Why Legal Ops Teams and Vendors Should Work as Partners Often, legal ops teams and vendors do not conceptualize their relationship as a partnership. Rather, they often think of their interaction simply as a business transaction between a service provider and a consumer. But there are a number of advantages to treating legal service vendors as partners. Let’s consider how doing so can benefit both sides.
How to Decompress and Progress After a Bad Interview Everyone has faced a not-so-great interview experience. You put all your time and effort into this interview only for it to not go in your favor. So how do you react and what’s the next step? In this article, we’ll go over a few tips to gaining your momentum post-interview.
3 Remote Working Tips For Extroverts Due to COVID-19, many professionals are having to work from home, or are looking for remote positions. For those of us who thrive on human interaction, working in this manner can be a challenge. Here are some tips on how to handle a remote job as an extrovert.
4 Ideas To Consider Prior to Becoming a Manager If you’re trying to advance your career within your firm and you’re thinking about management, there’s a lot to consider. Being a people manager is an entirely different set of skills from any other job within a firm even if you’re working on the same projects. Here are a few notions to consider as you think about making the leap to management.
Three Ways to Maintain A Healthy Work-Life Balance Did you know that hunter-gatherers need to work for only around 20 hours per week to feed themselves? That was the norm throughout most of human history, but when human beings first discovered agriculture and began living in settled communities around 12,000 years ago in the Levant, this figure slowly began to creep up (which has long led archaeologists and ancient historians to speculate as to why humans began farming in the first place). Modern lawyers, of course, regularly face working weeks of 40 hours, sometimes rising to 50 and beyond. Now, there are of course a few perks available to the modern lawyer that were not accessible to ancient hunter-gatherers or the first farming communities. But the point is that it’s not natural to be on call for work 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To stay healthy and enjoy our time on Earth, we need to maintain some kind of work-life balance. Here are some tips to help you do exactly that.
3 Ideas for a More Pleasant Commute Transferring yourself from the place where you live to the place where you work and back is rarely the most enjoyable aspect of the day. But many of us spend hours of our lives on this very journey. So how can we make our commute better? Here are three ideas for improving your daily travel.
How to Survive a Toxic Workplace Are you in a toxic work environment? Perhaps you enjoy the work itself, you like your clients, and you feel like you’re developing professionally. But something’s not right – your manager is overly demanding, meetings keep descending into arguments, and no one seems to be speaking to each other at the times when they should be. In this case, you might be better off doing a similar job in a different building. But it might not be so easy to leave any time soon, or there may be other reasons for you to stay. In the meantime, then, how can you survive a toxic workplace? Let’s look at some tips.
How to Build a Great Relationship With Your Manager There are few more important people in your job than your manager. A manager often has the capacity to make or break your move to the next stage in your career – not to mention to be the difference between an easy day and a hard slog. So how can you develop and improve your relationship with your manager? Let’s take a look at some top tips.
Is Your LinkedIn Profile Helping or Hindering You? Career profiles on online platforms such as LinkedIn can play a role in helping you find a new job – whether you’re currently without one, or you’re in work but are looking to move to the next stage. But there are a number of mistakes that people make when creating such profiles that can actually make them appear negative to employers. Here’s a rundown of some ways to avoid these mistakes and ensure your online career profile is a help, not a hindrance.
Asking for What You Want: Workplace Negotiation for Women It’s well-known that the average salary for women lags behind the average salary for men in almost every industrialized country, despite the practically universal presence of laws requiring equal pay for equal work. One of the most prevalent explanations for this disparity is the idea that men and women have different attitudes towards negotiation and self-promotion.
Bowing Out With Grace: Top Tips for Leaving Your Job in the Right Way So, you’ve decided to move on to a new job. Hopefully, this is an exciting time in which you’re looking forward to a fresh start and planning what to do with all your new opportunities. But your old job isn’t quite done. Don’t forget that you need to leave your role in the right way, too. While you might not be seeing your old colleagues every day anymore, departing from them on good terms is still important for your career. Here are some tips for leaving your job with professionalism, tact, and goodwill.
Networking in the Time of Coronavirus The coronavirus pandemic has led many of us to work remotely, meaning we no longer have our colleagues’ familiar presence next to us as we get through the working day. For some, it feels like a blessing to have the freedom and comfort of working from home, while others are struggling with issues like the separation of work from the rest of life. Either way, though, you might be thinking about a longer-term question. How do you build and maintain a network of relationships, when everyone is staying at home? Given that remote working may be heading towards becoming a ‘new normal’ for office workers like lawyers and associated legal professionals, this is likely to become an important issue for all of us. It’s especially pressing for those currently out of work, but as a network of contacts is important for career success, it's something to think about for those still employed as well. Let’s think about how to go about networking in the time of coronavirus.
5 Warning Signs to Look Out For at Your Job Interview A job interview is a time when you are eager to impress the employer where you hope to be on the books. But it also needs to be a time when you assess the company that you’d like to work for, too. If you’re going to commit the next stage of your career to a certain firm, then you need to make sure it’s the right move for you – and the interview is a great opportunity for you to gain the information you need. Indeed, there are a few red flags to look out for at your interview which might warn you this isn’t an organization you really want to join. Let’s have a look at some of the main warning signs.
6 Ways to Build a Race-Friendly Workplace for Black Professionals In post-Obama America, many caucasian people assumed racial issues were decidedly behind us. With the recent collective upheaval, this has been proven untrue. In this article, I’ll outline some ideas on how best to prepare a comfortable and safe law firm environment for black professionals.
A Guide to Handling Workplace Conflict It’s inevitable that at some stage in your career, you’ll end up in some form of conflict with a colleague or manager. People disagree and clash – that’s a part of life. But there are positive and negative ways to deal with this conflict. Read on for a guide on making sure the conflict in your work life is positive.
