Legal Grounds | Conversations on Life, Leadership & Law

Growing up, I knew I wanted to be an attorney since I was a sophomore in high school; my guest this week had me beat by 8 years. All of my peers thought I was crazy to have a kid right as I was about to finish law school; my guest this week earned her JD at night while working a full-time job. I could do more of these comparisons, but the point is that hurdles take on a lot of different forms, sometimes obvious but sometimes not. As lawyers we want the necessary facts, and while that's great for understanding a case, people are often a lot more nuanced. My conversation this week was one of the best reminders I've had in a while to slow down and get to know someone else's story. So with that in mind, my guest this week is Breeana Somers, a litigation associate with Ballad Spahr whose practice focuses on consumer financial services matters.Earning a place in 2024's “Ones to Watch” by Best Lawyers in America, her journey has been anything but traditional, but nothing short of extraordinary.Enjoy the show. 

My guest this week is Suraj Vyas, an attorney specializing in patent law with a focus on construction and contracts. Having spent the past 6 years on the Super Lawyer's Rising Star list, Suraj began his legal career as in-house counsel for Rising Sun Engineering before founding his own firm in 2018. Suraj developed an interest in construction work at a young age, pursuing an undergraduate degree in Water Resources Management & Policy, but his interdisciplinary interests would lead him to follow in his grandfather's footsteps, combining a love of engineering with the law. Now with nearly a decade of practice beneath his belt, Suraj is as committed to helping his communities as he is his clients. We sit down to discuss how curiosity is the catalyst behind everything he does, the people that shaped his journey, and why engineers and lawyers are more alike than you may think. Enjoy the show! 

The first time I ever made a billing entry on a personal computer, I remember thinking to myself, “this is so efficient, I'm never going to miss an entry!”10 years later I got my first laptop, and as I entered some time while FLYING ON A PLANE, I also remember thinking, “this is so convenient, I'm never going to miss an entry!”10 years later I got an iPhone and made a similar claim. And while all of these technological advancements certainly did make it easier for me to capture my time as an attorney, as my guest and I today discuss, all the systems and technology in the world can't help you if you don't stay consistent. Joining the show this week is Molly Kremer, a former litigator and certified life coach who is on a mission to help attorneys capture their time so they can recapture their love of practicing law. Now known simply as The Billing Coach, Molly has worked with hundreds of attorneys at every level and stage of their careers so they can free themselves from the billing traps they've unwittingly created. For any attorney who wishes they had a better relationship with the billable hour, this is a conversation you don't want to miss. Enjoy the show! 

The observation that, “justice is merely incidental to law and order” has been on my mind more often than not these past few months. Though possibly apocryphal, the quote is attributed to J. Edgar Hoover and – irony aside – is a solid piece of logic. As you may have guessed from the subject-line, today's episode is not going to be a jovial one. I also think it happens to be one of the most important we've ever recorded. And while the subject of immigration carries the weight of policy and politics, THIS conversation is about the laws that already exist – the same one's all attorneys are sworn to uphold. My guest this week is Astrid Munn, Lead Attorney for the Center of Immigration and Refugee Advancement.Her work centers around providing direct representation to clients who have survived violent crime, domestic violence, and severe forms of trafficking.Astrid and I discuss the consequences of cherry-picking language, the impact of the current legal climate on legal education, and why so often the important work goes unseen. Enjoy the show. __________________________Learn more about the Immigration Law & Justice Network

In its literal sense, the term ‘Servant Leadership' is a bit of an oxymoron. If you're the one in charge, shouldn't you be overseeing whatever ‘service' is being done by your team? But in the same way that Leadership is confused with the idea of Management, the word Servant in the term ‘Servant Leadership' often gets mistaken for the idea of Subordinance.  But as my guest today discusses, Servant Leadership is about more than being willing to jump in and help your team complete a mission when a situation goes sideways, it's about making sure they know you're doing everything you can to keep them out of that situation in the first place.Joining the podcast this week is Ben Morton, a sought-after leadership mentor, coach and bestselling author. A graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandurst, he served two tours in Iraq before going on to assume the Global Head of HR role at World Challenge, eventually joining the ranks at Tesco, helping to develop their Leadership Academy.But after moving from the battlefield to the boardroom, Ben began to notice how many programs relied on ‘tools' and models' that turned leadership into a numbers-game. Determined to make a change, in 2011 he founded Ben Morton Leadership under a singular principle: A leader exists to support, develop, and look after the people they have the privilege and responsibility to lead so that they can deliver the results for which the leader is accountable.We discuss why providing a sense of safety is at the core of leadership, why telling and teaching are two separate things, and why not all leadership lessons translate from the battlefield to the boardroom. Enjoy the show. 

As I get ready for trial this week, I don't think I could have asked for a better conversation to help remind me that creativity and consistency go hand-in-hand. As lawyers, it can be easy to rely on a strategy that's worked in the past, and in some ways it's necessary. But if there's anything standing in front of a jury will teach you, it's that having to adjust your message while maintaining the mission is a core part of what it means to be a leader.  My guest this week is Marty Strong. A combat veteran of the U.S. Navy SEAL Teams, he earned his graduate degree in Management from National University and would go on several VP roles as a financial advisor and is no stranger to Leadership. Over the course of his career, Marty has helped to build and lead multiple companies and is currently the CEO of Legacy Care which specializes in providing post-acute treatment to patients in need. A sought-after guest speaker and consultant, he is the author of the Amazon best-seller, Be Visionary: Strategic Leadership in the Age of Optimization, and the recently published Be Different: How Navy SEALs and Entrepreneurs, Bend, Break, or Ignore the Rules to Get Results.We discuss the differences between the academic leader and the practitioner leader, the value of reminding others of the potential you see in them, and why all of the practical training in the world can't help if someone doesn't understand their purpose. Enjoy the show!

