You, Too, Can ‘Recession Proof’ Your Firm. Here’s How.  – Above the Law



Are
we
heading
into
a
recession?
Nobody
seems
to
know. 


But
some
of
your
clients
are
probably
making
business
decisions
as
if
we’re
already
in
one. 


So
what
capabilities
should
your
firm
be
aware
of? 


Here,
we
present
“recession-proofing”
steps
enabled
by
new
technology

courtesy
of
the
tech
experts
who

joined
a
recent
Non-Eventcast


1)
You
Can
Embed
Payment
Processing
Directly
Into
Your
Platform


The
easiest
way
to
thrive
is
simply
to
make
more
money. 


And
new
technology
can
help
you
collect
more
of
your
accounts
receivable

particularly
as
practice
management
software
increasingly
includes
native
payment
processing. 


These
features
include
sending
an
invoice
to
a
client
that
includes
a
link
to
make
a
payment,
including
payment
links
in
portals,
and
texting
payment
reminders,
noted
Marie
Burgess
of
Paradigm.


“There
are
a
number
of
options
that
make
it
super-easy,
and
the
easier
you
make
it,
the
more
likely
you
are
to
get
paid.” 


(Are
you
considering
an
upgrade
to
your
workflow?

Download
our
brand
new
Practice
Management
Buyer’s
Guide
today

to
see
just
how
easy
and
cost
effective
this
can
be.)


2)
You
Can
Maximize
Billable
Time


Before
you
can
collect
your
accounts
receivable,
you
need
to
generate
the
billable
work
itself.


Law
practice
management
software
can
help
you
maximize
the
time
that
is
billable
by
taking
care
of
administrative
work.
This
will
allow
you
to
make
more
money
in
the
first
place,
notes
Blake
Roberts
of
Lawmatics.


“With
the
practice
management
systems
and
software
solutions
out
there

the
automation,
the
online
payments

making
things
as
flexible
and
easy
as
possible,
removing
every
bit
of
friction
for
the
firm
and
their
client
is
the
best
recession-proof
tactic
I
think
firms
can
use.” 


3)
You
Can
Move
Faster


While
an
economic
downturn
could
lead
to
increased
legal
work
in
certain
areas,
it
would
also
make
speedy
client
service
a
top
priority. 


The
pandemic
highlighted
the
importance
of
client
communication

especially
clients’
need
for
immediate
answers,
noted
Joshua
Hostilo
of
Filevine. 


Similarly,
during
times
of
uncertainty,
clients
need
increased
responsiveness
from
all
aspects
of
their
legal
services.


“The
clients
are
still
looking
to
make
money,
and
to
get
money
as
quickly
as
possible,
and
so
with
automations
and
the
ability
to
move
the
case
along
at
a
quicker
pace

I
believe
that
is
part
of
moving
forward
amid
inflation
and
financial
uncertainties,”
he
said.  


4)
You
Can
Make
It
Easier
to
Onboard
New
Lawyers


Preparing
for
economic
downturns
also
means
preparing
for
increased
job
movement. 


In
addition
to
automation
and
the
items
mentioned
above,
firms
should
use
case
management
software
to
develop
“work
plans”
or
“rules”
that
can
guide
new
lawyers
through
your
processes,
according
to
Igor
Selizhuk
of
SmartAdvocate.


“So
if
you
do
get
a
new
employee
they
can
handle
the
case
without
spending
years,
weeks
or
months
learning
how
to
process
a
case,”
he
says. 


Download
Now


By
filling
out
the
form,
you
are
opting
in
to
receive
communication
from
Above
the
Law
and
its
partners.

Black Paralegal Mistaken For Drug Dealer Left ‘Humiliated’ By Encounter With Police – Above the Law

A
Black
paralegal
is
speaking
out
after
a
racial
profiling
incident
by
police
left
him
feeling
“vulnerable
and
targeted.”

