Law Practice Today

On the Law Practice Today podcast, host Terrell speaks with Marguerita Dolatly, Director of Business Development at Katten and a former corporate/M&A and private equity lawyer, about business development and strengthening client relationships through “unreasonable hospitality.” Delatly explains how personalized, memorable touches can elevate standard service, deepen trust, and differentiate firms—especially in high-stress matters like deals and cases. She describes mapping a deal’s trajectory to identify moments to infuse optimal client service, including clearer communication, setting expectations, and providing roadmaps that reduce client anxiety. She also shares interpersonal examples of paying attention to client interests to create thoughtful touchpoints, while emphasizing the need to be strategic and selective. Delatly notes that as AI improves access to market insights, the personal touch and trusted judgment will become even more important.

00:00 Hospitality Turns to Color
00:26 Podcast Welcome and Disclaimer
01:04 Meet Marguerita Dolatly
02:36 Keeping the Personal Touch After Acquisition
04:42 AI and Trust in Client Service
05:33 From Lawyer to Business Development
06:42 Why Unreasonable Hospitality Works
09:12 Practical Examples for Lawyers
12:45 Predictability Calms Clients
14:49 Where to Find Margarita
15:15 Final Thanks and Sign Off

In this episode of the Law Practice Podcast, Terrell sits down with Chris Fortier, author of “The Lawyer’s Guide to Office Automation,” to discuss why the legal profession is slow to adopt automation and AI despite significant opportunities. Fortier shares his background building practical tools like Google Forms and shared drives to reduce friction in bar association workflows, then explains how intake forms, client orientation videos, and automated status emails can improve client experience and reduce unnecessary work. He notes increased access to practice software for small firms, highlights concerns about generative AI accuracy and hallucinations, and argues that success depends on documenting workflows and decision trees. Fortier distinguishes rule-based automation from AI’s predictive and expanded search capabilities and emphasizes designing processes, prompts, and human fallback points for responsible AI use.

00:00 Lawyers And AI Fears
00:26 Podcast Welcome And Guest
01:11 Chris Fortier Background
01:47 Early Automation Wins
03:56 Online Intake Forms
04:49 Client Experience Benefits
07:20 Simple Automations Examples
08:40 Tools And Time Tracking
09:44 Adoption And Horror Stories
10:58 Workflow Decision Trees
13:30 Automation Versus AI
15:11 AI Search Use Case
17:55 Book Feedback And Buying
20:00 Designing AI Processes
21:10 Wrap Up And Book Title

On the ABA Law Practice Today podcast, host Terrell Turner talks with Daya Naef, a law firm consultant and small-firm practitioner focused on legal AI and efficiency, about how firms can still train and develop lawyers as AI automates repetitive junior-level work. Daya describes using technology, outsourcing, and automation to free time for more relational client service and more consistent client updates. They discuss how law schools and firms are split between restricting AI (blue books, no laptops) and embracing it with policies, and how generational shifts create new expectations from AI-native lawyers. They also address clients increasingly using free AI tools to challenge legal strategy, raising the importance of judgment training, potential new training models, and the disconnect of firms banning AI while trying to recruit associates, plus resources including an upcoming ABA CLE and related Law Practice Today articles.

00:00 AI Replaces Junior Work
00:32 Podcast Welcome Disclaimer
01:11 Meet Daya Naef
03:06 AI As Opportunity
05:06 Automation For Client Care
07:20 Training Gap In Firms
10:46 Law Schools React To AI
12:38 AI Native Generations
14:02 Clients Using AI Too
15:57 Rethinking Skills Training
16:57 Firms Banning AI
17:46 Where To Find Daya
18:19 CLE And Articles
18:55 Final Thanks Wrap-up

In this Law Practice Today podcast episode, the host discusses careers in animal law with professor and author Yolanda Eisenstein, who explains that modern animal law is largely animal protection law and has expanded significantly through increased legal education, clinics, and new legislation such as pet trusts. Eisenstein describes her path into the field, her teaching experience at SMU and the University of New Mexico, and how animal law spans companion animals, wildlife, farmed animals, federal and local practice, and even international work. She notes that companion animals generally receive the greatest legal protection and emphasizes that practitioners can integrate animal issues into many legal specialties. Eisenstein previews her updated second edition of Careers in Animal Law, advising prospective students to assess whether they truly want to be lawyers and can handle topics like cruelty and compassion fatigue, and predicts the field will keep growing amid biodiversity loss, climate change, and illegal wildlife trafficking.

00:00 Wildlife Trafficking Stakes
00:28 Podcast Intro and Disclaimer
01:07 Why Animal Law Careers
01:53 Origins and Expansion
04:37 Teaching and Practice Paths
06:01 Species and Legal Protections
08:15 Career Options and Locations
09:15 Staying Current in the Field
10:23 Book Advice and Self Fit
12:55 Future of Animal Law
13:54 Where to Find Yolanda
14:36 Closing Remarks

On the Law Practice Today podcast, host Terrell sits down with psychologists Larry and D'Arcy, authors of Thin Skinned, to discuss research on how lawyers differ from the general public and how those differences affect both practice and personal life. Larry describes decades of data collection—first via a nationwide Myers-Briggs study of 3,000+ lawyers and later through 30 years using the Caliper Profile, now totaling nearly 10,000 lawyer assessments—showing seven atypical trait outliers, including high skepticism and notably low resilience and empathy. They explain that some traits are present before law school, while skepticism, resilience, and empathy are largely learned and can shift with time in law-office environments. The episode highlights practical, research-backed ways to build resilience, including reducing cognitive distortions, increasing positive emotions, and strengthening relationships, plus leadership strategies for creating resilience-friendly firm cultures.

00:00 Lawyers Get Thin Skinned
00:20 Podcast Intro Disclaimer
00:58 Meet the Authors
01:44 Larry's Path to Psychology
02:28 D'Arcy Joins the Project
04:15 30 Years of Lawyer Data
06:36 Seven Traits That Stand Out
09:29 Why Lawyers Differ
10:30 Skepticism Lowers Resilience
18:19 Nature, Nurture, and Selection
19:56 Four Buckets of Solutions
20:47 Bucket One Fix Negative Thinking
24:38 Bucket Two Build Positive Emotions
30:01 Bucket Three Relationships Matter
34:17 Where to Learn More
35:05 Final Thanks and Wrap Up

In this Law Practice Today podcast episode, Greg Siskind discusses an ABA book he co-wrote with Jason Susser and Josh Waddell, focused on practical ways lawyers can adopt generative AI in their firms, including how to prioritize projects, find “low-hanging fruit,” decide what to DIY versus hire out, and avoid ethical or operational trouble. Siskind draws parallels to the early days of law firm websites, recounting building one of the first lawyer websites in 1994 and the skepticism and compliance questions that followed. He describes his firm’s earlier AI work starting in 2015 with no-code expert systems and a later pivot in 2022 after an early look at OpenAI through Casetext’s CoCounsel, leading to an immigration-focused generative AI research prototype. The conversation highlights strong use cases like summarization, translation, inbox workflows, marketing tasks, and prompt “recipes,” emphasizing prompts as effective delegation.

00:00 Why Invest in AI
00:31 Podcast Intro and Disclaimer
01:09 Meet Greg Siskind
01:52 Writing a Practical AI Book
03:44 Lessons From 1994 Websites
07:06 Early Web Marketing Advantage
08:50 Law Firm AI Experiments 2015
11:11 First Look at Generative AI
13:55 Practical Use Cases and Prompts
16:09 Prompting Is Delegation
17:16 Where to Find Greg
17:48 Final Thanks and Outro

This special roundup episode of the Law Practice Today podcast brings together three conversations from the first half of 2026 focused on helping law firms build stronger, more resilient, and better-run practices.

First, Stephanie Everett joins Terrell A. Turner in "Building a Healthy and Profitable Law Firm.” She explains why law firm leaders need to understand their numbers, create systems that allow the business to operate without depending on the owner at every moment, and revisit strategy regularly through quarterly planning, annual reviews, and longer-term vision setting.

Next, Shawn Holahan discusses "Disaster Planning for Law Firms.” She emphasizes that professional and ethical responsibilities do not stop during an emergency. From natural disasters and cyber incidents to technology failures and employee disruptions, firms need a clear plan for maintaining operations and communicating with clients when something goes wrong.

Finally, Alexander Paykin joins Terrell for "Picking the Right Legal Tech Tools.” He encourages law firms to look beyond polished demos and technology hype by evaluating tools against their actual workflows, practice-specific needs, security requirements, and expected return on investment. The goal is not simply to adopt more technology, but to choose tools that genuinely save time, improve operations, and support the firm.

Together, these conversations highlight three important parts of running a stronger law firm: building a sustainable business, preparing for disruption, and making smarter operational and technology decisions.

Listen to the Full Conversations:

• Building a Healthy and Profitable Law Firm — Stephanie Everett
• Disaster Planning for Law Firms — Shawn Holahan
• Picking the Right Legal Tech Tools — Alexander Paykin

Episode Chapters
00:00 Special Episode Preview
00:46 Podcast Intro & Disclaimer
01:22 Building a More Resilient Law Firm
02:20 Stephanie Everett: Building a Healthy and Profitable Practice
03:24 Numbers, Systems & Strategy
05:53 Shawn Holahan: Why Disaster Planning Matters
07:07 Ethics and Professional Responsibilities During Disasters
09:07 Building a Reliable Client Communication Plan
10:23 Alexander Paykin: Cutting Through Legal Tech Hype
11:54 How to Stress-Test AI & Technology Tools
13:27 Evaluating the Real ROI of Automation
14:19 Wrap-Up & Full Episode Links

This special roundup episode of the Law Practice Today podcast revisits three conversations from the first half of 2026 focused on helping lawyers strengthen their visibility, relationships, and professional brand.

First, Jason Hennessey joins Terrell A. Turner for “Mastering Law Firm SEO in the Era of AI,” exploring how AI-driven search is reshaping SEO for law firms, why traditional authority signals still matter, and how brand reputation and sentiment are becoming increasingly important as search behavior evolves.

Next, Deb Feder shares a practical approach to business development in “Rethinking Business Development: Small Actions, Stronger Relationships.” She explains how lawyers can make networking and relationship-building more manageable by dedicating just a few minutes each day to simple actions, thoughtful follow-up, and staying consistently connected with the people in their network.

Finally, Marianne Talbot brings a different perspective to professional branding in “Embracing the Punk Rock Principle in Law.” Her approach encourages lawyers to embrace authenticity, experiment with small acts that challenge the expected professional mold, and let go of some of the pressure to appear perfect—creating more room for individuality, energy, and enjoyment in their careers.

Listen to the full conversations:

• Mastering Law Firm SEO in the Era of AI — Jason Hennessey
• Rethinking Business Development: Small Actions, Stronger Relationships — Deb Feder
• Embracing the Punk Rock Principle in Law — Marianne Talbot

Episode Chapters
00:00 Special Roundup Preview
01:07 Podcast Intro & Disclaimer
01:43 Jason Hennessey: How AI Is Changing Search and SEO
02:32 Authority Signals, Links & Brand Sentiment
04:47 Quick SEO Strategies for Law Firms
05:26 Deb Feder: The Five-Minute Business Development Habit
07:52 Simple Daily Networking Actions
09:08 Marianne Talbot: The Punk Rock Branding Mindset
11:07 Letting Go of Perfection to Stand Out
12:42 How Small Acts of Rebellion Build Energy
13:52 Wrap-Up & Full Episode Links

This episode of the Law Practice Today podcast features Terrell A. Turner, CPA's interview with Carol Greenwald, chair of the Law Practice Division Publication Board, about what it really takes to write and publish a book with the ABA. Greenwald shares her background transitioning from academia to law firm consulting focused on communication, and explains that lawyers are trained in law but not always in clear communication with clients and teams. She discusses why people write books (reputation and expertise), how the division selects topics across business, finance, management, marketing, and technology, and why “evergreen” subjects differ from fast-changing topics like AI. Greenwald outlines appropriate and inappropriate uses of AI in writing, the challenges of completing a nonfiction book on deadline, and how to pitch a book idea to the Pub Board via a questionnaire process.

00:00 Writing Sounds Like You
00:34 Podcast Intro Disclaimer
01:13 Why Write With ABA
01:53 Carol Greenwald Background
04:27 Lawyer Communication Gaps
06:06 How People Remember
07:51 Why Books Build Credibility
09:06 Evergreen Versus AI Topics
09:30 Choosing ABA Book Topics
11:51 Clients Getting Tougher
14:04 AI And Copyright Limits
14:34 Using AI The Right Way
17:29 What Makes Books Valuable
20:30 Writing For Different Learners
22:11 Guiding Readers With Breadcrumbs
23:37 Publishing Goals And Deadlines
25:23 Finishing A Book Is Hard
28:32 How To Pitch The Pub Board
29:31 Wrap Up And Thanks

On the Law Practice Today podcast, Terrell A. Turner, CPA speaks with David Arato, owner of Lexicon Legal Content, about law firm marketing and SEO as AI overviews and AI platforms reshape how clients find lawyers. Arato explains that while AI is a major shift, many fundamentals still apply: clean sites, valuable content, and omnichannel presence, with today’s emphasis on frequent, fresh, conversational content, technical elements like schema markup, and building authority through libraries of content, backlinks, and third-party mentions (including sources like Reddit). He notes that AI overviews now trigger for many legal searches, devaluing traditional #1 organic rankings and making AI citations critical for traffic and leads. He also defines common acronyms (SEO, AIO, GEO, AEO) and argues “zero-effort” AI content has “zero value,” warning of amplified misinformation and compliance risks.

00:00 AI Content Ranking Reality
00:20 Podcast Welcome Disclaimer
00:59 Meet David Arato
02:00 From Law School to SEO
04:05 Is AI a Seismic Shift
06:38 Winning AI Overviews
10:27 SEO Timelines and PR Signals
13:44 New SEO Acronyms Explained
15:19 Zero Effort Content Trap
19:55 Misinformation and Compliance Risks
20:37 Where to Find David
21:06 Final Wrap Up

In this episode of the Law Practice Today podcast features Chrissie Scelsi discussing how law applies to video games. Scelsi shares her background as an in-house attorney, co-editor and contributor to ABA publications on game development and intellectual property, former U.S. general counsel at Wargaming (World of Tanks), and her work at Universal Orlando on licensing and adapting The Last of Us into a Halloween Horror Nights haunted house. The conversation highlights the wide range of legal issues in gaming beyond IP—international operations, HR and office matters, esports contracts and rulebooks, data privacy, banking and anti-money laundering concerns, marketing and trend-based advertising, and uncertainty over laws aimed at online child safety and social media features. They also discuss ESRB ratings’ impact on content and advertising, right of publicity, and college football/NIL developments, and advice for young lawyers on networking and writing to break into the field.

00:00 ESRB And Ratings
00:22 Podcast Intro And Disclaimer
01:01 Meet Chrissie Scelsi
01:40 Her Path Into Game Law
02:53 Universal And Horror Nights
04:12 Beyond IP Global And Ops
07:00 Marketing Trends And Risk
08:20 New Regulations And Uncertainty
09:11 Live Service Bills And Layoffs
11:23 Breaking In Networking Writing
15:30 Esports And Litigation War Stories
17:44 Concerts In Games And Content Choices
21:06 Right Of Publicity And NIL
22:39 Books Resources And Wrap Up
23:52 Closing Credits

In this episode of the Law Practice Today podcast, Terrell A. Turner, CPA, discusses mental health and self-care in law firms with Adriana Buckingham, Esq, MSW, a Philadelphia-area attorney turned counselor who founded AB In-House Counseling. Buckingham explains how her experience as a litigator led her to seek support tailored to attorneys, prompting her to earn a social work degree while practicing law and then create counseling and coaching services for legal professionals through their employers. The conversation focuses on supporting associates and staff as a firm’s key resource, noting that healthier employees can improve productivity, retention, and client service. They discuss common challenges like time management, delegation, and saying yes to everything, and how reframing can help. Buckingham emphasizes strict confidentiality: firms pay for her time, not session substance.

00:00 Associates Matter Most
00:25 Podcast Intro Disclaimer
01:04 Mental Health Focus
01:54 Meet Adriana Buckingham
02:35 From Lawyer to Counselor
04:17 Balancing School and Practice
05:48 Which Career Feels Rewarding
08:01 Why Firms Should Support Staff
11:01 Common Associate Struggles
13:34 Coaching Not Crisis
15:57 How In-House Counseling Works
17:43 Contact and Closing

Recorded as a fireside chat at the ABA Law Practice Division Spring Meeting in San Diego, this special episode examines reports that Sullivan & Cromwell filed a brief containing nonexistent or inaccurate case citations and later apologized to opposing counsel and the court.

Steve Embry, Jennifer Ellis, and Michael Eisenberg discuss why AI hallucinations continue to appear in legal filings despite widespread awareness of the risks. They point to ignored firm policies, time pressure, overreliance on confident-sounding AI outputs, and a lack of understanding of generative AI's limitations as key contributing factors.

The discussion also explores how these failures relate to lawyers' ethical duties of competence, candor, and supervision. The speakers emphasize that legal citations should always be independently verified using traditional legal research tools—not AI—such as Shepardizing in Lexis or Westlaw. They also stress that proper training and experience are essential for recognizing unreliable AI-generated results.

00:00 – AI Hallucinations Hit BigLaw
00:37 – Show Intro and Disclaimer
01:16 – Sullivan & Cromwell Brief Fallout
02:19 – Why Lawyers Keep Getting Burned
04:19 – Competence Rules and Citation Checks
06:53 – Workflow Reality Check
08:55 – Training to Spot Hallucinations
10:45 – Verifying Citations Without AI Tools
12:55 – Closing Thoughts and Wrap-Up
13:02 – Podcast Outro and Resources

This Law Practice Podcast fireside chat with Alan Klevan, Jennifer Ellis, and Steve Embry discusses recent court responses to lawyers filing AI-hallucinated or fabricated citations, focusing on the Oregon appeals decision in Williams. The panel explains that the court emphasized Rule 3.3’s duty of candor to both the court and opposing counsel, criticizing the lawyer not only for including fabricated authorities but also for attempting a “quiet correction” without acknowledging the problem. They discuss growing judicial frustration, the likelihood of sanctions and disciplinary referrals, and examples of suspensions. The speakers stress that generative AI hallucinations are inherent, so lawyers must verify every citation by checking links and reading cases, use appropriate research tools, learn effective prompting techniques, and promptly disclose and remedy any errors rather than conceal them.

00:00 AI Hallucinations Intro
01:08 Fireside Chat Setup
02:42 Williams Case Breakdown
03:24 Candor Rule And Quiet Fix
05:21 Sanctions And Discipline
07:45 Protecting Public Trust
08:34 How To Prevent Hallucinations
10:14 Verification And Tooling Tips
11:57 Why AI Hallucinates
12:59 Wrap Up And Resources

In this Law Practice Podcast fireside chat on “Billing in the Age of AI,” host Jim Calloway is joined by Julie Bays, Director of the Management Assistance Program at the Oklahoma Bar Association, and Wendy Meadows, a family law attorney in Maryland and coaching consultant for small and solo law firms.

Together, they discuss how AI is changing the way lawyers think about billing, value, and client communication.

The conversation centers on the “efficiency paradox”: when AI helps lawyers complete certain tasks faster, how should that speed be reflected in the client’s bill? Wendy shares how her practice has shifted toward a hybrid billing model, using flat fees for document-based work like complaints and marital settlement agreements, while continuing to bill hourly for meetings, phone calls, and other client-facing work.

Julie emphasizes that invoices should do more than request payment — they should help clients understand the value of the work performed. Even when AI makes legal work more efficient, lawyers still bring years of judgment, experience, and legal strategy to the final product.

The panel also discusses the importance of clearly outlining billing structures in engagement agreements, continuing to track time even for flat-fee work, and setting limits when a matter exceeds the original scope. They also highlight the need for client disclosures around AI use, including warnings about placing attorney work product or confidential documents into public AI platforms.

Finally, the conversation explores how AI-driven efficiency may help lawyers expand their ability to take on pro bono and low-bono work. Rather than viewing AI only as a billing challenge, the speakers frame it as an opportunity to improve access to justice, increase capacity, and encourage lawyers to adopt AI thoughtfully — one small step at a time.

00:00 Welcome and Overview
00:33 Show Disclaimer
01:12 Billing in the Age of AI
01:15 Meet the Panelists
01:35 Invoices as Value Proof
02:11 Hybrid Billing in Practice
03:35 Engagement Terms and Time Caps
04:24 AI Disclosures and Confidentiality
05:23 Efficiency and Access to Justice
06:22 Closing Takeaways
07:05 Outro and Resources

On the Law Practice Today podcast, host Terrell speaks with Betania Allo, an Argentinian lawyer with graduate studies in international relations (Harvard) and an LLM (Syracuse) who is finishing a doctor of engineering in cybersecurity analytics at George Washington. Allo describes her work at the intersection of law, policy, international security, and emerging technologies, including roles at the UN in New York and in Saudi Arabia on the NEOM smart-city project leading cybersecurity culture and awareness for thousands of employees and contractors. Now head of TMT, AI governance, and privacy at Legaltracks in Riyadh, she discusses bridging regulators and innovators, the human factor in cybersecurity, differences in global regulatory priorities, and practical advice for lawyers seeking international opportunities through study, networking, and conferences.

00:00 Networking Opens Doors
00:21 Podcast Welcome Disclaimer
01:00 Meet Betania Allo
01:58 From Argentina to Cybersecurity
04:27 Balancing PhD and Work
05:39 Law Degree as Passport
09:02 Cybersecurity Culture Worldwide
10:47 Saudi Vision and AI Policy
12:36 Finding Global Legal Roles
13:37 Conferences and Speaking Gigs
14:33 Bridging Lawyers and Engineers
16:17 Build Your Network
17:19 Where to Find Betania
17:44 Final Thanks and Outro

On the Law Practice Podcast, Terrell and guest Rachel Clar discuss whether AI is “breaking” the legal industry and how it is compressing the timeline for lawyers, especially women in Big Law, to become irreplaceable and reach income or equity partnership. Rachel, an attorney and founder of Interconnected Us, argues that protecting career trajectory increasingly requires building a book of business, noting a Major, Lindsey & Africa study showing average rainmaking gaps (men $3.9M vs women $2.4M) that affect compensation. She shares her trademarked BNRI framework: Branding (self-awareness and a clear niche beyond practice area), Networking (identifying where target clients and decision-makers gather, using AI and LinkedIn research), Rainmaking/relational selling (making the ask and handling rejection), and Influence (amplifying value and building internal allies for partnership). She also offers resources via LinkedIn and interconnectedus.com, including a legal conference cheat sheet.

00:00 AI Compresses Partnership
00:34 Is AI Breaking the Law
01:08 Meet Rachel Claire
02:25 Women Leadership Pressure
03:16 Origination Gap Numbers
04:18 Timeline Before AI
05:42 Dinner Party Advice
07:17 BNRI Branding First
08:50 Networking With AI
10:15 Relational Selling Ask
11:43 Influence Inside Firm
13:10 How To Connect
13:58 Free Conference Cheat Sheet
14:39 Why This Work Matters
16:50 Closing Thanks

On the Law Practice podcast, host Terrell Turner welcomes back Deb Feder, a former big law and in-house lawyer turned consultant, to discuss practical business development and client relationship strategies for lawyers. Feder explains her approach to business development as three parts: growing your network, nurturing relationships, and sharing expertise, emphasizing that it’s often overcomplicated and can be done in small daily actions. She encourages simple, human connections (starting with “hello”), asking better client-focused questions, and avoiding assumptions, such as making AI the center of every client conversation; instead, lawyers should gauge clients’ interest and use AI tools thoughtfully without sacrificing trust. Feder advises building habits early and shares quick examples like check-ins, follow-ups after conferences, and keeping topic lists, along with a monthly calendar of five-minute tasks available on her website.

00:00 Five Minute Business Development
00:23 Podcast Welcome and Disclaimer
01:01 Meet Deb Feder
01:33 From Lawyer to Consultant
03:11 Why Client Questions Matter
05:00 Business Development Basics
07:12 Stop Overcomplicating Networking
10:29 AI in Client Conversations
15:16 Build the Daily Habit
16:38 Five Minute Task Ideas
18:06 Resources and Wrap Up

On the Law Practice podcast, host Terrell interviews career coach and former attorney Dena Lefkowitz about navigating a legal career without burning out. Dena shares how, after over 20 years practicing law, she realized law school didn’t prepare lawyers for the business of law—networking, marketing, and sales—and that lawyers themselves must generate business. She describes feeling embarrassed after discovering that litigation was a poor fit for her personality and values, and warns against “doubling down” on past decisions when a role harms your health or life. Dena explains using values and the five-factor personality traits (openness, conscientiousness, extroversion/introversion, agreeableness, neuroticism) to evaluate fit, and discusses finding outlets or pivots when misaligned. She recounts a back injury that prompted a change to in-house counsel work aligned with her values, and highlights her book, "Winning in Your Own Court."

00:00 Lawyers Are Miserable
00:12 Podcast Intro Disclaimer
00:50 Meet Dena Lefkowitz
01:33 Two Things Law School Missed
02:23 Wrong Practice Area Realization
04:20 Embarrassment And Sunk Costs
06:17 Trapped By Lifestyle Choices
07:50 Values Driven Career Pivot
08:50 Big Five Personality Factors
10:32 Misalignment And Mental Health
13:00 Injury Forced A Change
14:24 Book Title And Key Laws
15:44 How To Contact Dena
16:15 Final Thanks And Outro

Live at the ABA TECHSHOW, host Terrell interviews Jay McAllister of Paragon Tech about how law firms should evaluate legal technology, especially AI, with a skeptical, results-driven approach. Jay explains that marketing hype often overstates capabilities, using software “integrations” as an example, where firms must check whether syncing is unidirectional or bidirectional. He ties vendor due diligence to lawyers’ duty of competence, urging firms to understand the benefits and risks of new tech and to ask what large language model powers a tool and, more importantly, what primary legal data sources it uses to reduce hallucinations. Jay describes Paragon’s “Leverage AI” framework, starting with identifying a firm’s limiting operational constraint, and shares a case where a custom GPT cut discovery chronology work from over an hour to five minutes with human verification.

00:00 Live From TECHSHOW
00:20 Meet Jay And Paragon
00:58 Why Stay Skeptical
01:24 Integration Claims Explained
02:57 Vendor Due Diligence
03:35 Ai Model Hype Check
05:59 Ask About Data Sources
08:45 Leverage AI Framework
09:14 Case Study Discovery Timeline
10:49 Human In The Loop
11:51 Pick The Right Tool
12:50 Show Floor Wrap Up
13:36 Closing Thanks