State Bar Of Michigan: On Balance Podcast

No matter your age, if you've just passed the bar in Michigan, you're now a member of the Young Lawyers Section. Host Rob Mathis talks with Kara Hart-Negrich, the incoming chair to the section, about upcoming plans and events for the next year. The variety of trainings, public interest events, and networking opportunities can be very valuable experiences for new lawyers in Michigan. Kara Hart-Negrich is incoming Chair of the Young Lawyers Section of the State Bar of Michigan.

In this episode of On Balance from the NEXT Conference 2018, hosts Samantha Meinke and Janet Welch talk to Jennifer Grieco and Donald Rockwell about the programs and initiatives that have meant the most to them as bar leaders. They discuss the limited scope representation issue, the Professionalism and Practice Summit, and what motivated them to serve in their leadership roles. Jennifer Grieco is a shareholder at the law firm of Neuman Anderson Grieco, McKenney and the president of the State Bar of Michigan. Donald G. Rockwell is the founder of Nill Rockwell, P.C., and the immediate past president of the State Bar of Michigan.

The Legal Trends Report collects legal industry data and uses it to determine how law firms can improve their business. In this episode of On Balance from the NEXT Conference 2018, hosts Rob Mathis, Samantha Meinke, and Laurence Colletti talk to Clio CEO Jack Newton about 2018 Legal Trends Report and what it reflects about the legal industry. They discuss the data that's included in the report and how attorneys can use this information to improve the business side of their practice. Jack Newton is the co-founder and CEO of Clio, one of the pioneers of cloud-based practice management. Samantha Meinke is the communications manager at the State Bar of Michigan. In this role, she creates and oversees communications, marketing, social media and media relations strategies. Laurence Colletti serves as the executive producer at Legal Talk Network where he combines his passion for web-based media with his experience as a lawyer.

There's a lot more to running a lean law firm than just cutting costs. In this episode of On Balance, hosts JoAnn Hathaway and Tish Vincent talk to Larry Port about what it means to be a lean law firm, addressing common misconceptions and the core ideas that make the system successful. These include constantly striving for perfection, measuring success, and removing bottlenecks, to name a few. Larry Port, CEO of Rocket Matter, is also a speaker and award winning writer at the crossroads of the legal profession and cutting edge technology.

While both can benefit a practice, lawyers often get marketing and business development confused. In this episode of On Balance, hosts JoAnn Hathaway and Tish Vincent talk to John Reed about essential marketing strategies for lawyers and how marketing differs from business development. They discuss important marketing and business development activities that are important depending on your practice areas. Stay tuned for tips on using social media like Linkedin, building a blog, and whether or not TV commercials are a viable investment. John F. Reed is the founder of Rain BDM, a consultancy that helps law firms of all sizes build outstanding client relationships.

Lawyers are often seen as protectors, helping others recover and attain justice after trauma. But even protectors need help sometimes. In this episode of On Balance, hosts JoAnn Hathaway and Tish Vincent talk to Shawn Healy about the prevalence of depression in the legal profession, why it's so common, and how to practice wellness in a way that addresses depression before it reaches a crisis point. They discuss overcoming the legal industry stigma that sees mental illness as weakness and the difference between sadness and clinical depression. They also address law students directly, urging them to invest in mental wellness early on to mitigate future struggles. Dr. Shawn Healy joined Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers in March of 2014 following his work in a private group practice in Cambridge.

For lawyers managing their own firm, being successful involves more than ordering people around. In this episode of On Balance, hosts JoAnn Hathaway and Tish Vincent talk to Andrew Elowitt about the qualities of a successful law firm manager such as handling employee frustration and communicating goals and expectations well. They also discuss the challenges involved in managing superstar employees and how this differs from other employees. Andrew Elowitt, JD, MBA, PCC, brings over 25 year's experience as both an executive and business lawyer to New Actions.

Multiple surveys conducted by the ABA have identified an elevated risk of anxiety and substance abuse within the legal community. In this episode of On Balance, hosts JoAnn Hathaway and Tish Vincent talk to Patrick Krill about anxiety and substance abuse within the legal profession including relevant studies and resources for both lawyers and employers that help cultivate wellbeing in the workplace. They also discuss the common issue of lawyers and law students being unwilling to ask for help and what the industry can do as a whole to address this issue. Patrick Krill is director of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation Legal Professionals Program. In that role, he helps addicted attorneys, judges and law students to prepare for and overcome the distinctive challenges they face in their recovery from chemical dependency. Mentioned: The Path to Lawyer Well Being: Practical Recommendations for Positive Change

Just like any other kind of journey, the adventure of starting a law firm has to begin somewhere. In this episode of On Balance, hosts JoAnn Hathaway and Tish Vincent talk to Lea Ann Sterling about her experience starting a successful law firm before practice management tools became popular. She discusses the importance of getting advice from reliable experts about things like technology and bookkeeping and how to find such help. She also shares the tools she uses to maintain a successful practice, like surveys that measure customer satisfaction and marketing videos. Lea Ann Sterling has been the founder and managing attorney of Sterling Law since 2001.

For lawyers struggling with addiction, stigmas, lack of support, and the fear of consequences can make the situation seem hopeless. In this episode of On Balance, hosts JoAnn Hathaway and Tish Vincent talk to Brian Cuban about what you can do about addiction both as a lawyer and as an employer. He explains that it's about handling the problem of addiction before you have to deal with its consequences. They also discuss how vital it is to have peer support when you're struggling with wellness issues and how sometimes stigmas can get in the way of a full recovery. Brian Cuban the younger brother of Dallas Mavericks owner and entrepreneur Mark Cuban, is a Dallas based attorney, author and addiction recovery advocate.