This
story
comes
to
us
from

Legal
Cheek
,
a
legal
website
that’s
based
across
the
pond
in
England.
According
to
LC,
Eldred
Taylor-Camara,
a
caseworker
for
a
London-based
solicitors
firm,
was
traveling
by
train
when
several
British
Transport
Police
(BTP)
stopped
him
for
questioning
and
searched
him
because
he
“look[ed]
suspicious.”
Here
are
the
details:

When
he
asked
the
officers
for
an
explanation
as
to
why
they
had
stopped
him,
Taylor-Camara
says
they
told
him
he
looked
“lost”
which
“raised
their
suspicion”.

The
paralegal,
who
was
wearing
a
suit
at
the
time,
said
the
experience
made
him
feel
“felt
vulnerable
and
targeted,”
and
that
he
was
“concerned
by
the
glaring
mistakes”
by
officers
“purportedly
acting
on
intelligence”.

The
police
said
they
had
received
“intelligence”
and
that
the
aspiring
lawyer
matched
the
description
of
an
“extremely
violent”
drug
dealer
in
the
area.

However,
Taylor-Camara
believes
that
he
was
racially
profiled
and
that
police
failed
to
provide
a
“robust
explanation”
as
to
why
he
was
stopped
for
“extensive
questioning”.

Taylor-Camara
said
the
police
run-in
“unnerving,”
and
it
“showed
the
disassociation
of
the
police
between
themselves
and
those
in
the
public
who
are
likely
to
encounter
this
kind
of
treatment

specifically,
people
who
are
Black
and
male.”
He
continued,
saying,
“Due
to
the
conduct
of
the
officers
and
the
inadequacy
of
the
response
to
my
complaint,
the
only
plausible
rationale
that
I
could
draw
at
the
time
is
I
was
stopped
because
I
am
a
young
Black
man.”

Taylor-Camara
filed
a
complaint
with
BTP,
but
to
no
avail.
It
said:
“The
conduct
of
the
officers
left
me
feeling
intimidated
and
publicly
humiliated.
Despite
my
formal
attire
and
explanation
that
I
worked
for
a
solicitor’s
firm,
I
was
treated
with
suspicion
and
subjected
to
extensive
questioning.”

BTP
offered
this
statement,
in
relevant
part,
following
Taylor-Camara’s
decision
to
go
public
with
his
treatment:

“Following
the
stop
a
complaint
was
received
and,
as
with
every
complaint
we
receive,
was
subjected
to
a
thorough
investigation
by
our
Professional
Standards
Department
(PSD).
Body
worn
footage
of
the
stop
was
reviewed
by
senior
officers
and
accounts
were
taken
from
all
the
officers
involved.
The
result
of
this
investigation
was
that
the
service
provided
was
acceptable
and
no
further
action
was
taken.

Our
officers
who
patrol
the
railway
and
engage
with
passengers
every
day
are
not
there
to
cause
distress,
but
to
ensure
everyone
is
safe
and
that
the
network
remains
a
hostile
environment
for
offenders
to
operate
in.
Stopping
passengers
to
speak
to
them
is
part
and
parcel
of
that,
and
we
will
always
provide
our
full
rationale
for
doing
so.”

In
comments
given
to

The
Independent
,
Taylor-Camara
said,
“The
most
important
thing
for
me
is
spreading
awareness
about
this
issue.
For
those
who
experience
it,
I’m
aware
that
this
is
nothing
new.
However,
for
those
who
are
trying
to
pursue
a
professional
career,
thinking
it
affords
them
protection
from
being
profiled

I
want
them
to
be
aware
that
this
is
still
a
possibility.
It’s
important
to
highlight
this
reality,
so
it
informs
others.”


Black
paralegal
‘felt
vulnerable
and
targeted’
after
being
stopped
by
police
on
the
way
to
visit
client

[Legal
Cheek]

Black
trainee
solicitor
stopped
by
police
for
‘looking
suspicious’
on
way
to
meet
client

[The
Independent]



Staci ZaretskyStaci
Zaretsky
 is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to

email

her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on

Twitter

or
connect
with
her
on

LinkedIn
.