When you make your living settling other people's disagreements, it can be easy to fall back on the skills and tools gained in that Professional environment when trying to resolve an argument that is Personal in nature. And like an almost comical right-of-passage, it's a mistake that EVERY lawyer makes at some point, typically early on in their career. The type of detached logic we use to navigate a problem is great for guaranteeing Justice, but it's also what makes it terrible for acknowledging (much less validating) the role emotions play in interpersonal relationships. And when your spouse, colleague, or friend suddenly feels like they're being cross-examined, it doesn't end well.Trust me. But as my guest this week discovered through his own journey, oftentimes the logic of relationships only breaks down because we're trying to solve for the wrong variables. And sometimes we're not even working on the same equation. Rod Jeter is a Navy veteran who found success in multiple careers including Real Estate and Software Engineering, but as he writes in his latest book, his personal life was on a downward slope. Not one to give up easily, Rod began working backwards to figure out why it seemed like even though two people had the exact same information AND knew each other well, they could come to such vastly different conclusions about something. This question would lead him to develop the YBAngry relationship tool with the goal of creating happier homes and helping as many people as possible solve conflicts and disagreements with less chaos and more fun.  On this week's episode of Legal Grounds, Rod shares his journey, insights learned from working with hundreds of couples, and a couple of laughs along the way. Enjoy the show. 

It's no secret in the legal community that a seasoned paralegal can outmatch most first-year lawyers.And probably second-year.And sometimes even... well, you get the point. Climbing the career ladder is far from uncommon in the Legal Profession, and when I think back on it, nearly every paralegal we've hired has had some prior job that was at least somewhat legally-adjacent. But what IS rare is for someone to do it all in one place. And when it does happen, you're almost certain to find that mentorship played the deciding factor. My guest this week is Shelly A. Walker, Director of Legal Administration at Posinelli. Prior to joining the management team, Shelly was a paralegal who specialized in Products Liability and Toxic Torts, but her journey began as docket-clerk who - as she puts it - found the right mentor at the right time. This is most certainly a conversation for the Leaders listening in this week, and my hope is that Shelly's story can serve as a reminder why making the time to teach others is a heck of a way to learn about ourselves. Enjoy the show. 

Stephen Jones is one of the most well-known trial attorneys currently practicing. With six decades of experience working some of the country's most high-profile Civil Rights cases, he would become a household name after accepting the position of representing Timothy McVeigh in the wake of the Oklahoma City Bombing. In this week's episode, Stephen was kind enough to join me for what I think is best described as a Craft-Conversation around the art of practicing law. So while we talk extensively about his time spent representing McVeigh, if you're looking for your ‘true-crime' fix, this isn't it. We discuss the importance of the Sixth Amendment as a buffer against vengeance, managing the emotional-toll that complex cases take on even the best attorneys, and the often unspoken balancing act between desire for swift justice and need for procedural patience. You don't have to be a lawyer to appreciate the wisdom shared in this episode. But for those who are in the legal profession, I think this is a rare opportunity to listen to, and hopefully learn from, someone who embodies what it means to practice the law in its purest form: absent of ego or prejudice. Enjoy the show. ________________SHOWNOTESBOOK: Other's Unknown by Stephen JonesOKLAHOMA HISTORICAL SOCIETY: Voices of Oklahoma Audio Interviews

Whenever a trial is notable enough to make the headlines, the initial verdict is often the only one that sticks in the public-consciousness. But when it comes to appeals, unless it's a particularly heinous criminal case, the process is rarely deemed newsworthy. I suspect there's a litany of reasons for this lack of coverage, though at the end of the day I think it comes down to the appeals process being both nuanced and - using the metrics of 24-hour news - excruciatingly slow. And while it's not always granted, the ability to appeal a verdict is still fundamental to our legal system because ultimately it allows the space for humility. A space to say, “I never considered _____”. A space to grow.In my estimation, being an appellate attorney is more akin to being a craftsman or artisan than any other field of practice. It also takes a level of patience and flexibility that many attorneys (myself included) don't revel in.My guest this week is one of these craftsmen.Todd Smith is the Founder and Principal of the Texas Appellate Counsel, which helps attorneys implement the tools of emerging technology thoughtfully, effectively, and ethically.Todd has devoted his career to appellate practice, starting more than 3 decades ago with a two-year judicial clerkship at the Texas Supreme Court, moving to private and solo practice throughout his career.Todd and I discuss his journey towards discoing a passion for appellate work, the lessons he's learned being on both sides of the leadership role, and how technology does and doesn't impact the ways law will be practiced in the years to come. Enjoy the show!  Listen to Legal Grounds wherever you get your Podcasts.

I think it's fair to say that oftentimes when we hear the word ‘Belief', we immediately associate it with something either Spiritual or Political – two of the three things my mother told me to never bring up in polite conversation. And yet, whether we recognize it or not, all of us are navigating through life by operating on a set of beliefs. Some of them are constant but many evolve, and some even drop away all together. As my guest this week explores in his latest book, we hold beliefs about things like relationships, family, and character that can make our lives richer, but can just as easily jade our view of others, ourselves, and the world writ-large. After coaching Division 1 football for nearly a decade, Jack W. Williams entered the business world holding leadership roles as Vice President and COO of a regional service firm followed by becoming a SVP in a Fortune 500 company. Since that time he has led several businesses and served on three Boards. In 1993 he formed the IDEALS Foundation which works with high school students in the area of leadership, role modeling and life / soft skills training. In 2008, Jack left his position as president of a regional company to devote full-time to his Foundation and his consulting business, the Timbridge Group, and most recently he's the author of “The Question: A Guide to Answering Life's Most Important Question.”It's a wonderful conversation about the power of understanding our core-beliefs, why you can't split your priorities in half, and the difference between Telling a person what to do and Teaching them what to do.Enjoy the show. _______________SHOWNOTES:Jack's Podcast - Knowledgecast Jack's Website & ContactPurchase Jack's Book

Addiction is one of those words that - whether consciously or unconsciously – causes most people to instantly conjure up a stock-image of a person at rock bottom due to drugs and alcohol. Now, as we've discussed in previous episodes with both experts & those who've experienced it first-hand, addiction is nearly always a symptom of something deeper. But one of the things that struck me in this week's conversation was that while as a society we're beginning to see through many of the cultural MYTHS we hold surrounding addiction, there may exist an even bigger problem: a fundamental understanding of what addiction actually is & how it can manifest itself in our lives. My guest this week is Michael Molthan, a former drug addict and alcoholic who has dedicated his life to helping others on their path to recovery on his daily talk show, M2 The Rock. Since 2017, Michael has been inspiring individuals to break free from life-shattering addictions and everyday obstacles, empowering them to embrace their true potential and live their best lives. A sought-after speaker, Michael also helps run the M2 organization, a nonprofit that helps connect those struggling with addiction to resources, including Certified Recovery Coaches, Information and referrals, scholarships for intensive outpatient programs, as well as other resources.We discuss why rock-bottom is often a plural, how finding freedom for ourselves can sometimes require freeing those around us, choosing true love as a form of tough love, and so much more. Enjoy the show.___________SHOWNOTESMichael's Instagram Michael's LinkedInMichael's Story (Video by IAMSECOND)