Making Sure You Get the Salary You Deserve Discussing your salary with either a current or future employer is a tricky thing to do. But without doing so, you won’t be bringing in the money that your efforts deserve. Here are some tips for negotiating your salary, whether you’re at the job offer stage or you’ve been with your employer for a while.
The Top Things to Remember When You’re Starting a New Job Hands have been shaken on your job offer (most likely by email) and arrangements have been set. Now it’s time for the job to begin. Perhaps you feel yourself transported back to the first day of elementary school as you put on your smartest work clothes and head off into the unknown. But whatever you’re feeling, there are a number of things you can do to set yourself up for success during your first few weeks at your new firm. Let’s consider this key initial period.
How to Ask for a Promotion Asking for a promotion is no easy task. You might be struggling to find the right moment, and you might be worried that you’ll come across as arrogant or self-serving. But if you’re looking to get ahead in your career, then you’re going to need to be able to ask for what you want. After all, not everybody wants to get to the top of their organization. You may well be eager to advance; but many people are happy remaining at the level they’re at, perhaps being unwilling to take on extra responsibility leading to more time in the office making difficult decisions. And that’s absolutely fine - everybody is different. The point is that it’s not necessarily going to be obvious to your company’s senior staff that you are looking for that promotion. So if you don’t communicate your ambitions, the powers that be won’t necessarily assume they exist. Okay – so you know that you need to ask. But how to do it? Let’s consider some ideas.
Let Go From Your Previous Job? Here’s How to Explain the Situation in Future Applications If you were let go from your last job, you may be struggling with how you’re going to explain this to future employers. But staff being let go is a fairly ordinary event – it’s not going to disqualify you from ever getting a job again. What you need is the right way to frame your situation. Let’s look at some ideas for doing just that.
How to Keep Going in Your Job Hunt Searching for a job is one of the most stressful tasks in which we have to engage. Particularly if you are currently out of work, facing interminable application forms and probably even repeated rejections can be deeply disheartening. But eventually, you will reach your goal – and in the meantime, here are some tips for keeping yourself going on your quest for employment.
The Challenge of Finding Purpose In Your Work A human being is not a houseplant. Yes, both entities need water, nutrition, sunlight, and continuous gaseous exchange, but a human being has a number of additional requirements in order to flourish. One of those is finding a sense of meaning and purpose. For many of us, our job enables us to fulfill our ‘houseplant’ needs, however it fails to meet our human needs. Let’s think about how you can ensure your work brings you more than some potting mix and a mist spray.
Identifying Work Burnout ‘Burnout’ has become an increasingly widely used term to describe a state of extreme exhaustion due to work – whether it’s physical, mental or emotional. Significant research has gone into understanding the causes, effects, and treatments for burnout. How can you tell if you are on the brink of suffering from burnout? Let’s take a deeper look at the condition, including some of the tell-tale signs.
How To: Handle Your Job When Dealing With Emotional Distress When life is getting us down, often the last thing we feel like doing is logging on to our computer and finishing that report that’s due for today. If we are dealing with difficult emotions from our personal life, concentration and motivation at work can be badly affected. So how can we go about our work when these issues feel too much? There’s no simple remedy, but let’s consider a few things that might help.
Imposter Syndrome – What Is It, and What Can You Do About It? Imposter Syndrome (also called Imposter Phenomenon and Fraud Syndrome) is a pattern of thinking whereby a person persistently discounts their own accomplishments, feels that they are not good enough to be in their current position, and worries that they will be exposed as a “fraud”. It’s a common experience and is prevalent in all people. But it can hold you back from going for that promotion or asking for the raise you deserve. If you find yourself feeling this way, what should you do? Here are some practical steps to help you cast off that negative thinking!
The Dos and Don’ts of Negotiating Your Salary The idea of negotiating our salary sounds nerve-wracking to many of us. But if you never try, you may never receive the rewards your hard work deserves. If you’re struggling to work out how to obtain that raise (or to get the right salary if you’re starting a new job), read on for some ideas on how to approach the situation.
How to Have Healthy Conflict in the Workplace We choose our friends, but we don't often choose our colleagues. In offices, we spend a large proportion of our waking lives with people with whom we may not have much in common, and it’s natural for disagreements to arise. When they do, managing the resulting conflict is not easy: there is serious potential for hurt feelings and awkward working environments. But grievances and annoyances tend not to disappear when buried – instead, they fester under the surface and prevent colleagues from working together successfully. So how can you ensure conflict takes place in a healthy manner? Let’s look at some ideas for turning ill will into good!
How to Handle Behavioral Interview Questions - And 20 Examples to Help You Prepare Behavioral questions are an increasingly common focus of job interviews. Let’s take a look at how to approach questions of this type, as well as 20 examples of common behavioral questions to get you ready for your next interview.
How to Survive – and Succeed! – at a Networking Event If networking is not your favorite business necessity, then you're not alone. If you’re about to propel yourself into a room or video chat full of strangers, then help is at hand. Read through our list of top tips to get you through.
5 Apps to Increase Your Productivity Since the start of the pandemic, more people than ever before are working remotely. Some find the move away from the office a wonderful change when it comes to boosting their productivity. Others rely on being in a social space to keep them motivated – not to mention being away from the various distractions of the home. If you’re in the latter category, have a look through a list of five apps that will help you focus on the work you need to do, even in the most distracting of environments!
3 Tips For Finding Your Dream Job Full-time workers spend around 2,000 hours per year on their job – not including commuting and late evenings in the office. If your current position is not doing it for you, it’s natural to start daydreaming about more inspiring things. But how can you get yourself from struggling to get out of bed in the morning to raring to go? Read on for a few ideas!
The Habits of the Highly Productive We all wish we could be more productive. But what are the keys to highly productive people’s success? Well, there are certain behaviors they all have in common – here’s a rundown of the habits the most efficient and effective people share!
Four Signs of a Toxic Work Culture The team that wins the championship isn’t always the one with the best individual players – it’s the one that successfully blends those players into a cohesive unit. And the same applies to law firms – your firm’s lawyers might individually possess razor-sharp legal skills, but is its culture making the most of them? Let’s take a look at some tell-tale signs of toxic work culture.
How to Juggle a Job Offer When You’re Still Waiting for Another One You open your inbox to see an unread message. It’s good news: the subject line reads ‘Offer of Employment’! But alas, the sender is not quite who you were most hoping to hear from. Your first choice - Dream Firm - are apparently still pondering their next move, while these guys (at the risk of sounding harsh, let’s call them “Backup Firm”) have enthusiastically advanced. So what do you do in this enviable position? Think about how you’re going to communicate with these companies so that you keep everyone happy. Read on for some tips on how to do just that!
You Can Live Without a Big Brand on Your Resumé – Here’s Why Many people think they need their resumé to be peppered with illustrious, big-name firms in order to stand out. The irony, though, is that simply having worked for a company with an office in every global financial center doesn’t actually make you a better lawyer. Of course, when it comes to moving upwards in your career, it’s not always about how good you are but about how good you can show yourself to be. And a well-known name on your resumé is one way to establish some credibility – after all, a firm that takes you onboard might think 'you can’t be too bad!' But if your career to date hasn’t been a parade of plush offices adorned by paintings of the firm’s 19th-century founders, don’t worry – it’s by no means the only way to stand out. Here’s how to shine regardless of where you’ve worked.
How to Hire an Amazing Manager Nobody likes working under a manager who’s overbearing, bad at listening, or just plain not very good at their job. Hiring the right managers will help keep your employees inspired, productive – and working for you, rather than heading elsewhere. But how to do it? Let’s have a look at some top tips for making sure things are tip-top at the head of the line in your organization.
Recruiters: 3 Things To Do Before Posting A Position As a hiring manager, you know finding the right person for each position is an arduous task that involves a considerable amount of work even before you post the role. After pinning down the particulars of the role you and your company are looking to fill, the next step is finding the perfect match! Here are a few tasks/mindsets to understand and account for before posting the role.
What Skills Do You Need to Get Started in Legal Operations? Legal Operations is a growing field, creating opportunities for an increasing number of talented individuals from a range of disciplines. Do you have what it takes to join this cutting edge department? Let’s take a look at the skills you need to get established in Legal Operations today!
Is Your Tech Doing What it Should? – How to Evaluate Legal Technology Legal technology companies are expanding rapidly, as law firms and legal departments deck themselves out with enough computing power to manage a minor space mission. But how can you know if the software you’ve installed is really helping your business? Let’s have a look at some key traits to look out for when evaluating legal technology.
Why You Should Work For a Mission-Driven Company A company’s mission statement is its declaration of where it wants to go – that means that all its activities should be geared towards helping it get there. As a Tuareg clansman in the Sahara reads the stars and the sand dunes to help him reach a certain oasis, a company’s spreadsheets and flowcharts should only be tools to enable it to arrive at its destination.
How to Turn Meetings from Pointless to Productive Ah, the team meeting – it’s one of those sacred office rituals, its contours familiar to workers across the country. We gather up our notepads, head to the breakout room, listen to people making a series of loosely connected points with only a vague relevance to our job, before everyone leaves wondering ‘What was the point in that?’ Yes, it’s fair to say that many meetings do not inspire employees, aid workflow, or get much done. Still, there are always going to be times when colleagues need to get together to talk to each other. How can you transform meetings from pointless and dull to productive and exciting? Let’s find out!
Legal Market Data: Job Opportunities in Times of Pandemic A look into the legal job market, and how COVID-19 has affected job prospects for individuals seeking work, based on data from The US Bureau of labor statistics, Indeed, LinkedIn, and the Legal.io Community.
How to Engage Your Remote Workforce Remote working was already steadily on the rise before the coronavirus pandemic, but working from home is now more prevalent than ever. Many managers might think that the increase in home working makes it more difficult to stay engaged with their workforce – but that needn’t be the case. Here are some ideas for getting around the problems that a distributed workforce presents – and even taking advantage of its benefits.
How to Crush a Phone Interview Great news – your dream firm wants to speak to you on the phone! But once the initial buzz has passed, you might break out in a nervous sweat as your thoughts turn to the interview itself. Have no fear, however – we’ve got you covered. Read on to find out what you need to do to succeed in your phone interview!
Why Employers Shouldn’t Ignore Mental Health Every May since 1949 has been designated Mental Health Awareness Month in the US. But for people with mental health problems, their condition isn’t limited to one-twelfth of the calendar. Unfortunately, many employers have little or no strategy when it comes to addressing mental health problems in the workplace. Here are some of the top things employers need to know to help their employees – and their business – stay healthy.
Protecting mask under US intellectual property law Current circumstances have given rise to massive efforts to distribute masks to communities, by individual community members and large corporations alike. What protections extend to the activities that go into the creation of masks? This article explores the options under US law, and their limits.
Introverts: Strategies For A Successful Job Search Looking for a new job can be an arduous process for anyone. Introverts might find the process particularly taxing due to the energy it takes to network, get in touch with firms, and interview. To help focus your effort, here are four strategies introverts can use to ensure job search success.
3 Millennial Standards for the Legal World A large portion of today’s workforce consists of millennials (those born between 1980-2000). This generation has defined a modified set of employer standards as they are differently-motivated in the workplace. So how do you keep your millennial legal team engaged? Start with understanding what they are looking for in a firm:
5 Tactics To Help Inspire Your Legal Team As a legal team lead, you’re probably used to the idea of motivating your team members. This can take many forms; team get-togethers, quarterly bonuses, and even simple self-motivation. No matter your efforts, you can still run into team members who can’t seem to get out of their negativity. The following tactics can help them get back to a healthy mindset:
4 Traits All Mentors Have in Common Whether it’s professional or personal growth, finding a mentor can be a great idea! Mentors are great for creating a map for your long-term success. They are likely more senior in theirs and can share their experiences and knowledge. So, how do you find a mentor? This process can be challenging, because mentors can differ greatly and come from many areas of your life. Since you’ll want to put a lot of time and energy into this relationship, there are a few traits you’ll want to look for:
How To: Your Firm's Data Privacy Plan In today’s legal world, data is king. With high-profile privacy lawsuits in the daily legal news spotlight, an ever-increasing number of countries and US states are adopting privacy integrity laws. The repercussions of companies not complying with privacy laws are becoming more and more clear. California’s Consumer Protect Act (CCPA) currently affects 500,000+ companies. And, the EU has seen nearly half of a billion dollars worth of fines issued for those in violation of the GDPR.