Nexl, A No-Data-Entry CRM Platform for Law Firms, Raises $4M


Nexl
,
a
no-data-entry
CRM
platform
for
lawyers,
has
raised
$4
million
in
a
financing
round
led
by
Australian-based
B2B
venture
capital
firm

EVP

with
follow-on
participation
from

The
Legal
Tech
Fund
,

Vulpes

and

Saniel
Ventures
.

Nexl
said
it
will
use
the
investment
to
accelerate
the
development
of
its
core
product,
increase
acquisition
efforts
in
major
markets,
and
attract
industry
talent
to
build
out
its
fast-developing
ecosystem
for
partners
and
clients
alike.

Nexl
said
its
product
is
in
use
at
more
than
100
law
firms
in
37
countries,
including
such
firms
as

Eversheds
WiersholmDentonsBartier
Perry
Polsinelli,
and Al
Tamimi
.




Read
more
about
Nexl
in
the
LawNext
Legal
Technology
directory
.


Founder
and
CEO
Philipp
Thurner

Unlike
traditional
CRM
products,
Nexl
works
by
automatically
capturing
all
of
a
lawyer’s
interactions,
including
emails
and
meetings,
and
then passively
mapping
all
relationships
and
interactions
among
firm
members,
prospects,
and
clients
on
an
ongoing
basis.

The
company
was
founded
by

Philipp
Thurner
,
who
previously
led
innovation
at
Gilbert
and
Tobin,
a
premier
Australian
corporate
law
firm.
He
had
the
goal
of
developing
a
relationship
platform
that
functions
in
environments
where
client
acquisition
activity
is
passive,
unstructured,
and
entirely
relationship
dependent.

“Relationships
are
everything
in
professional
services,
yet
the
management
of
these
relationships
usually
relies
on
decentralized
and
largely
disorganized
communication
and
information-sharing
practices,”
Thurner
said.
“Management
and
growth
teams
within
law
firms
will
generally
have
very
little
visibility
as
to
the
strength
of
individual
client
relationships
and
the
context
behind
each.”

Having
launched
its
platform
just
18
months
ago,
Nexl
said
that
raising
money
in
the
toughest
investment
climate
in
recent
memory
is
validation
of
its
thesis.

Yale Stripped Of Top Law School Honors In Purely Nonsense Ranking – Above the Law

The
moment
we
noticed
that

our
annual
bracket
challenge

would
pit
Yale
against
ASS
Law,
I
proclaimed
that
our
readers
would
make
sure
that
ASS
Law
toppled
the
perennial
law
school
champ.
And
you
did
not
disappoint.
Yale
hasn’t
folded
this
fast
since
its
administration
saw
an

opportunity
to
appease
a
recognized
hate
group
!

As
we
enter
the
first
half
of
our
second
round
of

the
naked
popularity
contest

we’ve
proposed
now
that
the
law
schools
have

decided
to
shun
U.S.
News
and
World
Report
,
we
bid
adieu
to
Yale.
Here’s
what
the
bracket
looks
like
now:

Screenshot 2023-03-19 at 9.53.30 PM

Voting
for
this
first
half
of
the
Scholarly
Sixteen
is
open
now
and
will
close
Thursday
night
at
midnight
Eastern.


(32)
ASS
Law
v.
(16)
Wash
U. 

George
Mason
is
kind
of
like
Farleigh
Dickinson,
if
Farleigh
Dickinson
were
a
transparent
enclave
of
right-wing
ideologues
funded
by
shadowy
interests
raising

serious
questions
about
the
school’s
academic
standards
.
Wash
U.
finds
itself
in
the
unusual
position
of
not
being
the
underdog
when
it
walks
into
the
elite
law
school
debate.
Can
it
put
a
stop
to
the
ASS?


