Beyond The Billable Hour: How Scope-Based Pricing is Reshaping Legal Support

The Impact of a Claim of Lien on Property Owners and General Contractors in North CarolinaBy Anna RodriguezAttorney at LawConstruction projects in North Carolina involve multiple layers of contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers. When payment disputes arise, mechanic’s liens—known in North Carolina as claims of lien on real property—are among the most powerful legal remedies available to those who furnish labor or materials. While liens can protect contractors and suppliers, they also create significant challenges for property owners and general contractors. Below is an overview of how a claim of lien can affect your project, your property, and your bottom line. What Is a Claim of Lien in North Carolina? Under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 44A, a claim of lien is a statutory right that allows parties who improve real property to secure payment by placing a lien against the property itself. This right applies whether you are a general contractor, subcontractor, or…

KJK attorneys Kyle Stroup and Alex Jones were recently featured in a CBS17 segment titled “Navigating Social Media in Today’s Job Climate.” The attorneys offered legal insight into what happens when social media posts resurface and cause reputational harm, as well as potential legal remedies available to those affected. As part of the firm’s Internet Defamation & Content Removal practice, Kyle and Alex regularly advise individuals and businesses facing high-stakes online threats, from harmful social media posts to reputational damage that impacts careers and hiring decisions. “The internet is both permanent and pervasive,” Jones said. “While there are mechanisms to remove or suppress online content, they are not foolproof—once something is published, it can be copied, archived, or redistributed beyond the original platform.” Stroup added that legal issues often arise when personal content overlaps with professional…

A major chemical manufacturer has agreed to pay $27 million to settle a nearly decade-long lawsuit over water contamination in Hoosick Falls, New York. The settlement was announced just as the case was headed to trial in federal court, bringing the total recovery in the class action lawsuit to more than $90 million since it was filed in 2016. The contamination case involves perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a harmful "forever chemical" that contaminated the village's drinking water supply. Located northwest of Albany, Hoosick Falls residents filed the lawsuit after their water became contaminated with PFOA from a local Teflon fabric coating facility. The settlement must still be approved by a federal judge and includes an additional $6 million for medical monitoring programs for exposed residents. You can read more about this case in the original news report. Common Causes of Water Contamination Cases Water contamination incidents can occur for various…

Bottom Line Up Front: Ambulance chasing by Texas car accident lawyers is illegal and violates professional ethics rules, but accident victims still need quality legal representation. Understanding the difference between legitimate attorney outreach and prohibited solicitation helps protect your rights while ensuring you get proper legal help. When you’ve been injured in a Texas car accident, the last thing you want to deal with is aggressive attorney solicitation. Yet many accident victims find themselves contacted by lawyers shortly after their crash, raising important questions about what’s legal, what’s ethical, and how to protect yourself while still getting the legal help you need. What Constitutes Ambulance Chasing in Texas Ambulance chasing refers to the prohibited practice where personal injury attorneys or their representatives directly solicit accident victims, typically within days of a crash. Under Texas law and the Texas Disciplinary Rules of…

As a way of expressing discontent, some people may choose to engage in malicious mischief, which generally refers to things like graffiti, vandalism, or other forms of damaging or defacing property. But anyone who’s tempted to take this route could face some unpleasant consequences for their actions.  Defining Malicious Mischief Malicious mischief includes a range of activities, all of which must be performed with malice. In other words, it must occur intentionally, not accidentally. It could be graffiti, damaging mailboxes, throwing rocks through windows, or any other form of damaging public or private property. It could also include damaging or tampering with a vehicle,  signs, or other property belonging to someone else. What Constitutes Graffiti? Most have seen examples of graffiti as spray paintings across bridges, walls, and so forth. While these are, indeed, graffiti, the legal definition of graffiti is much more expansive, and includes: Markings of any…

In one of the most significant legislative changes to Social Security in decades, the Social Security Fairness Act of 2025 has officially repealed two long-standing and often criticized provisions: the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). You can read the SSA’s official announcement at the SSA Newsroom. WEP and GPO have historically reduced benefits for public-sector workers who contributed to pension systems not covered by Social Security, such as CalSTRS, CalPERS, or local police and fire department pension plans. These rules affected many Californians, including teachers, city employees, and law enforcement officers, by slashing their SSDI or survivor benefits, even when they had paid into the Social Security system. With this repeal, millions of retirees and disability recipients across the U.S. are seeing restored or increased monthly benefits. The reform is especially impactful in California, where the overlap between public…

