How Showcasing Softer Content and Your Firm’s Culture Can Enhance Your Social Media Efforts

“Using social media to support your firm’s and lawyers’ business development efforts should be at forefront of everything you do on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc. If the post doesn’t support your firm’s strategic goals, take a time out to think about why you are even doing this and rethink your strategy,” writes Stefanie Marrone in The Social Media Butterfly’s Insights.

“Don’t use your social channels to only focus on your firm’s work and its substantive news, events and publications – that can make your firm seem dry, a little boastful and devoid of personality and heart.”

“Firms should also showcase their “softer” side, which can support their business development efforts, because clients want to peek behind the curtains on the firms on which they rely.”

“Showcasing the softer side of your law firm humanizes your firm and makes your lawyers more relatable. Include posts about firm life, pro bono and community service, upcoming holidays, as well as profiles on lawyers and alumni, and photos from firm events.”

Read the article.




Threat From Within: Inside Counsel’s Role In Defending Against Data Breaches

“While organizations make significant investments in protecting their data from outside infiltration, they can often overlook the serious threats that exist within their own workforce. According to a 2020 study released by the Ponemon Institute, the biggest threat in terms of disclosure of sensitive information comes from so-called “insider threats,” in the form of employees who disclose protected information or provide a means of access to that information to third parties, either unwittingly or otherwise. That threat has only grown in recent years, increasing by 47% in the last two years alone,” reports Risa B. Boerner in Fisher Phillips Newsletters.

She further breaks down her article into the following sections:

  • The Costs Can Be Staggering
  • Why The Recent Surge?
  • First Steps: Awareness + Training
  • Advanced Tactics

Read the article.




Linking an Invention to the Evidence: Strategic Considerations from Prosecution to Litigation

Fitch, Even, Tabin & Flannery LLP will present a free webinar, “Linking an Invention to the Evidence: Strategic Considerations from Prosecution to Litigation,” featuring Fitch Even attorneys Mark A. Borsos and Evan Kline-Wedeen.

The webinar will take place on Thursday, April 23, 2020, at 9:00 am PDT / 10:00 am MDT / 11:00 am CDT / 12 noon EDT.

Evidence that others value an invention can be used by a patent owner for many purposes, including demonstrating that the invention was not obvious, or that infringement has damaged and will continue to damage the patent owner. Yet that evidence may be of little value without the ability to tie it to the specific inventions set forth in the claims of a patent. When there are numerous reasons that customers might purchase or desire a product sold by a patent owner or infringer, establishing a nexus between the claims of the patent and real-world evidence becomes complicated.

During this webinar, our presenters will discuss the following:
• Establishing a nexus between evidence of commercial success of real-world products and the patented invention
• Demonstrating a connection between patented features and lost profits
• Proving there is a causal nexus between irreparable harm and the patented invention that justifies an injunction
• Drafting claims with forethought to future evidentiary requirements

CLE credit has been approved for California and Illinois and is pending in Nebraska. Other states may also award CLE credit upon attendee request.

Following the live event, a recording of the webinar will be available to view for one year at www.fitcheven.com.

Register for the webinar.




Experts, Know Your Eight Bases of Persuasion

“What makes an expert witness persuasive to a jury? Is it their background and training? The work that they did on the case? Their communication skills in teaching the jury?” asks Dr. Ken Broda-Bahm in the Persuasive Litigator.

“The research suggests that expert influence depends on a variety of factors, and a scale even exists to measure these factors: the Expert Persuasion Expectancy (ExPEx) framework. That framework includes many of the variables that experts and the attorneys who sponsor them would expect: Foundation, Field, Specialty, Ability, Opinion, Support, Consistency, and Trustworthiness. Even as the items are potentially unsurprising, it is still helpful to keep the whole list in mind.”

“Recent research  shows that these factors matter, and also suggests that there may be a ‘Big 3’ in this list.”

Read the article.




Skills Of Creating a Drama Free Workplace, HR – 2020

Overview

Workplace drama sucks the productivity out of a team or organization. It also creates an inhospitable environment where healthy people don’t want to work so they leave. Good, productive people leave the organization.

In fact, the best people, the highest performers, the self-directed, the most creative, those that need little oversight, are most likely to leave. Why? So much time and effort is required to navigate through all the drama. High performers just want to get the job done, but the drama is a barrier. Managers and leaders spend way to much time trying to tamp it down, or worse, let it continue to happen, but find work-arounds.

