

  

  With recent technological advances and a broader acceptance of flexible work arrangements, the opportunity for freelance attorneys is greater than ever, as is the value that this freelance workforce can create for companies, says Ben Levi of InCloudCounsel.

• Book Excerpt

  'Big Tech' Questions Echo Early Days Of US Corporate Law

  

  The current calls to curb the power of Google, Facebook and Amazon recall an earlier time in American history, when the “bigness” of oil, steel and tobacco was front and center in national politics. And in those debates, the top lawyers of the day had a major voice, says John Oller, author of the new book "White Shoe."

• Setting The Record Straight On Women In Court Reporting

  

  Today, 89 percent of court reporters are women, but I remember sitting behind my steno machine in the '80s and being asked by a judge if I, as a woman, would have the emotional fortitude to work a murder case, says Karen Santucci, chairwoman of the Plaza College court reporting program.

• Opinion

  Limiting Supreme Court's Size Is Not Enough

  

  The proposal by Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., for a constitutionally mandated nine-justice U.S. Supreme Court does not address any of the well-known problems with the current system — problems that could be solved through a nonpartisan package of reforms, says Gordon Renneisen of Cornerstone Law Group.

• Lenders Score Major High Court Victory In Foreclosure Case

  

  The U.S. Supreme Court's unanimous ruling on Wednesday in Obduskey v. McCarthy & Holthus LLP removes nearly all activities taken by creditors seeking nonjudicial foreclosure of liens and mortgages from the ambit of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, says John Baxter of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP.

• Trial Counsel's Role On A Mass Tort Virtual Law Team

  

  Trial counsel’s contribution to the virtual law team throughout the life cycle of a mass tort litigation rests in the key skill of viewing the case through the eyes of the ultimate audience for the defense, the jury, say attorneys at Covington & Burling LLP and Faegre Baker Daniels LLP.

• Tech Trends From SXSW Pose Unique Questions For Lawyers

  

  These days, a popular theme in media is that lawyers' jobs will be taken by robots. However, based on the tech issues discussed at the South by Southwest technology conference in Austin, Texas, last month, robots may in fact need lawyers, says Nick Abrahams of Norton Rose Fulbright.

• In Bar Admissions Process, It's Candor Or Bust

  

  You passed the bar exam and are ready for the character and fitness committee interview. Time to think about how to discuss that minor incident in college, that misdemeanor in high school or that mental health issue that you have totally under control, says Richard Maltz of Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz PC.

• Series

  Judging A Book: Bashant Reviews 'Doing Justice'

  

  My initial reaction to "Doing Justice" was that author Preet Bharara may have bitten off more than he could chew — an accusation leveled against him when he served as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York — but I found the book full of helpful gems, says U.S. District Judge Cynthia Bashant of the Southern District of California.

• Firms Can Leverage Communications When Economy Is Slow

  

  Though most experts believe that an imminent recession is unlikely, slowdown fears are increasing. Now is the time for firms to consider how to best leverage their communications and marketing teams to lessen impacts from a potential economic slowdown, says Tom Orewyler of Tom Orewyler Communications LLC.

• Ethical Social Media Marketing For Lawyers

  

  Social media presents rich opportunities to reach prospective clients. Attorneys should not let those opportunities pass them by, but they should keep their ethical obligations in mind as they post, says Cort Sylvester of Nilan Johnson Lewis PA.

• Q&A

  A Chat With Norton Rose Diversity Director Nina Godiwalla

  

  In this monthly series, Amanda Brady of Major Lindsey & Africa interviews management from top law firms about the increasingly competitive business environment. Here we feature Nina Godiwalla, director of diversity and inclusion at Norton Rose Fulbright.

• 5 Mistakes Law Firms Make When Responding To RFPs

  

  More and more corporations are now using requests for proposals to make data-driven decisions about which law firms to work with, so it is more important than ever for law firms to avoid common RFP mistakes, says Matthew Prinn of RFP Advisory Group.

• Guest Feature

  Leon Panetta In The Courtroom, Langley And Area 51

  

  Over the course of his career, Leon Panetta has served as a U.S. representative, director of the CIA and secretary of defense. But before all that, he was a lawyer. Randy Maniloff of White and Williams LLP asked him about his legal background — and about little men from outer space.

• Series

  Why I Became A Lawyer: Finding A Voice, And A New Home

  

  My Fulbright scholarship project developed after I talked to my grandmother in the Philippines about the cost of her medication. Drugs developed in the U.S. and Europe are typically sold there for prices beyond the reach of many Filipinos. So I advocated for compulsory licensing for lifesaving medicines, says Melissa Martinez of McGuireWoods LLP.