Are billboard ads worth it for your firm?

Plus: Social media in rulings | The pen lawyers swear by

Some distractions are inevitable this time of year. March Madness, anyone? But, what matters is how you manage around them.

But first, did you see the crazy stuff going on with the former Zappos CEO’s will?

Blessed be the fruit.
Florida judges are overriding the medical decisions of mothers and ordering emergency C-sections.

Federal judge blasted for vulgarity by peers.
Judge Lawrence VanDyke’s judicial colleagues criticized the “vulgar barroom talk” he used to dissent in a transgender rights case.

Your clients aren’t the only ones whose social media posts are getting used against them in litigation.
Judge James Boasberg quoted President Trump’s Truth Social posts in his ruling that blocked the DOJ’s subpoenas of Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Trump responded by… posting some more. Leading Chief Justice John Roberts to respond.

And you’re not the only one whose clients are treating AI as co-counsel.
This Reddit thread is full of stories about how frustrating it is to review slop.

What we're watching.
"Without Precedent: The Supreme Life of Rosalie Abella" (2023) is a fascinating documentary about a former member of the Supreme Court of Canada.

Is watching basketball good for the team?

Your bracket is filled out, you’ve got a game on in the background, and you’re thinking about what clips will make this year’s “One Shining Moment” montage. Yes, March Madness is in full swing. According to a report from the Chicago-based outplacement and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, employers will take at least a $12 billion productivity hit during the next few weeks. But they argue the financial blow is softened by the morale boost that comes from connecting with colleagues through a shared experience.

For many, that shared experience is a little gambling. According to Vegas Insider, “Office pool participation is widespread, with 59% of full-time workers saying they spend money on March Madness pools. Among those who take part, the average annual spend is about $97. Applied nationally, that suggests roughly 80.1 million workers could be putting an estimated $7.7 billion into office pools each year.” That same survey found that one in five workers have gotten into trouble at work due to March Madness.

Why this matters: Law firms across the country are getting in on the action. Some, like Mike Morse Law Firm and Leonard Law Firm, are doing bracket challenges. While others, like Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A., are warning about the employment law risks this season raises. (Challenger, Gray & Christmas / Vegas Insider)

“The pen is mightier than the sword!”

There's a reason the legal pad hasn't been disrupted and your desk drawer contains at least six pens you don't use and one you panic about losing. Though we’re in a decidedly digital age, finding the perfect pen still has attorneys acting like Indiana Jones searching for the Holy Grail. Just like Indy, we are willing to follow clues others have left to find what we are looking for.

Over at Attorney@Work, the “Analog Attorney” columnist Bull Garlington will try to get you to love fountain pens.

Wirecutter has seven different recommendations based on what you are looking for.

Michelle Strowhiro, the ultimate #lawtwitter #penfluencer (now on Bluesky), swears by Tul Pens.

Redditors have a robust discussion of this topic every few months.

Why this matters: Find your pen. Guard it accordingly. But don’t gatekeep, tell us what it is.

These aren't are the droids you're looking for

Last week, we highlighted a viral article about creating your own AI skills. On this episode of the LawDroid Manifesto, host Tom Martin, also known as “The AI Law Professor,” has a fascinating conversation with the author of that article, Zack Shapiro, about why his post caught fire. It goes into more detail about how he trains Claude for specific tasks, but it’s also a really interesting discussion about Shapiro’s mindset towards AI. He sees it as a tool that attorneys are uniquely qualified to take advantage of because we are already good at drafting the sort of precise, logical instructions AI needs to function.

Why this matters: This isn't another conversation about surviving disruption. It's someone telling you what is possible when you permit yourself to train a computer to think as you do. (LawDroid Manifesto)

From highways to high-value clients

If you’ve ever thought about doing a billboard ad or wondered what goes into making one and what the ROI is, this article from Blip Billboards is for you. It covers everything from design tips (with real-life examples) to placement and costs.

Why this matters: Most firms rely on referrals and SEO to get clients in the door. This article discusses how offline channels can complement those efforts by building brand awareness and meeting potential clients where they are. (Blip Billboards)

You're all caught up!

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Raise the Bar is written and curated by Emily Kelchen and edited by Bianca Prieto.

Are billboard ads worth it for your firm?