The Legal Tech Podcast

Spear phishing and other forms of cybercrime are targeting law firms and businesses, and these firms need to be prepared, and need to prepare clients and customers to avoid being victims of cybercriminals who just want to steal their money. For lawyers, who are required to have technological competence, that means far more than just using antivirus software.In this edition of The Legal Tech Podcast, Attorney & Techno-Ethics Expert Daniel J. Siegel explains some of the latest criminal activity targeting clients, and suggests that, at a minimum, any law firm or business whose clients may need to wire or transfer funds, or make any other online transactions, must implement safeguards to prevent fraud. The easiest safeguards are client education and implementation of multifactor authentication. In other words, there must at least two ways to verify transactions and information.  Join Dan Siegel as he provides a concise summary of the problem and offers more of his practical, easily-implementable solutions that are the hallmark of the ethics and techno-ethical services and guidance provided by the Law Offices of Daniel J. Siegel, LLC and Integrated Technology Services, LLC.

One of the scariest moments an attorney has is when he or she receives a letter from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Office of Disciplinary Counsel (ODC) advising the lawyer that it is investigating a complaint and that it has passed its initial review stage. The notice letter, called a DB-7 or Request for Statement of Respondent's Position, is important, and you must act promptly to address whatever is in the DB-7.Most attorneys are not familiar with the disciplinary process in Pennsylvania. In this podcast, Attorney Daniel J. Siegel, who regularly represents attorneys in disciplinary proceedings, explains the basics of the process and outlines what actions attorneys should do to respond to the DB-7 and to protect their licenses to practice law. This podcast provides basic and practical information about the DB-7 process from a lawyer who understands what is happening. Attorney Daniel J. Siegel  represents attorneys throughout all of Pennsylvania, is Chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Committee on Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility, and his reassuring guidance is helpful, particularly at the beginning of the process, when it is scary to receive a letter from ODC.

In this episode, techno-ethics attorney and cybersecurity expert Daniel J. Siegel provides practical information and tips how to keep all of your devices, including cellphones, tablets, and so many other items, safe while you are away from home.  It is easy to let down your guard while relaxing or away on business, and cybercriminals know this, and they are ready and want to take advantage of these moments.In this Legal Tech Podcast, Dan Siegel emphasizes that cybersecurity should not be limited to the home and office. It is equally important for all of us to use safe online behavior and secure our Internet-enabled mobile devices whenever we travel for business or pleasure.Offering tips from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and other sources, Dan focuses on practical solutions to minimize cyber risks everywhere.Remember, no one is exempt from the threat of cybercrime, at home or away. By following some simple advice in this podcast, you can stay safe online when traveling.Attorney Daniel J. Siegel is the principal of the Law Offices of Daniel J. Siegel, LLC and Integrated Technology Services, LLC, and is a nationally-known lecturer and writer on cybersecurity, techno-ethics, legal ethics, and topics and regularly represents and provides guidance on these topics to attorneys and businesses.Dan Siegel is the author of 14 books, has taught 100s of Continuing Legal Education classes, and is Chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Committee on Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility.

Buying automobile insurance in Pennsylvania can be very confusing. The insurance can cost a lot, and it isn't always easy to know what all the coverages are and which coverages you should buy. At times, insurance salespeople will try to steer you toward coverage that doesn't protect you.In this podcast, Attorney Daniel J. Siegel provides an easy-to-understand explanation of what coverages are available, along with recommendations for purchasing car insurance that (1) protects you in case you cause an accident, and (2) protects you in case you are injured because another person was negligent. The program covers liability insurance, uninsured motorist coverage, underinsured motorist coverage, medical benefits, collision and comprehensive coverage.  Plus, Attorney Siegel, who regularly represents auto accident victims at the Law Offices of Daniel J. Siegel, LLC,  also explains important concepts such as full tort and limited tort and stacked and unstacked coverage. All in a short podcast that will prepare you to buy or renew your Pennsylvania auto insurance policy.

Lawyers, like everyone else, want to believe they will live forever. Or at the least, they believe that they will work until they make the decision to retire, and then transition smoothly into retirement. For solo attorneys, and many others, this dream is often just a dream. Instead of smooth transitions, they may face sudden illnesses, periods of disability, along with uncertainty that can often overtake the hopeful dreams. Just search for “lawyers who suddenly died from covid” in Google and read all the stories. The reality can be tragic, particularly for solos. But these problems can happen to any lawyer in any size firm. The Rules of Professional Conduct are of no benefit to solos, and in some states the situation is more dire than others. In fact, the Rules can seem like anchors for pure solos and others who have not planned ahead for the possibility of sudden death or impairment. Under Pennsylvania Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5(e), lawyers are prohibited from dividing fees for legal services with anyone except lawyers. Estates are not lawyers. That is a problem that can financially devastate a lawyer's family, especially for solos and others in firms where their futures are not subject to complex fee division agreements. In this edition of The Legal Tech Podcast, attorney and ethics guru Daniel J. Siegel of the Law Offices of Daniel J. Siegel, LLC and Integrated Technology Services, LLC highlights the problems that impact lawyers, clients and the lawyers' families and offers potential solutions.

