Jordan Rothman

1 week ago | abovethelaw.com | Jordan Rothman

Professional courtesy is an incredibly important concept within the legal profession. Judicial resources are often stretched thin, so it is important for adversaries to work together on certain matters and make it easier for matters to be handled. This often includes tactics like agreeing to adjournments, emailing courtesy copies of documents, and other favors that do not impact the substance of a matter.

2 weeks ago | abovethelaw.com | Jordan Rothman

A few years ago, I wrote an article about how fax numbers in some contexts. Indeed, some legal professionals cling to faxes even though email seems like a more preferable method of communication, likely owing to habit and the fact that fax might leave less of a digital footprint than email. Although fax was seen as a technology of the future in Back to the Future II, fax has been an outdated communication method for years.

3 weeks ago | abovethelaw.com | Jordan Rothman

Most litigators need to travel for court conferences, depositions, site inspections, and other events during the life of a lawsuit. Depending on the type of appearance, a lawyer might spend more time traveling to attend an event than at the appearance itself. While many lawyers bill for travel time in some fashion, I have encountered vastly different policies surrounding how much an attorney should bill clients for the time spent traveling to and from appearances.

4 weeks ago | abovethelaw.com | Jordan Rothman

Last year, I wrote an article about how it often makes sense to hire local counsel rather than to travel for clients in some circumstances. Travel time can add costs for clients, and if a lawyer is not admitted in a given jurisdiction, it might be better to have local counsel handle a case rather than pro hac into a jurisdiction and handle a matter in a faraway forum.

1 month ago | abovethelaw.com | Jordan Rothman

Contingency fees are a time-honored tradition in the legal profession through which attorneys accept a case in exchange for a portion of a recovery if a favorable outcome is achieved. In many instances, contingency fees allow greater access to the legal system since clients who may not be able to pay for counsel fees might be able to pursue causes of action they otherwise would not be able to pursue if attorneys work on contingency.