Drama can be anywhere on the spectrum between easily seen and difficult to recognize because it is so nuanced. When it is the latter, it can be very insidious, working its way throughout the organization without raising a lot of flags, until the negative results start becoming obvious.

Because it is often so pervasive it can seem like it would be hard or nearly impossible to eradicate. Its not. Creating a drama free environment has to start with identifying that the current workplace has drama, and then making a commitment to eliminate the drama, which usually starts with understanding the benefits.

The benefits include higher productivity, more harmonious culture, which attracts and retains top talent, less leadership time spent addressing the symptoms of drama, more time developing and executing strategy.

There is no *quick fix* for a drama-filled environment, but changes can be undertaken immediately and positive results can be realized immediately. It doesn’t even have to start at the top, team members can begin to transform the environment with their own commitment and actions. Although to change the organizational culture, senior management has to buy-in and commit to making changes.

This webinar details a comprehensive plan for eliminating drama in the workplace.

Why you should Attend

Do you feeling Frustrated? Overwhelmed? – with the constant Drama in your workplace. Discouraged that you can’t avoid it and don’t know how to make it stop?

Drama takes many forms:

incessant gossip – its divisive and unproductive AND you wonder what they’re saying behind your back
personality conflicts that create constant tension and bickering
people who are aggressive
people who are passive
people who are passive-aggressive (these are maybe the hardest to deal with)
meetings that are supposed to be collaborative are dominated by a few individuals
people feeling stressed and overworked

You end up feeling Irritated, Confused and even Helpless to do anything about it. Workplace drama is so ubiquitous its sometimes hard to believe its possible to have an environment with no drama.

Imagine going to work and not having to deal with all this Drama! It’s hard to do, but stick with it – all those drama-filled situations that are coming into your mind right now – just remove the drama from the situation – what does it feel like?
It is possible.

The Drama Free Workplaces webinar will give you the understanding, skills, tips, techniques and tools to deal with the drama, conflict, stress, gossip, and aggression while maintaining your own sense of calm and peacefulness.

Think about it:

How much more work you’ll get done?
How much calmer you will be, and with more energy you’ll have at the end of the day?
How much more you’ll enjoy your job and going to work?
This webinar is designed for anyone who works where there is drama

Areas Covered in the Session

A 5-step process to eliminate unproductive drama from your world

  1. Strategies to redirect drama
  2. Specific skills to address aggression, passivity and passive-aggressive words or actions
  3. A model to recognize the 3 roles people play to create drama and how to deal with each of those roles
  4. How to recognize even the most subtle forms of drama and how to nip them before they escalate
  5. How to elegantly declined invitations to participate in drama

Who Will Benefit

People from all organizational levels can benefit from these strategies – The ROI for Senior People will be the highest as they have the most impact on organizational culture – CEO, Senior Exec, Leadership, Management, Supervisors

Event link : https://www.traininng.com/webinar/-201326live?generalcounselnews-SEO
Contact Info
Traininng.com LLC
Email: traininngdotcom@gmail.com
Phone: US: (510) 962-8903
Phone: Zurich: +41 – 43 434 80 33
Website : https://www.traininng.com




Eversheds Sutherland Publishes 2019 TCPA Year-in-Review Report

Eversheds Sutherland is pleased to announce that the TCPA litigation and counseling subgroup of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group has published its 6th annual REDIAL: 2019 TCPA Year-in-Review – Analysis of Critical Issues and Trends in TCPA Compliance and Litigation. REDIAL reflects the team’s thought leadership and in-depth analysis of significant Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) court cases, regulatory developments and compliance issues.

“In 2019, the insurance, financial services, energy and telecommunications sectors, among many others, were all uniquely affected by the TCPA,” said Lewis S. Wiener, US partner and leader of Eversheds Sutherland’s TCPA practice. “Keeping up with developments in the TCPA area has never been more important. At the start of 2019, there was no more TCPA plaintiff-friendly jurisdiction than the 11th Circuit. By the end of the year, the 11th Circuit had become the least plaintiff-friendly jurisdiction. As TCPA cases continue to be filed at a record rate, compliance becomes more important for businesses in every sector. REDIAL and Eversheds Sutherland’s continuing thought leadership in the TCPA area helps to highlight these developing trends and analyzes the key legal issues affecting these industries.”