There is no more important set of documents than your Last Will and Testament, Living Will, Advanced Healthcare Directive and Power of Attorney, which assure that your wishes are honored if you become ill and when you die. A qualified lawyer, familiar with the issues and nuances of estate planning can perform those services, focusing on your needs, while an online service will merely robotically prepare documents that they emphasize are not legal advice and not protected by any attorney-client confidentiality.In the latest edition of The Legal Tech Podcast, Attorney Daniel J. Siegel, of the Law Offices of Daniel J. Siegel, LLC, an experienced estate planning lawyer in Havertown, Pennsylvania, explains the importance of meeting with and working with an attorney who will analyze your specific needs and address concerns, including many that arise with non-traditional families.Listen as Dan outlines his experience, along with his firm's unique “Pay Once, Revise for Life Estate Planning Program” that assures you only pay one time for drafting estate documents, and that all revisions are free.

Phishing and Spear-Phishing are two methods used by cyberattackers to obtain personal information from clients, staff and family, and to gain access to computers and office networks in order to install malware and ransomware. In this episode of the Legal Tech Podcast, attorney and technologist Daniel J. Siegel, a pioneer in the field of Techno-Ethics, provides an introduction to the world of phishing, offering background information and providing practical solutions that law offices and businesses can immediately implement to prevent these attacks. The Legal Tech Podcast is sponsored by Integrated Technology Services, LLC and the Law Offices of Daniel J. Siegel, LLC.

For years, legal ethics attorneys and many other experts have warned about the dangers of using free Wi-Fi, and Starbucks has become the poster child for the dangers of logging into unsecured and unprotected computer networks. With its recent Opinion in Commonwealth v. Dunkins, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has issued clear advice and a clear warning that users, including criminals, have no privacy rights when they check the box and log into a free unsecure network.For criminals, this decision means that law enforcement does not need a search warrant to view the information being transmitted.For civil litigants, this decision means that users of free Wi-Fi are fair game for anyone trying to see what they are saying, doing or sending.For everyone else, this decision also means that users of free Wi-Fi are fair game for anyone trying to see what they are saying, doing or sending.But for lawyers, it means that confidential or sensitive information about clients and others - information that lawyers are required to keep confidential under the Rules of Professional Conduct - is not confidential when using the free Wi-Fi at Starbucks and so many other places.Listen to techno-ethics attorney and technologist Daniel J. Siegel as he outlines the dangers of using free Wi-Fi and why this Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision is a game changer.This podcast is sponsored by Integrated Technology Services, LLC and the Law Offices of Daniel J. Siegel, LLC.

Almost everyone has a car, and every car and truck registered in Pennsylvania must have auto insurance under the Pa. Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law. But what many people don't realize is that when you buy insurance, you are protecting yourself in the case of claims against you and protecting yourself if you are injured by the negligence of someone else. YOUR MOTOR VEHICLE INSURANCE COVERAGE DETERMINES YOUR RIGHT TO BE COMPENSATED FOR PAIN AND SUFFERING, THE INJURIES AND LOSSES YOU SUFFER.In this episode of The Legal Tech Podcast, Pennsylvania attorney Daniel J. Siegel explains what types of coverages are available, and explains what insurance you should purchase, including bodily injury coverage, uninsured motorist coverage, and underinsured motorist coverage. Most importantly, Dan Siegel explains why you should not purchase limited tort coverage, and should purchase full tort coverage, because the savings are so small that the rights you give up are worth far more than the minimal savings available.This fact-filled podcast will help you be a better consumer when purchasing auto insurance. 

When it comes to social media, and the impact of Facebook, Twitter and other sites on the practice of law, lawyers can no longer merely stick their heads in the sand and feign ignorance. As the New Jersey Supreme Court recently ruled, "Attorneys must acquaint themselves with the nature of social media to guide themselves and their non-lawyer staff and agents in the permissible uses of online research. At this point, attorneys cannot take refuge in the defense of ignorance." This conclusion is consistent with opinions by many ethics committees. In this episode of The Legal Tech Podcast, attorney Daniel J. Siegel, Chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Committee on Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility, discusses opinions by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and ethical guidance from the Pennsylvania Bar Legal Ethics Committee and the Philadelphia Bar Association Professional Guidance Committee, affirm that lawyers must recognize the importance of social media to their clients and their practices. They can no longer claim ignorance and stick their heads in the sand.Attorney Dan Siegel is the principal of the Law Offices of Daniel J. Siegel, LLC and president of Integrated Technology Services, LLC, and represents attorneys in disciplinary matters, and provides ethical and techno-ethical guidance to attorneys and law firms. This is the second episode of his firm's Legal Tech Podcast. 

Did you know that the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, which govern attorney ethics, were created in 1983, the same year that Microsoft introduced Word? In fact, the rules, which have been adopted in every state, have not been modified significantly since 1983 to address the massive impact of technology on the practice of law. Attorney Daniel J. Siegel, Chair of Pennsylvania Bar Association Committee on Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility, discusses why the Rules need to be updated. Dan is the principal of the Law Offices of Daniel J. Siegel, LLC and the principal of Integrated Technology Services, LLC and a nationally known speaker, and the author of 14 books.