Podcasts about Legal practice

John is joined again by producer Alexis Hyde for a second mailbag episode of Law Disrupted.  In it, John responds to questions submitted by listeners rather than conducting a traditional interview.  Topics include the future demand for lawyers, artificial intelligence, international legal practice, career development, and the experiences that shape effective litigators.Despite AI's growing ability to draft documents, analyze discovery, and perform other legal tasks, John expects the number of lawyers to increase over the next three years.  Although AI might someday reduce human involvement in less complex legal fields, demand for junior lawyers has not yet declined at sophisticated litigation firms.  At the highest levels of the profession, highly skilled lawyers remain essential.A law firm founded today should integrate an AI platform throughout its practice, with lawyers trained to become sophisticated users.  Because existing legal technology does not always fit specialized litigation workflows, firms have an incentive to develop proprietary systems tailored to their work. Geopolitical tensions have also transformed international legal practice.  Work in China has moved away from advising Western companies investing there and toward representing Chinese companies in disputes around the world.  As the domestic Chinese economy has faced challenges, Chinese companies have increasingly looked outside China for growth.  And, as Chinese companies expand their operations internationally, they encounter the same contractual, regulatory, and intellectual-property disputes faced by other global companies.  Meanwhile, India and Japan have become attracted extensive private-equity investments, driven respectively by economic growth in the case of India and undervalued assets in Japan.  To be successful, a young lawyer does not need a single defining mentor.  Young lawyers learn by observing talented colleagues and adversaries and by doing the work themselves.  Remaining focused and competitive is key to a highly successful career.  Litigation is an especially exciting field for young attorneys because every case requires learning new industries, facts, personalities, and legal issues. John has had a wide variety of experiences outside practicing law, including competing in the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii multiple times, owning a Michelin star restaurant and a museum, collecting art, and creating an artist residency program.  Experiences from these activities have strengthened his litigation skills by expanding his knowledge, ability to develop effective analogies and metaphors, and connect with people.  Finally, settlement decisions often reflect considerations beyond legal merits.  Reputational damage, adverse publicity, embarrassing disclosures, and the possibility that serious allegations will receive attention even if later dismissed can create substantial leverage and motivate parties to resolve otherwise defensible claims. Podcast Link: Law-disrupted.fmHost: John B. QuinnProducer: Alexis HydeMusic and Editing by: Alexander Rossi

Pema Sherpa is a mindfulness researcher and keynote speaker who helps organizations boost employee well-being and performance. Born and raised in Nepal, she studied the mind-body relationship at Harvard University and teaches mindfulness in a way that's both philosophically grounded and useful for people in demanding careers. She co-authored The Daily Buddhist with her husband, pairing short, daily teachings with practical, modern application. Presented by the City Bar's Mindfulness & Well-Being in Law Committee, Pema talks with committee members Katiuska Moure and Nancy Batterman about her upbringing, her path into mindfulness research, and some practical keys lawyers and law students can use to build healthier daily habits even before they're ready to meditate. Selected Links from the Episode: The Daily Buddhist (book): https://thedailybuddhist.net/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daily.buddhist/ 00:00 Introduction 02:02 Pema's Journey 06:28 Harvard and Career Pivot 08:54 Immigrant Law Student Challenges 12:38 Tools for Students 16:44 Bringing Resilience into Legal Practice 20:09 Body Basics and the Nervous System 24:30 "Work With What You Have" 30:21 Meditation Isn't the Entry Point 33:28 Daily Buddhist Resources 39:44 Closing Thoughts and Committee Resources

About River Shannon River Shannon is a lawyer, a Soto Zen priest, and a deeply committed member of the queer and trans community she serves. River is the Manager of Legal Services at QMUNITY, where she provides legal support to queer, trans, and Two-Spirit people across British Columbia. QMUNITY's Legal Clinic offers free, low-barrier legal services and support around issues including human rights, employment, housing and tenancy, family law, name changes, and gender-marker changes. But River's work is about much more than the law. As a trans lawyer serving her own community, she understands something that can be difficult to capture in a legal file: what it means to enter a legal system carrying your identity, your history, your vulnerability, and sometimes your fear of being misunderstood. Her work creates a different possibility—one in which legal advocacy can also be an act of recognition, dignity, relationship, and care. River is also a Soto Zen priest in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi. She received priest ordination in October 2023 from Myoshin Kate McCandless, a guiding teacher of Mountain Rain Zen Community in Vancouver. Her writing explores the intersection of Zen practice, transition, identity, impermanence, compassion, and what it means to live as a whole person. That combination of lawyer, trans woman, community advocate, and Zen practitioner makes River's perspective particularly powerful. There is a thread running through all of this work: how do we meet people where they are, with compassion, and help create the conditions for them to become more fully themselves? In this conversation, we talk about law and community, trans identity and belonging, the importance of being seen by the people who serve us, and what it means to practice law with humility, care, compassion, and love. River's work reminds us that legal practice does not have to be separate from humanity. Sometimes, the most transformative legal work begins simply with saying: I see you. I understand you. You don't have to go through this on your own.  About QMUNITY's Legal Clinic QMUNITY's Legal Clinic provides free, low-barrier legal services to 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals and families throughout British Columbia. The clinic offers consultations, referrals, and limited representation in areas including: Human rights Employment Tenancy and housing Family law Name changes and gender-marker updates Other legal issues affecting queer, trans, and Two-Spirit communities QMUNITY also offers Trans ID Clinics to support people navigating legal name changes and gender-marker changes. Learn more: QMUNITY Legal Clinic QMUNITY: QMUNITY — Queer, Trans and Two-Spirit Resource Centre Why this work matters Trans and gender-diverse people continue to experience significant legal and social inequities in Canada. The 2021 Canadian Census was the first national census to collect gender identity separately from sex assigned at birth. Among people aged 15 and older living in private households, 100,815 people identified as transgender or non-binary—about 0.33% of the population. Statistics Canada and the federal government note that this may be an underestimate because some people may not have felt comfortable disclosing their gender identity. (Canada) Legal problems are also disproportionately common. A Canadian Justice Department review of research on trans people's legal needs found that 71% of trans respondents in one Ontario study had experienced at least one legal problem in the previous three years, compared with 48% of the general population. These problems included discrimination, employment, housing, healthcare, police interactions, family matters, immigration, and other areas of law. (Ministère de la Justice) And while Canada has made important legal advances—including explicit human-rights protections based on gender identity—legal protection does not necessarily mean equal access to justice or equal treatment within legal systems. (Canada) Further resources QMUNITY Legal Clinic Free, low-barrier legal support for 2SLGBTQIA+ people in British Columbia.Visit the QMUNITY Legal Clinic QMUNITY Programs & Services Information about QMUNITY's broader community, counselling, peer-support, youth, seniors, and legal programs.Explore QMUNITY's programs and services Government of Canada — Facts, Stats and Impact: 2SLGBTQI+ Communities Current Canadian statistics and information about stigma, discrimination, and the 2SLGBTQI+ population.Read the Government of Canada's 2SLGBTQI+ facts and statistics Statistics Canada — Socioeconomic Outcomes of Transgender and Non-Binary People in Canada Research examining income, poverty, employment, and other socioeconomic inequities experienced by trans and non-binary people.Read the Statistics Canada report Department of Justice Canada — Legal Problems Experienced by Trans People Research into the legal problems trans people experience and barriers to accessing justice.Read the Justice Canada research A final thought River's work raises an important question for all of us working in law: What would happen if we understood legal practice not simply as a profession, but as a relationship of care and responsibility to the communities we serve? You can learn more about Myrna and her work at: www.myrnamccallum.ca

In this episode April Miller Boise, with stints as Chief Legal Officer at Intel and managing partner at Thompson Hine, shares insights from her career. The conversation explores the shifting dynamics between corporate legal departments and outside counsel and the necessity of embracing legal technology. April also provides advice for junior lawyers on developing long-term expertise and trusted relationships in an AI-driven environment. Things we Talk About in this Episode Career progression: From Wall Street M&A partner and law firm managing partner to Chief Legal Officer. The fundamental differences between driving P&L at a law firm versus serving on an executive leadership team in-house. Addressing the widening gap between corporate expectations and traditional law firm service delivery models. Experience navigating global manufacturing, innovation, and supply chain transformations at Eaton and Intel. Practical approaches to generative and agentic AI adoption in legal departments and outside counsel. Key attributes for modern legal talent: Intellectual curiosity, agility, and comfort with calculated risks. Career advice for young lawyers: Balancing AI efficiency tools with the 10,000-hour principle of skill-building. Why historical legal tech struggled to scale and how current enterprise AI investments are fundamentally altering the legal landscape.

Summary Kara Maciel always knew she wanted to be a lawyer, and a high school trip to Washington, DC sealed the deal. What she didn't plan for was building her own firm. In this episode, the Conn, Maciel & Carey co-founder talks with Kathryn Rubino about the years she spent paying off law school loans early to buy herself flexibility, and how that discipline let her take a real risk later: leaving a comfortable partnership to start something new. The decision crystallized during back-to-back parental leaves, when Kara and her future co-founder each returned from leave with the same idea. Twelve years later, the firm has offices across the country, and Kara talks through what she wishes she'd known about the business side of running a firm, how she's used technology to standardize billing across offices, and why she believes boutique practice offers something Big Law structurally can't. Key Takeaways Paying down law school loans aggressively in your early career years buys flexibility later, not just debt relief. Opening a firm requires business skills most lawyers never learn in practice; hire for that gap or plan to learn it fast. Complementary practice areas and complementary skill sets among co-founders matter as much as shared values. Firm growth can be organic and still be strategic: expand where clients and trusted partners already are. Boutique firms compete on relationship and rate transparency, not just lower prices. Links and Resources [Above the Law](https://abovethelaw.com/) [The Jabot Podcast](https://abovethelaw.com/tag/the-jabot-podcast/) Keywords boutique law firm, starting a law firm, employment law, labor law, law firm founder, women law firm owners, legal entrepreneurship, law school loans, law firm culture, law firm growth, big law versus boutique, workplace safety law, law firm billing, legal technology, AI in law firms, law firm partnership, career advice for lawyers, women in law, Above the Law, The Jabot Podcast Episode Highlights [00:01:15 - 00:02:00] Kara traces her decision to become a lawyer back to a high school trip to Washington, DC. [00:04:15 - 00:05:00] Why she saved aggressively in her first years of practice instead of spending like a typical young associate. [00:08:00 - 00:09:30] The maternity leave story behind founding Conn, Maciel & Carey. [00:10:30 - 00:11:30] "You're a lawyer, you know how to make rain, but you don't know how to run a business." [00:13:15 - 00:14:45] How the firm's California and Midwest offices came together through existing relationships, not a strategic plan. [00:17:00 - 00:18:30] Why the firm runs a deliberately long hiring process to protect its culture. [00:19:15 - 00:20:15] What boutique practice offers that Big Law structurally can't: rate control and direct client relationships. [00:21:00 - 00:22:00] How the firm is using AI to standardize timekeeping and billing across offices.

Bongani Bingwa speaks to Ignatius Briel, Director of the Legal Practice Council's Provincial Office, to clarify Advocate Malesela Teffo's legal status, whether he is allowed to practise, and what the process for readmission to the profession actually involves. 702 Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa is broadcast on 702, a Johannesburg based talk radio station. Bongani makes sense of the news, interviews the key newsmakers of the day, and holds those in power to account on your behalf. The team bring you all you need to know to start your day Thank you for listening to a podcast from 702 Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 06:00 and 09:00 (SA Time) to Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa broadcast on 702: https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/36edSLV or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/zEcM35T Subscribe to the 702 Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio7See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest Franz Borghardt 1,700+ Hallucination Incidents: Since ChatGPT's 2022 debut, courts worldwide have flagged over 1,700 cases of hallucinated content appearing in legal briefs, getting attorneys sanctioned or disciplined. More than lawyers judges use AI as well AI Already in Legal Research: Westlaw and LexisNexis already sell AI-powered research tools with built-in verification, unlike ChatGPT, which can fabricate entire fake cases with realistic facts and analysis. Using AI instead of humans for jurors Verification Is the Line: Borghardt argues using AI is fine if you verify its output against known real cases; the danger is trusting AI-generated citations with zero independent research. Could AI "Be" a Justice?: The hosts debate whether AI could replicate a justice like Ginsburg or Scalia using their full body of writings, though novel technology cases remain a challenge. Predictive Litigation Software: The group floats a subscription tool that predicts Supreme Court questioning and rulings using sitting justices' case history, calling it a coming financial opportunity.

Law professor Julian Nyarko has drawn attention for his studies using large language models to investigate and improve legal education and explore AI's biases. He hopes AI can become a reliable, always-on legal learning and assistance tool to lower costs and expand access to legal services. In one recent study, he asked a group of law professors to evaluate written answers to student questions. Three-quarters of the time, the professors preferred AI-generated answers to those of their human colleagues. “AI is good at law,” Nyarko says, the challenge now is to use it most effectively, he tells host Russ Altman in this episode of Stanford Engineering's The Future of Everything podcast. Have a question for Russ? Send it our way in writing or via voice memo, and it might be featured on an upcoming episode. Please introduce yourself, let us know where you're listening from, and share your question. You can send questions to thefutureofeverything@stanford.edu. Episode Reference Links: Stanford Profile:Julian Nyarko Connect With Us: Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Chapters: (00:00:00) Introduction Russ Altman introduces guest Julian Nyarko, a professor of law at Stanford University. (00:02:31) Path into AI and Law How Nyarko's early work led him to legal AI. (00:05:03) Law, Economics, and Computation How Nyarko's training, methods, and self-taught coding shaped his research. (00:07:23) Building the LIFT Lab Why a law professor started a lab. (00:09:06) Evaluating Legal AI How AI raises fundamental questions about what counts as good lawyering. (00:10:22) Improving Legal Services Using AI to work faster, reduce errors, and make informed decisions. (00:10:57) Rethinking Legal Education How AI may change the way future lawyers learn  (00:11:51) AI in Office Hours How AI answers law students' questions compared with human professors. (00:15:18) Surprising Results Why AI answers were often preferred  (00:16:16) What the Study Shows The findings support AI tutoring, but don't prove AI improves learning. (00:18:48) Limits of One-Shot Answers Why real teaching often depends on dialogue, clarification, and productive struggle. (00:20:59) AI for Social Science How AI can become both an object of study and a tool. (00:22:43) Research Agents Using AI to test claims and make previously impossible research scalable. (00:24:51) Agentic AI in the Lab How Socratic dialogue with AI can sharpen research ideas. (00:26:07) Fairness and Bias How computational tools can be audited for bias and used to audit decision-making. (00:27:29) Discrimination in Models Exploring bias and how it can be reduced. (00:30:16) Disparate Impact How policies and systems disadvantage groups even without explicit intent. (00:32:53) From Evidence to Policy How Nyarko's lab works with stakeholders to surface disparities. (00:34:49) Future In a Minute Rapid-fire Q&A: justice, talent, and the future of legal AI. (00:36:57) Conclusion   Connect With Us:Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything WebsiteConnect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / MastodonConnect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Impeached former Public Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane says she will oppose an application by the Legal Practice Council to have her struck from the roll of advocates. The statutory regulatory body has cited several grounds, including alleged unprofessional conduct. Advocate Mkhwebane is expected to file her answering papers in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria. We spoke to Advocate Mkhwebane.

(0:00) About the Boardroom Governance Summit (Aug 26-27, 2026)  (0:55) Intro (2:44) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel. (3:30) Start of interview.  (4:16) Origin story Marie Bafus (5:30) Origin story Wendy Grasso (7:34) Diving into their article AI in the Boardroom: What Directors Need to Know Now (4:14) Why AI Needs Board Oversight (12:00) Caremark and Oversight Duties (15:12) Mission-Critical Risk Cases. Reference to Marchand case (2019) and Boeing case (2021) (19:18) Where AI Belongs in Governance (board level and board committees) (21:28) Defining Mission-Critical AI (24:45) Strategy, Capital Allocation, and Judgment (29:50) Board Minutes as Litigation Evidence (33:52) Private Companies, Same Duties (38:35) AI Washing and Disclosure Risks (43:10) How Boards (and Board Members) Can Use AI (47:08) Hallucinations, Confidentiality, and Privilege. Reference to U.S. v Heppner case (2026) (52:03) Building an AI Usage Policy (53:36) Recording Boards with AI (note taking apps) (57:05) Workforce Trust and Environmental Risk (1:00:00) AI for Oversight Itself (1:02:02) AI's Impact on Legal Practice Marie Bafus is a partner in Fenwick's Securities Litigation Practice and Wendy Grasso is counsel in Fenwick's Corporate Practice. You can follow Evan on social media at:X: @evanepsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/ Substack: https://evanepstein.substack.com/__To support this podcast you can join as a subscriber of the Boardroom Governance Newsletter at https://evanepstein.substack.com/__Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

In this follow-on episode, Caoimhe Powell (Director, Disputes - Digital Legal Delivery) and Ariel Wiebe (Associate, Disputes) focus on one of the most critical aspects of applying GenAI in legal review: prompting. Building on a live High Court disclosure exercise, they explore how prompt design directly shapes the quality, consistency and defensibility of outcomes—framing prompting as a core legal skill grounded in judgment. The discussion highlights the iterative nature of prompting in practice, from testing and validation through to refinement at scale, and the importance of lawyer oversight in translating legal reasoning into clear, consistent criteria.

Partners Lyn Harris (Digital Legal Delivery) and Ajay Malhotra (Disputes) move beyond the hype to examine a live English High Court litigation matter, where Relativity aiR for Review was used to support first-level document review. They explore how the technology was applied in practice, the governance and human oversight underpinning defensibility, and the key lessons from deploying GenAI at scale in a high-stakes dispute.

Lawyers are trained to spot risk. But when it comes to AI, focusing only on risk may cause firms to miss the bigger opportunity. In episode 623 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Zack Glaser sits down with Bridget McCormack to talk about AI arbitration, legal innovation, and why the future of legal work may be less about replacement and more about reinvention.  Bridget reflects on her time as Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, including how the pandemic forced courts to adopt technology faster than anyone expected. She explains why that moment revealed both the limits of traditional legal systems and the potential for more accessible, user-friendly ways to resolve disputes.  Now leading the American Arbitration Association, Bridget shares how AAA is using AI to build tools for clause drafting, self-represented parties, resolution simulation, and even documents-only arbitration. The conversation explores what fairness looks like when AI is involved, why human oversight remains essential, and how legal professionals should think about accountability, bias, and trust.  If AI changes the routine parts of legal work, lawyers will need to rethink what clients actually need from them. This episode offers a practical and future-focused look at arbitration, legal technology, and the new kinds of judgment lawyers will need to bring to the table.  Listen to our previous episodes on Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Legal Practice.  #612 – AI for Lawyers: What You Need to Know Before Your Clients Do, with Cat Casey Apple | Spotify | LTN  #607 – The Future of Law Firm Business Models in the Age of AI, with Jordan Furlong Apple | Spotify | LTN  #619– What Claude Means for Law Firms: AI Skills, Connectors, and Workflow Strategy, with Sam Harden Apple | Spotify | LTN  #590 – Innovating Without Overwhelm: Practical AI Tips for Lawyers, with Graydon Trusler Apple | Spotify | LTN   #587 – Future-Proofing Your Firm in the Age of AI, with Jack Newton Apple | Spotify | LTN   #577 – Rethinking Law Firm Growth in the Age of AI, with Sam Harden Apple | Spotify | LTN  Links from the episode:  https://adr.org/  Have thoughts about today's episode? Join the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X!   If today's podcast resonates with you and you haven't read The Small Firm Roadmap Revisited yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Looking for help beyond the book? See if our coaching community is right for you.   Access more resources from Lawyerist at lawyerist.com.   Chapters / Timestamps:  00:00 – Introduction  00:55 – Why Lawyers Should Test Their Own Intake Process03:35 – Meet Bridget McCormack04:25 – Leading Michigan Courts Through COVID05:20 – Why Remote Court Was Already on the Radar06:40 – Moving Trial Courts Online Fast08:45 – Why Legal Systems Are Slow to Change10:33 – From Chief Justice to CEO of AAA13:18 – How Alternative Dispute Resolution Is Evolving14:50 – AI Tools for Arbitration and Self-Represented Parties15:57 – Building AAA's AI Arbitrator17:36 – Resolution Simulation and Faster Settlements19:05 – What Is Left for Lawyers?21:19 – Fairness, Bias, and Human Oversight in AI Arbitration23:45 – Why Legal Disputes Need More Options24:41 – AI Agents and the Future of Legal Infrastructure26:26 – When AI Agents Negotiate Contracts28:30 – Closing Thoughts   

In this episode of Legally Bond, Kim speaks with Bond litigation attorney and chair of the firm's management committee Brian Butler about how AI is accelerating change across the legal industry and what it means for law firms navigating evolving client expectations, talent dynamics and traditional business models. They discuss responsible AI use, the continued importance of strong client service and communication, and how lawyers can adapt while maintaining the human skills and firm culture that drive long-term success.

Sign up for Practi, a new platform that helps law firms use subscription billing.Here are the top 5 takeaways from this episode:* Ditch hourly billing for subscriptions: Billing by the hour incentivizes inefficiency. Subscription and fixed-fee models align attorney success with client outcomes, rewarding speed and quality rather than time spent.* Sharpen your ax: Constantly grinding without pausing to strategize and refresh leads to burnout; taking deliberate time to improve your tools and thinking produces better long-term results.* AI accelerates legal work without replacing judgment: Purpose-built AI tools (like Paxton for legal research, Perplexity for internet research, and NotebookLM for document-based Q&A) drastically reduce the time to deliver high-quality work, but human expertise and context remain essential.* Pricing transparency builds client trust: Publishing your fees, engagement terms, and scope upfront removes friction, reduces client anxiety, and leads to better working relationships and faster conversions.* Context is everything: Whether working with AI tools or advising clients, providing full context yields dramatically better results. Give AI the same rich background you'd give a brilliant first-day employee.__________________________Want your question to be answered on a future show? Fill out this short survey.Have subscription model question? Check out this free resource to ask all of your questions at notebook.practi.ai.Check out Light Bulb Moments.Sign up for Paxton, my all-in-one AI legal assistant, helping me with legal research, analysis, drafting, and enhancing existing legal work product.Get Connected with SixFifty⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a business and employment legal document automation tool.Sign up for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Gavel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, an automation platform for law firms.Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Law Subscribed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to subscribe to the weekly newsletter to listen from your web browser.Prefer monthly updates? Sign up for the Law Subscribed Monthly Digest on LinkedIn.Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mathew Kerbis'⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ law firm ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscription Attorney LLC⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Want to use the subscription model for your law firm? Click here to sign up for a new platform that helps law firms use subscription billing. Get full access to Law Subscribed at www.lawsubscribed.com/subscribe

Claude is not just another AI tool lawyers can chat with. It may be a preview of where legal work is heading. In episode 619 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Zack Glaser talks with Sam Harden about Claude, Claude for legal, and the growing role of AI in law firm workflows.  Sam breaks down how Claude can work with documents, folders, PDFs, Word files, and connected legal tools in ways that go far beyond simple prompting. They discuss the difference between Claude Chat, Claude Cowork, connectors, and skills, and why those distinctions matter for lawyers trying to understand what AI can actually do.  They also explore why law firms should not rush into automation without first building better systems. From deposition summaries to document creation to legal research support, this episode explains how AI can become more useful when it is guided by strong processes, clear instructions, and thoughtful implementation.  Listen to our previous episodes on Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Legal Practice.  #612: AI for Lawyers: What You Need to Know Before Your Clients Do, with Cat Casey  Apple | Spotify | LTN  #601: Beyond Chatbots: Using Agentic AI in Law Firm Intake, with Matt Spiegel Apple | Spotify | LTN  #590: Innovating Without Overwhelm: Practical AI Tips for Lawyers, with Graydon Trusler Apple | Spotify | LTN   #587: Future-Proofing Your Firm in the Age of AI, with Jack Newton Apple | Spotify | LTN   #577: Rethinking Law Firm Growth in the Age of AI, with Sam Harden Apple | Spotify | LTN     Have thoughts about today's episode? Join the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X!   If today's podcast resonates with you and you haven't read The Small Firm Roadmap Revisited yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Looking for help beyond the book? See if our coaching community is right for you.   Access more resources from Lawyerist at lawyerist.com.   Chapters / Timestamps:  00:00 – Introduction  00:34 – Why Claude for Legal Matters  01:28 – Live Crabs and Work from Home Chaos  07:04 – Setting Up the Conversation  07:29 – Meet Sam Harden  08:04 – What Lawyers Should Watch with Claude  10:14 – What Claude Actually Is  11:16 – How AI Moved Beyond Chat  12:07 – From Claude Code to Claude Cowork  13:22 – How Claude Works with Documents  15:20 – Why Claude Cowork Is a Big Shift  15:45 – Creating Documents and Presentations  16:52 – Claude Chat vs. Cowork vs. Code  18:12 – Legal Plugins and Connectors  19:30 – Reducing Context Switching with AI  20:49 – Connecting Claude to Legal Tools  22:24 – What Legal Connectors Can Do  24:47 – MCP, Tools, and Connector Limits  26:37 – What Claude Skills Are  28:44 – Why SOPs Come Before AI Skills  29:43 – Using Skills for Legal Documents  30:35 – AI Skills for Deposition Summaries  31:14 – Combining Connectors and Skills  32:15 – Teaching Claude Like a Team Member  33:11 – Choosing the Right Skill  34:00 – How Bad Instructions Create AI Risk  35:49 – Building Better Skills and Plugins  37:13 – What Comes Next for Claude for Legal 

LSAT Demon teacher and practicing attorney, Matt DuMont, joins Josh to discuss how AI is changing legal education and practice (without giving legal advice). Read more on our website. Email daily@lsatdemon.com with questions or comments. Watch this episode on YouTube!More LSAT Demon Resources.

You built the career. You grew the revenue. You checked every box. And yet something feels hollow, and you are exhausted. What if the problem is not your work ethic, but the design of your practice itself?In this episode, Gary sits down with Molly Thomas, former trial attorney, mediator, and founder of Mediation Florida and ADR Catalyst, for a candid conversation about career reinvention, attorney burnout, and what it actually looks like to design your life first and build your legal practice around it. Molly shares how personal loss became the catalyst for profound transformation, how she is using AI and smart systems to run a modern mediation practice, and why the greatest business strategy available to lawyers today might be radical self-compassion.Key Takeaways:Design your life before you design your business, then build your practice to support that life.Recognize the "quiet gap" between certification and clients, and fill it with skill-building and strategy, not hope.Use AI as a thinking partner and strategic amplifier, not just a shortcut or search engine.Move before you feel ready. Clarity and momentum come from action, not analysis.Avoid the comparison trap. Measure your progress against your own goals and your own timeline.Radical self-compassion is not a luxury. For sustainable legal excellence, it is a requirement.If today's episode resonated with you, please subscribe and leave a review. It helps other attorneys find this conversation when they need it most. Visit Gary at garymiles.net or reach out directly at gary@garymiles.net.[00:00] Welcome and episode overview[01:43] Molly's defining moment[03:25] How mediation found her[05:49] Building something entirely new[07:05] Tech-forward mediation in practice[09:06] What her experience brings to the table[12:04] The biggest mistake transitioning mediators make[14:26] Using AI as a thinking partner[19:35] Is mediation becoming a first-choice career?[21:29] What a coach would have changed[24:35] Internal vs. external authority[29:05] What professional freedom looks like today[33:05] Permission to breathe and reset[35:40] One message for lawyers in the grindMolly Thomas is a mediator, former trial attorney, and practice strategist who helps lawyers and mediators build modern, sustainable practices using AI, smart systems, and intentional positioning. Through Mediation Florida and her coaching platform ADR Catalyst, she guides legal professionals from traditional practice into more fulfilling, freedom-forward careers. With more than 20 years in law, Molly co-founded a litigation firm generating over ten million dollars annually and developed a hospitality portfolio exceeding fifty million dollars. She brings entrepreneurial depth, hard-won clarity, and genuine empathy to every conversation, and she is living proof that reinvention is always possible.Would you like to learn what it looks like to become a truly Free Lawyer? You can schedule a complimentary call here: https://calendly.com/garymiles-successcoach/one-one-discovery-call Productivity Assessment  https://upbeat-trailblazer-9238.kit.com/7c3c667ff1Productivity Waitlist Link  https://www.garymiles.net/productivity

What does it really take to move from overworked service partner to trusted rainmaker—without feeling salesy or inauthentic? In this episode, you'll hear a candid breakdown of career missteps, relationship-first business development, and how patience and consistency can transform a legal practice.   In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jason Stiehl discuss: Transitioning from service partner to rainmaker Relationship-based business development Honesty, trust, and cross-marketing inside a firm Content creation, podcasts, and visibility for lawyers Career mistakes, firm moves, and learning from missteps   Key Takeaways: Developing a real book of business starts with owning client relationships directly, not just doing great work behind the scenes. The most effective business development feels less like selling and more like building genuine, long-term relationships based on trust. Honesty about what you and your firm can and cannot do is a powerful differentiator—and sometimes means referring work elsewhere. Consistency in follow-up, presence, and outreach matters far more than one-off networking “sprints” or scattershot emails. Before making a big firm move, dig deeply into culture, capabilities, and expectations; the wrong platform can cost time, clients, and momentum.   "You have to go to different markets. You have to go to different people. You have to realize that if the audience you're reaching is the same all the time, you're never going to grow." —  Jason Stiehl   Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.   Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don't miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/   Thank you to our Sponsor! Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/ Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/   Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/   About Jason Stiehl: Jason Stiehl is a partner in Crowell & Moring's Chicago office, where he focuses on class action defense and trade secret protection. An experienced trial lawyer with a nationwide practice, he represents clients across industries in complex litigation, including consumer class actions, advertising disputes, and intellectual property matters. Known for immersing himself in his clients' businesses, Jason develops strategic defenses to protect their most valuable assets, from brand reputation to proprietary technology. His work spans high-stakes domestic and cross-border disputes, and he has been recognized for his role in securing major dismissals in consumer fraud class actions.   Connect with Jason Stiehl:    Website: https://www.crowell.com/en/professionals/jason-stiehl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-stiehl-22a82b4/   Connect with Steve Fretzin: LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin Twitter: @stevefretzin Instagram: @fretzinsteve Facebook: Fretzin, Inc. Website: Fretzin.com Email: Steve@Fretzin.com Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more! YouTube: Steve Fretzin Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911   Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

This week on The Geek in Review, we talk with Lennie Nuara, co-founder of Flatiron Law Group, about what it means to build a talent-first, AI-powered legal practice. Nuara brings a rare mix of lawyer, technologist, operator, and systems thinker to the conversation, drawing from decades of experience using technology to improve legal work, from early portable computers and databases to today's generative AI tools.Nuara explains why he resists the phrase “AI-first” in legal practice. For him, legal work begins with talent, judgment, and expertise. AI enters as a force multiplier, not the driver. At Flatiron, the firm's model was already built around flat fees, lean staffing, process discipline, and structured data before generative AI entered the picture. AI now adds more horsepower to a system already designed to reduce waste, repeat touches, and unclear workflows.Much of the discussion focuses on M&A due diligence, where Flatiron rethinks the deal life cycle from intake through closing. Instead of throwing documents into a massive repository and hoping AI sorts it out, Nuara describes breaking work into smaller pieces: diligence questions, responses, documents, clauses, topics, closing checklists, and reports. That structure lets lawyers use AI for deduplication, extraction, clause comparison, first-pass drafting, and issue spotting while keeping human judgment between higher-risk steps.Nuara also warns against getting seduced by polished AI output. He describes generative AI as persuasive, fluent, and sometimes dangerously average. The bigger risk, in his view, is less hallucination and more “model monoculture,” where legal drafting drifts toward sameness because models train from overlapping bodies of public material. In complex private transactions, average language is often the wrong answer. Lawyers still need to understand leverage, client priorities, risk allocation, and where to push beyond market terms.The episode closes with a look at pricing, training, and the future structure of law firms. Nuara argues that AI will pressure the billable hour, change junior lawyer training, and force firms to rethink the traditional pyramid. He also raises a practical concern from the early Westlaw and Lexis days: the cost of the tool matters. Flatiron tracks AI usage down to the clause level, treating tokens as part of matter economics. For legal professionals watching AI reshape transactions, this conversation offers a grounded reminder: better tools matter, but better process and better judgment still decide the outcome.Listen on mobile platforms:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Substack[Special Thanks to ⁠Legal Technology Hub⁠ for their sponsoring this episode.] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email: geekinreviewpodcast@gmail.comMusic: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jerry David DeCicca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Transcript:

Thabo Shole Mashao standing in for Clement Manyathela speaks to Christine Qunta, Chairperson of the Legal Sector Council about black legal practitioners still being marginalized despite having the necessary skills to perform. They discuss the gap in the legal space and what can be done to bridge the gap. The Clement Manyathela Show is broadcast on 702, a Johannesburg based talk radio station, weekdays from 09:00 to 12:00 (SA Time). Clement Manyathela starts his show each weekday on 702 at 9 am taking your calls and voice notes on his Open Line. In the second hour of his show, he unpacks, explains, and makes sense of the news of the day. Clement has several features in his third hour from 11 am that provide you with information to help and guide you through your daily life. As your morning friend, he tackles the serious as well as the light-hearted, on your behalf. Thank you for listening to a podcast from The Clement Manyathela Show. Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 09:00 and 12:00 (SA Time) to The Clement Manyathela Show broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/XijPLtJ or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/p0gWuPE Subscribe to the 702 Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Cookbook, host Ira Gold Fetter speaks with Paula Yost—a lawyer, entrepreneur, and author of the groundbreaking new book, Tumbleweeds. Paula shares the raw and inspiring journey of adopting her daughter Tanya from foster care and the relentless legal battles she fought to hold the educational system accountable. This conversation explores the intersection of legal expertise, maternal instinct, and the necessity of systemic change for vulnerable children. Key Takeaways: The Power of Legal Advocacy: Paula discusses how her background as a lawyer allowed her to navigate the complexities of foster care and school board litigation that most parents find inaccessible. Challenging Educational Injustice: A look into why Paula chose to sue the school system to protect her son and ensure he received the support he was legally entitled to. Foster Care Adoption Realities: Insights into the process of adopting an older child (age 7) and the long-term commitment required to be their permanent advocate. The "Tumbleweeds" Catharsis: How writing became a tool for processing the anger caused by systemic failures and a way to provide a voice for the voiceless. Intuition Over Judgment: Using personal anecdotes, including Ira's history with homelessness, the duo discusses why you should never judge a person's potential based on their current circumstances. Guest Links & Resources: Website: PaulaYost.com Book: Tumbleweeds (Available on Amazon and major retailers) Legal Practice: countrylawshack.com If this story moved you, please like this video, subscribe to The Cookbook, and share this episode with a parent or advocate who needs to hear it. Leave a comment below: What is one way you've had to be "fierce" for someone you love? Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction to Paula Yost 03:27 - The Inspiration Behind "Tumbleweeds" 05:26 - Adopting from Foster Care 10:39 - Balancing Law Practice and Flower Farming 16:53 - Suing Schools for Special Needs Rights 31:19 - Ira's Journey: From Homelessness to Success 37:50 - Why You Shouldn't Judge a Book by Its Cover 48:40 - Systemic Issues in Education and Literacy 53:53 - The Importance of Parental Support 59:59 - Final Thoughts & Resources

In this episode of Legal Leaders Exchange, join Jen McIver as she sits down with Vince Venturella, Christian Hartz, and Ciaran Flaherty to explore the realities of responsible AI adoption in legal teams. The panel examines how technology impacts the practice of law by breaking down critical topics like trust, data compliance, and the future of legal workflows. You will discover practical insights and clear strategies to help you confidently integrate specialized AI tools into your daily operations.

AI is more than just another tool for lawyers. It may fundamentally change how law firms make money. In episode #607 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Stephanie Everett talks with legal industry analyst Jordan Furlong about the shifting economics of law practice and what happens as AI begins doing work lawyers once billed for.  Jordan explains why the traditional law firm model built on billable hours and human effort is starting to break down as legal workflows become automated. Together, they explore how AI may shift lawyers away from producing legal work and toward supervising systems, validating outcomes, and delivering the one thing machines cannot easily replicate: judgment under uncertainty.  The future of law practice may depend less on expertise and more on qualities machines struggle to replicate such as judgment, character, and the ability to guide clients through uncertainty. The conversation also explores why hourly billing may no longer make sense in an AI-driven world, how firms can rethink pricing around outcomes and client experience, and why smaller firms may adapt more quickly.  If the billable hour fades and AI begins handling the routine “widgets” of legal work, the real question becomes what a lawyer's value is now, and how firms should prepare for what comes next.  Listen to our previous episodes on Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Legal Practice.  #601 – Beyond Chatbots: Using Agentic AI in Law Firm Intake, with Matt Spiegel Apple | Spotify | LTN  #590 – Innovating Without Overwhelm: Practical AI Tips for Lawyers, with Graydon Trusler Apple | Spotify | LTN  #587 – Future-Proofing Your Firm in the Age of AI, with Jack Newton Apple | Spotify | LTN  #577 – Rethinking Law Firm Growth in the Age of AI, with Sam Harden Apple | Spotify | LTN   Links from the episode:  https://jordanfurlong.substack.com.    Have thoughts about today's episode? Join the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X!  If today's podcast resonates with you and you haven't read The Small Firm Roadmap Revisited yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Looking for help beyond the book? See if our coaching community is right for you.   Access more resources from Lawyerist at lawyerist.com.    Subscribe to Lawyerist Podcast: https://play.megaphone.fm/xrm0mqp4tqwi0ozntiu41g Chapters / Timestamps:   00:00 – Introduction  01:45 – Why Everyone Is Talking About AI in Law  04:20 – Meet Jordan Furlong  06:40 – The Real Disruption AI Brings to Law Firms  09:30 – The Economics Behind the Billable Hour  12:50 – What Happens When Software Does the Work  16:05 – The Shift from Expertise to Judgment  19:20 – What Lawyers Still Do Better Than AI  22:40 – Client Value in an AI-Driven Profession  26:00 – Why Smaller Firms May Have an Advantage  29:10 – What This Means for New Lawyers  32:45 – Preparing for the Next Version of Law Practice  36:10 – Closing Thoughts  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Bart Walker and Kevin McGinnis, partners at McGuireWoods LLP, discuss the leadership traits that set great law firm leaders apart, including emotional intelligence, visibility, and recognition of team success. They also share insights on how AI, remote work, and evolving client expectations are shaping the future of legal practice.

In this episode, Bart Walker and Kevin McGinnis, partners at McGuireWoods LLP, discuss the leadership traits that set great law firm leaders apart, including emotional intelligence, visibility, and recognition of team success. They also share insights on how AI, remote work, and evolving client expectations are shaping the future of legal practice.

AI is more than just another tool for lawyers. It may fundamentally change how law firms make money. In episode #607 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Stephanie Everett talks with legal industry analyst Jordan Furlong about the shifting economics of law practice and what happens as AI begins doing work lawyers once billed for.  Jordan explains why the traditional law firm model built on billable hours and human effort is starting to break down as legal workflows become automated. Together, they explore how AI may shift lawyers away from producing legal work and toward supervising systems, validating outcomes, and delivering the one thing machines cannot easily replicate: judgment under uncertainty.  The future of law practice may depend less on expertise and more on qualities machines struggle to replicate such as judgment, character, and the ability to guide clients through uncertainty. The conversation also explores why hourly billing may no longer make sense in an AI-driven world, how firms can rethink pricing around outcomes and client experience, and why smaller firms may adapt more quickly.  If the billable hour fades and AI begins handling the routine “widgets” of legal work, the real question becomes what a lawyer's value is now, and how firms should prepare for what comes next.  Listen to our previous episodes on Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Legal Practice.  #601 – Beyond Chatbots: Using Agentic AI in Law Firm Intake, with Matt Spiegel Apple | Spotify | LTN  #590 – Innovating Without Overwhelm: Practical AI Tips for Lawyers, with Graydon Trusler Apple | Spotify | LTN  #587 – Future-Proofing Your Firm in the Age of AI, with Jack Newton Apple | Spotify | LTN  #577 – Rethinking Law Firm Growth in the Age of AI, with Sam Harden Apple | Spotify | LTN   Links from the episode:  https://jordanfurlong.substack.com.    Have thoughts about today's episode? Join the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X!  If today's podcast resonates with you and you haven't read The Small Firm Roadmap Revisited yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Looking for help beyond the book? See if our coaching community is right for you.   Access more resources from Lawyerist at lawyerist.com.    Chapters / Timestamps:   00:00 – Introduction  01:45 – Why Everyone Is Talking About AI in Law  04:20 – Meet Jordan Furlong  06:40 – The Real Disruption AI Brings to Law Firms  09:30 – The Economics Behind the Billable Hour  12:50 – What Happens When Software Does the Work  16:05 – The Shift from Expertise to Judgment  19:20 – What Lawyers Still Do Better Than AI  22:40 – Client Value in an AI-Driven Profession  26:00 – Why Smaller Firms May Have an Advantage  29:10 – What This Means for New Lawyers  32:45 – Preparing for the Next Version of Law Practice  36:10 – Closing Thoughts 

The way litigation has been practiced for decades is cracking - and the lawyers who see it first will win. Recorded live at Legalweek 2026, host David Cowen sits down with Jeffrey Chivers, CEO of Syllo, to unpack why AI isn't just automating legal tasks - it's collapsing the traditional litigation workflow entirely. The path from discovery to trial-ready strategy is getting shorter. The question is: which legal professionals will adapt in time? What you'll learn: Why the litigation AI market has officially matured - and who's winning How Syllo was built by a litigator for litigators, not as a generic platform Why the old step-by-step workflow is dead - and what's replacing it What associates are really feeling right now, and what they need to hear Why 2025–2026 may be the most career-defining window in modern legal history

Is it professionalism or just high-functioning burnout?In this episode, Gary Miles shares why so many successful attorneys feel trapped by the very careers they worked so hard to build. Drawing parallels between the legal profession and the themes of the book Seven Days in Utopia, Gary identifies the "External Authority Trap" that keeps managing partners and senior attorneys running on a treadmill of seeking validation from everything and everyone around them. The need to be available 24/7 or the fear that delegating equals failure, which Gary shows why both are a lie. Whether you are a firm owner or a senior associate, this episode provides a roadmap to reclaim your identity and lead with internal authority. Get the Values Alignment Guide ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://upbeat-trailblazer-9238.kit.com/1604bbf4cb⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Take the Free Lawyer Assessment ⁠garymiles.net/the-free-lawyer-assessment⁠Learn more about Breaking Free or order your copy ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.garymiles.net/break-free⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Schedule a complimentary discovery call: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://calendly.com/garymiles-successcoach/one-one-discovery-call⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch this episode on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqcfaTWo17uxmYS9hfAdiaQ

This episode is recorded live, and is best enjoyed on YouTube. Watch the episode here.   While Bob is visiting San Francisco for two weeks, he is sitting down for conversations with legal tech innovators and entrepreneurs "in their natural habitats" – places in the Bay Area they consider special. Today, in the first in this series, Bob sits down for lunch with Alex Su, chief revenue officer at Latitude Legal, over Thai iced tea and tofu dishes at Phnom Penh House, a Cambodian restaurant in Alameda that Alex considers something of a personal institution, frequenting it for both family meals and business meetings.   Alex's career path is anything but linear. He started as an associate at Sullivan & Cromwell in New York, clerked for a federal judge in Chicago, then drifted through a plaintiff's firm, a brief solo practice, and ultimately a leap of faith into legal tech sales – joining e-discovery company Logikcull in 2016. From there, he moved to Everlaw, then to Ironclad, where he served as head of community development, building a reputation that spread well beyond any job title.   That reputation was shaped in large part by TikTok, where Alex's comedic, self-effacing videos skewering law firm culture – partners, associates, privilege logs and the absurdities of BigLaw – earned him more than 100,000 followers, got shared inside Ironclad's internal Slack, and ultimately helped land him his next job. It's a story of accidental virality and deliberate reinvention that mirrors the broader shifts he sees in the legal profession.   Now at Latitude Legal, an ALSP providing on-demand legal talent to law firms and corporate legal departments, Alex represents a kind of poetic symmetry: a lawyer known for championing "alternative careers" working at an "alternative legal services provider" — a label he thinks has outlived its usefulness, given how mainstream flexible legal talent has become.   Bob and Alex also dig into the current state of legal AI – what's overhyped, what's underhyped, and why the pandemic was arguably a bigger inflection point for legal tech adoption than generative AI. Plus, Alex and Bob reflect on Bob's three decades of covering legal innovation, the stubborn persistence of the billable hour, and why the justice gap remains stubbornly wide despite all the talk of disruption.   It is a wide-ranging and candid conversation – one you may want to watch on video instead of just listening to the audio.    Thank You To Our Sponsors This episode of LawNext is generously made possible by our sponsors. We appreciate their support and hope you will check them out. Paradigm, home to the practice management platforms PracticePanther, Bill4Time, MerusCase and LollyLaw; the e-payments platform Headnote; and the legal accounting software TrustBooks. Briefpoint, eliminating routine discovery response and request drafting tasks so you can focus on drafting what matters (or just make it home for dinner). Legalweek, March 9-12, North Javits Center, New York City.   If you enjoy listening to LawNext, please leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts.   Chapters 00:00 Intro to Today's Lunch: A Special In-Person Series 04:45 Career Transitions: From Law to Legal Tech 23:27 Going Viral: The TikTok Journey 25:10 Balancing Humor and Professional Identity 26:54 Redefining Career Paths for Lawyers 28:39 The Evolution of Legal Careers 30:35 Innovation in Legal Practice 34:07 The Impact of the Pandemic on Legal Technology 34:28 The Future of Legal Technology and AI 38:10 Navigating Uncertainty in Legal Services 40:18 The Ongoing Relevance of Traditional Legal Models 42:11 Personal Reflections and Future Outlook  

In the first half of their conversation with James Mixon, Managing Attorney at California's Second District Court of Appeal, Tim Kowal and Jeff Lewis ask what is healthy AI use, and unhealthy use? To help organize—yes! To replace judgment—no! Tip: When an attorney does not read AI output before filing a brief, expect sanctions.James draws on his role on the judicial branch AI Task Force and his monthly Daily Journal AI column to provide a practical roadmap for responsible AI use—from crafting effective prompts to avoiding the automation bias that has led to attorney sanctions across the country.Key points:Treat AI as an on-demand legal treatise, not a research tool: Mixon explains how AI excels at providing background information and organizing legal concepts into digestible narratives—making it ideal for learning complex areas quickly—but should never replace verified legal research or case citation.The "Daedalus Doctrine" framework offers a middle path: Drawing from Greek mythology, Mixon warns against flying too high (reckless AI adoption) or too low (ignoring AI entirely), urging lawyers to use AI thoughtfully while maintaining personal judgment and verification responsibilities.Effective prompting is critical: Never use open-ended commands like "enhance this brief"—instead, tell AI exactly what you want and ask it to flag changes in italics or bold so you can review selectively.Hallucinations remain the biggest risk: Recent sanctions cases show attorneys asking ChatGPT to verify its own fabricated cases—a fatal error that demonstrates why every citation must be independently confirmed.Courts aren't using AI for decision-making: Current California court policy prohibits AI use "in any way that would touch a decision" to preserve public confidence over efficiency gains.AI works best for background learning: Mixon describes using AI to create narratives and explanations that make legal concepts stick—transforming dry doctrine into memorable stories, like having a personalized treatise writer available on demand.Tune in to learn how to harness AI's power for legal background and organization without falling into the traps that have cost other attorneys their credibility—and thousands in sanctions.

Welcome to Madang.Madang is the outdoor living room of the world. Here, we invite you to sit and tune into unreserved, remarkable conversations with renowned authors, leaders, public figures, and scholars on religion, culture, and everything in between.This is the 56th episode featuring Robert G. Callahan, II. Robert is an accomplished attorney and author, dedicated to fighting for justice in his practice at Callahan & King, PLLC in Waco, Texas. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Gonzaga University and a Juris Doctorate at Baylor University School of Law where he teaches a course entitled Integrating Faith and Legal Practice. In 2020, Robert was named Lawyer of the Year by the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers' Association. Robert's book, FIRE IN THE WHOLE: Embracing Our Righteous Anger with White Christianity and Reclaiming Our Wholeness, tackles spiritual abuse via the church's complicity with racism, patriarchy, and bigotry while encouraging survivors that their anger is justified and path to healing does exist.On this episode of Madang Podcast hosted by Faith and Reason, Callahan and I talk about his book, Fire in the Whole: Embracing Our Righteous Anger with White Christianity and Reclaiming Our Wholeness. We discuss Black history, color-blind church, racism, whiteness, anger, reconciliation, and much more.I am grateful to the many sponsors of this episode.1)I want to tell you about a Lenten resource from The Upper Room that I think a lot of you will really appreciate. It's called When Did We See You? A Lenten Exploration of Poverty & Wealth, and it takes on something many churches struggle to talk about honestly—money. Written by pastor and justice advocate Elizabeth Mae Magill, When Did We See You? is a thoughtful, deeply pastoral Lenten study that wrestles with poverty, wealth, and what it means to follow Jesus in an economically divided world. In a world of both abundance and inequality, When Did We See You? guides us through a crucial and timely conversation about our money, economic justice, and God's call for a world with enough for all. Learn more at store/upperroom.org/Madang and save 20% on your copies today with promo code MADANG at checkout. This Lent, may we have eyes to truly see Christ in our neighbors and respond with love and action.2)This episode is presented by Central Seminary – a historic, accredited, diverse, cross-cultural, and ecumenical seminary. Central Seminary equips students with the theological knowledge, spiritual insight, and practical skills needed to lead in an ever-changing world. Central offer numerous graduate degrees and certificates including our Certificate in Peace and Justice Ministry, which is facilitated in live, online classrooms. The Certificate in Peace and Justice Ministry will prepare you to lead and serve through social change in areas ​such as racial injustice, economic injustice, the climate crisis, war and violence, and more. To learn more, visit www.CBTS.edu or search for Central Seminary Kansas City.3)I am grateful to WJK PRESS for sponsoring this episode. Fire in the Whole equips Black Christians to make empowered decisions about their faith—whether that means leaving toxic spaces, building new communities, or reclaiming a liberating faith. Discussion questions and a personal inventory help readers decide what's next. Learn more at wjkbooks.com.4) PANAAWTM has 2 wonderful upcoming events: a) Vocational Discernment Gathering (tentative late March/April) will create space for reflection, conversation, and communal wisdom around calling, leadership, and faithful imagination—especially for those navigating ministry, academia, and public life in complex times. b) PANAAWTM will be hosting an upcoming virtual annual business meeting, tentatively planned for March. This gathering is an opportunity for our community to come together, share key updates, and participate in the work of sustaining PANAAWTM's mission and leadership.

Lawyers are understandably cautious about AI—but the real risk may be using it the wrong way. In episode 601 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Zack Glaser sits down with Matt Spiegel of Lawmatics to explore how agentic AI is changing the way law firms handle intake and evaluate potential clients.  Matt breaks down why surface-level AI tools fall short, how agentic AI can make informed recommendations instead of opaque scores, and what it takes to build trust in automated decision-making. They also discuss how better intake systems can reduce wasted time, improve lead quality, and support more intentional firm growth.  Listen to our other episodes on Artificial Intelligence in Legal Practice.  #497: Real Talk About Artificial Intelligence in Your Office, with Ben Apple | Spotify | LTN  #543: What Lawyers Need to Know About the Ethics of Using AI, with Hilary Gerzhoy Apple | Spotify | LTN  #546: Unlock Law Firm Growth: AI marketing Secrets with Karin Conroy Apple | Spotify | LTN  Links from the episode:  https://www.lawmatics.com/    Have thoughts about today's episode? Join the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X!    If today's podcast resonates with you and you haven't read The Small Firm Roadmap Revisited yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Looking for help beyond the book? See if our coaching community is right for you.    Access more resources from Lawyerist at lawyerist.com.    Chapters / Timestamps:   00:00 – Introduction  01:28 – Meet Matt Spiegel  03:55 – From the Cloud to AI in Legal Tech  05:38 – Why Lawyers Are Cautious About AI  06:50 – Moving Beyond Surface-Level AI  08:51 – Why Lead Scoring Misses the Point  11:14 – What Makes Agentic AI Different  14:10 – Generative AI vs. Agentic AI  15:57 – Teaching Software to Make Decisions  17:17 – Automating Outcomes, Not Steps  20:10 – Why Lawmatics Was Already Agentic  21:47 – Trust, Guardrails, and Client Data  24:20 – What Qualify AI Does Differently  25:33 – Closing Thoughts 

Is your AI training data biased? And is using AI-generated reasoning plagiarism?James Mixon, Managing Attorney at California's Second District Court of Appeal, covers troubling topics on how lawyers should, and should not, use AI. In this second part of Tim and Jeff's conversation, James discusses how we can detect and counteract bias baked into training data. And what happens when trial judges unknowingly sign orders containing fabricated cases?Key points:Legal reasoning isn't “creative” work—it's problem-solving: When we use words to solve problems, it should not be considered “plagiarism.”Bias detection requires active testing: AI models trained on historical data replicate past discrimination, particularly in employment, housing, and finance cases. James suggests an interesting experiment to try in your next research prompt.Alternative dispute resolution raises new questions: California bill Umberg 643 bars using AI for arbitration decision-making, reflecting concern that people signing arbitration agreements assume human decision-makers. If contracts explicitly state "AI dispute resolution," that might be acceptable—but not if buried in fine print.When should you disclose your AI use? Depends on where the use falls on a spectrum of “organization” and “discretion/judgment.”Trial court orders present a growing risk: Judges should strip proposed orders down to essentials: parties, motion, ruling, hearing date.AI lacks "ethos"—for now: AI currently can't replicate the credibility and reputation that make people trust human experts. This may change as AI systems develop track records, but for now, judicial decision-making requires the human judgment that builds public confidence in courts.Looking backward creates civil rights risks: AI trained on historical data is inherently conservative. Some models predicted Brown v. Board of Education would be affirmed based on precedent—a stark reminder that purely probabilistic decision-making can't account for moral progress.What AI uses do you find most attractive—and the most troubling?Disclaimer: The views expressed by our guest, James Mixon, are his own and do not reflect the official position of the California Court of Appeal or the California Judicial Branch. AI technology and legal standards are rapidly evolving, listeners should verify current rules and consult qualified attorneys before implementing AI tools in their practice. Attorneys must independently verify all legal citations and comply with applicable rules of professional conduct.

In this episode of the FFI Practitioner Podcast, we speak with Christopher Gibson, FFI's 2086 Scholar in Residence, about the evolving world of mediation, arbitration, and legal education. Christopher discusses the growing role of AI in dispute resolution, and how lawyers can help family enterprise clients in an increasingly uncertain world. We also explore how legal education is shifting from traditional Socratic teaching toward skills-based learning, including contract drafting, simulations, problem-solving, and using AI effectively. A timely conversation on managing risk, exercising control, and guiding families through complexity across generations.

In this episode of "The Free Lawyer," host Gary welcomes Jen Gillman, founder of Gillman Strategic Group, to discuss the disconnect many lawyers feel between external success and personal fulfillment. Jen shares her journey from practicing attorney to legal recruiter focused on helping rainmakers find the right firm fit. She introduces her “Six Pillars to Becoming a Happy Rainmaker” framework, emphasizing self-care, boundaries, and legacy. The conversation explores practical strategies for lawyers to achieve both professional success and personal happiness, highlighting the importance of intentional career choices, coaching, and redefining success on one's own terms.Jen Gillman is the founder of Gillman Strategic Group, where she helps rainmakers find their exact right, perfect-fit firm and law firm owners navigate strategic mergers. As a former practicing attorney herself, Jen understands that professional success doesn't always equal fulfillment—and she's on a mission to change that.After earning her J.D. from NYU School of Law and B.A. from Brandeis University, Jen practiced law for 12 years before transitioning to legal recruiting.Unlike traditional recruiters who find lawyers for firms, Jen finds firms for lawyers. She helps partners identify what they truly need to be fulfilled, whether that's better resources, growth opportunities, or work-life balance, and then matches them with firms where they can thrive.Jen is the creator of the “6 Pillars to Be(coming) a Happy Rainmaker” framework and author of the forthcoming The Happy Rainmaker: A Little Tale About a Lawyer Who Found Success and Happiness Too. She shows up for her clients as part agent, part therapist, and part cheerleader, because successful lawyers deserve to be happy too. Learn more at happyrainmakers.com.You can purchase The Happy Rainmaker here: https://amzn.to/3Nfkne3Jen's Career Transition Story (00:03:32) The Candidate-Focused Recruiting Model (00:05:33)Holistic Support for Lawyers (00:07:01) Difference from Traditional Recruiting (00:09:23) Honesty and Advising Against Moving (00:10:58) Why Successful Lawyers Feel Unfulfilled (00:13:02) Six Pillars to Becoming a Happy Rainmaker (00:16:08) Deep Dive: Defining Boundaries (00:21:12) Deep Dive: Designing a Legacy (00:24:31) The Future of Legal Practice (00:27:21) The Value of Coaching and Outside Guidance (00:29:08) Where to Find the Six Pillars & The Happy Rainmaker Book (00:30:28) About The Happy Rainmaker Book (00:30:45) Implementing the Six Pillars at Any Career Stage (00:32:22) First Steps for Unfulfilled Lawyers (00:34:00) Final Advice: Small Steps MatterTake The Free Lawyer Assessment (10 minutes, completely free):https://www.garymiles.net/the-free-lawyer-assessmentWhat you'll get immediately:✓ Your Professional Freedom Score (out of 300 points)✓ Breakdown across Internal Authority, Sustainable Excellence, and Authentic Practice✓ Personalized action plan in your inbox✓ Specific steps you can take this weekWould you like to learn what it looks like to become a truly Free Lawyer? You can schedule a complimentary call here: https://calendly.com/garymiles-successcoach/one-one-discovery-callWould you like to learn more about Breaking Free or order your copy? https://www.garymiles.net/break-free

Ready to connect with clients in a way that polished ads and formal bios can't? Discover how authenticity builds trust and grows your practice in this trailer from "Spaghetti On The Wall." Learn why being relatable—not perfect—is the ultimate advantage for today's attorney. Tune in to hear Robert Ingalls break down the power of podcasting to humanize your legal brand and attract the right clients.

In this episode, John sits down with Estate Planning & Probate Attorney, Jennifer Bondy, to talk about the often-overlooked emotional side of money, relationships, and decision-making. Jennifer shares how our past experiences shape the way we show up financially and personally, and why awareness is the first step toward real change. It's an honest conversation about growth, clarity, and building healthier patterns that actually stick. Learn more about Jennifer and her work: Website: https://www.jenniferbondy.com Areas of Legal Practice: https://bondy.law/areas-of-practice/ 01:06 Jennifer's Career Journey 03:46 Estate Planning Basics 11:04 The Role of Trusts in Estate Planning 13:15 Understanding Probate 16:09 Avoiding Probate and Family Disputes 19:32 Disinheriting a Family Member 20:11 Will-Based vs. Trust-Based Plans 21:35 The Rise of AI in Legal Services 24:59 The Role of Financial Advisors in Estate Planning 26:44 The Importance of Proper Document Execution 29:28 State-Specific Legal Considerations

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! As AI is becoming part of our everyday life, we're discussing the good practices and the questionable uses of AI in law school. In this episode we discuss: How law students are currently using AI How law schools and professors are responding to AI usage The upside: When AI genuinely helps you learn and practice  Risks, pitfalls, and ethical landmines Resources: Tutoring for Law School Success (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/tutoring-for-law-school-success/) AI in Higher Education: A Meta Summary of Recent Surveys of Students and Faculty (https://sites.campbell.edu/academictechnology/2025/03/06/ai-in-higher-education-a-summary-of-recent-surveys-of-students-and-faculty/) ABA Task Force on Law and Artificial Intelligence releases survey on AI and legal education (https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2024/06/aba-task-force-law-and-ai-survey/) This law school is among the 1% that allow use of AI to write admissions essays (https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/a-majority-of-surveyed-law-schools-have-no-policy-on-using-ai-to-write-admission-essays/) Risks of AI in Legal Practice (https://law.stanford.edu/juelsgaard-intellectual-property-and-innovation-clinic/risks-of-ai-in-legal-practice/) Podcast Episode 480: Ethical Uses of AI in Law School (w/Professor Susan Tanner) (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-480-ethical-uses-of-ai-in-law-school-w-professor-susan-tanner/) Podcast Episode 505: Breaking ADHD Barriers with the Help of AI (w/Lindsay Scola) (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-505-breaking-adhd-barriers-with-the-help-of-ai-w-lindsay-scola/) Podcast Episode 517: Teaching AI in Law School (w/Megan Hutchinson and Nicole Phillips) (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-517-teaching-ai-in-law-school-w-megan-hutchinson-and-nicole-phillips/) Download the Transcript  (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/episode-538-using-ai-in-law-school-smart-strategies-and-red-flags/) If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on Apple Podcasts (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/law-school-toolbox-podcast/id1027603976) or your favorite listening app. And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact). If you're concerned about the bar exam, check out our sister site, the Bar Exam Toolbox (http://barexamtoolbox.com/). You can also sign up for our weekly podcast newsletter (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/get-law-school-podcast-updates/) to make sure you never miss an episode! Thanks for listening! Alison & Lee

In this episode of "The Free Lawyer" podcast, host Gary interviews guest Ana Juneja, an IP lawyer and entrepreneur. They discuss Ana's journey from law firm associate to media company owner. Ana shares how she sold her media business to focus on law and explains how AI has revolutionized her firm's transactional work, enabling a small team to serve clients efficiently. She offers insights on trademark protection, debunks common IP myths, and highlights the importance of early trademark registration. The episode highlights the importance of innovation, transparency, and leveraging AI and social media to empower lawyers and improve client service.As an award-winning intellectual property attorney and the founder of Ana Law®, Ana Juneja is redefining how attorneys leverage AI to create impactful social media content.She empowers celebrities, athletes, influencers, start-ups, entrepreneurs, and corporations to not only protect their brands and ideas but also amplify them across digital platforms using cutting-edge AI-driven strategies.Ana Law® is the first and only law firm offering flat-fee, 100% guaranteed patent, trademark, and copyright services, with Ana maintaining a 100% success rate.Beyond traditional legal work, she speaks widely on the intersection of AI, law, and social media, helping professionals understand how emerging technologies can safeguard and scale their influence.AI's Impact on Legal Practice (00:03:04)Scope of IP and Transactional Work (00:04:20)Scaling with AI (00:05:47)Lawyers' Resistance to AI (00:06:42)AI in Transactional vs. Litigation Work (00:07:37)Best Uses of AI in Litigation (00:09:23)Lawyer Hesitancy and AI Psychosis (00:10:26)Big Law Firms and AI Adoption (00:11:41)Prompt Engineering and Lawyer Skillsets (00:14:10)Ana's Background at USPTO (00:16:02)IP Protection for Businesses (00:17:09)]Basic IP Protections for Businesses (00:19:06)Automating Client Communication with AI (00:21:39)Common IP Misconceptions (00:23:25)Client Types and Fee Structure (00:24:11)Service Guarantees in Legal Practice (00:26:02)Advice for Lawyers New to AI (00:26:54)Personal Freedom and Business Systems (00:27:49)Would you like to learn what it looks like to become a truly Free Lawyer? You can schedule a courtesy call here: https://calendly.com/garymiles-successcoach/one-one-discovery-callWould you like to learn more about Breaking Free or order your copy? https://www.garymiles.net/break-free

Welcome to episode 302 of Grow Your Law Firm, hosted by Ken Hardison. On this episode, Ken is joined by Derek Weber of Lead With AI, the founder and AI integration expert helping businesses implement human-centric AI strategies. Derek has spent over two years transforming his 22-year-old marketing company through focused experimentation with AI, developing a proven progression from mindset to technique, tools, and technology. He helps leaders move past fear and frustration to implement AI as a productivity multiplier, enabling teams to handle more clients, complete senior-level work faster, and reduce outsourcing costs. Derek's approach works across industries and requires no prior AI expertise - just an open mind and a ChatGPT or Claude account. What you'll learn about in this episode: 1. AI Mindset and Adoption: - Why starting with mindset is critical before implementing AI tools - Overcoming resistance and fear that keeps teams stuck in the status quo 2. Progression to AI as a Partner: - Stages of AI integration, from basic interaction to assistants and agents - How to delegate repetitive or low-value tasks to AI to free up high-value work 3. Structured Input and Training: - Using contextual prompts and structured outputs to increase AI accuracy - Stacking AI assistants with specialized training for complex task handling 4. Human-Centric AI Implementation: - Focusing AI on amplifying high-value work instead of automating chaos - Creating strategic partners and virtual advisors for problem-solving and decision-making 5. Practical Application and ROI: - Real-world results: increased efficiency, more clients, and reduced outsourcing costs - Applying Derek's methodology in any business, regardless of industry or AI experience Resources:    Websites: LeadWithAI.Us/pilmma  GBGmarketing.com Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/derekaweber   Additional Resources:    https://www.pilmma.org/aiworkshop https://www.pilmma.org/the-mastermind-effect https://www.pilmma.org/resources https://www.pilmma.org/mastermind AI for PI Expo:   www.pilmma.org/ai-for-pi-expo

What does it really mean to take ownership of your legal practice? At every stage of your career, from junior associate to senior lawyer, understanding ownership is not just about capability. It requires a clear framework for how to manage your skills, relationships, and time effectively.   In this episode, I share a three-bucket approach that turns the abstract idea of ownership into a tangible framework. You'll learn how to audit your practice, pinpoint gaps that may be holding you back, and make targeted improvements in each area. From developing specialized expertise to cultivating strategic relationships and mastering practice management, this episode provides a clear roadmap to taking real ownership of your legal work.   Get full show notes and more information here: https://thejoyfulpractice.com/228

Starting your own law firm can be one of the most rewarding (or one of the most challenging) decisions you'll ever make as a lawyer. In this episode of The Effective Lawyer Podcast, Jack Zinda breaks down the 7 essential questions every attorney should ask before taking the leap into running a practice.From understanding your “why” to building financial runway, generating business, handling risk, and surrounding yourself with the right support, this episode gives attorneys a framework for deciding if now is the right time to start a firm — and how to avoid common mistakes.What You'll Learn in This Episode:The most important question to ask before starting a law firm.How much financial runway you really need.Why client acquisition matters more than anything.The balance between being a lawyer and a CEO.How to prepare for uncertainty and risk.The systems you need beyond hustle.Why mentors, advisors, and family support are essential.Whether you're a young lawyer considering going solo or a seasoned attorney ready to take control of your career, this episode will help you make smarter, more confident decisions about your future.Learn more and explore other episodes at zdfirm.com/the-effective-lawyerHave a question for Jack? jack@zindalaw.com 

In this episode of "The Free Lawyer," host Gary interviews Steve Steckler, a veteran marketing and leadership coach for lawyers and author of Think Like a Lawyer, Act Like an Entrepreneur. They discuss practical strategies for lawyers to overcome marketing challenges, emphasizing behavior change, authenticity, and relationship-building over traditional sales tactics. Steve shares insights on balancing legal work with business development, the impact of the billable hour, and leveraging AI tools. The episode offers actionable advice for lawyers to grow their practices, reduce burnout, and achieve greater personal and professional freedom.Steve is a seasoned marketing, career, and leadership coach with 20+ years of experience working with 100's of partners, associates, and in-house counsel. He advises attorneys on advancing their careers and coaches them on taking actions that will help them reach their goals.  He helps lawyers to change their mindset when they are not advising clients.As an attorney who has dedicated his entire professional life to helping lawyers find more career satisfaction and achieve marketing success, Steve is “Counsel to Counsel.” What gets him excited is identifying ways to get intelligent professionals to embrace the change they want and then move past obstacles that are getting in the way.Unique Approach: Behavior vs. Mindset (00:03:08) Evolution of Legal Marketing and Coaching (00:05:21) Lawyer Personality Traits and Challenges (00:06:52) Key Behavior Changes for Lawyers (00:08:34) Client Success Story (00:10:01) Why Lawyers Struggle with Marketing (00:12:11) Authenticity in Marketing Activities (00:12:37) The “Yes, But” Disease (00:13:58) Leveraging Lawyer Traits Positively (00:15:55) The Platinum Rule (00:16:28) Building Authentic Relationships (00:17:23) Common Marketing Mistakes (00:19:24) Prioritizing Marketing Despite Busyness (00:20:38) Finding Authentic Marketing Strategies (00:21:54) Being of Service vs. Selling (00:23:30) Impact of AI on Legal Marketing (00:24:14) Key Takeaways from the Book (00:27:03) Monetizing Social Connections (00:28:57) Advice for Hesitant Marketers (00:31:05) Personal Freedom and Legal Practice (00:31:23)Would you like to learn more about Breaking Free or order your copy? https://www.garymiles.net/break-free Would you like to schedule a complimentary discovery call? You can do so here: https://calendly.com/garymiles-successcoach/one-one-discovery-call

What if this episode wasn't just about AI—but was created BY AI? Dive into how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing every aspect of legal practice, from client intake to profitability.Sam Mollaei, Esq. reveals cutting-edge AI tools like ChatGPT Mobile, Adobe Enhanced Speech, and automated review analysis that are transforming law firms. Learn how to leverage AI for faster intake, data-driven insights, and marketing strategies that maximize ROI while you focus on high-value work.This is innovation in action. Stay tuned and get ready to rethink what's possible for your practice.Key Takeaways from this episode:1. AI Tools to Boost ProductivityCutting-edge AI tools like ChatGPT Mobile, Adobe Enhanced Speech, and Grammarly are empowering legal professionals to automate tasks, clean up workflows, and focus on what matters most.These tools aren't just helpful—they're transformative for efficiency.2. Google Reviews Powered by Data-Driven InsightsLeveraging AI to analyze Google reviews can uncover trends in client satisfaction, helping firms optimize operations.AI-driven sentiment analysis transforms reviews into actionable insights for growth.3. AI in Client IntakeIntegrating AI into the client intake process ensures faster response times, better tracking, and seamless lead conversions.Firms that automate intake functions see significantly higher conversion rates—responding within five minutes can boost chances of success by 21 times.4. The Role of AI in Marketing StrategiesAI-enabled tools like call tracking and Google Local Services Ads help lawyers focus their marketing efforts on what works, maximizing ROI and driving high-quality leads with precision.5. AI for Profitability and Niche ExpertiseUsing AI to automate cost-heavy, repetitive tasks and streamline workflows frees up time to focus on high-value clients.AI also aids in identifying lucrative niches by analyzing market trends and client data, allowing firms to specialize and increase profitability. "If you're not already on board [with AI], you're already behind.""And while some lawyers might be intimidated by AI, Sam really sees it as a powerful tool that you can use to enhance your practice. You can streamline those workflows, provide better service to your clients, and he's all about using technology to create that leverage, freeing yourself up to focus on those tasks that only humans can do."

Summary:Boosting law firm client satisfaction doesn't have to be complicated. In this episode of The Effective Lawyer, Zinda Law Group CEO Jack Zinda shares a simple, proven system that can help you reach a 95% satisfaction rate or higher. You'll learn how to set communication expectations, keep clients informed, and resolve issues before they become complaints.What You'll Learn:    The #1 factor in improving client satisfaction in a law firm    How to outline the legal process for clients in clear, simple terms    The “Client Satisfaction Alert” system for catching concerns early    Practical attorney communication tips to reduce complaints    Why team training is essential for consistent client experience

AI for lawyers isn't about replacing attorneys—it's about helping law firms work smarter. In this episode, trial lawyer Jack Zinda explains how lawyers can use AI tools like OpenAI and ChatGPT to streamline their practice, save hours of work, and improve client service.You'll learn how to: Use AI for intake call reviews & case spotting Analyze deposition transcripts before trial Run deep AI research on experts, companies, & venues Review medical records faster & more accurately Draft better client letters & marketing contentPlus Jack shares what AI should NEVER do for lawyers (and how to protect your bar card).

Welcome to episode 288 of the Grow Your Law Firm podcast, hosted by Ken Hardison. In this episode, Ken sits down with Howard Ankin, owner of Ankin Law.   Howard is a third-generation attorney and founder of Ankin Law, a leading Chicago firm focused on personal injury, workers' compensation, trucking accidents, wrongful death, and Social Security disability. Raised around the legal profession, Howard's passion for justice began early—often accompanying his father to court during school breaks—and has fueled his career ever since. Since founding Ankin Law in 1997, Howard has built a powerhouse team of over 25 attorneys, earning a reputation for securing life-changing outcomes for clients. He's known not just for major wins, but for the relationships he builds—many of his clients are multigenerational. Howard continues the Ankin family tradition of accessible, high-quality legal support for clients at every stage of life. What you'll learn about in this episode:   1. Wisdom from Thought Leaders: - Marketing and advertising wisdom shared by thought leaders like Ken Hardison and John Morgan. - Increased competition due to more law firms engaging in marketing and advertising. 2. Professionalism and Firm Development: - Howard's dedication to professionalism in the legal field. - Howard's law firm in Chicago offering comprehensive legal services across various areas. 3. Challenges in the Legal Landscape: - Challenges posed by the influx of national law firms and private equity investments. - The importance of differentiation and effective marketing for survival in a competitive environment. 4. Commitment to Client Needs: - Howard's integrated approach to meeting client needs effectively. - Providing full-service legal support, including workers' compensation, medical malpractice, and other areas. 5. Future Outlook and Resilience: - Howard's continued passion for the legal profession despite potential challenges. - Upholding professionalism and commitment to growth in the face of changing legal dynamics. Resources:  Website: ankinlaw.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/howard-ankin Facebook: www.facebook.com/AnkinLawOffice Twitter (X): https://x.com/ankinlaw Additional Resources:    https://www.pilmma.org/aiworkshop https://www.pilmma.org/the-mastermind-effect https://www.pilmma.org/resources https://www.pilmma.org/mastermind

What does it take to find the real truth in a high-stakes injury case?In this episode of The Effective Lawyer Podcast, Jack Zinda and Partner Cole Gumm walk through their real-life trial strategies—from confronting corporate negligence to handling disfiguring dog bites and trucking cases involving drug use. They share how expert witnesses, tactical depositions, and deep client trust can uncover the liability others miss.Topics Covered:    Tactics for uncovering apartment complex liability in a dog bite case    The power of expert witnesses in trucking and pediatric burn injuries    How to prepare for trial 90+ days out    Tips for mentoring new attorneys and building client trust    Mental health and work-life balance as a litigatorListen to learn how small details can lead to big wins.Have a question for Jack? Don't hesitate to reach out!jz@zindalaw.comhttps://www.zdfirm.com/

In this episode, host Kent Hance interviews Judge Lee Yeakel, a former federal judge in Austin, Texas. Judge Yeakel discusses his upbringing, education at the University of Texas, and early legal career, sharing insights into the Texas legal market of the late 1960s. The conversation covers notable legal and sports figures, memorable anecdotes, and the evolution of legal practice. Judge Yokel details his transition from private practice to the judiciary, his experiences with judicial elections and appointments, and his eventual move to the federal bench. He reflects on his career, retirement, and ongoing involvement in the legal community.