Rebecca Stone (University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) - School of Law) has posted A Democratic Conception of Consumer Contracts (15 HBLR 93 (2025)) on SSRN. Here is the abstract: I sketch and briefly evaluate two standard ways of conceptualizing the problem that is posed by consumer contracts and defend a third view, which is based on my democratic conception of contract. According to the first, the power asymmetry between sellers and consumers means that we should not view consumer contracts as genuine contracts but rather as illegitimate exercises of private law-making by sellers for their consumers. According to the second, which broadly aligns with the approach of the Restatement of Consumer Contracts, consumer contracts are genuine contracts but of a procedurally defective kind. On the view I defend, the essence of the problem is not the compromised assent of consumers, but rather the tendency of sellers to set terms without regard for consumers’…

This week, Mirit Eyal (Alabama; Google Scholar) reviews a new work by Michael D. Guttentag (Loyola-L.A), The New Law and Inequality Scholarship, 105 B. U. L. Rev. 897 (2025). In recent decades, both legal and economic scholarship have largely converged on the view that redistribution can be pursued through the...

Think of the things that law school prepared you for: logical reasoning, research, analysis, writing, perhaps even courtroom presentation. What […] The post How Kollect Helps Law Firms Get Paid Faster and Smarter appeared first on Lawyerist. Industry, Sponsored Posts, Accounting Billing and Finance

Lawyer review websites are one of the most popular tools people use to find the right attorney. If your practice isn’t present on these platforms, you’re missing out on a large percentage of your potential client pool.  Fortunately, it’s easy to establish a presence on lawyer review websites. Below, we explore the best attorney review sites in 2025 and give you top tips for getting more law firm reviews. Why Lawyer Reviews Matter Reviews play a key role in helping clients find the best lawyer for their case. In fact, nearly 90 percent of prospective clients rank positive reviews as a top factor in choosing an attorney. Online lawyer review sites help foster trust and establish credibility for a practice. They also help prospective clients understand an attorney’s practice areas and services.  Building a base of positive reviews can serve as a marketing engine for years to come. Every lawyer should actively encourage good…

Dallas Child Custody: What the A.M.S. Case Teaches Us About Protecting Your Children’s Future   When families face the heartbreaking reality of divorce or custody disputes, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Your children’s future, their safety, and their emotional well-being hang in the balance. The recent Dallas Court of Appeals case, Interest of A.M.S., offers profound insights into how Texas courts approach complex custody situations and what parents must understand to protect their children’s best interests. As someone who has guided Dallas families through these challenging times for over 25 years, I’ve seen firsthand how proper legal representation can make the difference between a positive outcome and devastating consequences. The A.M.S. case, decided by the Dallas Court of Appeals in May 2025, demonstrates exactly why having experienced legal counsel is crucial when navigating Dallas child custody matters. Understanding the A.M.S. Case: A…

When a woman is pregnant, the umbilical cord acts as a lifeline between her and the fetus. The umbilical cord is a flexible tube-shaped structure that removes waste from the baby’s circulation and transports nutrients and oxygen to the fetus through the mother’s placenta. The umbilical cord starts to develop during the fourth week of pregnancy and is roughly 51 centimeters long and 2.5 centimeters in diameter.   During the birthing process, the baby could be at risk of serious complications or even death if the umbilical cord is not positioned properly. One umbilical cord complication that commonly arises is compression. When this happens, the flow of oxygen and blood to the infant is restricted. In some cases, umbilical cord compression is unavoidable. However, the attending doctor and other members of the birthing team are responsible for promptly identifying the issue and administering proper and effective treatment as quickly as possible.  If…

Along with a group of other Israeli international law scholars, we have sent an urgent letter to Israel’s Minister of Defense, the IDF Chief of Staff, the Attorney General and other senior officials concerning a plan, presented by the Minister of Defense Israel Katz, to “concentrate” the population of Gaza in a so-called “humanitarian city” to be established on the ruins of Rafah. We argue that the plan is manifestly illegal, and if carried out would amount to a series of grave international crimes, and thus call upon the recipients to renounce it and ensure that it is not implemented. The letter can be found here. In addition, the full text follows below. July 10, 2025 To:Minister of Defense, MK Israel Katz Chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal ZamirCc:Adv. Gali Baharav-Miara, Attorney General Adv. Dr. Gil-Ad Noam, Deputy Attorney General (International Law) Adv. Hila Erlich Amar, Legal Advisor to the Ministry of Defense Maj. Gen. Yifat…

