Lawyers Gone Ethical

Latest Episodes:

ATILS: Rule 5.4 Alternative Proposals [LGE 074] Aug 20, 2019

Show notes

The UPL exceptions proposed by California's task force seem to be stirring up a lot of anxiety amongst lawyers. In this episode, Megan breaks down the actual proposals and encourages public comment on each of them. Allowing more players in the legal services game is not half as scary as reactionary comments on social media would lead us to believe. In this episode Megan discusses proposals to modify Rule 5.4.

Resources Mentioned:

Podcast discussing Essentialism

Clio Cloud Conference - use code ZAVIEH for an exclusive discount

Info on Arizona Task Force Proposals

Public Comment Page

State Bar of California Agenda mentioned

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This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be construed as legal advice specific to your circumstances. If you need help with any legal matters, be sure to consult with an attorney regarding your specific needs.

Fighting to Make Law Free with Ed Walters [LGE 073] Aug 13, 2019

Show notes

If you think that the laws we study in law school, from cases to statutes to regulations, are free, think again. Copyright claims over the laws governing our country stymie access and innovation. Ed Walters, CEO of Fastcase, joins Megan to dive into this issue and the upcoming Supreme Court case that may change it.

Highlights include:

- Ed's teaching of the law of robots

- Historical perspective of the fight to make law public

- Impact of law not being public

- Current events at the US Supreme Court in Georgia v. Public.Resource.org

Resources Mentioned:

How to become a member of the US Supreme Court Bar

Guest Info:

Ed on Twitter

Ed on LinkedIn

Thanks for listening!

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday.

Be sure to connect with me and reach out with any questions or recommendations for specific resources:

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Email me at megan[at]zaviehlaw[dot]com

Let's Talk UPL Exceptions Under ATILS Proposals [LGE 072] Aug 06, 2019

Show notes

Resources Mentioned:

Main public comment page

Infographic

Summary memo

Full agenda with more details (250 pages)

Thanks for listening!

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday.

Be sure to connect with me and reach out with any questions or recommendations for specific resources:

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Email me at megan[at]zaviehlaw[dot]com

Legal Coaching: Law Firm Service of the Future with Jennifer Gerstenzang [LGE 71] Jul 30, 2019

Show notes

Legal coaching, or limited scope representation, can address a tremendous need for participants in the justice system to get access to information not otherwise available to them. In this episode, criminal defense attorney and legal coach Jennifer Gerstenzang talks with Megan about her coaching practice. Highlights include:

- How legal coaching bridges the gap for criminal defendants awaiting assignment to public defenders, allowing them to prepare for their first court date in a way otherwise reserved for those with private counsel

- The other needs addressed by legal coaching, including assisting family members of criminal defendants in understanding the process

- Legal coaching allows the attorney to offer services that fit in a more flexible work style

- Ethics issues raised by legal coaching and how to address them

Resources Mentioned:

Lawyerist Lab

Contact Information:

Jennifer Gerstenzang - Twitter

Thanks for listening!

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday.

Be sure to connect with me and reach out with any questions or recommendations for specific resources:

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Email me at megan[at]zaviehlaw[dot]com

Non-Lawyer Ownership: Public Comment to California ATILS [LGE 070] Jul 23, 2019

Show notes

Non-lawyer ownership of organizations providing legal services is a broad topic encompassing solos sharing their operating accounts with their spouses all the way to publicly traded law firms. As California considers rule changes that would allow non-lawyer ownership, this episode explores what non-lawyer ownership may look like, common arguments in support of the ban, thoughts on whether the ban actually protects against the supposed risks of non-lawyer ownership, and the California proposals to permit those without law licenses to participate financially in entities that provide legal services. This episode even addresses the fear that Walmart will open a law firm in every store -- and why that possibility is not such a bad idea.

Resources Mentioned: Bar website for public comment

Thanks for listening!

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday.

Be sure to connect with me and reach out with any questions or recommendations for specific resources:

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Email me at megan[at]zaviehlaw[dot]com

Stop Using Ethics Rules as a Crutch/What's Really Holding You Back with Jess Birken [LGE069] Jul 16, 2019

Show notes

So often lawyers are afraid to try something new (or new to them), and they often cite the ethics rules as one of the reasons they cannot do whatever it is. After reading Seth Godin's recent blog post Fear of Kohlrabi, Jess Birken and Megan got into a discussion of what really hinders lawyers' ability to try new things.