Among other things, a few interesting facts within the publication include:

  • The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association estimates that 6 billion texts are sent daily in the United States
  • As many as 100,000 cell phone numbers are reassigned every day
  • More than 3,000 TCPA lawsuits were filed in 2019

View the full 2019 TCPA Year-in-Review publication.

Eversheds Sutherland’s Litigation Practice Group, which includes more than 100 litigators, has tried and argued cases in the US Supreme Court, all 13 circuits of the US Court of Appeals, the Court of Federal Claims, the Tax Court, and hundreds of federal district and state trial and appellate courts across the country. The team represents regional, national and global clients from a broad range of industries, including financial services, securities, insurance, energy, construction, manufacturing, automotive, distribution, education, professional services, data privacy, electronics, technology and defense. The experienced team of TCPA and class action attorneys aggressively defends clients and counsels on how to set up and structure communication programs to comply with the TCPA and minimize litigation risks.




Texas University Moves to Fire its President Over Law School Admissions Scandal

“The president of Texas Southern University may be out of a job after TSU regents alleged that he failed to promptly report information about an admissions scandal at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law.” reports Debra Cassens Weiss in the ABA Journal.

“The regents said in a Feb. 4 termination notice that Lane failed to promptly report to the board or internal auditor allegations of fraudulent and dishonest conduct by an assistant law dean.”

“The assistant law dean was accused of taking a $14,000 payoff for facilitating a scholarship and fraudulent admission for a law student. The assistant law dean was also accused of facilitating a fraudulent transfer application for a second student.”

Read the article.

 




Tips for Drafting Arbitration Clauses in Smart Contracts

“Legal technologies promise to flourish in the coming decade, and although it is not possible to predict all the innovations that are likely to become mainstream, the use of smart contracts appears to be on the rise. A typical smart contract uses computers and code to automate performance of some or all of the parties’ obligations. However, the legal terms of the contract are likely to remain in written form in a contract that people can read. If a dispute arises, the parties may prefer arbitration as an alternative to court, but arbitration doesn’t happen on its own – it typically requires a properly drafted arbitration clause.”

Steven K. Davidson, Michael J. Baratz, Jared R. Butcher and Molly Bruder Fox provide some tips in Steptoe’s News/Publications to keep in mind when considering how to draft these clauses.

Read the article.

 




How to Write Gender-Neutral Contracts

“It is important for contractual language to be not only precise but also accurate. Many agreements govern multiple individuals, some of whose gender is unclear or variable. This article will give you advice and guidance on how to adjust contract language to be gender-neutral. As society moves towards treating all genders equally, legal contracts should too.” advises Kati I. Pajak in Mintz’s Insights Center.

“Conversations around gender and gender neutrality are becoming more and more mainstream. Thompson Reuters reported that in the past year (2018), there has been an increase in the number of clients requesting gender-neutral documents. Start-ups are at the forefront of change and industry disruption, so it is logical that they stay ahead of the trend.”

“Now, the shift towards non-gendered pronouns and away from binary choices of “he” or “she” means attorneys need to adopt new drafting techniques. As entrepreneurs and leaders of your own business, you can encourage this shift.”

Read the article.

 




5 Tips for a Fair Business Contract Agreement

“When business deals are concluded verbally or with a gentleman’s agreement solely, the results can later on be very detrimental. Oral agreements are inadmissible in the court of law and if you happen to be ripped off by a business associate, the chances are slim to win that case. Therefore, drafting a business agreement and documenting it is very important to secure the deal that you will be conducting.” advises Margaret Francis in the Southeast Missourian’s Career Advice.

“To clearly state each party’s rights and obligations, you need to draft an agreement that will be agreed upon by all stakeholders. However, drafting a business deal contract agreement can be tricky, especially if you don’t have a lawyer on your side.”

Read the top 5 tips for a fair business contract agreement.

 




No. 1 of the Top 10 Horrible, Terrible, No Good Mistakes Lawyers Make in Mediations

“Let’s assume the mediator sticks his head into your room with a grin at 8pm after an exhaustive day when your client is still upset he made the 8th counteroffer and the Mediator says: “Great news! Counter-offer accepted! We have a deal!” Wonderful, right? Even though your client was pushed way past what he came ready to do that day, you have a deal. So what mistakes are made when it comes to confirming the long sought, hard fought deal?” asks David K. Taylor in Buildsmart Mediation.

“This post is a continuation of the 10 most horrible, terrible, no good, “bang your head against the door” mistakes that I have seen lawyers make before, during and after mediations in which I was the mediator. As stated in previous posts, it takes more than throwing together a mediation statement at the last second and showing up at the mediation. Doing it right requires the same kind of due diligence and work that goes into preparing for a key deposition or even trial. Great “mediation” lawyering is essential and is the best way to get to an acceptable deal.”

Read the Top 10 mistakes made in mediations.

 




5 Emerging Challenges for Law Firm Leaders in 2020

“Before the calendar slips too far into the new year, I want to share five important emerging trends or steps for law firm leaders to consider in 2020, each of which will have significant short and long-term implications for your firm.  This little list is not about the macro level industry trends based on historical data with which we all generally agree.  Rather, these are quickly developing micro-trends that are not on many radar screens yet…but need to be,” provides Michael Short in LawVision’s INSIGHTS.

“For your changes to have an impact this year, you need to get your initiatives moving in Q1 and fully implemented before the end of Q2.”

Read the article.

 




Are You Being SMART About Your Approach to Business Development?

“The beginning of a new year is the perfect time for busy lawyers to take stock of last year’s achievements and to establish plans for being SMART about business development in the coming months. To maximize your business development time, my question to you is: are you being SMART about it? SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time Sensitive. A key benefit to the SMART framework is that you are concentrating time on the most essential areas of your business development activities. SMART provides you with focus, so you can actually achieve your goals.” advises Jason Levin in the Above the Law Career Center.

He briefly goes through the SMART framework.

Read the article.




Too Many Teenagers Want to Become Lawyers or Managers

“Teenagers aren’t being imaginative enough with their ambitions as they aspire to a short list of 20th-century occupations in their future careers, according to the OECD.” reports Carolynn Look in Bloomberg.

“Huge changes in the world of work — driven by developments in technology and social media — are having too little impact on the job expectations of young people, according to a report presented at the World Economic Forum in Davos by the Paris-based organization.”

“The report cited a survey of 15-year-olds showing that career ambitions narrowed in the last two decades. Roughly half of boys and girls from 41 countries said they expect to work in one of just 10 jobs by the age of 30. Such roles originate overwhelmingly from the 19th and 20th centuries, such as doctors, teachers, veterinarians, business managers, engineers, police officers, and lawyers.”

Read the Bloomberg article.




Deepen Your Compliance Expertise in 2020 with SCCE

The Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics will host Academies in 18 locations worldwide to help Deepen Your Compliance Expertise in 2020.

Learn to effectively manage a compliance and ethics program and mitigate risk at your organization at one of SCCE’s Basic Compliance & Ethics Academies. They are ideal for professionals who want to raise their knowledge level and help improve the effectiveness of their organization’s program.

While at the Academy, you can also take an optional Compliance Certification Board (CCB)®  exam. They offer the Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional (CCEP)® exam at US Academies and the Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional — International (CCEP-I)® exam outside of the US. Learn more about certification and the exam at SCCE to see if you meet the criteria and have the practical work experience it takes to become certified.

Register for the event or get details.

 

 




Ways Of Resolving Conflict, Effective Mediation – 2020

Overview

If you avoid arguments, lie to keep the peace, or believe that hiding behind your desk is better that disagreeing than this webinar is for you. Conflict is not a bad thing, in fact it can a truly positive tool in your professional toolkit if you let it. By taking hard conversations, feedback, and discomfort and transforming it with mediation and compassion you can grow in ways you never before imagined.

This webinar will show you have to use conflict for good, tools for effective mediation, and give you confidence in using disagreements to strengthen your team.

Why you should Attend

Most people don’t like conflict and those who do like it are often overly combative. But what if you could face conflict without fear or aggression? If you have effective tools to mediate disagreements and know when to walk away you can. As leaders we cannot avoid conflict all together, it is a natural part of life and business.

In this webinar we will discuss the best tips for approaching conflict and mediating with positive impact making hard conversations easier.