Your firm has finally invested in new technology but that's only half the battle. In order to actually save time and energy, you need to train your firm's employees to use the technology correctly, whether it's Microsoft Office, Adobe, or even an internal software service. In this episode of On Balance, hosts JoAnn Hathaway and Tish Vincent talk to Casey Flaherty about why investing in proper training is an essential part of investing in new technology. Casey recalls his own experiences working with firms' adoption and productivity problems and discusses what beneficial training actually looks like in practice. Casey Flaherty is well-known for creating the Legal Technology Audit (LTA), a test of basic technological proficiency for lawyers and in-house corporate departments.

In an effort to increase efficiency and improve the service of trial courts, technological advances are being implemented in the state of Michigan. One of these advances is the introduction of e-filing which will allow litigants to electronically file documents without having to travel to a courthouse. In this episode of On Balance, host Tish Vincent talks to Mary Roush and David Leasure about the statewide e-filing initiative that the state is working on with ImageSoft in order to bring e-filing to the Michigan Courts. Together, they discuss the benefits of e-filing, how they chose ImageSoft, and how the software works. Mary Roush is the project manager of the statewide e-filing initiative. David Leasure is the product owner of TrueFiling, a product of ImageSoft.

A majority of lawyers know what social media is and the basics of how to use the various platforms, but many don't realize the potential these platforms have to communicate with potential clients and build community. In this episode of On Balance, hosts JoAnn Hathaway and Tish Vincent talk to Samantha Meinke about how and why lawyers should use social media for their practice. They discuss how to get started, how to maintain social media when you're busy, and the definition and importance of responsive design. Samantha Meinke is the communications manager at the State Bar of Michigan. In this role, she creates and oversees communications, marketing, social media and media relations strategies.

Lawyers are notoriously slow at adopting technology. Despite this the use of social media in law is becoming more and more common. In this episode of On Balance, hosts JoAnn Hathaway and Tish Vincent talk to Justice McCormack about the benefits to judges using social media. Some of these benefits include communicating with other judges across the state and effectively sharing information with the public. They also explain how to get started with social media, taking proper precautions, and not oversharing personal information. Justice Bridget Mary McCormack joined the Michigan Supreme Court in January 2013 and is a law professor University of Michigan Law School.

What equips a lawyer to effectively argue in the Supreme Court? In this episode of On Balance, hosts JoAnn Hathaway and Tish Vincent talk to Justice Wilder about what it's like to argue cases in the Supreme Court and the different skillsets involved. They discuss the difference between trial and appellate lawyers and how trial lawyers can learn more about appellate work, including using the Michigan Supreme Court YouTube channel as a resource. Justice Kurtis Wilder was appointed to the Michigan Supreme Court by Governor Rick Snyder in May 2017.

In the retrial of Dennis Tomasik, the jury only deliberated for 19 minutes before acquitting Dennis, who had been wrongfully imprisoned for close to nine years. In this episode of On Balance, hosts JoAnn Hathaway and Tish Vincent talk to Takura Nyamfukudza, Mary Chartier, and Dennis and Kim Tomasik themselves about the details of the case. Dennis discusses his experience in prison and what helped him persevere, and the attorneys discuss the evidence, witnesses, and the Wrongful Imprisonment Compensation Act. Mary Chartier's advocacy skills are the result of years of experience litigating serious and complex criminal defense cases in federal and state courts around Michigan. Takura Nyamfukudza is an experienced criminal defense litigator who practices in state and federal courts throughout Michigan. Dennis Tomasik was acquitted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct after wrongly imprisoned for close to nine years. Kim Tomasik is his wife who aided attorneys in gathering evidence for the case.

Dennis Tomasik was wrongfully imprisoned for close to nine years before his retrial and subsequent exoneration. In this episode of On Balance, hosts JoAnn Hathaway and Tish Vincent talk to Kris and Marty Tieber, the attorneys who helped reconstruct the Tomasik case and free Dennis. They discuss the importance of developing a story, their process of re-gathering the information, and the rewards for diligent legal work. Martin Tieber is a criminal defense attorney who specializes in criminal appeals, post conviction proceedings, and federal habeas litigation. Kristoffer Tieber also devotes most of his practice to criminal appeals, post conviction proceedings, and federal habeas litigation.

The goal of the NEXT Conference is to bring lawyers together from all across Michigan in order to share ideas, make connections, and discuss the future of law. In this episode of On Balance, hosts JoAnn Hathaway and Tish Vincent talk to Samantha Meinke about the 2017 Next Conference including what's new and what opportunities are available for attendees. Some of the highlights of this year's conference included an all-member networking luncheon and reception, the Exhibitor Hall with companies like Clio and MyCase, and the Learning Lounges with educational opportunities for all variety of lawyers. Samantha Meinke is the communications manager at the State Bar of Michigan. In this role, she creates and oversees communications, marketing, social media and media relations strategies.

Lawyers and the media may not be enemies, but they're certainly not friends. In this episode of On Balance, hosts JoAnn Hathaway and Tish Vincent talk to ABC's Dan Abrams about the tension between lawyers and the media. In their discussion, they cover the effect of social media on a trial, finding unbiased jurors, and how this tension affected the Casey Anthony case.   Dan Abrams is a web entrepreneur and television presenter who serves as the chief legal affairs anchor for ABC News and as the host of both 60 Days In and Live PD on the A&E cable network.

Being a lawyer is stressful. Many struggle to balance their physical health and wellbeing with the demands of their profession. On Balance, premiering this week on Legal Talk Network, delivers useful and entertaining ideas on managing life as a lawyer. To hear more about the show and what inspired its creation, tune in as the State Bar of Michigan's executive director Janet Welch introduces hosts Tish Vincent and JoAnn Hathaway. Stay till the end for a sneak peek at the bonus content and some of the notable guests featured in the early podcasts.