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Sixteen-year-old Desiree Robinson was raped and stabbed to death after meeting a man through Backpage, a website notoriously known for sex-trafficking. Yvonne Ambrose, her mother, told Senators the tragic tale at a recent committee meeting. The Senate Commerce Committee members listened as they consider the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA). “If there were stricter rules in place for posting on these websites then my child would still be with me today,” Ambrose told a silent audience....

Over the last year, we’ve shared quite a few tech tips to help lawyers navigate all the new and updated tech that’s making a big impact in the legal industry. As the end of 2018 approaches, now might be a good time to take a look back over some of the best tech tips. And since we try to be as helpful as possible here at FindLaw, we’ve collected eight of the top legal tech tips from 2018 below....

Defendants’ drug conspiracy convictions and sentences are affirmed where: 1) the magistrate judge’s factual finding that a venireperson was less educated than the others in the venire, and subject to a peremptory strike on that ground, was not clearly erroneous; 2) the prosecutor’s closing argument did not bolster the government witnesses’ testimony; 3) one defendant’s refusal to sign a waiver of rights form was not enough to constitute an invocation of his Miranda rights; and 4) the district court properly compared two defendants’ roles with the conduct attributed to them in denying them a minor role adjustment....

The Washington Redskins keep getting tackled in court. The controversially-named NFL team lost another legal battle today when a federal district court ordered the cancellation of their trademark registrations, rejecting their claims that the Lanham Act was overbroad and unconstitutional. The decision by the E.D. Va. tracked with a previous ruling by the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, finding that the Redskins trademark violated the Lanham Act’s prohibition on registering marks which “may disparage” others or “bring them into contempt or disrepute....

There comes a time in the growth of every solo or small firm when you have to consider hiring a paralegal. It’s certainly not a necessity at the beginning, and you may be at a point where one might be helpful but there isn’t really a way to justify the cost. But when you decide you need some extra help, you’ll have to choose between a full-time employee and just sending out contract work....

There’s no shortage of legal tech startups. There are entrepreneurs and innovators across the country looking to bring the latest technology to the legal market, from cutting-edge artificial intelligence applications, to basic document management streamlining. There are even social networks just for lawyers. But what there isn’t is mass adoption of new technology. Lawyers and law firms remain particularly slow to embrace new tech, making it harder for startups to gain valuable venture capital funding....

For all the attention and effort spent interviewing new candidates for employment, firms often overlook the exit interview. This is a mistake. Exit interviews offer attorneys and support staff the chance to discuss their experiences more candidly and allows the firm to assess what areas it might need to improve in. If you’re not regularly conducting exit interviews, it’s time to start. If you’re already doing them, now’s the time to improve....

We got fee-shifting, thanks to the Supreme Court. And the Innovation Act passed the House … before it hit a dead end in the Senate. Well, here’s another one to keep patent reform advocates satiated in the meantime: curbing abusive demand letters. The Targeting Rogue and Opaque Letters Act (TROL Act) would target patent troll letters that, in most instances, are frivolous demands for settlements with no legal merits. Ideas for curbing frivolous demand letters were considered and left out of the Innovation Act, as that bill’s sponsor, Bob Goodlatte (R-Va....

Tips are like opinions: everybody has one. That’s not a great spin of the original phrase, but at least it’s printable. What we’re really talking about here is spinning some new ideas on setting up a small law firm. Because, seriously, aren’t we a little tired of the same old song? Here are some twists on the typical tips: 1. Location, Smokation If you want to be a litigator, set up your practice near a courthouse....

We’ve warned you time and time again – if you’re running Windows XP, you need to upgrade, either your PCs, or at least the operating system. To be fair, the 29 percent of the population that is still actively using XP are probably either companies with proprietary software that isn’t compatible with Windows 7 or 8.1, or people in developing countries, but still, if any of your firm’s computers are on XP, upgrade....

Putting together an effective resume is an art. And if you’re looking for a position in-house, you already know that your resume must be specially tailored for an inside counsel position. But accidentally including warning signs – mistakes that make a hiring manager question your resume – can undo all your hard resume-building work. Even the most skilled candidates can be relegated to the bottom of the pile if they make these errors....

Sometimes, lawyers take arguments from other lawyers personally. Reading a sentence that starts with, “Defendant is mistaken” can be a hit to your ego and make you a little upset. Remember, though, we’re professionals and this sort of thing shouldn’t be taken personally. It’s just a job. Even so, the news is filled with stories of lawyers who fired off really nasty letters, or frivolously accused opposing counsel of being unethical....

Looking for a tech upgrade? Are you one of the majority of tablet-toting lawyers who prefer Apple products? Today was a big day in the tech industry, with Apple revamping much of their lineup of MacBook and Mac Pros, iPads thin and mini, and much of their software. If you have any interest in faster laptops, thinner tablets, or free Mac OS software, read on. The company’s cheaper MacBook Airs got Intel’s latest-and-greatest Haswell chips months ago, leaving many to wonder: why in the heck would we buy a MacBook Pro?...

If you’re an attorney who wants to move into the legal department, we don’t blame you. A job as in-house counsel offers benefits that firm life just doesn’t – like, the ability to go home before dark. (At least sometimes.) If you’re a current in-house attorney looking for a new legal department to make your home, we don’t blame you either. Changing jobs every once in a while can be a good way to improve your skill set, expand your resume, and increase your pay....

Big businesses are involved in social media, whether they want to or not. That means their in-house counsel needs to understand the ins and outs of these interactive websites to continue protecting the company from legal harm. It doesn’t matter whether a business actually takes time to create an account on a popular social media website. Consumers, fans, and detractors can still bring the company into the online conversation and those actions aren’t always legal....

A finding by the National Labor Relations Board (Board) that employer violated section 8(a)(1) of the National Labor Relations Act is affirmed where: 1) substantial evidence support the Board’s decision that the employer’s statements at the meeting constituted a section 8(a)(1) violation; and 2) the Board’s decision that a discharged employee was engaged in protected, concerted activity on a particular day was a reasonable one. Read Alton H. Piester, LLC v....

The Ninth Circuit ruled that a customer who gave his phone number to a gym cannot sue the company for contacting him by text message – even after the customer cancelled his membership. According to the ruling, it was a matter of context and a failure to expressly revoke consent. The man cancelled his membership, but he did not expressly revoke his consent to receive messages. “The call or text message must be based on the circumstance in which the consumer gave his or her number,” the appellate court said in an unanimous opinion....

By now, most people have blown their New Year’s resolutions. Actually, only half of all Americans even make resolutions. The other half, on average, fail in the first month. Of course, lawyers are not your average Americans. They just start a new billing cycle. Start Over Nobody said you have to make resolutions on Jan. 1. It’s really just a traditional date to set goals. According to psychologists, however, most people fail to live up to their New Year’s aspirations....

Pop quiz: Which of the following qualifies as a physical restraint during a bank robbery? (A) Rope (B) Duct tape (C) Gun (D) All of the above. According to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, the answer is D. Elianer Dimache and an accomplice robbed the First Palmetto Savings Bank in Myrtle Beach, S.C. in 2008. Dimache pulled a gun on the bank teller when demanding money, and pointed the gun at two other bank tellers when telling them to get down on the floor....

In our new weekly series, “Clearing Claims,” we share with you our tried and tested tips on negotiating various types of liens, as they arise in the context of personal injury cases. Last week, we shared tips on negotiating hospital liens. Now, we give you the inside track to negotiating medical pay lien claims. So now that we have that settled, what’s next? This may seem fairly obvious, but it’s worth mentioning: Read....