Areas Covered in the Session

  • The good side of conflict
  • How to approach hard conversations
  • What mediation is
  • Compromise and common ground
  • Leaning into conflict competency

Who Will Benefit

Anyone

Event link : https://www.traininng.com/webinar/-201251live?generalcounselnews-SEO
Contact Info
Traininng.com LLC
Email: traininngdotcom@gmail.com
Phone: US: (510) 962-8903
Phone: Zurich: +41 – 43 434 80 33
Website : https://www.traininng.com




Best Way Of Payroll Management, HR Management- 2020

Overview

What’s the best way to avoid expensive and time-consuming payroll errors? Why, avoid them, of course! In this webinar, you’ll learn tips and methods to verify all your payroll variables before you commit a final payroll to your IT team or your outside processor! You’ll learn: how to create the most efficient checklists for your pre-processing checks; the best way to create your calendar for a full year, encompassing all pay frequencies as well as holidays and days that will affect a specific cycle; how to create your own reports for audit purposes; as well as how to use your payroll vendor’s available reports for your best results.

Running a payroll preview, verifying your totals, creating a comparison – these are all strategies to be used to ensure that your payroll is as accurate as you can make it. The webinar will touch on all aspects of payroll “ins” and “outs”. These include hires, terminations, leaves, pay increases, benefit deductions and changes, and employer payments. The importance of regular reconciliations and audits will also be discussed.

Why you should Attend

Whether you’re new to payroll or not, you can use tips on how to make your processing easier, more accurate and less stressful. Using everyday tools like the calendar, some relatively simple reports and a good communications process to ensure that your payroll process remains professional, timely and error-free.

The webinar will include ideas on how to maintain a schedule, how to deploy your team members and how to keep your process painless. Regardless of the size of your company, you’ll be able to learn something about process improvement by taking this webinar!

Areas Covered in the Session

  • Yearly calendar dates
  • Using pre- and post-processing reports
  • Importance of input controls
  • Balancing/auditing/comparing payroll for proof of accuracy
  • Timekeeping reports
  • Payroll Preview Verification
  • Segregation of duties
  • Communication with other units
  • Payroll changes-tracking
  • Pay Frequency audit

Who Will Benefit

  • Payroll Associates
  • payroll Supervisor
  • New Payroll Manager
  • Internal Auditor

Event link : https://www.traininng.com/webinar/-201211live?generalcounselnews-SEO
Contact Info
Traininng.com LLC
Email: traininngdotcom@gmail.com
Phone: US: (510) 962-8903
Phone: Zurich: +41 – 43 434 80 33
Website : https://www.traininng.com




ABA Gives Troubled Law School Three More Years of Accreditation

A teach-out plan for Thomas Jefferson School of Law, allowing limited accreditation until the end of the spring 2023 term, has been approved by the council of the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, according to a report in the ABA Journal.

Under the plan for the San Diego school, ABA accreditation will cover current law students and transient students. The council retains its authority to remove ABA accreditation before the spring 2023 term ends if the school fails to meet obligations.

The school was put on probation in 2017, and the council withdrew its ABA approval last summer.

Read the  ABA Journal article.

 

 




Some Harvard Law Students Are Avoiding Applying To Clerkships With Trump-Appointed Judges

Photo by John Phelan

As Trump reshapes the federal judiciary with staunch conservatives and controversial picks, some Harvard Law School students appear to be thinking twice about applying for clerk jobs with them, and passing up what are generally considered plum positions, reports The Boston Globe.

Some Harvard law students are reluctant to clerk for some recent appointees who have been outspoken opponents of gay rights, antiabortion stalwarts, and who have been deemed “not qualified” by the American Bar Association, said one third-year student.

But some legal scholars worry that the reluctance of students at one of the nation’s premier law schools to clerk for Trump-appointed judges, first reported by Bloomberg Law, could further polarize the legal profession and do the country more harm than good,” writes the Globe‘s Deirdre Fernandes.

Read the Boston Globe article.

 

 




The Biggest Supreme Court Cases to Watch in 2020

The Supreme Court will hear a slate of highly charged disputes when the justices return to the bench in the new year and resume one of the most politically volatile terms in recent memory, reports The Hill.

The court already has heard high-profile fights over LGBT rights in the workplace, the scope of the Second Amendment and the deportation status of nearly 700,000 young undocumented immigrants. But the remaining cases on the court’s docket are no less explosive, write The Hill‘s John Kruzel and Harper Neidig.

The top seven cases to be heard this session involve a separation of powers fight over President Trump’s financial records, Louisiana’s abortion law, religious school scholarships, religious exemptions from discrimination suits, the future of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a fight over how copyright law treats software interfaces, and Bridgegate and public corruption.

Read the Hill article.