Mickey Haller sat in the back seat of his Lincoln Town Car on his way to the office of his murdered criminal defense attorney colleague to take possession of his dead colleague’s client files. The murdered colleague had included Haller…
Section Member Spotlight: Ana Fatima Costa
Author. Speaker. Mother. Coach. These are just a few of the words used to describe Ana Fatima Costa, marketing coordinator for BASF’s Paralegal Section. Born in Portugal, Costa and her family immigrated to America when she was seven years old…
Online Personas Cause Custody Repercussions
The founder of a right-wing website and a YouTube prankster normally wouldn’t have much in common. However, Alex Jones (Infowars.com) and Michael Martin (DaddyOFive of YouTube) both recently lost custody battles because of, at least in part, their public personas.…
Attracting the Right Clients Through Effective Branding
Of particular importance to solo and small firm attorneys is the idea of effective branding. If you are just starting out, or you feel like your brand needs a makeover, there are three scary things you must do to ensure…
San Francisco Superior Court Launches Pilot Judicial Settlement Program to Settle Larger, High-Exposure Cases
The San Francisco Superior Court is offering litigants a new Judicial Settlement Conference (JSC) program aimed at cases with an estimated 20 or more trial days, Presiding Judge Teri L. Jackson announced today. Presiding Judge Jackson has selected Judge Angela…
San Francisco Superior Court Launches Pilot Judicial Settlement Program to Settle Larger, High-Exposure Cases
The San Francisco Superior Court is offering litigants a new Judicial Settlement Conference (JSC) program aimed at cases with an estimated 20 or more trial days, Presiding Judge Teri L. Jackson announced today. Presiding Judge Jackson has selected Judge…
Risk Management Tip: Retainer Agreements Manage Client Expectations
In the competition to land a case it is tempting to overstate the value of a claim, or understate the cost of litigation, setting client expectations at an unrealistic level. Some attorneys fear that being up front about potential case…
Client Service Strategies for Paralegals
When working directly with clients, it is important to develop and maintain client service strategies to ensure their satisfaction with your firm. Achieving client satisfaction through client service does not require an expensive program or subscription. It’s free and can…
The Reality is You Can’t Always Get What You Want
Fans of The Real Housewives of Atlanta know that lawyer/mortician Phaedra Parks, whose show tagline is “you can’t always get what you want, but I can,” is used to winning her cases. Parks and her husband, Apollo Nida, have an…
The Ethics of Facebook Friending
Facebook can be a gold mine of information about litigants and witnesses. A personal injury plaintiff alleging debilitating leg injuries may post photos of her latest hiking trip. A defendant in a wrongful discharge case may make discriminatory remarks.…
Five Tips for Running Your Solo or Small Firm
I’ve had my own small firm for about 15 years. I’ve learned the hard way about what works and what doesn’t. In conversations with other attorneys over the years, I’ve found they have similar conclusions about how to successfully run…
Humboldt County Pays for Bogus Challenge to Advance Health Care Directive
Dick Magney knew that drawing up an advance health care directive was the best way to protect his desire for a natural death with minimal discomfort. He named his wife, Judith, to see that his wishes were carried out. This…