Will Hiring an Ethics Lawyer Hurt Me? [LGE 119]

by Megan Zavieh | Jun 30, 2020 | Podcast

In two contexts, lawyers and bar applicants worry about hiring an ethics lawyer. In moral character applications, applicants are often concerned that having a lawyer involved makes it look like they are hiding something.  In discipline matters, lawyers express concern...

Burning Questions on IOLTAs [LGE 118]

by Megan Zavieh | Jun 23, 2020 | Podcast

We’ve been scouring the internet to figure out what lawyers are asking about, and it turns out IOLTAs are a hot topic. In this episode, Megan answers some burning questions about IOLTAs, including: Can a firm have an IOLTA? Can a lawyer have more than one IOLTA?...

Attorney Ethical Violations: Will the Bar Think You’re Guilty If You Hire an Attorney?

by Megan Zavieh | Jun 18, 2020 | Attorney, Attorney Discipline, California Bar, Ethics, Law Office Management, Law Practice Management, Lawyer, Practice Management, Professional Conduct for Lawyers, Professional Ethics for Lawyers, Sanctions, State Bar Defense

You received a letter informing you that a California attorney complaint was filed against you by a previous or current client, judge, or even another attorney. You recognize that the matter is serious. Since you want to do everything you can to protect your ability...

How to Take a Mental Health Day [LGE 117]

by Megan Zavieh | Jun 16, 2020 | Podcast

Mental health is tough to tend to, especially as solo and small firm lawyers make a ton of excuses why we cannot be out for even one day. So how do we take a day off that leaves us actually inspired to go back to work and not more stressed than when we left the...

File Destruction Policies [LGE 116]

by Megan Zavieh | Jun 9, 2020 | Podcast

Good policies and procedures make a law office run ethically, but file destruction is one where a lot of lawyers have questions.  How long should we keep files?  When does the time period begin to run?  How do I let my client know?  In this episode, Megan explores...

New Ethics Guidance & Supervising Remote Lawyers [LGE 115]

by Megan Zavieh | Jun 2, 2020 | Podcast

As teams disperse to remote work environments, the lawyer’s duty to supervise takes on new wrinkles. Pennsylvania issued an ethics opinion to help guide us; it brings together past ethics opinions and adds details for today’s new world. Kristin Tyler of...

Bringing Interns to the Team with Erik Pelton [LGE 114]

by Megan Zavieh | May 26, 2020 | Podcast

We typically think of team-building as bringing on full-time or infinite-duration members, but this mindset overlooks a great source of shorter-term talent. Law student interns can be great additions to your solo or small practice, and they give you an opportunity to...

Reigniting Productivity in COVID-19 [LGE 113]

by Megan Zavieh | May 19, 2020 | Podcast

Even the United States Supreme Court has had to adapt to working remotely during COVID-19.  Still, long-term lockdown (plus further uncertainty with kids ending school and some businesses reopening) can really suck the productivity out of us.  In this episode, Megan...

New Ways of Lawyering: Subscriptions and New Business Models with Jon Tobin [LGE 112]

by Megan Zavieh | May 12, 2020 | Podcast

The king of subscription legal service, Jon Tobin, sat down with Megan in the midst of COVID-19 to talk about how lawyers can evolve in the way they offer legal services. Subscriptions are of course a major way we can change our offerings, and Jon has a lot to say...

California Attorney Discipline Summary Report for 2019

by Megan Zavieh | May 8, 2020 | ABA Ethics, Attorney Discipline, California State Bar Defense, Disbarment, Disciplinary Hearings

On April 30, 2020, The State Bar of California released the California attorney discipline report for 2019. The full report may be downloaded from their website. Each year, Zavieh Law is pleased to present our readers with some of the highlights from the report....