June 2, 2022

Take Steps To Protect Your Law Firm

With all of the sensitive and oftentimes personal data law firms store, it’s no surprise that law firm cybersecurity threats are at an all-time high. No matter the area of practice, law firms maintain a wealth of vital client information, valuable intellectual property, sensitive business information, and other confidential or proprietary data. As the legal industry shifts to remote and hybrid work, cybersecurity has never been more of a concern for law firms. In 2020 alone, the American Bar Association discovered that 29% of surveyed law firms experienced some type of cyber attack, which is a 3% increase over 2019. Unfortunately, only 34% of those surveyed had developed an attack response plan.

Law Firm Cybersecurity Threats

Cybersecurity is evolving. It’s no longer reserved for technology, but it’s now one of the greatest risks a law firm can face. In recent years, massive law firms in the United States have been caught up in major cybersecurity breaches that cost millions. Cybersecurity is not just in the realm of the IT department, or for small firms, a risk that isn’t worth addressing. It needs to be part of the general guidelines for using technology in the firm – or in its service.

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June 2, 2022 by LEGAL

Law Student Named Equal Justice Works 2022 Rural Summer Legal Corps Fellow

Elise Baroni

Anna Hope Colley

Elise Baroni

Third-year law student Elise Baroni has been named Equal Justice Works’ 2022 Rural Summer Legal Corps Fellow. Selected from 333 applicants, Baroni is one of 40 law students who will serve in the program this year.

Baroni will be hosted by Legal Aid of Arkansas, where she will join “Beyond Opioids—Breaking Legal Barriers for Families in Recovery,” a collaborative project among legal aid programs in Arkansas that supports people impacted by the opioid crisis and other substance use disorders at the host organization. She will be based in Newport, Arkansas.

“I’m really excited to have the opportunity to be a Rural Summer Legal Corps Fellow because I am able to continue exploring public interest work and connect to future attorneys across the country who have a similar interest,” Baroni said. “I’m also happy this program exists and funds important projects in rural communities with little to no legal help, and am honored to be a part of it.”

The Rural Summer Legal Corps is a partnership between the Legal Services Corporation and Equal Justice Works that supports dedicated law students who want to spend their summer addressing pressing legal issues facing rural

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June 2, 2022 by LEGAL

Supreme Court blocks Texas social media law
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The Supreme Court on Tuesday stopped a Texas law that would regulate how social media companies police content on their sites, while a legal battle continues over whether such measures violate the First Amendment.

The vote was 5 to 4. The five in the majority — Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, Brett M. Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett — did not provide reasoning for their action, which is common in emergency requests.

Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil M. Gorsuch, said he had not made up his mind about the constitutionality of the law, but would have allowed it to go into effect while review continues. Justice Elena Kagan also would have let stand for now a lower court’s decision allowing the law to take effect, but she did not join Alito’s dissent or provide her own reasons.

Two Washington-based groups representing Google, Facebook and other tech giants filed the emergency request with the Supreme Court on May 13. The Texas law took effect after a divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit lifted a

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June 2, 2022 by LEGAL

Steps For Hiring a Virtual Legal Assistant for Law Offices

Most law firms spend the majority of their time on administrative tasks, many of which are not included in billable hours. On top of that, they need to follow up with clients, negotiate settlements, manage the office and staff, and more. An assistant is a helpful addition to minimize the workload, but that can be expensive for small firms or ones just starting out. Virtual legal assistants are a viable alternative that can help a law firm increase efficiencies, provide a more client-centered experience, and free the lawyers’ time to practice law.

A legal virtual assistant is a skilled professional who works for a law firm from just about anywhere in the world. Legal virtual assistants may provide services like:

All of these tasks can add up, leaving legal professionals with no time to focus on running or managing their own firm.

Working with virtual legal assistants instead of in-office staff can dramatically increase the firm’s efficiency.

Here are some pros of a virtual assistant:

  • Customizable to the firm’s needs

  • Less expensive than hiring a full-time or part-time in-office assistant

  • Relief

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June 2, 2022 by LEGAL

Loyalty of high value law firm clients

The loyalty of high-value clients to their law firm is largely dependent on the expertise of their lawyer or legal team. As a result, law firms need to be aware of the risks of losing their talented and experienced attorneys, and thus the firm’s high-value clients, particularly in the midst of today’s highly competitive market for experienced attorneys. To do so, there are three primary client engagement areas on which you should focus.

1. Establish a team approach to high-value client relationships for deeper law firm loyalty

First, you need to introduce your firm’s clients to the “rest” of the team that supports them, instead of only having one attorney manage the client relationship. A natural consequence of clients having a single point of contact at your firm is that they come to trust that particular attorney and may not even know who else in your firm is working on their matters. Many firms, however, have allied professionals (operations, finance, project management, etc.) with a wealth of knowledge, training, and industry experience, in addition to law, who can and do offer valuable insight and advice.

For example, law firms should have team members with MBA, CPA, or other relevant

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June 2, 2022 by LEGAL
June 2022
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