(8)
UVA
v.
(9)
Berkeley

A
public
school
showdown
pits
that
popped
collars
of
UVA
against
the
patchouli-soaked
boho
shirts
of
Berkeley.
As
culture
clashes
go,
it
doesn’t
get
much
better
than
this.


(5)
Harvard
v.
(12)
Cornell

Iowa
gave
Harvard
a
brief
challenge,
but
ultimately
the
Hawkeyes
couldn’t
muster
the
trolling
energy
that
the
ASS
Law
folks
brought.
Or
maybe
Harvard
just
isn’t
as
hatable
as
Yale?
Whatever
it
is,
after
falling
to
fifth
in
last
year’s
USNWR
rankings,
Harvard
came
in
with
a
chip
on
its
shoulder
and
now
has
a
shot
at
getting
the
crown
with
its
hated
rival
knocked
out.
Cornell
dispatched
Florida
with
ease
and
braces
for
an
all
Ivy
battle.


(4)
Columbia
v.
(13)
Northwestern

You
know…
the
first
round
had
only
a
few
thousand
votes
in
each
poll,
but
I
can
actually
see
how
many
of
you
all
read
the
story
and
checked
out
the
polls
so
I
know
we
could
have
a
vote
totals
in
the
tens
of
thousands
if
you’d
just
vote.
Get
in
there
people.
No
reason
to
be
shy.
Certainly
you
have
an
opinion
on
Columbia
and
Northwestern,
right?

Anyway,
as
we
said,
voting
for
this
first
half
of
the
Sixteen
will
close
Thursday 
night
at
midnight
Eastern.
Tomorrow
we’ll
unveil
the
other
half
of
the
bracket.


HeadshotJoe
Patrice
 is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law
and
co-host
of

Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer
.
Feel
free
to email
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments.
Follow
him
on Twitter if
you’re
interested
in
law,
politics,
and
a
healthy
dose
of
college
sports
news.
Joe
also
serves
as
a

Managing
Director
at
RPN
Executive
Search
.

Introducing The ‘Reference Manual Of Legal Tech Lists’! – Above the Law


In
our
continuing
effort
to
dive
ever
deeper
into
the
various



nooks
and
crannies


of
legal
tech,
we’ve
taken
up
list
creation
by
category.  


This
approach
allows
us
to
explore
the
topics
lurking
deep
in
the
dark
recesses
of
this
world

you
know,



the
sort
you
don’t
talk
about
at
parties
.


To
introduce
the
Above
the
Law
“Reference
Manual
of
Legal
Tech
Lists,”
today
I’m
sharing
“The
10
People
You
Will
Meet
at
a
Legal
Tech
Trade
Show.” 


Stay
tuned
for
our
tour
of
all
aspects
of
the
legal
tech
world
in
the
coming
months.  


1.
The
Glutton
 


Like
most
business
conferences,
legal
tech
conferences
feature
lots
of
free
food.


I
have
definitely
seen
a
woman
shove
an
entire
plate
of
food
into
her
purse
at
a
conference,
and
then
there
was
the
dude
who
dropped
a
bunch
of
bacon-wrapped
scallops
into
his
pockets.
Look,
some
people
come
to
these
shows
just
for
the
food. 


2.
The
Swag
Gobbler


What’s
better
than
free
food?
Swag!
There
is
all
manner
of
swag
available
at
legal
tech
conferences,
and
it’s
all
there
for
the
taking.
Open
up
them
purses,
because
this
is
better
than
grabbing
50
small
hotel
shampoo
bottles
before
you
head
out
to
board
your
Delta
flight.
Let
me
tell
you:
I’ve
never
smelled
fresher
than
when
I’ve
applied
my
official
Above
the
Law
underarm
deodorant.
Never.


