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LAW

Rachel Berry Runs for Delaware County Court of Common Pleas

Candidate: Rachel Ezzell Berry

Court: Delaware County

Party: Democrat

The following has been edited lightly for length and style.

The Legal Intelligencer: Tell us about your background, where you went to law school, what firms you have practiced at, and areas of law you focus on.

Rachel Berry: Rachel graduated magna cum laude, Order of the Coif from the University of Michigan Law School where she was the book review editor of the Michigan Law Review. She then clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan. She has also served as law clerk to Judge Stephanie Klein of the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas. She has judicial experience in criminal, civil and family law across various courts and is a highly qualified candidate for the bench. She also worked as a complex commercial litigator at Dechert, one of the largest law firms in the United States, handling matters ranging from mass torts to antitrust actions to product liability. She is experienced in all stages of litigation, from pleadings to appeals. She has also worked as counsel to a family business headquartered in Delaware County, advising on regulatory, procedural and legal liability issues. Her career has focused on civil litigation, particularly complex commercial litigation and more recently, on all areas of estate litigation, including fraud, undue influence and forgery.

The Legal: What is one major thing about your career experience that most qualifies you for this position, and why?

Berry: Rachel’s years of judicial experience, in addition to her years as a litigator and law clerk, most qualifies her for this position. Judges should be learned in the law, follow the Constitution and protect the rights of all peoples against government overreach. As the Delaware County

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ATTORNEY

Side Hustles for Lawyers | Airtasker AU

You may already be leading a busy life as a legal professional. Still, if you’re seeking ways to earn some extra income, you can choose from various secondary or side jobs that you can take up in your spare time. Thanks to the gig economy, it’s easier to find quick jobs that let you use your experience. 

Are you looking to pay off law student debt or simply want to support your expenses? These ideas for the best side hustles for lawyers may come in handy.

1. Take up legal writing jobs

If you’re skilled in writing, you might want to consider taking up legal content writing for legal publications, firms, websites, government institutions, and companies. You can use your knowledge in the legal industry to research, draft, and edit content—whether it’s briefs, pleadings, reports, opinions, letters, or contracts. 

2. Try grant writing

Another writing-related gig for lawyers to make extra money is grant writing. Provide your services to companies or organisations needing legal expertise—this may entail looking for new sources of funding, research, documentation, and drafting the grant application. 

3. Offer freelance notary services

notary stamp on a table

Get appointed to become a notary public and start practising on the side. To be eligible, you need to hold a current unrestricted practising certificate and be competent and of good character. Check the Australian Business Licence and Information Service (ABLIS) for more information.

4. Do transcription

Legal transcription is one side job for lawyers that can be done remotely. With your familiarity in writing legal documents, you’ll be able to successfully convert audio or video recordings of pleadings, depositions, or other court materials into text documentation.

5. Work as a legal editor/proofreader

As a lawyer, you’re well-equipped to navigate the nuances of legal documents. In

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ATTORNEY

A.I. Is Coming for Lawyers, Again

More than a decade ago, lawyers were singled out as an endangered occupational species, their livelihoods at risk from advances in artificial intelligence.

But the doomsayers got ahead of themselves. While clever software has taken over some of the toil of legal work — searching, reviewing and mining mountains of legal documents for nuggets of useful information — employment in the legal profession has grown faster than the American work force as a whole.

Today, a new A.I. threat looms, and lawyers may feel a bit of déjà vu. There are warnings that ChatGPT-style software, with its humanlike language fluency, could take over much of legal work. The new A.I. has its flaws, notably its proclivity to make things up, including fake legal citations. But proponents insist those are teething defects in a nascent technology — and fixable.

Will the pessimists finally be right?

Law is seen as the lucrative profession perhaps most at risk from the recent advances in A.I. because lawyers are essentially word merchants. And the new technology can recognize and analyze words and generate text in an instant. It seems ready and able to perform tasks that are the bread and butter of lawyers.

“That is really, really powerful,” said Robert Plotkin, an intellectual property lawyer in Cambridge, Mass. “My work and my career has been mostly writing text.”

But unless the past isn’t a guide, the impact of the new technology is more likely to be a steadily rising tide than a sudden tidal wave. New A.I. technology will change the practice of law, and some jobs will be eliminated, but it also promises to make lawyers and paralegals more productive, and to create new roles. That is what happened after the introduction of other work-altering technologies like the personal computer and the internet.

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LEGAL

Clients Look to ALSPs, Flexible Lawyering: ‘Traditional Service From Law Firms Doesn’t Cut It Anymore’

In the 16 years since he founded Lawyers on Demand, Simon Harper has seen several waves of change across the legal industry as general counsel have grown more comfortable working with alternative legal service providers. The past six months have represented the latest significant shift. 

On the heels of the pandemic, Harper said, “We’re seeing demand driven by something different. Legal teams are thinking more strategically about how they source what they’re doing, less about pure growth in head count and more about how to efficiently get their legal work done.”