Legal Industry Trend: Remote Working More and more industries are moving towards allowing for remote work. Professionals feel more productive and comfortable working in their chosen environments, which conventional offices cannot provide. Being steeped in tradition, the legal industry hasn’t adopted this “work from anywhere” mentality quickly. Generally, law firms continue to believe collective company spaces are necessary. Nevertheless, the growing movement of remote legal talent has been a pleasant surprise. And it seems a though remote work is destined to become the status quo.
Excellent Recruiting and Its Impact on Company Culture Recruiting the right employees is of high value to any company. An effective strategy to upscale in the legal industry invariably includes recruitment efforts and every company needs to take steps to ensure their recruiting and onboarding top professionals. Among your recruitment goals should be engaging the right stakeholders, controlling the budget, and giving preference to talent and skill. Here are a few practices to help improve the company culture by recruiting the right candidates:
20 places on Reddit where attorneys, legal professionals and people with legal questions gather Reddit consists of a huge number of communities that host vivid discussion on a wide variety of topics. Here are twenty subreddits frequented by legal professionals, and those interested in the law.
Know Your Options: Inappropriate Job Interview Questions When interviewing for your dream job, it can feel counterintuitive to not answer every question asked of you. However, some seemingly innocuous questions are actually quite inappropriate (and sometimes illegal) when asked during a job interview. Regardless of intent, here is a guide on how to handle these types of questions.
Legal Ops: Priorities for Your First Month Responsibilities of Legal Ops roles include a myriad of tasks that can be overwhelming for a new recruit. It can be difficult to understand what to tackle in your first month on the job. In this article, we will go over suggestions of high priority tasks for the new Legal Ops professional.
Lawyers: 10 Healthy Responses to Career Setbacks All lawyers have experienced some type of setback in their careers. Clients pay us for a desired outcome, but that outcome isn’t entirely up to us. So, although you cannot 100% control your success rate, you can control how you deal with the outcome. Here are 10 ways in which successful lawyers deal with career setbacks.
Habits of Healthy Legal Professionals Health is a hot topic in the legal industry. More and more Biglaw firms are paying attention (and company resources) to help inspire their attorneys to live healthier lifestyles. Although health is a broad concept in the modern workplace, in this article we will go over some ideas of how to be a healthy legal professional. (This article does not include medical advice. It’s always best to consult your doctor for any recommendations.)
Video Chat: Dos and Don'ts for Lawyers As remote positions grow in the legal industry, it's important to understand what is appropriate and beneficial in a business video chat.
Remote Work: How to Address It Effectively in Job Interviews Remote work is becoming more common among progressive legal technology companies. Although generally conservative, the legal industry has seen an increase in remote positions in general. Although this is not yet the norm in the legal industry, events such as COVID-19 have led many to wonder; how can my company implement an effective work from home policy? And, as a legal professional, how can I negotiate a remote work policy?
3 Habits That Destroy Credibility in the Workplace No matter where you are in your career path, your professional habits could always use an overhaul. Your habits in the workplace can influence your success both now and in your future roles. Positive habits can help you build and maintain credibility, while less constructive habits can hinder relationships and influence. In this article, we’ll go over 3 particularly problematic habits.
3 Tips: What Not To Say During a Job Interview No matter your tenure, a job interview involves many "What do I say?" moments. Although some responses can be dealt with during the interview, others are best planned ahead. Use the following suggestions to help you in your next job interview.
4 Basic Tools Every In-House Legal Team Needs Legal Operations is a fairly recent addition to the legal industry, and, as a department tasked with managing and streamlining the efforts of in-house counsel, they have their work cut out for them. Although there are many options for Legal Operations, in this article we will focus on the 4 most effective tools to help in-house legal departments. Keep in mind, these solutions may vary from business to business, but this list generally addresses all in-house legal department needs.
How Good Listeners Make For Great Legal Leaders Excellent leaders understand when and when not to act on what they hear
50 interview questions for a legal job you should be prepared to answer You can nail that legal interview with a little bit of preparation!
Allies: How To Be Effective in the Modern Workplace Companies are starting to adopt policies of inclusivity and diversity, because they know these qualities will not only benefit their employees, but their business as a whole. In this article, we will talk about how to be the best ally in the workplace.
3 Policies and Attitudes Great Managers Use To Lead Their Team In the past decade, job seekers have changed their standards for what makes a company and a position desirable. It’s no longer just about the salary, healthcare and career growth alone; culture and wellbeing benefits are becoming a fixture in their criteria. If your legal career is developing towards a managerial role, here are 3 policies and attitudes great managers use to lead their team.
Common Behavioral Interview Questions and How to Answer Them Open-ended interview questions can be difficult to manage in job interviews. Aside from your legal expertise, employers need to know you have all the necessary skills and mindset to thrive in your position. Here is a list of common behavioral interview questions and how best to answer them.
The Best Online Legal Job Boards With the current uncertain legal landscape, a lot of attorneys and other legal professionals are seeking employment together. Take a look at the several different resources available online to help you pick up your career.
Necessary Soft Skills In The Legal Industry Soft skill sets aren’t the main topic of conversation in a job interview, but they make up a large part of any position in the legal industry (and account for a large part of a hiring decision). If you are looking to shift your career or advance within your organization, focus on the following soft skills major companies have noted are crucial for current and considered employees.
The Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP): a comparison In addition to direct payments to US taxpayers, there are several options available to small businesses adversely impacted by COVID-19. This guide provides a comparison between the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
Direct payments to eligible American families under CARES The CARES Act was signed into law and provides for direct payment intended to assist low and middle-income individuals and families. This guide provides an overview of how it works and how to calculate the tax rebate amount.
5 Ways to Engage Your Remote Legal Team Remote employees and contractors have long been touted as the future of work, and this trend is only accelerating under current circumstances. Many legal departments now have experience with, or are at least exploring, the benefits of hiring remote attorneys and paraprofessionals. Here's how to make it work well.
How to do Legal Work Remotely and Keep Your Sanity Almost 75% of millennials say a “work-from-home” or “work remotely” policy is important.
4 Ways For Attorneys to Protect Work-Life Balance This Year These four tactics can help you create better work-life balance habits this year.
COVID19: Overview of the US Economic Rescue Package The House of Representatives passed the Cares Act on Friday, sending it to President Donald Trump for his signature. We provide an overview.
Alternative Fee Arrangements: Communicating with Outside Counsel Alternative Fee Arrangements are gaining steam and are increasingly considered a viable alternative to the traditional billable hour model. This article provides an overview of things to discuss with outside counsel when exploring alternative fee arrangements.
Liability Laws For International Airplane Accidents Laws that determine airlines' responsibility in the event of an accident.
Preparing for CCPA - a new age of privacy Learn about how to get your company prepared for GDPR and CCPA
How much do lawyers make? A look at how much lawyers make in every US state, based on statistics by the Bureau of Labor.
5 Steps to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit How to successfully file a personal injury claim and receive compensation for your injuries.
Google wins EU case limiting right to be forgotten The European Court of Justice, the EU's top court, has decided that Google does not have to apply the right to be forgotten outside of EU member states.
The 10 largest US law firms in 2019 As of July 2019, these are the 10 largest US law firms by number of lawyers.
State Bar of Arizona Approves Non-Refundable Lawyer Fees Learn how nonrefundable and contingency fees are applied.
Patent Law: Filing a Provisional Patent Under the American Invents Act, a provisional patent can protect you for up to one year.
Types of Wage Violations A few of the most common types of wage and hour violations committed by employers
Why Should You Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer? Choosing to hire a lawyer can make a significant difference in a personal injury case.
What Crimes Require a Sex Offender Registration? Not all sex crimes require the accused to register as a sex offender in California.
California Bar exam question leak raises questions On July 27th, the California Bar announced that it had come to their attention that the State Bar inadvertently provided a number of deans of law schools in California a list of the subject matter topics contained in the July 2019 California Bar Examination essay questions and performance test
Female equity partners in the 10 largest US law firms A look at the percentage of female equity partners in the 10 largest U.S. law firms.
America's largest law firms: a look at the data A list of the largest law firms in the United States by total number of attorneys, broken down by number of partners and associates.
90 Seconds of Legal Operations: Stephanie Corey Stephanie Corey is General Partner and Co-Founder at UpLevel Ops. Stephanie discusses cross-pollination across the legal operations ecosystem.
Legal.io Pricing Tool: Towards a More Transparent Legal Marketplace One of the issues facing today's legal marketplace is the complete lack of price transparency. The Legal.io pricing tool shows hourly rate and salary data on a range of practice areas and markets.
Patent Law Resources It is my hopes that these resources aid you in improving our world through your innovative ideas!
Oops, wrong button! How the EU accidentally broke the Internet Thirteen members of the European Parliament stated they accidentally voted the wrong way on a key amendment of a new European copyright directive, meaning the most controversial provisions of the directive might have been removed had they not erred.
General Counsel Spotlight: Ed Rockwell (EPAM Systems, Inc.) Each month we're doing a general counsel spotlight on some of the most innovative and forward thinking minds in the industry.
Building the future of legal work: visualized This video shows a visualization of Legal.io Platform development between January 2015 and March 2019. Since its launch in June 2015, the Legal.io Platform has been used by over 1.25 million individuals and organizations to find trusted legal help.
3 productivity tools for busy legal professionals The internet is full of opportunities for distraction, and sometimes it is important to put in place some processes to ensure you keep control over your time. These are my 3 favorite plugins to stay focussed and on task.
Launching the enhanced Florida Bar Lawyer Referral Service A look behind the scenes of the enhanced Florida Bar Lawyer Referral Service, powered by Legal.io.
4 Types of Clients All Lawyers Should Learn To Identify Although no clients will neatly fit into each of the four categories outlined below, it helps to recognize patterns in behavior and motivation.
3 Tips for Dealing with a Coworkers’ Stress When working with people everyday, forming a bond is natural. In this article we’ll address how best to approach a coworkers’ stress.
Beginning Your Practice: Finding Your Ideal Client Finding the best client for your services is an important decision and is based off of many others.
Managing Client Expectations When Their Outcome Is Uncertain Managing a clients’ expectations can be hard, but it’s necessary. In this article, we will go over things to consider when managing client expectations.
Your Website: What Matters Most to Clients In this article, we will go over behaviors, expectations and other aspects your clients share when looking for a lawyer online.
Establishing Your Digital Presence: The Client Imperative Modernizing your practice can be daunting and overwhelming, so this article will address key ways in which you can update your digital presence.
5 Ways To Keep Pace with Client Needs Here are five ways in which your practice can keep pace with client needs.
Why Availability is the Most Important Aspect of Your Practice Attorney availability is a core metric in client happiness
Negative Reviews: Their Hidden Benefits and How To Manage Them A peak inside how the best attorneys handle negative online reviews
What Do Millennials Look for In a Legal Provider? With modern society comes modern audiences - learn how to stay ahead!
Managing Client Expectations: Balancing Your Life and Practice Tips and tricks for balancing your personal and professional life
Customer Service is Your Law Firm's Competitive Advantage A case study on Zappos and how to set your firm out from the competition.
