The Ninth Circuit has rejected a religious accommodation claim from a healthcare worker who objected to weekly COVID-19 testing, holding that the employee failed to show a bona fide religious conflict and that the employer’s masking-and-testing accommodation was reasonable. The ruling offers valuable guidance for employers navigating post-pandemic accommodation requests. Read the full analysis for key takeaways.
What if waiting for lawsuits is the worst growth strategy a litigator can have? In this episode of the Emerging Litigation Podcast, host Tom Hagy speaks with John Reed, founder of Rain BDM and host of Sticky Lawyers, about how litigators can build authentic, lasting client relationships instead of chasing the next case. John shares practical insights on defining your professional brand, using emotional intelligence in business development, and adapting your natural style—especially for introverts or those navigating remote mentorship. Whether you’re a new associate or a seasoned partner, this episode offers a roadmap for making your practice more resilient, visible, and genuinely client-centered.
In this episode of the Emerging Litigation Podcast, we hear from James Grant about looking strategically at your law firm as you would any business and explore one litigation firm’s journey through that transformative process. As he argues, "lawyers must learn AI now or else watch their competition fly past them in operational efficiency, customer service, and client retention". Listen to learn more!
We’re closing in on 400 million guns in America, weapons that have been used to kill 1.5 million Americans between 1968 and 2017. Can litigation be an effective tool in curbing this loss of life? In 2020 alone there were more than 45,000 gun deaths. The beyond tragic and senseless mass shootings at schools has become all too routine. Most Americans want stricter gun laws which they believe will reduce the senseless killing in our country, which leads the world in both the number of privately owned firearms and gun-related deaths. The Supreme Court, of course, didn't take public opinion into account when it struck down a more than century old New York City ban on concealed firearms. Politicians do, however, pay close attention to polls. At the federal level, President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan law designed to make Americans safer in our gun-toting nation. Hailed as a "great start" and a rare but welcome exercise in reaching across the aisle, the law will result in safer citizens, but didn't include much of what gun advocates say is really needed to effect meaningful change. In California, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new law that gives citizens incentives to pursue gun manufacturers and dealers who sell illegal firearms. In New York, Democratic leaders, undaunted by the Supreme Court, have pushed through [...]
$3M Transferred in Fraud Scheme, Law Firm Sued, Says It Followed Client Instructions Two related foundations hired a big law firm to sell stock and execute a merger via wire transfer. Cyber fraudsters had other ideas. Posing as stock seller, and intercepting a verification email, the perpetrators grabbed $3.1 million. The foundations sued the firm in state court in Utah, claiming the firm should have red-flagged certain inconsistencies and known it was being duped. The firm should also have picked up the phone to verify the source of the fraudulent emails and documents. Not so fast, the firm maintains. The plaintiff was not a client and it was only acting on wiring instructions sent via the plaintiff's email system and provided the instructions to the paying agent. The money was sent to the account of an alleged furniture company in Hong Kong. Sorenson, et al. v. Continental Stock Transfer, Tassel Parent, and Holland & Knight, 3rd. Jud. Dist. Ct., Salt Lake Co., Utah. Download
Settlement Psychology Who's in charge? Homer Simpson or Mr. Spock? Cognitive obstacles to finding common ground. [two-fifths-first] Complimentary On-Demand Webinar From HB! 1 CLE credit CLE questions? CLE@LitigationConferences.com Questions for speakers? Questions@LitigationConferences.com SPEAKERS Jeff Trueman Mediator / Negotiator John Philip Miller Baltimore City Circuit Judge (ret.) This course is also available via the West LegalEdcenter. [/two-fifths-first] [three-fifths] Improve your negotiation strategy and outcomes. Mediator, arbitrator and settlement conference neutral Jeff Trueman says the lawyer’s mind can sometimes play tricks on them when it comes time to settle a claim. “The central question on the minds of counsel, their clients, and insurance professionals in civil litigation is, of course, ‘What’s the case worth?’ For mature torts there is enough historical settlement and verdict data exist for counsel to argue why a particular case should or should not fit within a certain settlement range. In the midst of these discussions, the human brain plays tricks on us. For example, litigators sometimes assume that their trial experience can determine how jurors will negotiate with one another and resolve factual discrepancies after closing arguments. This assumption is a ‘heuristic’ – a cognitive shortcut called attributional error or illusion of control.” Backed by his decades of psychological and economic sciences research, Trueman says there is a lot of room for [...]