Creating legitimate points of access to justice is a cornerstone of our legal system.But when it comes to modern forms of abuse such as digital bullying or image-based sexual abuse, or even with children in the foster-care system, the path to justice is often retraumatizing, ill-equiped, or simply non-existent. My guest today is Allison Mahoney, the Founder and Managing Attorney of ALM Law, where she specializes in trauma-informed legal representation for survivors of abuse and children harmed in child welfare systems. With more than a decade of experience, Allison has built a distinguished career advocating for vulnerable children in foster care and those impacted by sexual abuse and domestic violence. Her work is defined by her deep commitment to securing justice for survivors.We discuss her early career and what drove her to pursue a line of work many of us would like to forget, why victim-blaming is so ingrained - even on a linguistic level, and what steps need to be taken to reform the system to serve the people who need it most. Enjoy the show. 

Even if they know the exact field of law they want to dive into after graduation, my guest today is a testament to why good mentors make sure young attorneys are forced to slow down and consider the larger picture. John Trimble has more than four decades of experience trying and mediating catastrophic, complex, and class action litigation in state and federal court, rightfully earning him a reputation as a major force in the Indiana legal community.As you'll hear in our conversation this week, John is passionate about helping the next generation of lawyers learn to ground themselves in the fundamentals, but the wisdom he has to share is valuable to attorneys at every level. We discuss the oft neglected business-side of the legal profession, why it's a good idea to make succession planning should be a part of the onboarding process, and how a reputation for civility and integrity is the best calling-card you'll ever have. Enjoy the show.

There are plenty of things about being an attorney that make it seem less than desirable as a potential career choice. The long hours are pretty much a given and there's a reason that most portrayals of lawyers include some allusion to titanic amounts of stress.But one thing that I would venture a guess most law students don't consider is how genuinely uncomfortable and awkward our profession can truly be. Unless you're devoid of empathy AND immune to first, second, or even third-hand embarrassment, the law of large numbers means you're going to find yourself in a scenario that feels like the worst episode of a sitcom you already didn't like. The importance of telling your client something they don't want to hear is nothing new, but as my guest today has seen in her decades of practice, when it comes to the complexity of the legal system it's generally the folks who THOUGHT they understood what was happening who end up taking the biggest emotional hit.Rachel A. King is an attorney in practicing in California, Arizona, Kentucky, and Texas.A veteran of the U.S. military Rachel served in the Army as a paralegal and Communication Specialist before earning her JD from Thomas Jefferson School of Law.As the founder of the King Law Firm, Rachel is Board Certified in the area of Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law, and is committed to the legal success of her clients and believes communication is essential for a successful attorney-client relationship. She not only proves this daily in her practice, but as the host of the Gavels Down, Voices Uppodcast which aims to demystify the legal system, and as the author of the forthcoming book, "Getting Divorced, Now What?", a guide which aims to be a compassionate, relatable roadmap for those who may not be able afford an attorney. We talk about everything from what it's like to grow up in a legal family, why a nontraditional route to law school is often more of an asset than a liability, and why –  no matter how much we may want it – as a boss, we eventually have to choose between being a leader and a friend. Enjoy the show.

If you've ever dabbled in the world of self-help, then you've probably heard something along the lines of,"saying Yes means saying No to something else".And while this is absolutely true, It also means the equation works in reverse. By saying No you leave room to say Yes to something else, or maybe even Find out what it is you want to say yes to in the first place.My guest this week is Corey Poirier, a sought after speaker and author of multiple books including his latest release, “The Enlightened Passenger". We discuss lessons from the book as well as from Corey's multiple Ted Talks, and have plenty of laughs along the way. From the rise of “infobesity” and how it crowds out wisdom, to why building a space-shuttle from scratch isn't as crazy as it sounds, there's a little something for everyone. Enjoy the show.SHOWNOTES_______________BLU TalksCorey's WebsiteLink to The Enlightened Passenger

Even though most of us no longer ride horses or mend our own clothes, the analogy of a task being, "like trying to find a needle in a haystack" has cemented itself as a timeless way to convey both difficulty and monotony. But as my guest today argues, if it's your efforts at Self-Improvement that have begun to feel like looking for a needle in a haystack, there's a good chance there's not a needle in the first place. Ryan Christensen is a veteran and author with more than two decades of expertise in intelligence operations and certifications in advanced hypnosis. He now works with high-achievers and neurodivergent professionals to shift their subconscious, helping them discover new working models of belief constructions.Ryan recently published “Winner Peace: How to End Inner Conflict and Make Success Inevitable”., and in it he pushes back against many of the assumptions we carry into our self-help journeys - some of which we've even talked about before on this very podcast. We discuss the myth that there is no finish line to improvement, what it means to feel like our emotions are happening TO us, and why so many of us fear the question, "Who am I?".Enjoy the show!Show-Notes____________________Ryan's YouTube Channel

This week we take a break from our normal conversations for the annual Christmas Light-Roast edition of the show. It seems like every year when I sit down to write these episodes I have the same thought: “What new is there possibly left to say about Christmas?”So instead of meditating on the day itself, for 2024 I decided to focus my thoughts towards the future -well, a very short distance into the future.The day after Christmas - at least in countries that don't celebrate Boxing Day - isn't widely discussed. But if you've ever woken up at 3am to put together a present or had to host a family dinner, then you know that no matter how well you plan, there's always that small voice of worry. But sometimes when your plans veer off course, you end up finding the destination you arrived at was more beautiful than you could have planned in the first place. So for this week's episode, hear how an unmade documentary, a controversial jazz album, and scheduling error led to the greatest Christmas special of all time, and why it still serves as a reminder that the simplest moments are the ones that truly make the season bright. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from everyone at Legal Grounds.-Mike