3.
The
Noob


There
are
always
people
at
legal
tech
conferences
who’ve
never
been
to
legal
tech
conferences
and
whose
expectations
are
wholly
unaffiliated
with
reality.
Oh,
you
thought
this
was
going
to
be
like



SXSW
,
but
for
legal?
Nope,
we’re
still
trying
to
wean
people
off
of
WordPerfect.
So,
sidle
up
to
an
empty
hotel
chair,
grab
some
passed
hors
d’oeuvres,
and
think
about
what
you’ve
done.
Maybe
next
year,
you’ll
just
get
to



Burning
Man


instead.


4.
The
Nuzzler


As
the
COVID
pandemic
continues
to
recede
into
the
rearview
mirror
of
daily
life,
people
are
getting
closer.
Like,
literally.
Remember



the
“close
talker”


(
Judge
Reinhold
)
from
Seinfield

there
are
lots
of
folks
at
legal
tech
conferences
who
are
going
to
be
replicating
that
model
of
speech.
Nuzzlers
are
also
known
to
hug

even
if
you
don’t
like
to
be
touched.
The
best
remedy:
Never
leave
your
hotel
room.
You’ve
got
cable
there,
providing
light
and
warmth,
without
any
of
the
physical
intimacy.  


5.
The
Luggage
Luggers


It’s
not
always
possible
to
align
your
checkout
time
with
the
time
in
which
you
should
be
heading
to
the
airport
to
catch
your
flight.
Now,
you’ve
got
to
drag
all
your
luggage
around



Branson


for
the
rest
of
the
afternoon.
You
can
check
it
with
the
bell
desk
for
several
hours,
but
you
still
gotta
go
pick
it
back
up
later.
So,
maybe
you
just
get
another
seat
at
lunch
for
your
American
Tourister,
you



American
Tourister
,
you. 


6.
The
Expert


You
know,
it’s
bonkers

you
wouldn’t



think


some
dude
running
a
solo
practice
off
of
spreadsheets
would
know
everything
there
is
to
know
about
legal
technology.
And,
yet,
here
we
are.
He
told
me
he’s
using
“ChatTPG”
to
write
all
his
legal
briefs
for
him
now.
My
dude

how
are
you
not



speaking


at
this
event???


7.
The
Pitchman


Everybody’s
got
something
to
sell.
I
get
it.
But,
do
you
have
to
sell
it
to



me
,
like



right
now



while
I’m
trying
to
pee,
here
at
this
low-flow
urinal.
But,
yeah:
I
would



love


to
hear
more
about
how
your
product

which
is
oddly
similar
to
about
17
other
softwares
I’ve
been
pitched
today

is
really
the
one
that’s
gonna
revolutionize
law
practice. 


8.
The
‘Positive
Vibes’
Apostle


Good
vibes,
only.
Right?
Well,
you
know:
It’s
true
that
not
every
aspect
of
every
conference
is
great.
Some
of
the
after
parties
are
lame

just
like
some
of
the
during-parties
are
lame.
Some
of
the
speakers
are
boring,
and
some
of
the
presenters
are
redundant.
Sometimes,
your
hotel
room
floods
(not
that
that’s
ever
happened
to
me).
Sometimes
somebody
brings
a
pangolin,
and
it
gets
loose
during
the
keynote
address

things
happen.
But,
the
positive
vibes
apostle
is
always
chill.
BTW

this
person
will
write
almost
all
of
the
conference
recaps
you’ll
ever
read.


9.
The
Ghoster


Quick,
you’re
at
a
lame
conference
event

what
do
you
do?
You
just
ghost.
And,
let
me
tell
you:
It’s
the
most
freeing
thing
you
can
do.
Just
bounce;
don’t
even
look
back.
Before
you
know
it,
you’ll
be
back
in
your
hotel
watching
History’s
Mysteries

(not
that
I
have
any
experience
in
doing
this).  