[one-third-first] Contact Nancy Holston Founder Alliance of Women Trial Lawyers nancy@awtriallawyers.com DETAILS When Oct. 27-29, 2018 Meeting Venue Ritz-Carlton New Orleans LEARN MORE REGISTER Prices The Alliance is all about women helping women so they're offering discounts to anyone who brings a law student, clerk, or first year associate to the conference with them. 1st and 2nd Attendee: $895/Attendee 3 or more Attendees from same firm: $795 each 1 Attendee with Guest (Law Student, Clerk or 1st Year Associate): $1,295 for Attendee and Guest More than 5 Attendees please fill out their Contact form or call Nancy Holston at 850-304-9674 for more information To Register by Check: Click here for Payment by Mail Registration Form. [/one-third-first] [two-thirds] New Alliance of Women Trial Lawyers Announces First Event in New Orleans Congratulations to Nancy Holston on the formation of the Alliance of Women Trial Lawyers. HB is proud to support this group and a mission that is dear to our hearts -- promoting the careers of women professionals. Nancy has been successful at building events for plaintiff attorneys -- some you may have probably attended! -- and it's great to see her strike out on her own to develop something she believes in. Take a minute to learn more about the AWTL, and see who is speaking at their first event. AWTL Vision To create a community that inspires [...]
We are proud to announce our latest alliance with a new trial attorneys group just for women on the plaintiff side of tort litigation. Founded by plaintiff law conference veteran Nancy Holston, the Alliance of Women Trial Lawyers is committed to empowering these professionals, helping them to overcome "systematic obstacles and to realize greater self-sufficiency and wholeness through support, acknowledgement and utilization of dormant, yet innate strengths." Before founding the Alliance in July 2018, Nancy was a principal at 360 Advocacy and before that the first Executive Director of Mass Torts Made Perfect. Nancy is well-connected in the plaintiff bar and is excited by the initial reaction to her new venture. Nancy is equally inspired by the feedback she is getting for the Alliance's first national conference which will be held from Saturday, Oct. 27th through Monday, Oct. 29 at the Ritz-Carlton in New Orleans. The program features many of the leading women trial attorneys in the country and a range of topics on practice development, litigation strategy, preparing witnesses, jury selection, deposition skills, direct examination, opening arguments and ethical issues involved in settlements. "I admire anyone who takes a risk to do something they believe in, and Nancy has demonstrated both enthusiasm and commitment to improving the professional lives -- and personal lives, for that matter -- of women who represent plaintiffs in mass [...]
A Restructured Paradigm for Corporate Teamwork By Courtney Klein of Soteria Risk Consultants Social media has become an integral part of everyday life. It’s how some of us get our news, research our opinions, learn about local events, and connect with friends. For the modern western business, it is also immensely important for staying in touch with customers, advertising, and overall visibility. For this reason, many companies employ veritable armies of “Social Media Specialists” that do everything from designing graphics to writing tweets to replying to customer questions and complaints. Some companies interact with each other (such as the hilarious and long-standing Twitter Battle between Wendy’s and McDonald's), and some use it as their primary form of communication. Customers, too, know that social media is a way to get in touch with a company - for good reasons and for bad - and while many companies are aware that they will and do receive threats on social media, very few of them have any kind of protocol in place for how to deal with them – and even fewer still encourage their social media teams to pass this information on to or (better yet) work together with their security team. This sort of blasé attitude to threats – either because “it’s not my job” or “they can’t be serious” – leads to [...]
[two-fifths-first] DATE: Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018 TIME: 2 p.m. EDT; 1 p.m. CDT; 12 p.m. MDT; 11 a.m. PDT PLACE: Your computer PRICE: $197 per dial-in site (unlimited attendance at one location) through Aug. 3, $247 thereafter Register by Aug. 3 and save! For more information, email leslie.davidson@litigationconferences.com. Your webinar registration includes: • A site license to attend this webinar (invite as many people in one location as you can fit around your computer at no extra charge). • Downloadable PowerPoint presentations from our speakers. • The opportunity to connect directly with speakers during the audience Q&A session. • At least one-hour of CLE credit. Speakers Daniel Shortt Harris Bricken Seattle Alison Malsbury Harris Bricken San Francisco [/two-fifths-first][three-fifths] With so many studies coming out on the benefits of CBD, a lot of people and companies see tremendous market opportunities and are diving in. Whether derived from industrial hemp or marijuana, these days CBD can be found in just about anything, from skin care products to pain medications to anti-seizure drugs—even beer. Companies, including large retailers like Target, have tried to sell or are selling products containing CBD online or across state lines. But determining the legal status of CBD isn’t easy. Because CBD is a cannabis derivative, the biggest question, of course, is whether or not it’s even legal under [...]
