NSA data, law firm challenges for 2014, a West Key Author helps a wrongly convicted person and the Gaming Judge -- in the December 2013 edition of the Legal Current podcast.

Crowdsource funding is the hot new buzzword among startups.  The 2012 Jumpstart Our Business Start-ups (JOBS) Act was intended to open up crowdsource funding and other social media as a means for startups to raise capital.

Tom Murphy of McDermott Will & Emery says the reality is somewhat muted compared with buzz, but says the JOBS Act has opened up other avenues for startup capital, and that social media may still a future in small business capital.

Many law firms believe top search engine rankings are a silver bullet for their online marketing — a magic tool that will deliver a steady flow of business. But are specific keyword phrases such as “Boston personal injury attorney” or “Miami DUI lawyer” really the key to online marketing success?

A new FindLaw study analyzed search-generated traffic to thousands of law firm websites, and many people may be surprised by the results.  Mark Jacobsen, FindLaw senior director of strategic development and thought leadership, discusses what actually drives traffic to law firm websites.

A copy of the white paper, “The Futility of Chasing Silver Bullets” can be downloaded here.

New legislation pending in Congress – the Patent Transparency and Improvements Act promises to reduce spurious patent litigation filed by Non-Practicing Entities, commonly referred to as “patent trolls.”

However, Yar Chaikovsky of McDermott Will & Emery notes that previous attempts to rein in patent trolls, including the America Invents Act, have proven largely ineffective.

Upcoming Supreme Court cases, A Day in the Life of a Case on Westlaw, and Fruit Flies Like a Banana, on the November 2013 edition of the Legal Current podcast.

Thomson Reuters Experts-On-Call provides dedicated business law research support for transactional attorneys. Experts On-Call offers specialized assistance in dealing with SEC developments and market trends, as well as business law research including corporate organizations, company debt structures, and corporate employment and compensation.

In the September 2013 edition of the Legal Current podcast, we cover:

• Legal Trends & Insights: Software coding resources for lawyers
• Legal News: An international custody battle involving an ancient Cambodian statue
• News From Thomson Reuters: FindLaw and Univ. of Wisc-Stout start the first search engine optimization course in the nation
• On the Legal Blogs: Gun ownership laws and the blind

If you have a suggestion for a future interview or episode theme, leave a comment on this blog post or send an email to contact@legalcurrent.com. You can also follow us on Twitter at @legalcurrent.

The 2013-14 term of the US Supreme Court begins shortly.  Prof. Ronald Rotunda, Doy and Dee Henley Chair Distinguished Professor Jurisprudence at Chapman University comments on what the 2012-13 term told us about how the Roberts Court has been handling some of its major decisions. 

The Legal Current podcast emerges for the second time since its renewal with more unique insights into the Legal market. In the August 2013 edition of the Legal Current podcast, we cover:

• Legal Trends & Insights: The Peer Monitor Index (PMI) provides some hope in the second quarter as the law firm market improves
• Legal News: In a settlement over fracking operations, a unique situation arises when a family’s children are subjected to a confidentiality agreement
• News From Thomson Reuters: CLEAR helps Capital Stack engage in merchant funding, a new alternative for businesses that need capital
• On the Legal Blogs: Findlaw blogged live from the ABA Annual Meeting, covering Attorney General Eric Holder’s new drug sentencing policy.

If you have a suggestion for a future interview or episode theme, leave a comment on this blog post or send an email to contact@legalcurrent.com. You can also follow us on Twitter at @legalcurrent.