State Bar Of Michigan: On Balance Podcast

Barron Henley discusses best practices for law firm security.

Barron Henley discusses Michigan’s adoption of the ethical duty of technology competence.

Jeff Wasserman shares stories of his struggles with gambling addiction, the lessons he’s learned, and the work he’s doing now to help others.

Katie Hennessey explains Michigan’s new civil discovery rules and shares resources available to help Michigan lawyers get up to speed on the changes.

Olivia Ash and Jeff Zapor discuss attorney mental health issues surrounding loneliness.

Anne Brafford offers strategies firms can implement to effectively prioritize lawyer health and well-being.

Dr. Noelle Nelson gives listeners simple techniques for connecting with all types of clients and teach lawyers how to communicate, even if they disagree with their client.

Your grandmother may have told you “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”— but maybe you just need to say it the right way. Hosts JoAnne Hathaway and Tish Vincent are joined by Dr. Liane Davey, Ph.D, to discuss a better way to engage in and resolve workplace conflict, building a healthier, more productive team dynamic in the process.

In this episode, hosts Tish Vincent and JoAnn Hathaway talk to Allison Shields about how lawyers can do more in less time. They discuss the importance of setting goals and avoiding the discouraging pitfall of creating never-ending to-do lists. Lawyers who learn to prioritize tasks and manage their activities can accomplish much more in a shorter amount of time. Allison also emphasizes the need for lawyers to stop overworking themselves and strategize ways to create a healthy work-life balance.

How has legal education evolved, and what unique challenges do today’s law students face? In this episode, hosts JoAnn Hathaway and Tish Vincent talk to Victoria Vuletich about what the law school experience is like for the current generation of students. They discuss a broad scope of current law school issues including: restructuring trends in the legal profession, technology advancements, shifting student learning styles, and increased support of student mental health.

The opioid crisis is deeper, broader, and more nuanced than many people realize. In this episode, hosts JoAnn Hathaway and Tish Vincent talk to Harry Nelson about the opioid crisis and his book, “The United States of Opioids: A Prescription For Liberating A Nation In Pain.” They discuss the needs for reform in healthcare laws and greater access to treatment for opioid addictions.

In this episode, guest host Darin Day talks with Judge Michelle Rick and attorney Kim Jones about Michigan’s rule changes for limited scope representation that aim to lessen the justice gap. They describe the new rules and give examples of how Michigan attorneys can provide these types of limited legal services to clients. They also encourage lawyers to check out the Limited Scope Tool Kit available at michbar.org.

In this episode, JoAnn Hathaway and Tish Vincent talk to Terry Harrell about her work with the National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being. They discuss the “Well-Being Report” created by the Task Force, which was written to be a road map forward for the profession as it shifts its mindset on lawyer well-being. They also talk about the recently developed “Well-Being Toolkit” – a resource for encouraging wellness that lawyers and legal employers can use in their firms.

Judge Joseph J. Farah of Michigan’s 7th Judicial Circuit Court shares how attorneys can prepare a proper motion. From the NEXT Conference 2018, hosts Samantha Meinke and Rob Mathis talk to Judge Joseph J. Farah about lawyers’ motions being too nebulous. Judge Farah, who spoke at the conference, also describes a game he helped create to test judge's and attorney's knowledge of the rules of evidence.

Part 2 of this installment from the State Bar of Michigan NEXT Conference 2018 holds even more wisdom from master lawyers with long years of experience. Guest hosts Samantha Meinke and Syeda Davidson of the Young Lawyers Section interview Carolyn Williams, Joseph Golden, and Susan & Ed Haroutunian about what they valued most in their careers as lawyers, their most challenging learning experiences, and what work-life balance advice they have to offer young lawyers.

From the State Bar of Michigan NEXT Conference 2018, hosts Samantha Meinke and Syeda Davidson of the Young Lawyers Section interview members of the bar who reached 50 years in the practice of law in 2018. They hear valuable insight from these master lawyers about what they valued most in their careers, their most challenging learning experiences, and what work-life balance advice they have to offer young lawyers. This episode interviews Leonard Suchyta, Bruce Neckers, Susan Howard, and L. Brooks Patterson.

Does work-life balance exist in the day-to-day lives of lawyers? Maybe not, and that’s okay. From the NEXT Conference 2018, host Rob Mathis gets Michigan Supreme Court Justice Bridget McCormack’s take on how lawyers can balance their careers and personal lives in a healthy way. Justice McCormack encourages lawyers to look at their career as a whole and not be too hard on themselves when some days, months, or even years tilt further one way than the other.

Hosts Rob Mathis and Laurin Thomas talk to Chris about the four sessions he presented at the State Bar of Michigan’s NEXT Conference 2018, all centered around law firm owner freedom. Highlighting each session, Chris discusses his expertise in impactful business planning, wise uses of time, smart money decisions, and rockstar salesmanship: all ways to help lawyers learn how to take their businesses to new levels of success.

At NEXT Conference 2018, hosts Rob Mathis and Laurin Thomas break down some of the complexities of immigration law with Susan E. Reed, the Managing Attorney at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC). Susan encourages lawyers to be educated on how immigration law relates to other areas of the law, and offers ways lawyers can partner with clients at MIRC. She feels that all lawyers, regardless of practice area, should be aware of the vulnerability of immigration law clients.

From the NEXT Conference 2018, hosts Samantha Meinke and Robert Mathis talk to Nicole Black about artificial intelligence and other legal technology. She shares tips for automating your practice, with and without AI, and ethics advice to keep in mind when using the cloud and social media.