Wire fraud isn’t “if” for closings – it’s “when.” Real estate closings are a perfect storm – big dollar amounts, tight deadlines, multiple parties, and a steady stream of emails and PDFs flying back and forth. That is why wire fraud – often driven by Business Email Compromise (“BEC”) – has become an ever-present risk for Alabama and Tennessee lawyers handling funds.    The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (“IC3”) reported 21,489 BEC complaints with adjusted losses over $

Check rules before you file to avoid becoming a national example of lawyers behaving badly It should be crystal clear to every lawyer by now that using generative artificial intelligence for research or brief writing assistance without checking the cites and reading the cases is a no-no. Even so, courts and judges continue to debate whether to implement specific rules governing AI use. Some judges require a lawyer who writes a brief using AI to notify the court and certify th

Dry January is the personal commitment to start off the new year alcohol free. But you can pick any month of the year and reap the benefits of it. On January 27 from 12:00-1:00 PM CST , in honor of Dry January, Birmingham lawyers and ALAP committee members Susan N. Han and Chris Hood will co-present a live, hour-long webinar designed to encourage those of us who are ready to try going alcohol free for a month (or longer.)   This webinar will explain the health benefits of giv

New USPS Postmark Procedure May Affect Time-Sensitive Legal Documents Starting Dec. 24, 2025,  the United States Postal Service began postmarking letters and packages with the date they were processed at a postal facility rather than when they were dropped off at the mailbox . The shift means lawyers facing mail deadlines could find themselves with something marked as late even if they dropped it off on time. This new postmark process could also lead to late fees and penalt

We know that the ethical rules apply when a lawyer acts as advisor, advocate, negotiator, intermediary between clients, spokesperson for a client, or evaluator. But what about when a lawyer serves as a mediator - what ethical rules apply? ABA Model Rule of Professional Conduct 2.4 specifically governs the conduct of third-party neutrals. It defines a third-party neutral as a lawyer who assists two or more persons – who are not the lawyer’s clients – to reach resolution of a d

Back in the August edition of ‘ Ask the Underwriter ,’ we went over prior acts coverage as part of our series on lawyers malpractice insurance basics. Prior acts coverage is established when you first purchase coverage, and it remains in place so long as you continue to maintain your coverage. But if you retire or leave private practice, will those years of continuous coverage and the prior acts coverage it afforded continue to protect you? The answer is no.      If you will