Cannabis

Expert Analysis

• Analyzing Upward And Downward Trends In Legal Tech

  

  Advances in legal technology are often accompanied by bombastic overstatements, but it is important to separate the wheat from the chaff by looking at where various technologies stand on the hype curve, says Lance Eliot at Stanford Law School.

• Opinion

  ABA's New Guidance On Litigation Funding Misses The Mark

  

  The American Bar Association should revise its recently approved best practices on third-party litigation funding as they do not reflect how legal finance actually works and could create confusion among lawyers, says Andrew Cohen at Burford Capital.

• What Firms Should Ask Before Hiring Attorneys From Gov't

  

  In the final year of any presidential administration, there is an undeniable appetite on the part of large law firms for government-savvy legal talent, but firms need to first consider how they will actually utilize their new star hire, says Michael Ellenhorn at Decipher.

• The Ethics Of Using Chatbots For Legal Services

  

  Delegating legal work to robots involves several risks, including running afoul of statutes dictating unauthorized practice of law, but with the right precautions, law firms can lawfully employ artificially intelligent chatbots that can imitate human conversations, say attorneys at Haynes and Boone.

• Opinion

  ABA Must Seize Opportunity To Respond To Bar Exam Chaos

  

  The challenges of administering bar exams this year have put the future of the profession in jeopardy, but the American Bar Association at its ongoing annual meeting can adopt a resolution that would urge jurisdictions to take emergency actions with respect to licensure of new attorneys, says Nicholas Allard, former president of Brooklyn Law School.

• Hemp Cos. Should Narrow Filings After TTAB's Stanley Ruling

  

  Following the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board's recent rejection of Stanley Brothers' application for hemp oil drops sold as food supplements, companies should keep their CBD product trademark applications strategically specific, say Adam Fox and Joseph Grasser at Squire Patton.

• How Pandemic Is Affecting The Pace Of Judicial Opinions

  

  The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way judges work, but how has it impacted the volume of work product they generate? Ben Strawn and Omeed Azmoudeh at Davis Graham investigate using data from the PACER federal courts registry.

• 6 Steps For Law Firms Looking To Improve Their Culture

  

  The COVID-19 crisis represents an inflection point for law firm culture, and smart firm leaders will take advantage of this moment to build innovation-welcoming environments that support partners, associates, business services teams and clients alike, say Jennifer Johnson at Calibrate Legal and Kathleen Pearson at Pillsbury.

• Virtual Courts Amplify Lawyers' Corporate Spokesperson Role

  

  Greater access to virtual court proceedings during the pandemic means an increased likelihood that legal arguments will jump from the courtroom to the court of public opinion, so counsel must tailor statements with the client's reputation in mind, says Mike Dolan at Finsbury.

• Law Firms Must Note Pandemic's Outsize Impact On Women

  

  In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, gender roles in many families have reverted to scenes from the 1960s, and law firms have a huge opportunity — indeed a business imperative — to avoid the mistakes of the past, say Roberta Liebenberg at Fine Kaplan and Stephanie Scharf at Scharf Banks.

• The 'Rocket Docket' Show Goes On Despite Setbacks

  

  After 11 years as the fastest civil trial court in the land, the Eastern District of Virginia rocket docket is now tied for second place among the nation's 94 district courts, but the court has moved swiftly to adapt to the COVID-19 crisis and continues to dispense justice safely and efficiently, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

• Opinion

  Pandemic Lays Bare The Inequities Inherent In The Bar Exam

  

  The outrage over the life-altering consequences of decisions being made around state bar exams during the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the classism built into the exam, and the legal profession should take this moment to reevaluate how new attorneys are licensed, say Naomi Shatz and Katherine Dullea at Zalkind Duncan.

• Understanding The 5 Stages Of Mediation In A Virtual World

  

  Mediation is a process with defined stages, but the rise of virtual mediation may inject changes into each stage that may soon spread to in-person mediations and influence the expectations of participants, says Wynne Carvill at JAMS.

• Pandemic May Change The Way We Design Our Courthouses

  

  With access to courthouses currently curtailed, it is worthwhile to reflect on the design considerations that go into making these buildings work for the legal profession, and how the COVID-19 crisis might leave its imprint on these public spaces, says Elisabeth Ross at Cozen O'Connor.

• Mediator Confidentiality Promises Carry Serious Risks

  

  A mediation agreement that promises to keep evidence confidential could result in a legal malpractice case for the mediator, and the risk has increased in the COVID-19 era of online sessions, says mediator Jeff Kichaven.