Birthright fight

Plus: Georgia tackles tort reform

Raise The Bar

23 Jan 2025 • 5 min read

It didn’t take long for the new administration in Washington to jolt constitutional protectionists into action against a robust number of legal changes, including a fight over birthright citizenship protections. The Trump administration is setting the stage for a busy term with a wave of proposed changes and executive actions. Plus: Is SEO really dead? Not for divorce attorneys.

In today's newsletter:

Legal pushbacks come quick against new administration
Georgia governor demands legislature take on tort reform
Can SEO help divorce attorneys find clients?
Killing the billable hour

Fighting at the firm
The 3 most common conflicts in law firms and how to resolve them

1 angry jurist
Judge blows up at CNN attorney

You’re fired!
Stanford law professor fires Meta

Future law school students, beware
Worst advice ever given to law school student applicants

Georgia governor tackles tort reform

Georgia appears to be the tip of the spear for tort reform, a topic that second-term Gov. Brian Kemp highlighted in his address to start the state’s legislative year. Kemp says personal injury claims have led to unaffordable insurance premiums for small businesses across Georgia, creating an existential threat to mom-and-pop shops in the state.

“It’s abundantly clear that the status quo isn’t working and a failure to act on meaningful tort reform will continue to put Georgians and their livelihoods in serious jeopardy,” Kemp says. If the Georgia General Assembly doesn’t send him a bill that has enough reforms, Kemp is prepared to call a special session to make the issue more of a priority.

Why this matters: Georgia’s push for tort reform could set a precedent for other states, potentially influencing nationwide litigation strategies and creating ripple effects in how legal professionals approach personal injury cases beyond state lines. (The office of Gov. Brian P. Kemp)

Battle over birthright

Less than a week into a new presidential administration, immigration and civil rights lawyers are already lining up for a long legal battle to keep intact the 14th Amendment, which guarantees birthright citizenship in the United States. Almost immediately after Donald Trump took office for his second term, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit challenging the president’s executive order to do away with protections for newly born children in the U.S.

“Birthright citizenship is guaranteed in our Constitution and is absolutely central to what America stands for,” says Cody Wofsy, deputy director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project and lead attorney in this case. “Denying citizenship to babies born on U.S. soil is illegal, profoundly cruel, and contrary to our values as a country.”

Several additional lawsuits were filed to stop the order, including one by Washington state Attorney General Nick Brown who called the action "unconstitutional, un-American, and cruel."

U.S. District Judge John Coughenour in Seattle temporarily blocked the order Jan. 23, calling the executive order "blatantly unconstitutional."

Why this matters: A legal battle over birthright citizenship could redefine constitutional protections, impacting immigration law nationwide and challenging attorneys to address unprecedented questions of civil rights and constitutional interpretation. (ACLU)

'Best divorce lawyer near me'

Much of the talk about search engine optimization in 2024 was about how SEO is dying or already dead, and that AI is putting a stake into its heart. Maybe. But divorce lawyers — and personal injury attorneys, probate attorneys, real estate attorneys, et al. — are investing in SEO as a way to find clients. One-third of people who need a divorce attorney start their search for one online, and being the local winner in Google search is how one law firm can outpace the other for clients. Putting an attorney’s expertise into a blog post is how SEO firms say lawyers can show potential clients they’re trustworthy and therefore worthy of hiring.

Why this matters: SEO is still one of the best ways for divorce attorneys, or any attorney, to attract clients and build trust online — it’s about showing up where people are already searching. (Clio)

Can a legal tech startup kill the billable hour?

Is it possible that a startup company called AltFee can show law firms how best to use alternative fee arrangements to improve pricing, transparency and value to clients? In a "Best of 2024" episode of the Technically Legal podcast, AltFee founders Scott and Digby Leigh explain how their app can guide firms away from time-based billing and explore the future of legal billing. The app helps firms evaluate tasks, manage projects and project scope and price — all without being tied to the billable hour. (Technically Legal Podcast)

Hello readers! Thanks for spending a few minutes with today's edition. I'm Bianca Prieto and I am the new editor at the helm of Raise the Bar. I look forward to producing a valuable, fact-filled, 5-minute read for you each week. The best part of this newsletter is our audience, those of you who read weekly, share our content and participate in the conversation.

Soon we will be publishing Q&As, business spotlights and features to bring you even more. If you are interested in participating, send an email to me at raisethebar@mynewsletter.co. Your feedback is important to me and I promise I will always do my very best to respond.

Til next week,

Bianca

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