Launching Our Curated Repository of Playbooks, Checklists, and Legal Templates We are excited to announce the launch of our free repository of legal playbooks, checklists, documents and templates.
Contract negotiation: a basic introduction Negotiation skills are useful in a personal and a business context. This guide provides helpful tips on what to think and prepare for before and during a negotiation.
How to Deal with Identity Theft Identity theft is the deliberate use of someone else's identity, usually as a method to gain a financial advantage or obtain credit and other benefits in the other person's name. This guide covers steps to protect yourself.
10 Steps to Starting Your Business Starting a business requires many steps, and takes hard work and dedication. This guide covers ten things you should think about to increase your chances of success.
Starting a business - federal / state taxes If you are starting a business, it’s important to understand your federal, state, and local tax requirements.
Hybrid Token Offerings: The Rise of Token Offerings For Venture Backed Companies A publication by DLA Piper - Many of the ICOs and SAFTs in 2017 were for the first amount of capital for the companies involved, and most of these companies did not have any traditional venture capital investors in their capital structure. We are seeing a new parallel trend, however, that is now emerging for startups with traditional venture capital funding: these companies are exploring how to “tokenize” their business to use blockchain technology and raise non-dilutive capital through a token generation event. These hybrid token offerings raise numerous questions for traditional investors.
Litigation and dispute resolution basics Civil lawsuits arise out of disputes between people, businesses, or other entities, including government entities. This guide provides an overview of the pre-trial, trial, and post-trial process, and alternatives to litigation.
What should I do when I have a dispute with someone? An overview of things to do and think about if you end up in a dispute with a contractor.
Starting a business - licenses & permits An overview of the licenses and permits needed to start a business.
Creating a corporate entity A guide to when and why to form a corporate entity, selecting the right corporate form, and other things to think about when creating a legal entity.
Collaborating with other content creators Learn about the impact on ownership of the art and content you create together with other content creators, the concept of "work for hire" and the difference between employees and independent contractors.
Where do I get copyright-free music for my stream? There are many copyright-free sources for music. Avoid trouble by steering away from using copyrighted audio.
A Securities Law Framework for Blockchain Tokens An initiative of Coinbase, Coin Center, Union Square Ventures, and Consensys
What is a smart contract? A smart contract is a computer protocol intended to digitally facilitate, verify, or enforce the negotiation or performance of a contract. This guide explains what smart contracts are, and discusses some of their proporties as well as the legal challenges surrounding this new type of agreement.
What will be the impact of blockchain on the legal industry? The legal industry is often cited as ripe for disruption and in the same breath criticized for being slow to embrace change. This guide looks at the implications of blockchain technology for the legal industry.
Initial Coin Offerings: A Regulatory Overview Initial Coin Offerings or ICOs's are an increasingly popular method to raise capital. This guide gives an overview of the legal frameworks that are currently emerging around ICO's
Non-Disclosure Agreement Checklist This checklist provides an overview of issues to take into account when preparing a non-‐disclosure agreement. It provides an easy way to ensure that no important issues are overlooked.
Licensing Authorities Guide to bar association licensing authorities in the United States and abroad.
Can I play background music while streaming? Any background music you play while streaming on online platforms such as Twitch or Youtube is subject to copyright law. Often, online platforms implement audio recognition systems to automate the detection of copyright infringement.
Basics of music rights In the US, music licensing is made possible by the protection that US copyright law provides for artists. Learn more about how to use licensed music, and how to protect your own work.
FTC endorsement guidance on sponsored and/or branded content Learn how to properly designate sponsored content when recording videos and streaming.
How do I properly use third-party copyrighted content in my video or stream? Learn how to properly use third party content in your videos or stream and protect your channel against muting, takedowns, and lawsuits.
How do I get copyright protection for my creative works? An overview of how copyright works and how it applies to your online content.
Bitcoin Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency that allows transactions to take place directly between two parties, without the need of a central bank acting as a middle-man. This legal guide explains what Bitcoin is, and covers some of the legal issues facing this new type of currency.
How do I respond to a copyright infringement notice? A guide to handling a copyright infringement notice.
Using Quotes & Song Lyrics Could I be sued for using somebody else's quotes? What about song lyrics? This is a tough question.
Employment Guides* We’ve collected links to resources for individuals experiencing workplace discrimination or violation of legal rights.
Criminal Guides We’ve collected links to resources for individuals facing police abuse, arrest, criminal charges, or incarceration.
How to Maximize Paralegal Support Are you getting the most out of your paralegals or considering hiring one? Maximize the support you receive using these simple steps.
Critical Elements for Successful Legal Support Outsourcing Key components for a successful collaboration.
Flat-Fee Legal Services: an introduction Consumers typically identify cost as the biggest barrier to engaging an attorney.
The Law Office of the Future: Technology & Flexibility The common threads woven throughout all of these changes include an increasing demand for employee flexibility and the use of legal technology tools.
Hack the Legal Marketing Game In the digital age, your website is the modern equivalent of a business card.
State Governors’ Opposition towards Syrian Refugees Fleeing to U.S. Due to conflict and civil war there are reportedly 12 million Syrians fleeing Syria and seeking refuge in other countries.
Changes may be in-store for the Visa Waiver Program Travelers from certain countries who wish to come to the U.S. may enter without obtaining a visa.
Visa Options for Trainees Training is often an important part of advancing in a career or being skilled at a job.
Visa Options for Artists and Entertainers While the U.S. offers several different types of visas for foreigners coming to the U.S., some of the less discussed visas are those for artists and entertainers.
Using a Virtual Assistant . . . Some Examples for Lawyers The opportunities are endless for outsourcing tasks to a virtual assistant.
The Startup Visa and Reform for Entrepreneurs The Startup Visa Act of 2011 was introduced in Congress in 2011 but did not pass.
