The Florida Bar Podcast welcomes Judge Robert Hilliard, Rebecca Bandy, and Jack Newton to explore their perspectives on the legal profession’s shift to remote work during the pandemic.

Working from home has been thrust upon us all, and every part of our legal system has been deeply affected by the need to operate online. How should you navigate these changes? To help lawyers understand the new landscape created by COVID-19, Florida Bar Podcast hosts Christine Bilbrey and Karla Eckardt welcome three guests, Judge Robert Hilliard, Rebecca Bandy, and Jack Newton, to hear their valuable perspectives on remote work for the legal profession.

First, Judge Robert Hilliard of Florida’s First Judicial Circuit shares how the judiciary has operated in the era of social distancing and what technology they have used to make the shift to virtual court proceedings. Judge Hilliard offers lawyers insights on how to navigate online court appearances and discusses what judicial operations may look like in the future.

Following this conversation, Christine and Karla are joined by Rebecca Bandy, director of the Florida Bar’s Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism, to discuss strategies for maintaining high professionalism standards while working from home. Rebecca shares common lawyer mishaps in virtual legal practice and offers best practice tips for maintaining privacy, confidentiality, proper video conference etiquette, and more.

For their final interview, Christine and Karla talk with Clio CEO Jack Newton about how new, tech-driven processes can improve client experiences and make legal services more efficient. Jack also outlines Clio’s resources for helping lawyers deliver legal services from home and digs into what the COVID-19 Impact Research Briefing shows about the current state of the profession.

Finally, make sure your workspace is working for you! Christine and Karla share their tips for creating a comfortable, productive workspace in your home office.

This podcast has been approved by The Florida Bar Continuing Legal Education Department for 2 hours of General CLE credit including 1 hour of Technology and 1 hour of Mental Health & Wellness CLE credit. Course #4041.

Powered by RedCircle

REFERENCED RESOURCES:

Florida Courts  

• Florida Courts Technology Commission  
• Workgroup on the Continuity of Court Operations and Proceedings During and After COVID-19 

Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism 

• https://www.floridabar.org/prof/ 
• Legal Professionalism in the Electronic Age (PDF Download) 

Clio Resources: 

• Clio.com 
• Legal Trends Reports 
• COVID-specific resources, including its COVID-19 Legal Relief Initiative. 
• COVID-19 Impact Research Briefing 
• Prioritizing lawyer well-being can be good for business even during slow periods like this pandemic: 
• https://www.clio.com/blog/law-firm-cash-flow/  
• https://www.clio.com/blog/lawyer-slow-business-periods/ 
• Jack Newton’s book, The Client-Centered Law Firm. 

Additional Resources: 

• Harvard Law School’s Center on the Legal Profession’s The Practice Article: Capitalizing on Healthy Lawyers 
• NYT Article: The 7 Things You Need for an Ergonomic Workstation 

LEGALFUEL CLE PRESENTATIONS ARE INTENDED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DO NOT REPLACE PROFESSIONAL JUDGMENT. STATEMENTS OF FACT AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE THOSE OF THE PRESENTERS INDIVIDUALLY AND, UNLESS EXPRESSLY STATED TO THE CONTRARY, ARE NOT THE OPINION OF THE FLORIDA BAR OR ITS COMMITTEES. THE FLORIDA BAR DOES NOT ENDORSE OR APPROVE, AND ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR, THE CONTENT, ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE INFORMATION PRESENTED. ANY FEEDBACK SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO THE EVENT ORGANIZER.