When discussing any task that was accomplishable but time-consuming, one of my old man's goto phrases was, “Hell, you can stand on your head and gargle peanut butter for (insert amount of time), so you better get to it.”It's a phrase my son's and I still use today, and while there is more jest than earnestness in its use, there are times in life - be they professional or personal - when we all have to gargle peanut butter.And while in most professions, and hopefully all relationships, the goal is to get to a point where this ISN'T the case, when someone decides to become a trial attorney they are signing up for a job that guarantees there will be times when work cannot be ‘balanced'. But as my guest and I discussed this week, just because we know we're going to have to “gargle peanut butter” at some point - say, when a major case goes to trial - that doesn't mean we have to treat everything that crosses our desk like it's a top-priority. As a former prosecutor and trial attorney whose firm just celebrated its 25th year in business, Mark Perkins shares how he had to learn these lessons the hard way. In his words, after powering through much of his career on adrenaline, he began to feel off. But the journey it would lead him on was filled with valuable lessons on kindness and the power of vulnerability when it comes to dealing with mental-health.It was a wonderful and story-filled conversation that, if anything, has plenty of laughs. As always, enjoy the show.

Walking away from this week's conversation I have a new theory:If time-machines existed, a lot of attorneys would still be trying their first case. We've talked before about how perfectionism runs deep in the legal profession, but the concept of Anxious Advocacy as a root cause for this trait is something I hadn't run across until preparing for this latest episode. It's also the reason for my time-machine theory. No matter if you win or lose, as a trial attorney, you are always doing a post-mortem on a case. Why didn't something work?What can be done better?What did we miss?And while those are valuable questions to ask, all attorneys, but especially young attorneys, can get so worried about what they might do wrong that they suddenly believe they can't do ANYTHING right.And while these are my words, not her's, I think Anxious Advocacy might best be described as a self-induced imposter syndrome. To talk about this and a whole lot more, I'm joined this week by Renée Pardo.A practicing attorney with over 25 years of trial experience in both the public and private sectors, she has been an Assistant District Attorney in both Texas and New York.And as of February 2024, she is also the founder of Renée Pardo Coaching which provides coaching for attorneys, particularly women, struggling with anxious advocacy, helping them to navigate new spaces and advocate for themselves.We talk about the challenges (both old and new) faced by women in the law, Renée's skeptical embrace of self-improvement models, and why lawyers in particular seem to fall for the illusion of control. Enjoy the Show

The line between zealous representation and being an obstinate ass is often said to be a fine-line to walk as attorneys. After all, if the OTHER side is playing hardball, the temptation to fight fire with MORE fire can almost seem like a responsibility. But as my guest today so eloquently puts it, “lawyers that fight over every issue do it because they don't know the issues that actually matter.”This week I was lucky to be joined by veteran trial attorney and founding partner of The Champion Firm, Darl Champion.Consistently recognized in the National Trial Lawyers ‘Top 100' in the State of Georgia, he has represented clients in every federal district court in Georgia, the Georgia Court of Appeals, Georgia Supreme Court, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and numerous state and superior courts throughout Georgia.In our conversation we discuss the slow erosion of civility on both sides of the docket, how lawyers of impact, be they defense or plaintiff, have more in common than not, and why more of us need to approach our cases with the mindset of problem solving, not winning.As always, enjoy the show. _________________SHOWNOTES:Mindset - Carol DweckThe Slight Edge - Jeff Olson

There are few things more stressful as a trial attorney than the jury selection process. Even if you're confident in your case, your arguments have been tested and refined, and every piece of evidence is on your side, picking jurors is a stark reminder that so much is out of your control. And because the ways in which all of us receive and retain information is changing, it's up to attorneys to adapt the ways in which they approach jurors.From the effects of polarization,the expectations around evidence, and generally shorter attention spans, there is so much to unpack about the way juries continue to evolve. Thankfully, I'm joined by Jury Consultant and Strategic Advisor, Dr. Christina Marinakis to help me do just that. With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Marinakis is the CEO and Founder of Immersion Legal which specialize in jury research, jury study, and applied practice in law and psychology.  Dr. Marinakis has assisted trial counsel with jury selection and daily trial monitoring across the country on some of the most substantial cases of our time, including her assistance to the prosecution with jury selection in State of Minnesota v. Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd.This is definitely a conversation for the trial attorneys out there, but anyone with a passing curiosity in jury-trials will enjoy this peek behind the curtain. Enjoy the show. 

Send us a textFor as ever present as it is, the Billable-Hour is still one of those topics on the Defense side of the Bar that is deemed somewhat taboo. Some of this, I believe, comes from a natural - though not at all helpful - competitive mentality. After all, the number of hours we bill is frequently worn as a ‘Badge of Honor', and so why would we want to “share our secrets”?But as my conversation today hopefully highlights, there is often a deeper set of reasons many Attorneys, myself included, come to loathe the billable-hour; the most treacherous of which is tying our INNER worth to our OUTER performance. This week I'm joined by Emily Logan Stedman, commercial-litigation Partner at Husch Blackwell. Most recently she is the creator and host of The Grace Period Podcast which aims to have honest conversations about striking a better balance, developing coping strategies, and destigmatizing mental health for stakeholders across the Legal Profession. Emily writes frequently and openly about her struggles and strategies when it comes to all-consuming billable-hour.Our conversation this week aims to leave listeners with new tools to tackle the worst part of being a Defense attorney, while also reminding them that they're not alone. Enjoy the show. 

Send us a textOf the many many books I used to read to my sons, there are only a few that I could confidently recall, but a family favorite was (and remains) “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.”No matter what age, it's good to be reminded that some days are just going to suck, and in a lot of cases - just like Alexander - these reasons are completely out of control. At the end of the book, Alexander is able to go to bed, reassured by his mother that everyone is allowed to have bad days. But whereas Alexander isn't going to have to face the same problems the next day, as attorneys we're often faced with the same set of problems day after day, case after case. To be fair, it's our job to solve problems, but when we're unable to separate our self-worth from work-product we're setting ourselves for a ride on the Doom-Loop.Matt Cianflone returns to the show this week to discuss his latest article, “Shattering the Doom Loop”, which explores the causes, symptoms, warning signs, and solutions for pulling out of a professional and personal nose-dives alike. We talk about how quickly the line from adversary to enemy can become blurred by miscommunication, why the ways we think about ‘winning' a case have become distorted, and how distanced-self-talk can help ground us in our lowest moments. 

