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Who's actually in control? Law firms are rethinking what happens when senior partners won't let go, insurers are scrambling to figure out who is on the hook when AI goes rogue and the UN (long dismissed as toothless) is back in the conversation as Iran forces the question of who governs what. And if you are the person in control of your firm’s marketing, you'll want to take a look through Canva's law template library.
Coming soon: tips for preparing for an appeal at the trial level.
But first, Illinois has a new pet custody law Elle Woods would be proud of.
QUICK CLICKS
There has to be a backstory here.
This summer, the New Jersey courts banned attorneys from having sex with their clients. Now, the state is trying to prohibit any “sexual activity” inside government facilities.
Attorney ChatGPT almost got LSU booted from the SEC.
This article on coach Lane Kiffin’s desire to put two former NFL players on the Tigers’ roster this season highlights a problem attorneys are all too familiar with: ChatGPT likes to tell people they are doing the right thing.
The most magical disciplinary complaint on earth.
An Illinois attorney is accused of using firm funds to visit Disney and pay her personal taxes.
What’s your superpower?
According to Redditors, every attorney has one, and they often correspond with your practice area.
What we’re watching.
The hit reality/competition show “The Traitors” is back with a new season, this time featuring non-celebrities. Two of them are attorneys. Michael Foote is a criminal defense and immigration attorney from New York City who has openly embraced his legal background as part of his strategy. Kim Daily is a lawyer from Houston who told everyone in the castle she was a basketball coach.
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PRACTICING LAW
Retirement shasmirement
Partners that won’t step aside are a problem many firms wrestle with. The Wall Street Journal offers some solutions: creative financial packages, mandatory retirement ages, shifting equity stakes and bringing in retirement consultants who help senior partners find a second act.
Why this Matters: Most firms aren’t facilitating their partners’ transition to aerial photography or Broadway producing, but this piece is worth a read anyway. (Wall Street Journal)
LEGAL BYTES
The AI wasn’t supposed to do that
We’ve grown used to paying for cyber liability insurance on top of malpractice insurance. Are we ready to pay for AI insurance too? Read together, these two Insurance Business pieces suggest that this is where things are headed.
The first piece was written in response to the growing number of AI agents that have hacked into other companies during testing. It asks who should be held liable, and discusses how some underwriters are approaching this.
After documents from The New York Times copyright lawsuit were unsealed (the ones where Microsoft’s internal team called their project the “largest theft of labor in human history”), Insurance Business dropped this second piece. The potential liability in AI cases (like the Times case) is so vast, insurers are already trying to exclude AI use from their policies.
SHARED COUNSEL
UN-covered
The UN General Assembly isn’t something most attorneys pay attention to. This year is different, as concerns about AI and the war with Iran reverberate around the world and in our practices. If you want to keep up with what’s going on, here are a couple of recs for your podcast queue.
The UN itself produces a bevy of podcasts. The daily podcast may be TMI, but the weekly round-up is worth a listen.
Global Dispatches, which is hosted by Mark Leon Goldberg, is the longest-running independent international affairs podcast out there. There's a paid tier for anyone who wants to get into the weeds, but the free version hits the highlights.
Why this Matters: With the UN, the messaging is often more important than any action taken. This gives you a recap of both. (UN Podcasts / Global Dispatches)
LEGAL BRIEFS
BUILDING CLIENTELE
This is how you do it
If you have ever wondered how other firms are pumping out cohesive-looking graphics, videos, presentations and print materials without a huge marketing department on staff, the answer is likely Canva. The free, online design suite was created by an Australian woman who wanted to make designing school yearbooks simpler.
Today, it’s a creative powerhouse that still manages to be beginner-friendly. And it’s got a boatload of legal-themed templates you can customize and use.
Why this Matters: Even if you are already familiar with Canva, the selection of law templates is worth a look. (Canva’s Beginner’s Guide / Law Template Library)
POLL
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Raise the Bar is written and curated by Emily Kelchen, edited by Bianca Prieto.
