We’re still catching up on some of the early actions Biden has made since taking office—but that’s not all we have this week. We also have everything from lawsuits that our legal bloggers use to expand on topics for a broader audience to a new OSHA COVID standard potentially on the way to tips on expanding your business as a lawyer without being a salesman.

Top 10

President Biden ushers in new hope on immigration after Trump’s destructive and xenophobic four years

“On his first day, President Biden proposed bold new legislation and changes to our immigration system and reversed some of the most devastating policies of the last four years.” Cyrus Mehta explores the immigration-related executive orders that have taken place so far, as well as some legislative proposals on the horizon at the Insightful Immigration Blog.


Employment law trends to look out for in 2021

2021 is shaping up another eventful year for all of those impacted by the employment law sector. George Aldous of Mayer Brown goes into detail about four specific things to keep in mind over in the UK. IR35/off-payroll tax rules, business in a post-pandemic world, inclusion and diversity, and Brexit are all key areas to be aware of as the year progresses. He discusses implications and what to look out for on the blog Employer Perspectives.


NLRB approves workplace social media policy limiting employees’ online communications

In a split decision, the NLRB sided with a company’s implementation of a social media policy that prohibited employees from “inappropriate communications” related to the company. Going forward, this will severely limit employee’s ability to communicate about their workplace online. Jason Gavejian and Maya Atrakchi of Jackson Lewis highlight key aspects of the company’s social media policy and takeaways to keep in mind at Workplace Privacy, Data Management & Security Report.


The first 48 hours – a new OSHA COVID-19 standard on the way?

The Protecting Workers’ Health and Safety executive order is just one of 30 signed by President Biden in his first 48 hours. Daniel Kaplan of Foley & Lardner provides a timely update on obligations the Secretary of Labor has—including the issuing of a “revised guidance to employers on workplace safety during the COVID-19 pandemic” by February 4. He talks more about the order at Labor & Employment Law Perspectives.


How to attract clients without acting like a salesman

“Many lawyers who struggle with client development tell me that they did not go to law school to become a salesman.” Cordell Parvin explains the issue lawyers face when trying to work on business development without coming off as a salesman. He discusses how to tow the line between the two while building up your clientele on his blog.


With efforts such as rejoining the Paris Agreement, the Biden administration has shown that the threat of climate change is a priority—although many feel that other areas of the government are not doing enough. Thomas Gorman talks about the criticism that the SEC is facing due to their inaction. He calls for the Commission to step up on the blog SEC Actions.


Tesla sues former employee for trade secret misappropriation

Jason Shinn of Shinn Legal uses the example of Tesla suing a former engineer (who worked at the company for less than a month) for trade secret misappropriation, to remind companies and former employees about the importance of protecting trade secrets and the associated risks. He dives deeper into this specific case at Michigan Employment Law Advisor and offers up a couple of points to consider in relation to it—for one, “individuals should assume there will always be ‘digital fingerprints.'”


In lieu of Brexit, Facebook has announced that it will be moving all its users in the UK into user agreements with the corporate headquarters in California. However, Alex Heshmaty of Infolaw Limited explains that concerns have been raised that the real reason behind these moves is to avoid more stringent EU privacy regulations. He talks about the topic further—such as how Twitter plans to retain its existing user agreements—at Internet Newsletter for Lawyers.


Ag data transparent: Updates for 2021

The Ag Data Transparent updated its certificate questionnaire, which resulted in the addition of a few more questions. Todd Janzen of Janzen Agricultural Law explains the changes in a digestible way. For the certificate, they will now need to define who the tech company is, who the user is, whether users have the ability to opt-out of aggregated data sharing, and whether they plan to sell the data. He offers further commentary on what these new questions detail on Janzen Ag Law Blog.


Photo of Michelle Newblom Michelle Newblom

Michelle works on LexBlog’s Publishing team and assists in managing and creating the company’s editorial and social content, as well as working with clients to ensure the overall success of their blogs. She has experience working in all different realms of publishing—including newspapers,

Michelle works on LexBlog’s Publishing team and assists in managing and creating the company’s editorial and social content, as well as working with clients to ensure the overall success of their blogs. She has experience working in all different realms of publishing—including newspapers, magazines and research journals. Michelle has published a poetry book and been featured in an anthology.