There’s a new Superman movie out this week and it’s proving to be the right-wing’s kryptonite. In the lead up to the film’s release, the folks behind the movie have been up front that it’s an immigrant story. This shouldn’t come as a shock since the character is almost a century old and has been an immigrant THE WHOLE TIME, but since the conservative movement is just a bad-faith book club for people who never read the book, they’ve launched a broadside against the movie. What does that even mean? Orphans from other countries cease to be immigrants? That’s would be news to the 3-year-olds defending themselves in immigration court if they were allowed social media in their cages. Is he making a scienter argument that a child arriving in this country through no act of their own deserves citizenship? The Fifth Circuit disagrees. But even DACA is about a path to legal status… they’re still immigrants. As an…

Columbia Global Freedom of Expression seeks to contribute to the development of an integrated and progressive jurisprudence and understanding on freedom of expression and information around the world.  It maintains an extensive database of international case law. This is its newsletter dealing with recent developments  in the field. It takes a village – often a global one – to stand up for the right to speak. Scores of activists, lawyers, journalists, scholars, and artists help advance freedom of expression daily. In our new interview series, Portraits of FoE (Freedom of Expression) Defenders, CGFoE sets to amplify their voices every month. We open the series with Serbia-based media lawyer Nevena Krivokapić Martinović, who is the Freedom of Expression and Online Media Coordinator at the SHARE Foundation and Moot Coordinator of the Monroe E. Price Media Law Moot Court (Price Moot), the world’s largest…

Noor Ul Huda is a JURIST staff correspondent in Pakistan and a recent graduate of Punjab University Law College. She files this dispatch from Lahore.  Pakistan has long been a nation where the winds of change blow frequently, especially when it comes to its judiciary. Ever since the 26th Constitutional Amendment, there hasn’t been a single day that hasn’t brought some riveting news from the corridors of justice. Just three days ago, in a rather ceremonial yet controversial move, Justice Sardar Mohammad Sarfraz Dogar took the oath as the Chief Justice (CJ) of the Islamabad High Court (IHC). His journey to this position, however, has not been ordinary. In February 2025, he was transferred from the Lahore High Court, Lahore (LHC), where he ranked 15th on the seniority list. Justice Dogar’s appointment has sparked a legal firestorm that’s still smoldering in Pakistan’s judicial circles. The issue? The recalibration of judicial seniority. Justice…

About the Webinar “Becoming a Law Professor: What Aspiring Academics Need to Know” premieres on July 30, 2025, at 1:00 PM ET / 10:00 AM PT and is led by Etienne C. Toussaint, Associate Professor of Law at the University of South Carolina’s Joseph F. Rice School of Law. In this dynamic, 60-minute session, Professor Toussaint will walk participants through every stage of preparing for a career in legal academia. Reserve Your Spot Today What You’ll Learn Navigate the legal academic job market and understand hiring trends Identify essential qualifications and alternative pathways into academia Build a strong academic profile and compelling research agenda Embrace your story and unique perspective in your scholarship Prepare for the AALS process, campus interviews, and job talks Address the challenges of tenure, work-life balance, and imposter syndrome More About the Experience You’ll explore the realities of the current academic job market,…

It used to be the case that if you left Biglaw for a small, boutique, or midsize firm, you had to expect a pay cut. It might not have been a huge pay cut, maybe $10K or $20K below the standard Biglaw scale — but given the opportunities offered by smaller firms, including more responsibility, greater client contact, and (maybe) better work-life balance, many lawyers viewed the trade-off as worth it. But as people who have followed our salary and bonus coverage have surely noticed, going to a smaller firm no longer requires taking a smaller paycheck. In fact, a number of small, boutique, and midsize firms pay the same as — or even more than — their Biglaw competitors. Not surprisingly, a growing number of talented law students and young lawyers are choosing to start their careers at smaller firms, bypassing the few years in Biglaw that traditionally represented the dues that had to be paid before moving on to work at an elite boutique. But how…