10.
The


Reply
Guy


Everybody’s
gotta
post
social
media
proof
of
conference
attendance.
Hey,
bro

check
out
our
booth,
which
looks
suspiciously
like
every
single
other
booth
at
this
show!
(Wow.)
We’re
not
talking
about
inspiring
social
media
content
here

I
mean,
no
one
is
 literally
curing
blindness.
So,
why
is
this
dude
all
up
in
my
mentions?
Commenting,
hashtagging,
sharing.
Yeah,
I
want
engagement,
but
not
like
this.
Not

like

this. 




Fill
out
the
form
below
to
pre-register

for
your
copy
of
the
complete
‘Reference
Manual
of
Legal
Tech
Lists,’
which
will
be
sent
to
all
registrants
later
this
year!
And
as
a
bonus,
registrants
will
receive
a
copy
of
the
Legal
Tech-to-English
Dictionary

from
Above
the
Law
and
our
friends
at
Wolters
Kluwer,
another
piece
of
our
growing
legal
tech
reference
library.


Pre-Register
Now


By
filling
out
the
form,
you
are
opting
in
to
receive
communication
from
Above
the
Law
and
its
partners.






Jared
Correia
,
a
consultant
and
legal
technology
expert,
is
the
host
of
the
Non-Eventcast,
the
featured
podcast
of
the
Above
the
Law
Non-Event
for
Tech-Perplexed
Lawyers. 

Biglaw Firms Swoop In To Staff ‘Emergency Rescue’ Deal To Save Another Bank From Going Under – Above the Law

It
was
one
hell
of
a
weekend
for
bankers
and
lawyers.
In
order
to
prevent
Credit
Suisse
from
joining
the
ranks
of
Silicon
Valley
Bank
and
Signature
Bank,
teams
of
legal
and
financial
advisers
worked
day
and
night
to
broker
a
historic,
government-backed
takeover
of
the
bank
by
its
former
rival,
UBS.

Now
that
Credit
Suisse
has
been
acquired
by
UBS
for
the
fire-sale
price
of
$3.2
billion,
all
of
the
lawyers
that
lined
up
in
droves
to
represent
both
banks
deserve
a
huge
round
of
applause.

According
to

Law.com
International
,
Walder
Wyss,
a
Swiss
firm,
served
as
lead
counsel
to
Credit
Suisse,
while
Sullivan
&
Cromwell
and
Cleary
Gottlieb
advised
on
the
capital
markets
and
banking
&
finance
aspects
of
the
transaction.
On
the
other
side
of
the
deal,
UBS
was
counseled
by
a
host
of
Biglaw
firms,
including
Davis
Polk
&
Wardwell,
Swiss
firm
Bar
&
Karrer,
and
Freshfields.
On
top
of
all
those
firms,
sources
say
that
Linklaters,
Latham
&
Watkins,
and
Fried
Frank
were
likely
involved
in
the
deal
as
well.

So,
what
does
this
mean
for
the
merged
banks
going
forward?

In
a
statement,
UBS
Chairman
Colm
Kelleher
commented:
“This
acquisition
is
attractive
for
UBS
shareholders
but,
let
us
be
clear,
as
far
as
Credit
Suisse
is
concerned,
this
is
an
emergency
rescue.
We
have
structured
a
transaction
which
will
preserve
the
value
left
in
the
business
while
limiting
our
downside
exposure.”

Uf
widerluege,
Credit
Suisse.
Congratulations
to
all
of
the
firms
that
helped
to
see
this
deal
through
to
the
end.


Host
of
Firms
Advise
on
Historic
UBS
Takeover
of
Credit
Suisse

[Law.com
International]



Staci ZaretskyStaci
Zaretsky
 is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to

email

her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on

Twitter

or
connect
with
her
on

LinkedIn
.

Public Storytelling Is The New Networking For Lawyers – Above the Law


I
tell
a
lot
of
stories
everywhere
I
go
and
especially
on
LinkedIn.
One
of
my
recent
posts
explained
that
if
you
and
I
ever
have
a
meal,
I
will
likely
follow
you
wherever
you
want
to
go.
Unless
we
are
in
Manhattan,
where
I’ll
say,
“Let’s
go
to
Tony’s.” 