Send us a textJokes about lawyers and technology are one of those things that tend to write themselves, but in my conversation this week with Karl Seelbach I walked away thinking about how the days of being a tech-averse profession may very well be coming to an end. A seasoned litigator, Karl is also the founder of SKRIBE AI, a software platform for capturing and analyzing legal testimony as an alternative to the traditional court reporting service. As someone who has taken more depositions than they could count, what Karl and his team are doing piqued my interest and I wanted to chat with him about how they're navigating new legal frontiers while also acknowledging the potential for disruption.We talk about everything from how low cost depositions can increase access the justice to what AI REALLY can and can't do.It was one of the most wide-ranging conversations we had so far on A.I., so give it a listen and enjoy the show. 

Send us a textWhen it comes to watching any sort of legal drama, be it television or film, most - if not all - of the scenes that take place inside the courtroom focus on either the lawyers, the judge, or the witness. But when it comes to the jury, we tend to only see them during opening or closing remarks, and even then they almost always act more as a set-piece than a character. Now occasionally you get the shot of a jury reacting to the most sensational part of a case, but for the most part they tend to fade into the background - both literally and figuratively. But as my guest today is wise to point out, when it comes to actually trying a case the jury is perhaps the most scrutinized corner of any courtroom, which is why the best lawyers learn to build a relationship with them. Similar to how a stage actor builds a rapport with their audience, as attorneys we too have to recognize that even when we're not speaking we can still be the center of someone's attention. Anne Redcross Beehler is a litigation attorney who represents corporate and individual clients in a wide range of matters across California and New York.With both civil and criminal experience under her belt, over the past decade Anne's practice has increasingly focused on the real estate industry where she has represented tenants, landlords, and everyone in betweenAnne is also a regular contributor to LAW360 and the Orange County Lawyer, and she has worked for the US Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York and clerked for the NY State Court of Appeals.This week she sits down to talk about bullying in the law, why sometimes being underestimated can be your best asset, and why My Cousin Vinny is the top legal film of all time.  __________________SHOWNOTESInformation on ALIGHT

Send us a Text Message.While I know there isn't any science to back it up, somewhere in my 30's I remember hearing the “Fact” that if you could do something for 30 days straight then - BOOM - it's a habit. A sort of accelerated version of ‘practice makes perfect'. In reality, it's often the spaces, people, and organizations we find ourselves immersed in that slowly but inevitably shape how we interact with the world.But as my guest this week reminds listeners, when leaders experience major transitions, we need to remember that a lot of what we've learned no longer works. Joe Bogdan is the outgoing Chief of Enlisted Force Development for the United States Air Force, and founder of Waypoint Front Solutions. After 24 years of service he is retiring in September of 2024, but true to form, this transition is one Joe has been planning for a long time. This week he sits down with Mike to discuss what it looks like to have to give up some of the leadership-tools you've perfected for ones you never had to consider, why we need to see the small transitions is practice for the larger ones, and the danger of losing ourselves to our accomplishments. ________________________SHOWNOTESContact JoeJoe's Reading List 

Send us a Text Message.One of the questions we ask every potential new hire at our firm is when your laundry comes out of the dryer, how long does it take you to put it away?There is no right or wrong answer to the question, but the responses - I hope - give me a sense of how someone will process new work when it comes their way. This gives not just me, but the whole team the benefit of knowing how to train and integrate this person into the way we do things. But perhaps more importantly, it's taught ME that there are a lot of different ways people choose to work towards the same goal. Some of the best lawyers I've worked with had offices that gave me anxiety - but there was a method to their madness, and the job got done.   And even though my guest this week is known as The Clutter Whisperer, she would be the first to tell you that what I saw as chaos, those attorneys saw as a necessity to do their jobs well. Star Hansen is a Certified Professional Organizer and the author of the best-selling and bluntly titled book, “Why the F***Am I Still Not Organized”.Since founding her own Professional Organizing Service in 2004, she has been on a mission to help people strip away the shame and negative stigma surrounding clutter in our modern lives. We discuss how clutter is almost always speaking to a deeper narrative in our lives and how it can offer a more gentle lesson in tackling bigger issues. And while we do talk about a couple of practical tools for keeping organized, as Star explains, dealing with clutter is way more than finding the perfect label maker. Enjoy the Show__________________SHOW NOTES:Free Digital Copy of "Why The F*** Am I Still Not Organized"Star's interview on NPR's LifeKitStar's instructions on How to Fold a Fitted Sheet - you laugh, but give it 2 minutes.

Send us a Text Message.This week's episode is a conversation about what it takes to keep having tough conversations. What was once the poster-child for corporate and social responsibility, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts are now either underfunded, swept away quietly, or, in some corners, vilified.  We've talked at length on this podcast about the power of diverse teams, but they don't happen by accident, and they certainly don't happen without a difficult conversation or two. That's why I felt lucky to be joined this week by Denise Hamilton, a nationally recognized Diversity & Inclusion leader, specializing in Ally training.Denise is the author of the best-selling book, "Indivisible: How to Forge Our Differences into a Stronger Future" as well as the Founder and CEO of WatchHerWork, a digital learning platform for professional women.In our conversation this week, we discussed why story is the gateway to empathy, explored what happens when we 'switch the nouns', and even managed to get in a few laughs. Enjoy the show. 

Fear of flying is one of the most common phobias in the U.S., but my guest today knew he wanted to spend his life in the air the moment his dad let him climb into a cockpit. But, a fear of heights and claustrophobia are probably the last two things you'd want if your dream was to become a fighter-pilot.And yet my guest today endured both while doing what he loved and teaching others to do the same. Waldo Waldman flew F-16s as an instructor, and in combat, serving in  the United States Air Force for more than two decades, and his story is proof that passion can be made greater than fear when communication and community are at the core of what you're doing. Now a NYT bestselling author and National Speakers Hall of Fame inductee, he sits down to share stories from his life and lessons from his book, Never Fly Solo, in this week's episode of Legal Grounds. We discuss the myth of the Maverick - both in the air and in the board-room, the need for leaders to take the time to learn about their team, and why your backup plan really should have a backup plan. Enjoy the show!SHOWNOTES:Waldo's NYT Bestseller - "Never Fly Solo" Yourwingman.comContact Waldo at: info@yourwingman.com

