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Doctors v. Lawyers No, it’s not a lawsuit or an Alien v. Predator movie. It’s a real-life drama unfolding in Texas, where personal injury attorney ads have prompted doctors to fight back. With a survey showing lawyers advertise there more than most places in the country, doctors have mounted their own public relations campaign. Their slogan: “Don’t let a lawyer be a doctor.” Conducted on behalf of the Texans Against Lawsuit Abuse, the survey found that more than eight in ten doctors believe the lawyer advertisements are leading patients to question their medications....

Ashley Madison, the adult site that encourages extramarital affairs, has agreed to pay $11.2 million to settle with users whose personal information was hacked and released on the internet. The settlement will go to resolve dozens of cases resulting from the data breach of some 37 million user accounts. The deal must be approved by a federal judge in the case, which is set for review on July 21. The settlement ends an embarrassing two-year legal battle, but cannot close the door on the biggest elephant in the adult services arena: what if somebody finds out about your online affairs?...

In In Re: Kirkland, No. 09-1379, the court addressed the issue of whether a bankruptcy court had jurisdiction to determine post-petition interest and collection costs to which the creditor was entitled as the result of a default on a student loan that occurred after Chapter 13 estate was closed and the debtor discharged. As stated in the decision: “ECMC’s claim to post-petition interest and collection costs is not a matter “under Title 11” nor is it a civil proceeding “arising in” or “related to” Kirkland’s bankruptcy petition....

Bitcoin just won’t stay out of the headlines. The most popular, and promising, virtual currency is in the news again – but this time the news is not good. From technical glitches, talk of bit licenses and the first legal actions against Bitcoin vendors, this was not a good week for Bitcoin. All of this comes on the heels of Bitcoin potentially gaining legal legitimacy; from congressional hearings, to the United States Postal Service considering getting in on the Bitcoin exchange action....

Are you a beer-worthy attorney? If not, get to it. In his new book, Social Media for Lawyers: Twitter Edition, Adrian Dayton promotes the idea that clients are more likely to hire attorneys who are beer-worthy–people with whom they want to have a drink, enjoy talking to and strategizing with, and generally like being around when not dealing with professional matters. How can you convey this image to your potential clients?...

Sometimes there’s a CLE that some lawyers just shouldn’t miss. And if you’re a California lawyer interested in keeping up-to-date on all the new legal technology laws, eDiscovery issues, or social media ethics, that CLE is taking place on February 10 in Los Angeles. At The Rutter Group’s program The New and Future Reality: How Technology is Affecting Litigation, The Rutter Group and the California Judges Association have assembled 20+ presenters, including 10 California judges, to cover a broad range of topics relating to the use of tech and the practice of law....

The First Circuit ruled on Monday that a Puerto Rican federal court did enough to inform a drug defendant of the nature of his plea bargain before he accepted it, despite his confusion about the specific intent of the crime. Plea colloquies are often the subject of appeals, but the Court in U.S. v. Ramos-Mejia gives the government a break in just how much a defendant needs to know. As in all criminal plea bargains, a defendant who makes a change in plea must confirm to the court that the plea is:...

A Maryland judge dismissed obstruction charges against ex-GlaxoSmithKline General Counsel and Vice President Lauren Stevens last week. Stevens, whose case has been watched closely for any signal that the government is changing its strategy towards corporate executives, successfully argued that prosecutors made substantial errors in the handling of the grand jury. Lauren Stevens was indicted of charges for obstructing a Food and Drug Administration investigation into whether GSK promoted Wellbutrin for off-label uses, such as weight loss....

The day may finally be here where we can easily print wirelessly and even remotely without being an IT expert. Apple is in the process of rolling out a feature called AirPrint, which will allow users to print directly to AirPrint compatible printers without drivers or other software. HP plans to implement the software, but in the meantime, some users are disappointed they can’t take advantage with their existing equipment....

What legal profession practice areas are “hot” this year? With the twists and turns of the economy, it can sometimes be difficult to figure out what practice areas your firm should be expanding into. That’s where Robert Denney Associates’ comes in, with their “What’s Hot and What’s Not in the Legal Profession” document, published in 2010. And now, they have an update on the document. Will this be helpful for your firm?...