ICE Agents Gain Admission to LA Jails; Denied in Bay Area Counties Recently the Los Angeles Sheriff has authorized ICE agents to enter jails and identity immigrants who could be eligible for deportation.
Obama Administration Encourages Lawful Permanent Residents to Become Citizens Lately there has been a push by the Obama administration and the USCIS to encourage and celebrate US citizenship.
Immigration Views of Republican Presidential Nominee Hopefuls With the race for the 2016 Presidential Nomination dominating the news and major media sources, the candidates’ views on immigration are surfacing.
New Changes Implemented in Visa Bulletin Every month the Bureau of Consular Affairs publishes a Visa Bulletin that provides important information about filing dates for immigrants seeking Adjustment of Status.
Much Longer Wait Times for Green Cards- Department of State Edits Previously Modernized Visa Bulletin by Law Office of Sweta Khandelwal
Comprehensive Immigration Reform – How It Started and Why It’s Needed Comprehensive immigration reform is finally underway.
The Startup Act of 3.0 – a Path to Citizenship for Entrepreneurial Immigrants In the midst of all of the CIR, yet another piece of legislation has entered the fray.
The Problems with Current Entrepreneurial Visa Options Stanford University hosted an event as part of their Entrepreneurship Week on Sunday, March 3, 2013 that was packed with 200 students looking for ways to get visas and green cards in order to jumpstart their ventures.
H-1B Visa Extensions While the H-1B quota for the fiscal year 2014 is over, it is significant to note that those foreign nationals already in the US on H-1B visas are exempt from the annual quota.
Gang of Eight’s New CIR Bill (April 2013) On Tuesday, April 16, 2013 the Gang of Eight, comprised of four Democratic and four Republican members of Congress, introduced an eight hundred page Comprehensive Immigration Reform (“CIR”) Bill.
H-1B and the New CIR Bill It’s been about two weeks since the Gang of Eight’s “The Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013” was presented before the Senate.
CIR's Startup Entrepreneur Visa The discussion and debate around the proposed Immigration Reform bill continues.
Extraordinary and Outstanding Immigrants – the EB-1 Visa Although the Employment Based (“EB”) categories may change with the new CIR bill introduced just several weeks ago, there is no guarantee that the EB changes or the bill in its entirety will pass.
Exceptional Immigrants – The EB-2 Visa and National Interest Waivers Our last article was about the EB-1 Visa, which is set aside for “Aliens of Extraordinary Ability.”
Skilled Workers and Professionals – The EB-3 Visa This will be the final part in the survey of the EB visas, as we have already covered the EB-5 visa and the EB-4 visa is too specific to talk about generally.
Sanctions for Immigration Noncompliance Congress’ power over immigration is plenary, meaning it is absolute.
Tax Implications for Immigrants Tax consequences on one’s income are bound to arise regardless of the way a person has immigrated to the US- – through investment, employment, or family relationships.
Immigration Implications of the DOMA Ruling The Supreme Court of the United States came out with a flurry of exciting decisions last week, including the decision on the Defense of Marriage Act (“DOMA”).
Legal Issue Series - How many researchers does it take? This is the first of our Legal Issue Series, which will answer hard immigration questions and will attempt to fill in the many holes in the immigration system through legal analysis.
Major EB-5 Updates One of the major avenues available for immigration for entrepreneurial noncitizens is the EB-5 category.
New Electronic I-94 Procedures As of April 30, 2013, the Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) agency rolled out its new electronic I-94.
USCIS Publishes E-Verify Program Reports The E-Verify system is an optional screening tool for employers used to check an employee’s work authorization status.
Legal Issue Series - What to do about Delayed OPT Extensions For many foreign students on F-1 visas, the practical American training they receive is just as important as their education.
Battling Immigration Fraud Crackdowns on notarios have caught media attention recently, and with good reason.
Intermittent Employees and I-9 Issues Occasionally, a company requires an intermittent employee to complete a certain project or goal.
L-1A Guidelines Clarified, USCIS Gets Reprimanded The Administrative Appeals Office (“AAO”), where USCIS decisions get appealed, gave a decision that not only clarified the standards for approving L-1A visas, but also reprimanded USCIS for constantly applying a more difficult and incorrect standard.
EB-5 Gets a Little Less Wild West with FINRA Rule 2111 For the longest time, the EB-5 Program has been running with little clarification and guidance from the multitude of federal and state agencies involved which includes USCIS.
The Government Shutdown's Effect on US Immigration The government shutdown has been the leading story in the news over the past week.
The Basics of Establishing an EB-5 Regional Center The rise in the Employment Based-5th category visa (“EB-5”)’s popularity has led to a corresponding rise in the number of Regional Centers, which are USCIS designations to businesses that pool EB-5 Investor funds for larger investments.
Record Immigration Fines for Infosys Most of our articles have been on immigration laws, issues, and compliance.
Dealing with 221(g) Issues from the Consulate In this week’s article, we explore one common issue that happens to noncitizens seeking entry into the United States from abroad.
Visas and Residency for UC Tuition Purposes It is no secret that many immigrants are young students seeking to attend the United States’ top universities.
Advanced Parole or H-1B? It is a stressful, but rewarding, time when a noncitizen finally begins their adjustment of status process to obtain a green card.
Special Visa Categories for Canadians Despite the media attention surrounding immigration from Mexico, it’s important to remember that the United States shares a border to the north with Canada as well.
Domestic Worker Visa Options It is not uncommon for many families and business people to bring personal assistants with them while traveling to the United States.
Immigration Consequences for Minor Crimes Although sometimes the hardest part may be trying to get a visa, it can also be difficult just trying to keep it.
Surviving an Immigration Interview After all of the papers have been filed and the visa has been approved, there is still one major hurdle on an intending immigrant’s mind: the visa interview.
New York Restaurant Hit with I-9 Penalties Some of our more regular readers may recall our article on one of the largest I-9 compliance busts ever late last year.