One of, if not THE most insidious aspects of depression is how it convinces you that reaching out for help is a fool's errand. The stories we tell ourselves in those moments are often as dark as they are wrong, but thankfully very few of us will have to wrestle with these kinds of demons in full view of the public. My guest today, however, did not have that luxury. Susan Hawk has spent her career as a Dallas County Prosecutor, District Attorney and State District Court Judge who presided over and disposed of more than 25,000 felony cases. In 2015 she became the first elected female District Attorney in Dallas County history, a position she had dreamed of since her time as a young prosecutor. 20 Months later she would step away from that role as her own struggles with mental health came to a breaking point. Susan has since returned to private practice, specializing in representing defendants struggling with mental health issues, helping them find a path to the treatment they need instead of being warehoused in the penitentiary.On today's episode she shares candidly about her own naivety when it came to being everything for everyone, what it was like to struggle in the spotlight, and why the journey towards healing is never over, it just gets easier. Susan's vulnerability is truly inspiring and one I think all of us can learn from. Enjoy the show. SHOWNOTES_________________Susan's Website

If I had to boil down this week's episode to one word it would be Control. Like we talked about in last week's episode, when it comes to mediators, too often the job is perceived as “controlling” two diametrically opposed parties; the idea being that in choosing what information to share and how to share it, mediators hold all the cards. And while I think we debunked this notion fairly thoroughly, this week I talked with veteran Mediator turned Marketing Consultant, Natalie Armstrong-Motin, about how ADR professionals not only have a duty to dispel this myth, but that doing so is vital to growing one's reputation and ultimately, business. As the Founder and Managing Director of Marketing Resolution and the author of “The Essential Guide to Marketing Your ADR Practice”, Natalie is recognized as a pioneer and global leader in successful marketing strategies involving the resolution and legal industry. Her company has designed and developed hundreds of campaigns for private practices, firms, educational institutions, authors, organizations and associations around the world. From a humorous interaction with a Judge at a young age, to starting her first marketing newsletters on floppy discs, Natalie's depth of knowledge made for a wonderful conversation with a light-hearted ending. Enjoy the show!

The obligation that attorneys have to zealously represent their clients is, as my guest today puts it, “like walking a razor's edge between perfection and disaster.”For the first 15 years of his career it was a job that Jeff Kichaven excelled at, but as he himself admits in our conversation today, it is incredibly taxing.After discovering his passion lay in the negotiations of his own cases, Jeff has since become one of the most sought after mediators in the country.We discussed topics ranging from the misperceptions of mediators as advocates to the complicated nature of confidentiality versus deception.I would consider this week's episode required listening for any attorney no matter which side of the bar you find yourself on.Enjoy the show!SHOWNOTES: Articles authored by JeffContact Jeff: Email: jk@jeffkichaven.comPhone: 888-425-2520

While both are unavoidable, when it comes to Death and Taxes a majority of us never have to navigate bureaucracies when it comes to the former. For me, Capital Punishment has always been an interesting choice of language in that it implies that the act of dying is a punishment in & of itself; “capital” simply acts as a modifier for how and by whom this “punishment” is dispensed. Now, when thinking about these things, I would be remiss to point out that I have the luxury of doing so in the hypothetical or philosophical sense. But for my guest today, wrestling with death has been a tangible experience. One that, as I hope our conversation today reminds listeners, manifests itself in emotional, physical, and social pain. Before becoming a journalist, Sophia Laurenzi worked alongside death-row inmates in the states of Louisiana and Tennessee. As a capital defense investigator she strived to bring her clients into their legal process so she could, as she wrote in one of her many articles, “ensure they received a meaningful, through defense they were constitutionally entitled to. Now as a journalist, Sophia's work covers grief, criminal justice, and mental health, all of which are realms she has inhabited not just in her professional life, but her personal one as well. It is a wide-ranging conversation that felt, for me, both illuminating and necessary. Hopefully you'll feel the same. Enjoy the show.SHOWNOTES: Sophia's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophia_laurenzi/Sophia's Website: https://www.sophialaurenzi.com/Sophia's Book Recommendation: Why Fish Don't Exist - by Lulu Miller

This week my guest is author, coach, and corporate veteran, Sherry Buckley-Brown.Having just released her memoir, "Who Will Take Care of Me Now", Sherry and I discuss the tragic loss of her mother, the beautiful relationship she developed with her grandmother, and the ups and downs in between. After earning an MBA and working in leadership roles at IBM, Bank of America, and HCSC, Sherry came to the realization that what she enjoyed most about every job she held was working WITH people. Presented with every opportunity to be cynical, Sherry has written beautifully about her struggles and shares with us not only the lessons she's learned, but the wrongs she learned to forgive. It was a wonderful conversation, and I even promise we end with a story that will make you smile. Enjoy the show.

My guest today has been preaching  about the potential power of tech in the legal sphere since the earliest days of social media. Nicole Black began her legal career as a Public Defender, conducting countless hearings, jury trials, bench trials, and depositions, in matters both civil and criminal.But in 2008 she began covering the intersection of technology and law as a journalist for publications like The American Bar Association, Above the Law, and The Daily Record.In 2012  she joined MyCase, a legal software case management system, where she serves as a Subject Matter Expert and Educator, and in that time has become a self-proclaimed Legal Technology Evangelist.I was able to hear Nicole speak earlier this year, and by the time she'd finished her talk she'd convinced even me to give a ChatGPT subscription a shot. But our conversation this week deals with far more than the productivity promises of A.I.. Nicole and I discuss whether our own biases  to these new technologies can exacerbate current legal disparities, how generative A.I. could help you build better human relationships, and why you should praise our future robot overlords... just in case. Enjoy the show. 

In 2021, the Bloomberg Law Survey reached a sobering milestone. For the first time, attorneys reported feeling stressed about their workload more than HALF of the time. Setting aside the very serious and very real consequences to one's health, when your profession is one that bills by the hour, spending half of that time in “damage-control” mode is less than optimal. But as my guest, Courtney Redman, points out, what's more troubling is that while many of these attorneys know this isn't sustainable, they can't seem to point to one specific thing, task, or procedure that's holding them back. With more than a decade of experience in nearly every support role a law firm can have, Courtney came to learn that oftentimes the “thing” that needs to be fixed is how THINGS get done in the first place. This realization, coupled with a desire to help and coordinate at multiple levels, led her to found Legacy Contracts, a full-service administrative organization that works with medium and large firms on everything from Case Management and Workflow to Invoicing, Billing, and Process Implementation. This week's conversation is definitely one for the organization and systems nerds out there, but I would encourage lawyers and leaders at every stage to listen, if only to gain an understanding of how vital this unseen work is.Enjoy the show!