Megan and Jess cover a wide range of topics on this episode, all related to how lawyers allow themselves to be held back by fear. Listen in for topics including:

- False blaming of external reasons for not taking chances on learning new things

- "New" does not necessarily mean cutting edge, but simply new to the person trying it

- A simple process for heading off fear to prevent it from controlling your actions

- How simple some of new skills can be to acquire

- How wonderful customer service is actually innovative (and dare say even new) in the legal profession

Contact Information:

Jess's Website - be sure to sign up for her email list for lawyers
Jess's Twitter

Thank you for listening!

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday.

Be sure to connect with me and reach out with any questions/concerns:

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Email me at megan[at]zaviehlaw[dot]com

California Leading Change - ATILS Public Comment is Coming [LGE 068] Jul 09, 2019

Show notes

As California's Task Force on Access Through Innovation of Legal Services makes its recommendations and the Board of Trustees puts them out for public comment, the country is watching closely. Every lawyers, member of the public, and consumer of legal services (i.e., everyone) needs to pay attention. Today's episode gives an overview of the proposals and calls for widespread public comment.

Proposed regulatory changes include:

- Abolishing Rule 5.4 fee sharing prohibition

- Loosening Rule 5.4 and allowing non-lawyers to share in fees

- Allowing entities owned in part or in full by non-lawyers to offer legal services

- Regulating legal tech companies as providers of legal services

And more.

These notes will be updated to provide links to public comment. For now, the agenda for the Board of Trustees upcoming meeting and the recommendations to be considered can be found here:

BOT Meeting Agenda

Recommendations from ATILS

Thanks for listening!

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday.

Be sure to connect with me and reach out with any questions or recommendations for specific resources:

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Email me at megan[at]zaviehlaw[dot]com

Women Building Law Firms of the Future with Erin Gerstenzang [LGE 067] Jul 02, 2019

Show notes

While we all wait for the ethics rules to change and open up avenues of innovation such as non-lawyer ownership in law firms, there are lawyers grabbing the bull by the horns and changing how they practice despite the confines of the ethics rules. These lawyers are offering subscription legal services, virtual multi-state practices, concierge wills and trusts service through virtual portals, empowering self-represented litigants, and more. On this episode, Megan and her guest Erin Gerstenzang will highlight some of these lawyers and also dish on presenting a talk to the Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women Empowerment Conference on this very topic.

Lawyers Mentioned in This Episode:

Jess Birken, Erin Levine, Jennifer Gerstenzang, Kim Bennett, Aastha Madaan, Brooke Moore, Laura O'Brien, Christina Scalera, Billie Tarascio, Ticora Davis, Laura Lester

Guest Info:

Erin Gerstenzang - Website and Twitter

Thanks for listening!

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday.

Be sure to connect with me and reach out with any questions or recommendations for specific resources:

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Facebook

Website

Email me at megan[at]zaviehlaw[dot]com

Finding Fulfillment Without Leaving the Office [LGE066] Jun 25, 2019

Show notes

We talk a lot about lawyer wellness, including getting out of the office and disconnecting from professional life, but we can address wellness issues from inside the office too. In this episode, we explore ideas for nourishing your professional soul.

- Mentor and be mentored (check out Megan's article in Bar Association of San Francisco's Bulletin)

- Work on the business of your firm

- Teach

- Serve on non-profit boards

Share your ideas for how to nourish your professional soul.

Thanks for listening!

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday.

Be sure to connect with me and reach out with any questions or recommendations for specific resources:

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Website

Email me at megan[at]zaviehlaw[dot]com

Four Seasons Customer Service for Lawyers with John Strohmeyer [LGE 065] Jun 18, 2019

Show notes

Lawyers are terrible at customer service. Many bar complaints could be prevented with far better client service. We have all experienced amazing service at other businesses -- five star restaurants or hotels, local businesses that deeply care about the customer, and others. Today's guest John Strohmeyer -- estate planning and international tax lawyer -- shares with listeners his experiences at the Four Seasons and how they can apply to lawyers.

John and Megan talk about:

- John's experience at the Four Seasons

- Lawyers' failings in taking care of clients

- How lawyers can learn about hiring and service by studying the Four Seasons model

- How John is teaching lawyers to do better

- A great story of a missed wake-up call, a chartered plane, and a raving Four Seasons fan

Resources:

John's article on client service here

Guest Info:

John Strohmeyer - Website and LinkedIn

Thanks for listening!

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday.