Practice Management

WSBA License Renewal: Top Tips for Licensed Legal Professionals in Washington

Get a few essential tips to improve your license renewal experience and to help you avoid any last-minute issues.

NWLawyer Treks into Tech and the Law

Technology is exciting and inspiring, but for legal professionals it’s also daunting. How does a modern lawyer navigate ethically sticky and existentially bizarre questions that new tech imposes on existing law?

by NWSidebar

How Leveraging Industry Experts Is Vital to Winning New Clients

In a world where major law firms bring wide-ranging expertise and understanding of industry-specific challenges there are still techniques for lawyers looking to impress.

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Learning the Business of Being a Lawyer: How I Started My Second-Career Solo Practice

Attorney Eleanor Doermann explains how she used her business experience as a physical therapist to become a private-practice lawyer helping LGBTQ seniors.

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A New Standard for Overtime in Washington? State Looks to Expand Overtime Eligibility

The Washington Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) recently filed a proposed rule that would dramatically increase the minimum salary required for employees to qualify for the white collar overtime exemptions.

by NWSidebar

How to Win Your Case Using the Latest Discovery Technology

Discovery is a challenging and rewarding process. The rewards are frequently based on the speed and efficiency of data acquisition and its interpretation; the pitfalls are related to the lack thereof. Therefore, success in the discovery process is only as effective as the technology used to uncover and apply it. The most important aspect of […]

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When AI Goes Bad: The Inherent Legal Risks of ‘Intelligent’ Systems

You provide the neural net with a learning set: a large collection of items related to the pattern you want the neural network to recognize for which you tell the program the correct answer.

by NWSidebar

Breaking Up Is Hard to Do: How to Terminate an Employee the Right Way

Let’s face it, no organization is immune from having to make the tough decision to terminate an employee. Of course no one likes to do it, but that still leaves the real question of how and when you should do it?

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Acupuncture for Lawyers: How an Old Method Has New Potential

I used to joke that practicing law was the worst thing I’d ever done for my health, both mental and physical. Turns out, it wasn’t really a joke and I am not alone. For myself, I have found tremendous benefit from acupuncture, the centuries-old method of treating mental and physical ailments with fine needles applied […]

by NWSidebar

Stress in Life and the Law

Stress is ever present in modern-day society. Individuals worry about money, time, families, relationships, careers. Some stress is beneficial and positive: the stress of a new baby, the stress of a promotion, the stress of personal growth. But more and more, stress is passing a tipping point from short-term, motivating, and positive, to long-term, chronic, […]

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Dispute Resolution in Washington and the Women Behind It — From the Nordic Bronze Age to the 2019 NW Dispute Resolution Conference

The origins of mediation and arbitration can be traced back as far as 1800 B.C. to the Mari Kingdom in Syria as a way to resolve disputes with other kingdoms, according to A History of ADR, published by the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR). In the book “Malinche, Pocahontas, and Sacagawea: Indian Women as Cultural […]

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How to Reduce Stress in the Legal Profession

Practicing law can be stressful. Lawyers are under constant pressure to meet deadlines and client demands, and law-practice environments can be highly competitive. If you find yourself feeling stressed or anxious fairly often, it’s time to take action. Chronic stress causes chemical imbalances in the body and can weaken the immune system, making a person […]

by NWSidebar

Rainmaking for Small and Solo Firms: 5 Essential Tips

Rainmaking, bringing home the bacon, chasing cheddar—whatever you want to call it, most lawyers want to find clients, build trust, and attract new business. But most lawyers are also heads down in practicing law, not marketing themselves. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, especially for solo and small firms, but there are definitely tricks of the […]

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Public Services and Change—Insights from a Government Attorney

A government law practice is a rewarding and challenging career filled with wonderful opportunities to serve the public and our communities. Working in the government arena allows an attorney the chance to work with fellow public servants to advance the public’s interest and for the attorney to leave a lasting positive mark on the community.

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5 Reasons Why Vacations are a Must for Lawyers

How many times have you caught yourself staring at your computer screen thinking “I need a break”? Have you just realized that it’s already October and you haven’t taken any time off yet this year? As lawyers, we are constantly hustling to make court deadlines, or trying to fulfill our billable hours requirements, or agonizing […]

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The Well-Being Pledge: A National Effort to Help Attorneys

Earlier this year the American Bar Association, in collaboration with the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, conducted the first ever national study on lawyer impairment. This landmark study discovered that more than 20% of attorneys have consistent problematic drinking, nearly one-third report some level of depression, and 11% of attorneys have contemplated suicide at some point […]