The
post
then
explains
what
makes
Tony’s
so
special
to
me.
It’s
a
story
about
making
decisions,
large
and
small,
and
how
your
personal
and
professional
lives
intertwine
to
shape
who
you
become. 


Public
storytelling
is
how
professionals
network
in
today’s
interconnected
world,
especially
as
the
boundaries
between
our
personal
and
professional
lives
continue
to
blur.
An
interesting
human
being
exists
behind
every
professional
bio
and
social
media
profile.
A
person
with
a
history
of
experiences
and
passions

someone
likely
to
share
a
story
or
idea
if
asked. 


That
someone
is
YOU!
But
why
wait
for
others
to
ask
you
to
tell
your
story?
Why
not
just
start?
You
must
put
yourself
out
there
to
be
found. 


Networking
has
gone
from
mingling
in
crowds
at
industry
events
to
purposefully
expanding
your
presence
in
your
field
to
drive
your
career
forward.
Effective
networking
today
requires
us
to
tell
our
stories
in
various
forums,
from
social
media
to
speaking
engagements
to
blogs
and
beyond. 


Embrace
Social
Media
To
Build
A
Robust
Network
Via
Storytelling


With
so
much
of
our
lives
online
today,
embracing
social
media
can
help
you
build
a
robust
network
of
colleagues
and
friends. 


Don’t
try
to
build
a
large
presence
on
every
platform
immediately.
Start
in
a
forum
where
your
clients,
friends,
and
supportive
colleagues
are.
For
lawyers,
that’s
often
LinkedIn,
though
many
lawyers
feel
more
natural
on
Twitter
or
Instagram.
Others
feel
they
belong
on
Reddit
or
Medium.
Some
blockchain
and
Web3
enthusiasts
flock
to
Discord
and
Telegram. 


Start
where
you
are
genuinely
interested
in
the
shared
experience.
This
is
how
you
wind
up
in
the
right
place
at
the
right
time
to
build
authentic
relationships
and
find
the
right
collaborators. 


You
can
always
expand
into
other
areas
when
you’re
ready.
(Or,
be
daring
and
push
yourself
out
of
your
comfort
zone
before
you
think
you’re
ready!)


5
Tips
For
Sharing
Engaging
Stories


Whether
online
or
in
person,
sharing
personal
anecdotes
that
show
your
humanity
is
much
more
engaging
than
reciting
dry
facts
and
figures
and
listing
accomplishments.
You
genuinely
connect
with
others
when
you
share
stories
demonstrating
your
values,
beliefs,
and
experiences.


  1. Start
    with
    a
    compelling
    hook
    such
    as
    an
    intriguing
    quote,
    bizarre
    juxtaposition,
    or
    unusual
    fact.
    Evoking
    curiosity
    is
    a
    great
    way
    to
    keep
    people’s
    attention.
    (I
    purposefully
    didn’t
    share



    why


    I
    love
    Tony’s
    so
    much
    above.
    I
    wanted
    to
    ratchet
    up
    your
    curiosity.
    You
    can



    find
    out
    here
    .)

  2. Use
    as
    few
    words
    as
    possible.
    Relentlessly
    cut
    tangents
    and
    excess
    details
    as
    appropriate
    for
    the
    forum
    (e.g.,
    in-person
    presentations
    are
    often
    longer
    than
    a
    LinkedIn
    post,
    which
    is
    longer
    than
    a
    tweet). 

  3. The
    heart
    of
    each
    story
    should
    be
    a
    lesson
    relevant
    to
    your
    audience.
    Share
    one,
    three,
    or
    five
    relevant
    life
    or
    work
    lessons,
    depending
    on
    the
    forum.
    As
    interesting
    as
    someone’s
    breakfast
    foods
    may
    be
    to
    them,
    most
    of
    us
    don’t
    want
    to
    hear
    about
    them
    unless
    it
    leads
    to
    an
    eye-opening
    or
    life-confirming
    insight. 

  4. Be
    humble.
    Don’t
    brag
    or
    try
    to
    make
    yourself
    look
    superhuman
    (i.e.,
    avoid
    appearing
    on



    this
    Twitter
    account
    ).
    True
    humility
    comes
    across
    as
    authentic
    and
    trustworthy.
    Stories
    about
    overcoming
    challenges
    are
    especially
    effective.
    Stories
    about
    growing
    from
    failure
    are
    even
    more
    powerful.

  5. Encourage
    engagement.
    One
    of
    my
    favorite
    ways
    to
    end
    a
    story
    is
    with
    a
    question
    about
    the
    reader’s
    perspective
    or
    experience.
    You
    can
    direct
    readers
    to
    another
    story
    or
    ask
    them
    to
    contact
    or
    follow
    you.


Are
you
ready
to
share
your
stories
and
use
networking
via
storytelling
to
transform
your
career?
Visit
LinkedIn



to
connect
with
me


on
this
and
other
legal
career
growth
topics.
(
See
how
I
did
that?
)




Olga MackOlga
V.
Mack
is
the
VP
at




LexisNexis
 and CEO
of 
Parley
Pro
,
a
next-generation
contract
management
company
that
has
pioneered
online
negotiation
technology.
Olga
embraces
legal
innovation
and
had
dedicated
her
career
to
improving
and
shaping
the
future
of
law.
She
is
convinced
that
the
legal
profession
will
emerge
even
stronger,
more
resilient,
and
more
inclusive
than
before
by
embracing
technology.
Olga
is
also
an
award-winning
general
counsel,
operations
professional,
startup
advisor,
public
speaker,
adjunct
professor,
and
entrepreneur.
She
founded
the 
Women
Serve
on
Boards
 movement
that
advocates
for
women
to
participate
on
corporate
boards
of
Fortune
500
companies.
She
authored 
Get
on
Board:
Earning
Your
Ticket
to
a
Corporate
Board
Seat
Fundamentals
of
Smart
Contract
Security
,
and 




Blockchain
Value:
Transforming
Business
Models,
Society,
and
Communities
. She
is
working
on
Visual
IQ
for
Lawyers,
her
next
book
(ABA
2023).
You
can
follow
Olga
on
Twitter
@olgavmack.

Morning Docket: 03.20.23 – Above the Law

*
What
say
the
Constitution
about
“True
Threats”?
I
promise
this
isn’t
a
spinoff
show
about
vampires
and
faeries.
[The
Daily
Beast
]

*
The
folks
at
Volokh
aren’t
too
happy
about
how
the
Supreme
Court
reads
its
adequate
and
state
ground
doctrine.
[Reason]

*
You
aren’t
the
only
one
suspicious
that
Clarence
Thomas
did
a
major
rehaul
of
the
2nd
Amendment.
[Washington
Post
]

*
If
Donald
Trump
gets
charged,
it’ll
take
a
while
before
the
process
really
sets
in.
Bring
a
good
book.
[Reuters]

*
A
Virginia
judge
went
out
of
his
way
to
show
that
he
knows
the
law
when
it
comes
to
embyos.
Slave
law.
This
is
2023.
[ABA
Journal
]

New York’s Big Bar Exam Fix — See Also

New York Changes Its Bar Exam Application: This revision will promote diversity within the profession.

It May Be Getting Dark And Stormy For This Lawyer: In terms of legal ethics in the Trump v. Stormy Daniels hush money payout scheme, that is.

Have You Ever Seen A Pitch As Good As This? These are the law firms that in-house counsel say give the best business pitches.

The Law School Bracket Battle Continues: Which law schools should be ranked higher? You decide!

Silicon Valley Bank Takes The Next Step In Its Colossal Failure: It’s time for a bankruptcy run.

The post New York’s Big Bar Exam Fix — See Also appeared first on Above the Law.