If you've ever found yourself pulling into your driveway only to realize you meant to stop at the grocery store on the way home, you know how easy it is for the brain to run on autopilotAnd while forgetting you needed to pick-up a couple of ingredients for dinner is always a bummer, when leaders find themselves running on autopilot, there's suddenly a lot more at stake… and for A LOT of other people as well. We talk plenty on this podcast about the less-admirable traits of leadership and how to go about changing them for the better. But my guest today, Dr. Eugene K. Choi, decided to take it a step further. Instead of simply asking, “how can I fix or improve these areas I clearly need to work on?”, he also asked, “where do these habits even come from in the first place?”Dr. Choi is a clinical pharmacist, certified consultant for Neuro Change Solutions, and the founder of Destiny Hacks, a coaching program that focuses on the science of change. Now a transformational Mindset Coach on a mission to transform leaders, businesses, and communities, Dr. Choi has become a prolific writer and thought-leader whose articles have garnered over 8 million readers and his videos and short-films have amassed more than 23 million views. From learning that sometimes working towards an accomplishment is actually driven by our “Fight” response to understanding that being good at planning is widely different from executing said plan, we dive into the psychology and physiology of how habits can make or break leaders, and in turn, how leaders can break the habits. Enjoy the show!SHOW NOTES-------------------Dr. Choi's NeuroHacking Podcast

This week we welcome Serban Mare back to the program. Last time we spoke, Serban and I discussed his life story and really focused on how trust is the foundation to any working relationship. But what listeners didn't know was that we had an entire section of the interview that we simply ran out of time on. And - perhaps ironically - that subject was Burnout. So today we pick up where we left off, discussing the different kinds of ‘burnout' and the ways they can manifest themselves, why the pursuit of efficiency is harming business, and why the best leaders put themselves in a place to work ON their business not IN their business. It was a lively conversation full of laughter and a couple of soap-box-moments, so I hope you'll give it a listen. Enjoy the show!____________________SHOWNOTES:The Monkey Business Illusion Video

My guest this week is Dave Obrand, a fellow attorney and Deputy County Counsel out of Orange County. What attracted me to Dave was not simply the work he does helping to reunite families, but the story of his OWN family and the power to grow through grief. While not giving away the entire episode, after graduating from law school, Dave's life took a very sudden and very unexpected turn when his father fell ill. The conversation this week was free-wheeling, but in the end I found it to be a meditation on the power of mentorship, both the intentional and the unknown. We also discuss the reasons Dave was drawn to public service, what advice he'd give to young lawyers, and why the best leaders never say, “do this FOR me,” but instead ask, “how do WE do this?”Enjoy the show. SHOWNOTES:Dave Obrand for California State Assembly

For this week's episode I was lucky enough to sit down with the Assistant Managing Editor of the ABA Journal, Victor Li, for one of the most wide-ranging discussions on the law we've had on this show in a while. As a writer focusing on Legal Technology and the Business of Law, it was a great chance to get the pulse of what's happening at the forefront of the legal profession. We discuss how A.I. is helping lawyers while also unpacking why no amount of computing power can take away the responsibilities we have as attorneys. I was also fascinated by how Victor sees law schools adapting to new technology and enjoyed exploring the difference between having access to knowledge versus knowing how to apply it. We also talk about bullying in the law, how entertainment has shaped the practice of law, and even Richard Nixon makes a brief appearance. Enjoy the Show. SHOWNOTES:Nixon in New York: How Wall Street Helped Richard Nixon Win the White Houseby Victor LiVictor's Recommendations: Master of the Senate by Robert CaroDave Barry's Book of Bad Songs by Dave Barry

Twelve Wooden Stirring Spoons. Twelve. That's the number Liz and I unearthed the first time we decided to give Minimalism a try. We had both just read the book, “The More of Less” written by my guest today, Joshua Becker, founder of Becoming Minimalist.The book explained how Minimalism wasn't just a novel series of systems or routines to apply to your life, it was about a philosophy, a way of interacting with and moving through the world. As Josh puts it, “Minimalism is about the intentional promotion of the things we value most.”Our conversation this week explores the misconceptions surrounding Minimalism, the way Minimalism can impact and improve our relationships, and perhaps my favorite topic - how organization tricks us into thinking we have less, and why the more we have the harder it is to truly value it allEnjoy the ShowSHOWNOTES:Find All of Josh's Books HEREJosh's Recommendation: The Magic of Big Thinking by David Schwarts

In last week's episode we looked back on the “standard practices” that the pandemic shifted from in-person to virtual spaces.So for this week's episode it only seems appropriate that we look forward with someone who has been moving the practice of law away from brick-and-mortar operations since before the pandemic forced our collective hands. Sam Mollaei has been practicing law for over a decade, and in that time has helped found, guide, or grow multiple law-firms by leveraging technology to make it easier for clients to find lawyers and vice versa. The founder of My Legal Academy, he has helped thousands of attorneys by incorporating A.I., Software as a Service, and funneling strategies into their business. Sam is a  Amazon Bestselling author of Virtual Law-Firm Secrets: How to Run Your Law Firm so it Doesn't Run You and appears frequently on podcasts across the entrepreneur and legal ecosphere. We discuss how lawyers are learning to incorporate A.I. into their business, why being good at managing a law firm is wildly different from being a good lawyer, as well as how leaders can use tools like ChatGPT to help find and grow their strengths.It was a fascinating conversation and a look into the future of law through a lens I hadn't considered until now. Enjoy the show.