In-House Insights Law.com International LogoCoupled with the vanishing of secondments, a rise in the quality of attorneys available through services such as Lawyers on Demand and a need for increased adaptability inside legal departments, the result is more work shifting from law firms to alternative providers, according to general counsel and industry observers.

For William Bowes, general counsel of Condé Nast, the rise in flexible lawyering has been driven in recent years by the growing need for flexibility elsewhere within a legal department. In-house attorneys are being asked to quickly learn and apply new skills, respond to rapidly changing regulations and adapt to flexible working conditions.

“Because we need to operate in a quicker way—a different way—the demands on us are evolving rapidly and the traditional service you’d get from a law firm just doesn’t cut it anymore,” Bowes said. “The traditional service providers are thinking in traditional ways, and they’re always inevitably behind the way that people in-house are being asked to work.”

That makes it all the more valuable to have access to people thinking in new ways about legal service delivery, automation and cost models, he said. When he began working with Lawyers on Demand about a decade ago, Bowes wanted an ALSP to allow him to escape from

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LEGAL

What Legal Support Services Can Do for You

Legal support services are an important part of the legal profession, providing assistance and support to attorneys, law firms, corporations, and individuals that require legal services. Legal support services include document preparation, court filing, legal research, and administrative help, among other things. This article examines the many forms of legal assistance services, their benefits, and how they might assist you in navigating the legal landscape.

Types of Legal Support Services: 

Document Preparations: Legal papers, including contracts, agreements, and court filings, require precise and timely preparation. These documents can be prepared with the assistance of legal support services, ensuring that they are error-free and comply with all legal standards.

Court Filing: Court filing is an essential component of legal support services. Legal assistance professionals can assist with the filing of court documents, ensuring that they are filed in a timely and effective manner.

Legal research: A time-consuming and difficult endeavor that requires specialized understanding. Legal support workers can aid with legal research, providing crucial insights into legal issues and assisting attorneys and law firms with the development of convincing cases.

Administrative Support Lawyers:  A legal firm requires administrative support services, such as organizing appointments, managing calendars, and processing phone calls and emails. Legal support experts can provide administrative assistance, allowing attorneys to concentrate on their primary obligations.

Benefits of legal support services:

  •  Legal assistance services are frequently more cost-effective than hiring full-time employees. By outsourcing legal support services, you can reduce costs associated with salary, benefits, and overhead.
  •  Legal support specialists are educated to perform legal tasks efficiently and swiftly. By outsourcing legal support services, you can save time and guarantee the timely completion of legal work.
  •  Professionals in the field of legal support have knowledge and competence. By outsourcing legal support services, you can gain access to their knowledge
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LAW

How John Robin Law Can Help You Get Fair Compensation After a Car Accident

Car accidents can be traumatic and life-changing events. In addition to the physical injuries, there are often emotional and financial consequences that can last for years. If you have been injured in a car accident, it is important to hire a skilled car accident lawyer to help you navigate the complex legal system and get the compensation you deserve. John Robin Law is one of the most experienced and reputable car accident law firms in the country, and they are dedicated to helping clients get fair compensation for their injuries.

What Sets John Robin Law Apart?

John Robin Law has been helping car accident victims for many years, and they have a proven track record of success. They have a team of skilled lawyers who are well-versed in all aspects of car accident law, including personal injury, insurance claims, and liability issues. They understand that every case is unique, and they work closely with each client to develop a customized legal strategy that is tailored to their specific needs.

One of the things that sets John Robin Law apart from other car accident law firms is their commitment to client satisfaction. They understand that their clients are going through a difficult time, and they do everything they can to make the legal process as smooth and stress-free as possible. They also offer a no-win, no-fee guarantee, which means that clients only pay if they win their case.

How John Robin Law Can Help You Get Fair Compensation

If you have been injured in a car accident, it is important to hire a car accident lawyer who can help you get fair compensation for your injuries. John Robin Law has a team of skilled lawyers who can help you

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LAW

Five Tips For Lawyers Getting Started On Social Media

By Peter Boyd, a Florida attorney who founded PaperStreet. He has helped over 1,500 law firms with their websites, content and marketing.

Social media can provide meaningful opportunities for law firms to stay top of mind with clients and connect with potential clients. However, social media can also waste firm resources and even do more harm than good when it comes to marketing.

Many lawyers are not sure how to start to enjoy the benefits without the wasteful or damaging drawbacks. Here are five tips to get started.

Use The Platform Your Clients Use

People are generally only active on one or two social media platforms at most. It makes sense for law firms to take the same approach. Your first step, then, is to find the platform your clients and potential clients interact with most.

If you develop a million devoted followers who will never be interested in the services you provide, then your social media efforts are not the success they might appear on the surface. For instance, firms that practice estate planning would generally be far better off with 100 followers on a site that’s popular with 50-year-olds than with 100,000 followers on a site popular with 15-year-olds. You want to invest your energies in the social media platform where your target audience hangs out regularly.

