Mikol Benjacob, JD, RCA

AI is transforming the legal profession, and paralegals who embrace it now will thrive. The AI Boot Camp for Paralegals is your opportunity to: ✅ Learn how to use AI ethically and effectively ✅ Save hours on routine tasks ✅ Become the tech-savvy leader your firm needs 🗓️ Launches January 20, 2025 This is more than just training—it's your chance to secure your future in the ever-evolving legal field. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/epxYBzZi

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What a timely and great publication. Mental health matters and it is real.

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The Legal Billable Hour Index has been tracking small firm hourly rates since Clio first published its Legal Trends Report in 2016. (Up, they’re going up.) How does your practice compare? Here’s the rundown on the latest 2024 hourly rate data.

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The Washington Supreme Court approves significant revisions to the state’s procedural rules on remote #depositions. https://ow.ly/rHy550Unz7v #Litigation #RemoteDepositions #WashingtonLaw #LegalTech #DepositionPractice #RemoteProceedings #Deposition

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Texts and email can present a novel challenge when not in state’s possession. https://bit.ly/3xA6fo3 #ediscovery #shortmessagedata #litigation #lawfirm #legalteam

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Director disqualification cases and Section 17 applications can be tricky and overwhelming to navigate. You don’t have to do it alone. FWJ is here to help, from legal advice to court representation and ongoing support. We have a 100% success rate in these applications since 2002, so you can trust we’ll get the job done. Contact us today and discuss your situation with one of our experts. #FWJExperts #LegalAdvice #CDDA #DirectorDisqualification

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Thanks so much for sharing Brett Burney and thanks to Tessa K. Jacob for including eDiscovery Assistant in the session. We appreciate all the hard work The Sedona Conference and the WG1 do for our industry. The eDiscovery Assistant platform is currently tracking 93 eDiscovery specific issues including the various emerging and complicated ediscovery issues mentioned like Hyperlinked Files, MS Teams, Emoji, Email Threading, Slack and Facial Recognition Technology.  You can read more about it here; https://lnkd.in/gszuntnc

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Top legal news of the week: Lawyer disbarred for destroying his computer, altering metadata before ethics hearing A New Hampshire lawyer has been disbarred based on allegations that he destroyed his computer before an ethics hearing and altered metadata to make it appear that he had provided conflict letters to a client when borrowing $275,000 from her. To read the full article, visit: https://bit.ly/3y5ppSw #legalnews #aba #law #legal #lawyers #DefenseCounsel #MintzerSarowitz #MSZLM

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⚠ WARNING: Eye opening statistic for the legal industry: "In Wisconsin, over 56% of active bar members are 60 or older, and 28% are 70 or older, meaning that many attorneys in Wisconsin will be retiring soon. Only 8% of solo practitioners have a registered successor." Stat from the State Bar of Wisconsin article (link in comments). 😨 Scary IMO. Don't wait to find the perfect associate to train and take your place. Start today. You owe it to your clients. #successionplanning #attorneylife #legalrecruitment #retirementplanning

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Orissa High Court Invalidates Screening Committee Decision: “No Recovery of Excess Payment Without Reasoned Justification,” Emphasizes Compliance with Natural Justice and Protection of Group-C Employees from Arbitrary Recoveries Court’s Decision: The Orissa High Court quashed the Screening Committee’s decision and the associated Office Order dated May 30, 2023, which downgraded the petitioner’s pay scale and directed recovery of an alleged excess amount of ₹3,75,255. The Court held that: The Screening Committee failed to comply with principles of natural justice as required under the High Court’s earlier directions issued on January 13, 2023. The Committee did not adequately address the petitioner’s objections or provide a reasoned decision. The recovery order contravened the precedent set in State of Punjab v. Rafiq Masih (2015), which protects certain employees from recovery of overpayments caused by administrative errors. Court’s Reasoning: Non-Compliance with Directions: The Screening Committee did not address the petitioner’s objections, including his reliance on Rafiq Masih and Bihari Lal. The Committee merely reiterated its earlier stance without providing a fresh or reasoned decision. Violation of Precedents: The recovery order was inconsistent with Rafiq Masih, as the petitioner was a Group-C employee, and recovery would impose financial hardship. Lack of Reasoned Order: The Court criticized the Committee’s failure to give a speaking order, stating that reasons are the lifeblood of judicial and administrative decisions. Conclusion: The Court quashed the Screening Committee’s recommendations and the corresponding recovery order. It directed the respondents to reconsider the petitioner’s case in light of judicial precedents and provide a detailed, reasoned decision. #SupremeCourt #LegalUpdate #MotorVehiclesAct #RightToLife #GoldenHour #CashlessTreatment #RoadSafety #PublicHealth #GovernmentPolicy #LegalFramework #HealthcareJustice #InsuranceClaims

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PARALEGALS: A podcast for Paralegals who like to learn, laugh, and share their knowledge. A Beyond Paralegals Production. Coming Soon. #wearebeyondparalegals

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How is your legal department using AI? How is your outside counsel employing AI? I'd love to hear!

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The United States Court of Appeals 5th Circuit just announced it will not adopt a proposed rule specifically requiring disclosure and other requirements for attorneys who use AI as part of their practice. Upon reflection, and based upon a lot of negative feedback on the proposed rule, they recognized that existing rules already cover the same situations. Specifically, attorneys are enforceably required to stand behind the truthfulness and accuracy of court filings. However, the court admonished litigants and lawyers alike that “I used AI” will not be an acceptable excuse for violating existing rules! Here is the formal notice from the court: https://lnkd.in/gJWyEyxg For color, here also are some recent news articles on this announcement: * Reuters: https://lnkd.in/gJmjWSqv * Bloomberg Law: https://lnkd.in/gaVqCkHi And, since I have it at hand, for your convenience, here is the full statement by the court: “The court, having considered the proposed rule, the accompanying comments, and the use of artificial intelligence in the legal practice, has decided not to adopt a special rule regarding the use of artificial intelligence in drafting briefs at this time. Parties and counsel are reminded of their duties regarding their filings before the court under Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 6(b)(1)(B). Parties and counsel are responsible for ensuring that their filings with the court, including briefs, shall be carefully checked for truthfulness and accuracy as the rules already require. “I used AI” will not be an excuse for an otherwise sanctionable offense.” Personally, I think this court got it right. To the extent existing rules cover situations arising from use (or misuse) or AI, it is a good idea to apply those rules first before seeking to make more rules. In the event of demonstrable failures of existing rules, then perhaps it will be more practical to craft new rules to address the gaps that have been revealed. But it is, apparently, a very good idea to sound the alarm far and wide, loud and clear: sometimes generative AI provides incorrect or otherwise unsuitable information and it remains the duty of the attorney (among others) to carefully review and stand behind any work they pass forward. That concludes my public service announcement for today :-)

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