F-1 Student Visa Options After Graduation Many universities are home to foreign students from all over the world.
H-1B Cap Opens April 1st, 2015 The H-1B cap for the 2015-2016 fiscal year will open on April 1, 2015.
How President Obama’s “Immigration Accountability Executive Action” Affects Employment-Based Immigration President Obama’s “Immigration Accountability Executive Action” proposes several changes to the immigration system many of which could affect employment-based visas.
Protect Yourself Against Common Immigration Scams Scam artists have always targeted immigrants but with the Obama Administration’s issuance of the new Executive Order scams could be on the rise.
Employment Authorization for H-4 Dependent Spouses Available in May. Currently dependent spouses on H-4 visas cannot lawfully seek employment in the United States, but that will be changing soon!
DACA Expansion and Creation of DAPA- Things to Know As with all immigration changes, it’s important to educate yourself and be aware of timelines, requirements for applying, and the potential scams that often happen when such relief measures are announced.
L-1B Denials Particularly High for Indian Nationals L-1B classification was initially created by Congress to allow multinational companies to easily transfer employers from foreign operations to intra-company offices in the United States.
Foreign Students and the H-1B Cap Gap With the school year coming to a close, it’s time for foreign students to start thinking on ways to continue to remain in the United States, following the conclusion of their academic programs.
Change of H-1B Workplace Requires Amended Petition H-1B holders working at multiple worksites must have a Labor Condition Application (LCA) on file for each worksite.
2015 H-1B Applications Hit a Record High of 233,000; Chances of Receiving a Visa: 36% This year the USCIS received a record number of H-1B applications, totaling over 233,000.
New Case Challenges New H-4 Regulation That Would Allow Spouses to Work in US A few weeks ago we blogged about a new regulation allowing H-4 visa holders (dependents of H-1B visa holders) to work in the United States.
Cross-Chargeability, if applicable, may shorten the wait time to apply for a green card The last step when applying for a green card for applicants already in the United States on a non-immigrant temporary visa is the process of adjusting one’s status from the temporary nonimmigrant visa to a permanent immigrant visa.
Talks of Ending Birthright Citizenship Generally, every child born in the United States is granted American citizenship.
Form I-9 Carries Heavy Penalties if Filed Incorrectly All employers must ensure that Form I-9 is properly filled out for each employee.
Children Born Outside US Can Gain Citizenship Derivatively Through Parents When a child is born outside the United States it seems logical that the child would not be granted automatic US citizenship.
Parole Program for Entrepreneurs Part of Obama's Executive Action Part of the executive action announced by President Obama for immigration reform last November was a parole program for entrepreneurs.
Criminal Convictions Can Result in Serious Immigration Consequences Criminal convictions are always accompanied with consequences.
How to Renew a Green Card A green card is the documentation granted to lawful permanent residents by the USCIS.
OPT Extension for STEM Students Could be in Jeopardy OPT is available to students on F-1 visas who have graduated or have been working towards a degree for nine months.
Open Source Software: a legal guide This guide will give you a general overview of the legal complexities that can arise when using open source software.
Practitioner's Guide to Hiring Freelance Attorneys The Benefits and Ethics of Hiring Freelance Attorneys
The Ethics of Contract Legal Services A Survey of the Ethical Considerations When Hiring Freelance Attorneys
The Sharing Economy Just Got A Whole Lot Messier High-profile Uber and FedEx cases demonstrate how misclassifying workers as independent contractors instead of employees can threaten your company. Here’s everything you need to know.
Founder's Pie Calculator The Founder's Pie Calculator is a handy tool to divide equity among founders that is both logical and fair.
Immigration The LawGives Immigration Guide provides information on immigrant visas and non-immigrant visas. Each visa description details: who can apply for the visa, work authorization status, and the length of stay.
General Counsel for Startups Most startups, especially the ones pushing the envelope, are struggling to decide whether, when, and how to hire a full-time or part-time general counsel.
Don't be Pied Piper - How to Divide Equity Among Startup Founders One of the first tough decisions facing startup founders is how to allocate equity among the founders, investors, directors, advisors, and employees.
Free Legal Documents Free legal documents—valuable information for every entrepreneur. These legal documents, forms, and letters help entrepreneurs at any stage to make informed and strategic decisions. Whether you're signing a contract or incorporating your business, you'll find free legal documents for a wide variety of needs. Questions? Comments? Feel free to use the chat box to contact us! We're always ready to help.
Starting a business According to the Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy, in 2008 there were 29+ million small businesses in the United States, and half of all American workers were employed by small businesses.
What Do You Mean We Have A Contract?! How to Prevent an Email Exchange From Inadvertently Becoming a Binding Contract. Contract formation is one of the oldest forms of human interaction.
12 Reasons Attorneys Should Charge Flat Fees Flat Fees Align the Attorney’s Interests with the Client’s Interests
How to Protest and Dispute Government Contract Awards Protesting and disputing government contract awards can appear intimidating at first glance.
12 Reasons Businesses Should Use Arbitration Agreements This guide briefly outlines the existing law on arbitration agreements, and then identifies and explains 12 reasons why businesses should use them.
How to Respond to a Third-Party Subpoena for Documents In litigation, a party will often use a third-party subpoena to obtain documents from individuals, businesses, or other entities that are not parties to the lawsuit.
The H-1B Visa Explained The H1B visa classification permits a foreign national to work in the United States for a temporary period.
Trends in Adjudications of Multinational Executives This guide covers trends in adjudications of multinational executives & managerial petitions for small and emerging businesses.
Entrepreneurial Visa Options Visas for entrepreneurs wishing to come and/or stay in the United states.
Intellectual Property Infringement, Misappropriation, and Enforcement Violation of intellectual property rights, "infringement" with regard to patents, copyright, and trademarks, and "misappropriation" with respect to trade secrets, can be a breach of civil law or criminal law, which depends on the type of intellectual property involved, the jurisdiction, and the nature of the action.
