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Maybe you’ve heard the news: Even though women are entering the legal field at unprecedented rates, women are still paid less than their male counterparts. Also, women are largely absent from high-level positions in firms. Some clear progress is being made, however. The Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF) has awarded 44 law firms with its 2015 Gold Standard Certification for their work supporting the progress and empowerment of women in the legal profession....

New Jersey attorney Ty Hyderally landed himself into some trouble over his law firm website’s seal. Hyderally’s cousin designed the website for him. The cousin found the seal via a Google search and decided to integrate it onto the website because he thought it looked nice. Unfortunately, Hyderally wasn’t certified as the seal proclaimed. In fact, the lawyer didn’t even realize the seal was on his website until he was contacted by disciplinary authorities....

The hyphenated world of technology that brings us e-mail and i-Phones meets the world of law in the arena of e-Discovery. If we lost you at a vowel, don’t worry, there is help using another law-tech innovation, the educational webcast. Below are a few upcoming webcasts on a variety of e-law topics. August 13th: What You Need to Focus on Proactive e-Discovery Strategies (Mimosa Systems) September 15th: e-Discovery Case Law Update - Fall 2009 (Fios) - In this quarterly...

Does sovereign immunity extend to state boards that issue licenses? The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last week that it might not. In the case Versiglio v. Board of Dental Examiners of Alabama, the plaintiff argued that her claim under the Fair Labor Standards Act should be allowed to proceed because the Board was sufficiently independent from the state of Alabama and not entitled to Eleventh Amendment immunity. The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals agreed....

Panasonic and its subsidiary Panasonic Avionics Corporation are taking a combined hit of approximately $280 million thanks to the subsidiary’s bad bookkeeping leading to the publicly traded parent’s bad bookkeeping. The hybrid criminal-civil matter sought to penalize the companies for hiding payments made to alleged consultants, at least one of whom was a foreign official. The subsidiary’s payments were recorded as payments to consultants, which, compounded by other shady subsidiary dealings, caused Panasonic to file inaccurate disclosures to the SEC and investors....

When news of the Parkland school shooting broke, the nation was shocked and saddened. While school shootings seem to occur with an alarming frequency, the high death toll at Parkland, and the failure of the first responders, really set it apart. Notably, due to the onsite law enforcement officers failing to take appropriate action, a group of students have banded together to file the most recent lawsuit related to the shooting....

A jury unanimously recommended that Sampson receive the death penalty, the district court followed the jury’s recommendation, and the First Circuit affirmed.Post-conviction proceedings were handled by a different attorney, who brought claims that three jurors gave false answers to voir dire questions, resulting in prejudice. After a hearing, the district court ordered a new penalty-phase hearing and set aside the sentence. On petition for a writ of mandamus, the First Circuit agreed that “defendant’s sentence must be set aside and a new penalty-phase hearing conducted....

Last week, we reported that a parallel challenge to Virginia’s gay marriage ban was being put on hold pending the Fourth Circuit’s decision in Bostic v. Schaefer. The Bostic case was the first to be decided, and once the Fourth Circuit issues a ruling, will bind the rest of the state, as well as the rest of the circuit. It’s unsurprising news, then, that a district court in North Carolina appears to be holding a challenge to that state’s barely three-year-old ban on gay marriage until after the Fourth Circuit rules....

Last week, the Supreme Court granted certiorari to Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. The Inclusive Communities Project Inc. Prepare for Acronyms The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) makes tax credits available to developers who want to construct low-income housing under a program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Inclusive Communities Project (ICP) sued on the ground that TDHCA’s grant of tax credits was disproportionately granted in predominantly minority neighborhoods – and had the numbers to back it up....

You know what season it is – soon you will actually be getting real snail mail from friends, family and business associates wishing you well this holiday season. If you’re on the fence about sending a law firm holiday card, then read on to find out why should send out cards, and what you should consider when sending them out. Why Send out Firm Holiday Cards Sending out a greeting card to your clients is a great marketing tool – that is not obvious marketing....

The State of Vermont filed a lawsuit against a patent troll company for allegedly violating the state’s consumer protection laws. The company is accused of threatening small businesses and non-profits of patent infringement lawsuits if they do not pay licensing fees to them. Vermont Attorney General Bill Sorrell said in a statement that this is believed to be the first time that a state is suing a patent troll company. There have been efforts lately to crack down on the problem of patent trolls, including some from Congress....

Melvin Belli, the legendary ‘King of Torts’ and sometimes Hollywood actor, was known for his courtroom theatrics. Belli appeared in television and movies during his storied career, and took some of his acting skills into the courtroom. Representing a woman in a personal injury case, he literally dropped her prosthetic leg in a juror’s lap for dramatic effect. “Ladies and gentleman of the jury, this is what my pretty young client will wear for the rest of her life,” he said....

Technology has improved the ability of lawyers to provide quality legal advice to their clients. However, its impact on the actual lives of lawyers may not be so positive. The New York State Bar Association has released a report on the future of the legal profession. The report details the impact of an increasingly globalized legal field. With the outsourcing of legal work to other countries and competition from non-legal service providers, law firms are in a bind....

Whistleblower cases can present legally fascinating constitutional law actions involving a few different First Amendment issues. When a whistleblower discloses information to the public, or an appropriate agency with oversight, not only are there constitutional protections, there are frequently statutory protections as well. But what happens when that evidence is illegally obtained, or the disclosure of that evidence violates another law? Will your client’s claim survive? A recent case out of the Eastern District Court of California provides a good example of when a whistleblower’s prohibited disclosure will provide a sufficient, independent justification for termination....

What better way to add rich and copious content to your website, while simultaneously adding “published author” to your resume than to publish an eBook in the areas of your legal specialty? You may be surprised that in this age of digital media, becoming a published author is not that difficult. And potential clients may view a published author and attorney in a practice area as more “expert” than some other lawyer who only makes hollow claims on a website, giving you that competitive advantage....

It happens to everyone. A prospective client calls your office and peppers you with questions. She lives 50 miles away. Where some people see ten minutes of lost time, others see an opportunity. Instead of huffing and puffing on the phone, why not look at the ways that this call can help you grow your practice? Here are five ideas to help you convert those random calls into new clients....

Maybe you’ve recently been inspired to slough off some extra weight. Or maybe you’re ready to finally check out this “mindfulness” trend you’ve heard so much about. But you’re a lawyer, which probably means you don’t have the time to get yourself to a trainer or enroll in a meditation retreat. Don’t worry, you can still stay healthy in mind and body, while working a crazy schedule. Here’s some of our best tips, from the FindLaw archives....

Lawyering on the go with your iPad? Want an app that will allow you to view your office computer screen just as though you were sitting on your desk? Of course you do. All you iPad-centric attorneys should consider a remote PC control app, perfect for when you leave a file behind or need to check on something back at the office with a tap of the iPad screen. Remote access apps have been around for a while on the iPhone but their usability was limited due to the small screen....

While companies that make money off disrupting regulated industries will frequently find themselves facing legal challenges, rarely do these companies wind up with a nemesis. Unfortunately for Airbnb, a large property management company’s legal actions against the short-term rental disrupter are rising to that level. The federal lawsuit Aimco brought against Airbnb in California was recently dismissed; however, their similar case in Florida’s state court has now survived a motion to dismiss....

Same-day delivery is an elusive and expensive, yet appealing concept, that appears to be the next big battleground in e-commerce. Need a last-minute gift for the evening’s birthday party? Hanukah passing you by? No need to stop at the mall – just try one of the many competing services profiled by the San Francisco Chronicle and have the item delivered to your office before you leave. The appeal is obvious, but the profitable model is not....