Remember That Social Media Requires Social Engagement

The atmosphere on social media is similar to a big party, but many businesses treat it like a highway. People spending time on Facebook or Twitter don’t want to read ads thrown at them like billboards. They are there to engage with others. Although they will start looking at a feed to see what their friends are up to, they often do not mind seeing information or opportunities posted by businesses as

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LAW

How Colin B. Bober is reinventing personal injury law

Colin B. Bober.

Are you tired of feeling like just another case number at a big law firm? Do you want a more personal and efficient approach to handling your personal injury case? Look no further than Colin B. Bober and the Texas-based Bober Law Firm which was established in 2019. Bober left behind the traditional methods of big law firms to create a more client-focused process. With Bober Law Firm, clients have greater control over their cases, faster settlements, and a dedicated team that remembers their name, not just their case ID.

After working for three law firms, Bober saw how the average time to settle a motor vehicle accident case was over a year to a year and a half. He found that attorneys believed the more treatment a client received, the higher the settlement would be. However, he realized this logic proved incorrect. “It’s not about the dollar figure of the medical bills; the findings in those medical bills produce the arguing points and settlement results,” Bober said. Therefore, the firm’s average settlement time frame is between 3 to 4 months.

Bobers firm doesn’t tell clients what treatment to receive; they provide options at all stages of the case, allowing clients to make their own decisions. This gives them peace of mind when signing on the dotted line. They also have a licensed insurance adjuster on staff who serves as the Chief Operating Officer for the firm, Ms. Tinecia L. Johnson. Additionally, Bober’s firm provides a mobile app that allows clients to communicate with the firm in real-time, thus helping them engage with their clients often and on a more personal level.

This approach to personal injury law has earned Bober several accolades. He was named a Super Lawyers Rising Star (2023) by Thomson Reuters, an Elite Lawyer (2023), and

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LAW

Morgan & Morgan’s ‘Size Matters’ billboards flood Michigan

Kayrouz has since dialed back her ad budget and refreshed her campaign, with new billboards featuring her familiar, stern pose and the words, “Always Watching,” an idea hatched by Outfront, which also does some of the creative work for Bernstein, Short said .

At the same time, Kayrouz is considering TV commercials and jumping into digital advertising for the first time. She said she also recently began associating with outside law firms to grow the business.

“I get so many leads that have nothing to do with what we are doing here,” Kayrouz said. “I am able to help now even more people.”

She declined to name the law firms or offer further details, for competitive reasons.

“There are a couple of lawyers in town who watch me like a hawk, who try to copy and sabotage,” Kayrouz said.

Kayrouz is an outlier in that her advertising has been almost exclusively on billboards. Despite the rise of digital, and TV continuing to dominate the ad spend of Bernstein, Morse and other competitors, billboards remain a fixture in most of their budgets.

Maurice Davis, founder and managing partner of Detroit-based Davis Law Group PLLC, said he figured out early in his career that advertising would be key to his success.

“With personal injury, it’s all about visibility,” Davis said.

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LEGAL

Legal Services Company Launches Arizona Law Firm

Welcome to Bloomberg Law’s Wake Up Call, a daily rundown of the top news for lawyers, law firms, and in-house counsel.

  • Flexible lawyer services company Axiom launched an Arizona law firm, Axiom Advice & Counsel, after the state supreme court granted the subsidiary a license to practice under 2020 rules allowing nonlawyer owners of law firms. Axiom is the latest of several alternative legal services companies to set up in the state, including Law on Call and LegalZoom, among others. (counsel-aac-301727312.html”PRNewswire.com)
  • K&L Gates grabbed a seven-partner private equity team from Dentons LLP’s Pittsburgh office. They include partners Chris Thel, Ron Aulbach, Curt Anderson, John Wingerter, Lauren Crossett, Andrea Steiner, and Jeff Berkey. (KLGates.com)
  • Donald Trump hired criminal defense trial lawyer Joe Tacopina to take on former Manhattan prosecutor Mark Pomerantz for allegedly defaming the former president. Tacopina, a senior partner of a New York boutique firm, has defended clients including embattled Washington Commanders co-owner Dan Snyder, rapper Meek Mill, and Fox News host Sean Hannity. (TMZ)

Lawyers, Law Firms

  • Recent changes to Florida’s trust laws have made the state increasingly attractive to the private trusts of ultra-wealthy families and the Big Law firms that advise them. (Daily Business Reviews)
  • A New York state bill would prohibit Madison Square Gardens Entertainment Corp. and other sports venues from refusing entry to opposing lawyers in litigation and other perceived enemies. (Associated Press)
  • Dechert’s new Paris offices in the city’s Eighth arrondissement occupy three floors of an “iconic” eight-story building that formerly housed the headquarters of the broadcasting company RTL. (Law.com International)

Laterals, Moves, In-house

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