When explosive attorney Marc Kasowitz sent profanity-laden messages to a public relations professional, the law firm had to duck and cover. Ronald Rossi, a partner at the law firm handling President Trump’s personal matters, explained the meltdown to reporters this way: “As crazy as this might seem, it’s been very much business as usual.” “Crazy” too often is a given at busy law firms. But how should you deal with partners who are emotionally out of control?...

Ask most trial attorneys what’s the hardest part about their job and they’ll probably say winning over a jury. It’s no easy task. People are fickle and can be influenced in very unpredictable ways. So wouldn’t it be great if you could just hack a juror’s minds? It might actually be possible. And no, this doesn’t require some “Matrix” type human modifications. All you need for this feat is your voice, according to an article in Psychology Today....

In response to a series of violent crimes, Puerto Rico enacted a law allowing municipalities to erect gates enclosing public streets. The gates were manned by security guards, and those that weren’t staffed by humans required a resident key to enter. So, who’s claiming that these gates infringe on their right to evangelize door-to-door? Drum roll, please … it’s Jehovah’s Witnesses! This opinion represents the second time the case has been on appeal to the First Circuit....

As the Internet’s downloading denizens frantically looked for new content sources, file-sharing site Megaupload began to assemble a legal team to fight last week’s criminal indictment. On Friday, well-known defense attorney Robert Bennett was announced as Megaupload’s lawyer. But by Monday, the Hogan Lovells attorney had resigned. Sources cite a conflict of interest. Bennett immediately signed on as Megaupload’s lawyer, possibly because he was already working for the company, reports Reuters....

If you ever envied another lawyer who had a flexible work schedule, you were not alone. Actually, maybe you were alone – sort of. Most law firms today offer flexible work arrangements. It’s one of the more popular perks – after huge bonuses and forever vacation time – but not everybody gets to do it. If your bosses don’t offer flex time, maybe it’s time they loosen up. Everybody (Sort of) Does It According to the 2019 Salary Guide for Legal Professionals, more than 50 percent of medium and large firms offer some flexible work....

Tis going to be a stormy year, it seems. Per the Sun-Sentinel, this year is shaping up to be an active one, with warmer than normal Atlantic sea surface temperatures and a strong rainy season in West Africa. The hurricane season, expected to run from now through October, produces an average of three hurricanes that hit the United States every five years. We won’t patronize you too much here. After all, if anyone knows how to survive a hurricane, it’s Floridians and the other fine citizens of the Eleventh Circuit....

Just when thought it was safe to go back in the voting booth. Yesterday, the Supreme Court issued a surprise order lifting the Seventh Circuit’s stay of enforcement on the district court’s order in Wisconsin. All that procedural argle bargle means that Wisconsin won’t be enforcing its voter ID law this November. This comes after the Court issued opposite orders in Ohio and North Carolina. Now, Texas has entered the fray....

FindLaw columnist Eric Sinrod writes regularly in this section on legal developments surrounding technology and the internet. Once upon a time not that long ago, we generally took taxis for ground transport from one specific location to another within and around cities. At times, it was difficult to obtain a taxi when desired, or to avoid a wait, a taxi would need to be reserved quite a while in advance. But, then along came Uber as a ride-sharing game-changer with many positive advantages....

With trial set for November, we’ve seen many motions and maneuverings by trial attorneys in the Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (a/k/a Boston Bomber) case. In just the past year, we’ve seen Tsarnaev decide to plead not guilty, and the prosecution showed its hand when it filed its notice to seek the death penalty. Just last week, with Wednesday deadlines looming, we saw more pre-trial rulings. Change of Venue Tsarnaev’s attorneys asked federal Judge George A....

FindLaw columnist Eric Sinrod writes regularly in this section on legal developments surrounding technology and the Internet. Today is Veterans Day. We have much to be thankful for in terms of the valuable service dedicated to our country by our veterans. I want to take the opportunity in this blog to talk about one amazing veteran in particular. Phil Economon just celebrated his 97th birthday. He still is going strong, working out in the gym, driving his car, and living independently in the house that he has owned for years....