For this week's episode I had the absolute pleasure of talking with veteran attorney, now full-time mediator, Jean Lawler.Mediation now makes up around 30% of my practice, and as you'll be able to tell from today's conversation, it's something I've truly come to love. What really broke open this week's conversation for me was Jean's observation that in a world where conflict is prevalent, the tools of dispute resolution are about so much more than working out the technicalities. They are about learning to recognize others. A set of skills we ALL need to acquire for the betterment of ourselves and those around us. Jean and I discuss this idea in detail, as well as how the landscape has changed since we both began practicing and what the switch from in-person to virtual meetings has done to mediations and the practice of law at-large.Oh, and in a first-ever, we made a Top 10 list ~ live with no rehearsal.And so for this episode, Jean and I come up with the 10 things every attorney can do to get the best out of their next mediation. It was a great conversation and I can't thank her enough.Enjoy the show! SHOWNOTES:Lawler Alternative Dispute Resolution

As we start off the new year, there's a good chance you've chosen one or two areas of life that you'd like to work on “changing” for the better. While it's no secret that we at Legal Grounds are big fans of self-improvement, I think there is a real danger in ALWAYS moving forward.As anyone who has done Deep Work can tell you, it's exhausting. And while it's worth the effort, it's also not a state that one can maintain for infinite periods of time. Or, rather, you CAN maintain it, but all of the energy you might use for building and nurturing the relationships outside of yourself is going to be gone. So for this episode I want to talk about why it may be time to actually look backwards this year, so that we can move forward with intention. I hope y'all had a Happy New Year and we'll be back next week with a new episode.

As the end of 2023 draws closer, there is a good chance that if you're reading this you're already starting to think about what changes you want to make in the new year.For most of us it will be something meaningful but probably not always something major - after all, nearly all research points to the fact that making a drastic change overnight is rarely sustainable.But what if you are feeling like maybe you're stuck? Like the career path you've chosen, while rewarding, no longer holds your attention in the way it used to?Now there are certain professions that we associate with marketable, versatile skills, and a lot of these usually fall into the creative realm. So it's no surprise that when a lawyer thinks about changing careers, not only can it feel like they're throwing away an education, it can feel like they're throwing out an identity.My guest has struggled with these feelings since the minute she walked out of taking the bar exam. Alexandra Macey Davis is the managing editor of “Public Discourse,” the online policy journal of the The Witherspoon Institute whose mission is to enhance public understanding of the moral foundations of free societies.But before that, she was the founder of Davis Legal Media, a company that specialized in working with those in the legal fields on marketing, ghostwriting, and major content. And before THAT, she was a practicing attorney, specializing in business litigation and personal injury. In this week's episode, Alex and I talk about what options attorneys have when it comes to stepping back from the practice of law, which also happens to be the subject of her latest book, Pivot: The Non-Traditional J.D. Handbook. And while the conversation centers around the legal profession, there's plenty to take away no matter what your line of work, including discussions on procrasti-planning, the sunk cost fallacy, and so much more. It was a great conversation to close out the year and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. We'll be back next week with our annual New Year's Lightroast. 

As we come up on the Holidays, there's a good chance you're scrambling for at least one last-minute gift. It's such a cliche that it's become a comedic trope, but behind the joke is the very heartfelt fact that we don't want others to feel left out. But instead of thinking about the things we get from others, I want to reflect on what we can give ourselves when we decide, not to add, but to SUBTRACT from our lives. So for this week's episode, let's talk about the art of letting go. Happy Holidays and enjoy the show.

When it comes to any sort of formal training, it's easy for leaders to lose sight of the fact that there is an unavoidable power dynamic.And as the person who ‘knows' what they're doing, having to correct or explain what seems obvious is a recipe for frustration - no matter how good the leader. But while getting frustrated is a natural emotion, for leaders there is the added complication of turning that difficult moment into a teachable one.Or at least, that should be the goal Unfortunately, when that power dynamic is forgotten, some observation or suggestion the leader may intend to be constructive can come off as judgment.Now there are plenty of practical things we as leaders can do to make sure we're helping people fail-forward, many of which we've talked about on this podcast.Things like using an appropriate tone of voice, asking questions instead of declaring our opinions as fact, and of course, putting ourselves in the other person's shoes. But as my guest today so wisely points out, when it comes to criticism versus judgment, oftentimes the only thing separating the two is Trust. Does the person receiving the advice trust that it's coming from someone who wants them to succeed? And vice versa, does the person giving the advice trust that the person receiving it is in fact doing their best?This is one of the many topics we tackle with this week's guest. Serban Mare is an Engineering Program Manager with 18 years of experience leading cross-functional teams in the semiconductor industry through multimillion-dollar projects. He came to the United States from Romania at the age of 23 with $200 and within 10 years he had the red-brick house, a job he enjoyed, and a wife he loves. But despite achieving the “American Dream,” Serban realized he craved deeper meaning and fulfillment. Today we'll discuss that journey; one which has led Serban to become a Professional Speaker, Certified CBT Practitioner, frequent podcast guest, and Life Coach who believes in continuously refining his communication and leadership skills to connect with diverse audiences effectively.Enjoy the Show! 

We talk a lot on the show about the risks we have to take if we want to develop ourselves both professionally and personally. We use phrases like "taking a leap of faith" or "hit the ground running" to describe the uncertainty and urgency that comes with those risks, but for most of us they don't carry any actual physical danger.Now sure, you may have been on a retreat where you participated in something like a trust-fall. But my guest today has a unique insight into the teamwork and preparation needed to take EXTREME risks. Like lighting-someone-on-fire-and-pushing-them-off-a-building risks. Bunny Young is a former stuntwoman turned serial entrepreneur and the founder of A Better Place Consulting.She earned her Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology and has gone on to help clients of every size or level tackle dissatisfaction by creating the spaces needed for positive change.A Licensed Professional Counselor, Bunny is now a business coach and retreat facilitator whose clients include Fortune 50 companies and C-suite leaders.This is one of those conversations that I never could have planned and included meditations on the nature of work, leadership, and parenthood. At the end of the day, I would say this conversation is about how leaving a legacy involves building a much different kind of capital than you might think.Enjoy the show. 

If you're a regular consumer of podcasts, chances are at least one show in your feed has an episode this week centered around "surviving the holidays". And while I know that people lead complex lives, in all of my experiences, a lot of the stress and 'pain' associated with big gatherings like Thanksgiving is for the most part self-inflicted. So for this Thanksgiving episode I want to share with listeners the biggest lessons I learned during my annual 8-Day silent retreat.My hope is that maybe it can help reframe those frustrations so that your holidays are something to look forward to, not something to endure. Have a Happy Thanksgiving y'all.Enjoy the Show