The second-largest search engine has almost no lawyers on it

This week is about doing less, better. First, the ABA issues a new ethics opinion for lawyers representing the government. Then, proof that the "less is more" mindset is easier said than done: the vacation tech you'll still pack even after vowing you’ll really unplug this time. For the drive to the airport, a practice management podcast with a back catalog nearing 1,000 episodes. And we end on marketing you're probably doing too little of: YouTube, the second-largest search engine, is still ignored by most firms.

Coming soon, meet the attorney who shut her whole firm down for a summer vacation.

But first, some good news from the American Heart Association: drinking up to five cups of coffee a day is okay for most people!

The mayor vs. the prime minister.
New York's new mayor is wading into international criminal law with a social media post calling for Netanyahu's arrest. Lawyers will have thoughts.

The ultimate redline.
Is there any way we can get an invitation to this remedy?

Most expensive beer ever.
An Alaskan bush pilot’s plane was seized after cops found a six-pack bound for a dry community. SCOTUS has agreed to take up the appeal.

Road Trip: Must love dairy.
Since 1999, it has been illegal to serve apple pie in Vermont without a glass of milk, a slice of cheese, or a scoop of ice cream. Are there any pie crime lawyers from the “Green Mountain State” who can verify this? 

What we’re watching.
Two different shows about what it's like having a killer in the family. Evil Lives Here: My Child the Killer interviews the family members of murderers. My Grandfather Charles Manson follows one woman's search for truth after DNA testing revealed she’s literally part of The Manson Family.

Legal clients aren't forgiving of missed calls in 2026, which is why a modern phone system like RingCentral is so important. The system offers:

Stay available for your current and future clients with RingCentral.

A new American Bar Association ethics opinion published recently says that lawyers representing the government may face disclosure obligations when a government employee commits a violation that could cause the government itself to become “in effect, a lawbreaker.” According to the opinion, examples of violations include when a worker’s actions will breach a constitutional, statutory or regulatory provision, or a court order.

Why this Matters: Lawyers must report violations up the bureaucratic chain, and may go to an authority outside the government if they “reasonably believe” doing so is necessary to prevent “substantial injury to the organization.” Stay up-to-date on ethics rulings so that you don’t find yourself committing a violation, or failing to report one. (Bloomberg Law)

You swear you are going to completely unplug on your next vacation… but just in case you don’t, the ABA's Legal Technology Resource Center (LTRC) has pulled together a round-up of “tech essentials for traveling and vacation.” 

Why this Matters: The gear lists (think power strips and mobile hotspots) are useful. But the real value comes from hearing you aren’t the only one who struggles to leave work behind. The fix for that isn't better tech. It's a coverage plan you set before you leave, and the discipline to actually use it. (ABA LTRC)

If you want to hear what a bunch of different attorneys talk about how they are addressing the practice management problems your firm is facing, The Maximum Lawyer Podcast is for you. Host Tyson Mutrux hit record back in 2016, and has cranked out almost 1,000 episodes since then covering most of the recurring headaches of running a small or mid-size firm (think delegation, hiring, marketing and tech adoption). 

While Mutrux does try to funnel listeners toward his paid membership community and conference, the show doesn’t feel like a sales pitch. His guests are talking about what they are doing in their firms, and the solutions they offer really run the gamut. 

Why this Matters: The back catalog is what makes this podcast stand out. You can find an episode (or multiple episodes!) addressing almost any practice management problem you can think of. Many listeners also end up joining the free Maximum Lawyer group on Facebook. (The Maximum Lawyer Podcast)

YouTube is the second-largest search engine, behind only Google, which owns YouTube. This makes building out a YouTube channel something of an SEO hack: a prospective client searching for an attorney in a given city on Google will see YouTube videos in the results, and that same person searching directly on YouTube will find the attorneys who have content there and skip the ones who don't. 

The SEO benefits of YouTube videos are compounded by the rise of AI search. The leading AI platforms often pull information from videos. Try your hand at posting client testimonials or legal lessons.

Why this Matters: Nearly every source making the case for attorney marketing on YouTube is a marketing company or video-production vendor selling that exact service, so take their promises about ROI with a grain of salt. But do consider whether your target clients are using YouTube as their search engine. (Video Case Story)

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