For WSBA President Rajeev Majumdar, taking the step to go to therapy meant treading down a path that, to him, initially felt like failure. Recently, Majumdar took a little more time to speak with us about his mental health journey and what he hopes sharing it will do for others in the legal profession.
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Clients will expect technology platforms to help avoid in-person consultations, and they will want electronic documents. With the ongoing economic hardships, potential clients may wish to pay for services via a flat fee rather than by the hour. They may also wish to handle matters mostly on their own with just a little guidance from their attorney. To answer these needs, lawyers and law firms will have to put the client and customer first. This is customer-centric business and there is really no way to get around it.
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For legal professionals, the economic impacts of COVID-19 may have been behind national trends, but in the weeks following the unprecedented nationwide shutdown, unemployment in the legal field too began its uptick.
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Several attorneys have asked the WSBA Ethics Line whether they can offer services in areas that are new to them. The primary ethical principle to consider before you offer any service is competence.
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Working remotely increases the probability of problems created by malware and ransomware, and the damage caused by them can be extreme. Therefore, a reasonable lawyer should take additional steps to secure the data if the burden of those steps is not too great.
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If the economic shock caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was the earthquake, the mounting claims of unemployment and other legal issues are the coming tsunami.
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Online dispute resolutions will be a critical component in preventing residential and commercial evictions rather than hashing issues out in court after someone has already been displaced.
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The WSBA Ethics Line has received inquiries from laid off or furloughed attorneys concerned about their firm’s ability to continue serving clients while also cutting staff, but other evidence seems to indicate that Washington-based medium and large firms aren’t gutting staff expenses on the books. Robin Schachter of Gamoran Legal Consulting advises medium and large firms in Seattle (as well as Anchorage and Portland), but said her clients haven’t reported layoffs or other significant cuts.
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Recently, several legal professionals have called the WSBA Ethics Line to ask about their ethical obligations if they’ve been let go from their job. Here is a snapshot of your ethical obligations any time you leave a firm
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Everything about coronavirus seems to change almost daily, but as of this writing nearly 17 million people filed unemployment claims in the U.S. in just three weeks. How it shake out in the legal profession?
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There are many videoconferencing options out there, but one toograbbing headlines lately is Zoom. Here are some of the emerging issues related to Zoom and my best practices for secure communications with any videoconferencing tool.
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Our days have a completely new schedule. I have spoken to attorneys who are lounging too much and not getting their work done, and then I have spoken to those who are trying too hard to prove they are connected and committed. It’s harder to compartmentalize work and personal life when they are one room apart.
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For those of you struggling to figure out how your business can adapt to the age of COVID-19, I have good news: If you’re reading this, you have a computer, and if you have a computer, I can help.
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Even on a good day, trust accounts can be a source of anxiety for legal professionals. As we contend with this new normal of remote work and social distancing, you may be concerned about how issues stemming from the coronavirus will affect the management of your client trust accounts.
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Next week, the Access to Justice Board will honor a legal organization with a passion for expanding access to justice. The ATJ Board will present its inaugural Promoter of Justice Award to Chelan-Douglas County Volunteer Attorney Services (CDCVAS).
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COVID-19, especially in Washington state, poses a threat on the legal profession and the world. We dive into the current circumstances and look at ways to prepare for pandemic.
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