Lawyerist Podcast

Your law firm is growing. So why does your workload keep growing with it? In episode 643 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Stephanie Everett talks with Allison Harrison, founder and owner of ALH Law Group, about the leadership changes behind growing to a team of 12.

Allison shares why adding employees creates new responsibilities for the owner, how she recognized that she was carrying too many roles, and the retreat exercise that helped her team start redistributing the work. She explains why delegation needs regular attention as the business evolves and how developing other people has become a bigger part of her job.

They also explore how openly embracing the firm’s LGBTQ+ identity helped clients find them, why hiring requires clear expectations about change, and what happens when a growing firm outgrows its original processes.

If your team is getting bigger but your days are getting harder, this episode offers practical ways to rethink your responsibilities and prepare your people for the next stage of growth.

Listen to the previous episodes on Law Firm Growth, Leadership & Building Stronger Teams.

• #633: Leading People in Law Firms: Building Trust, Developing Talent, and Holding Standards, with Debbie Foster & Stephanie EverettApple | Spotify | LTN

• #616: From Solo to CEO: Letting Go of Legal Work to Grow Your Firm, with Ellen Williamson Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #615: How to Stop Being the Bottleneck and Build Stronger Teams, with Debbie Foster and Stephanie Everett Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #606: Breaking the Copycat Cycle: Building a Law Firm with Personality, with Patrick Patino 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 http://lawyerist.com/.

Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction
01:27 – Halloween Costumes, Candy Corn & Neighborhood Traditions
06:02 – Meet Allison Harrison
06:45 – Winning a Reisman Award for Diversity and Inclusion
07:24 – Growing to a Team of 12
08:00 – Building a Brand Around Your Identity
09:55 – Letting Clear Values Attract the Right Clients
11:20 – The Hidden Management Work Behind Law Firm Growth
12:38 – Moving from Doer to Coach
13:20 – The Exercise That Made Delegation Urgent
15:24 – Helping Your Team Grow Alongside the Firm
18:53 – Managing Constant Small Changes
19:33 – Using AI to Simplify Your Software Stack
20:24 – Hiring People Who Expect Change
21:32 – How Growth Changes Team Roles and Relationships
23:21 – Rebuilding Processes as Your Firm Expands
24:20 – NAMWOLF Certification & the Next Growth Opportunity
25:05 – Closing Thoughts

Running a law firm can leave very little time to improve it. Client work takes priority, operational problems pile up, and business planning keeps getting postponed. In episode 642 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Stephanie Everett talks with Lawyerist Business Strategist Richard Carr about finding a manageable starting point when everything feels urgent.

Richard shares why he often begins with a firm owner’s biggest frustration. By identifying where a process breaks down and making a small adjustment, lawyers can start creating the time they need to address larger problems. He walks through how this approach helped one overwhelmed owner get a clearer picture of her caseload and make space for business improvements.

Together, they explore how to connect daily work with long-term goals, protect time for implementation, and improve workflows through testing and automation. They also discuss why waiting for a perfect plan can become its own obstacle.

For lawyers caught between practicing law and managing a business, this episode offers concrete ways to reduce the daily pressure and make steady progress on the firm itself.

Listen to the previous episodes on Law Firm Strategy and Sustainable Growth.

• #635: Leading Forward: Why Great Ideas Aren’t Enough for Law Firm Strategy, with Debbie Foster and Stephanie EverettApple | Spotify | LTN

• #634: Leading Law Firm Operations: Building Systems That Reduce the Daily Firefighting, with Debbie Foster and Stephanie Everett Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #600: Designing a Law Firm You Actually Want to Run, with Stephanie EverettApple | Spotify | LTN

• #575: From Overwhelmed Lawyer to Strategic Law Firm Owner, with Chad FoxApple | Spotify | LTN

Links from the episode:

https://smith.ai/

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 http://lawyerist.com/.

Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction
00:37 – Turning Conference Ideas into Real Work
02:15 – Giving AI the Context It Needs
06:09 – Smith.ai Sponsor Conversation: Improving Client Intake
09:53 – Qualifying Leads and Creating Clear Next Steps
13:33 – Asking Better Intake and Budget Questions
18:37 – Meet Richard Carr
19:12 – The Two Jobs Every Small Firm Owner Has
20:42 – Connecting Law Firm Goals with Everyday Decisions
22:06 – Getting Past the Need for a Perfect Plan
23:19 – Defining What You Want Your Firm to Support
24:51 – Working Backward from Long-Term Goals
26:17 – Small Process Changes That Create More Time
28:48 – Making Room to Focus on the Bigger Picture
31:20 – Finding the Cause of Your Biggest Frustration
34:26 – Making Progress Together at LabCon

AI has made it easier for lawyers to build their own software. It has also made it easier to underestimate what comes next. In episode 641 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Zack Glaser talks with Nick Coleman, founder and CEO of LexMed, about when law firms should build their own AI tools and when buying an existing platform makes more sense.

Nick shares how frustrations in his Social Security disability practice led him to create tools that connect medical evidence with complex legal requirements. They explore how AI can make more thorough advocacy possible when time and case economics limit what lawyers can realistically do.

The conversation also examines the responsibilities behind custom software, including security, maintenance, regulatory updates, and ongoing support. Nick explains why customer feedback and shared expertise remain valuable even when code is easier to create. For lawyers considering a DIY solution, this episode offers a practical look at the work behind a tool they can trust.

Listen to the previous episodes on Legal AI and Smarter Law Firm Technology Decisions

• #577 – Rethinking Law Firm Growth in the Age of AI, with Sam Harden Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #590 – Innovating Without Overwhelm: Practical AI Tips for Lawyers, with Graydon Trusler Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #601– Beyond Chatbots: Using Agentic AI in Law Firm Intake, with Matt Spiegel from Lawmatics Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #611 – Choosing the Right Legal Tech in the Age of AI, with Scott Clasen Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #619 – What Claude Means for Law Firms: AI Skills, Connectors, and Workflow Strategy, with Sam Harden Apple | Spotify | LTN

Links from the episode:

https://lexmed.ai

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 http://lawyerist.com/.

Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction
01:00 – Why You Shouldn’t Change Speed Going Uphill
04:35 – Meet Nick Coleman
05:35 – Building AI Around Real Practice Problems
07:20 – Using AI to Find What Lawyers Miss
09:50 – When Case Economics Limit Client Advocacy
13:05 – Giving Every Client the Attention They Deserve
14:05 – Turning an Internal Tool into a Business
16:15 – Connecting Medical Evidence to Legal Standards
18:35 – When to Build and When to Buy
20:30 – Why a Working Prototype Is Just the Beginning
23:35 – The Hidden Costs of DIY Legal Tech
25:30 – What Software Vendors Offer Beyond Code
28:20 – Building Better AI Through Customer Feedback
31:00 – Learning to Listen as a Founder
32:30 – Is SaaS Really Dead?
33:20 – Closing Thoughts

Your firm has AI tools. Your team has questions. In episode 640 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Zack Glaser talks with Ben Schorr about helping lawyers and staff get comfortable using AI through practical, collaborative workshops called prompt-a-thons.

Ben shares what happens when people have time to work through common office tasks with AI, including prioritizing email, preparing reports, and gathering client contact information. As participants improve their prompts and compare ideas, they begin connecting what they are learning to problems they already face at work.

They explore how to organize a prompt-a-thon, why gathering people in the same room can make a difference, and how to keep the experience useful without making it a competition. The conversation also examines how colleagues can become an ongoing source of support as teams discover new ways to use AI.

If your team understands the possibilities but hesitates to try the tools, this episode offers a manageable way to move from watching demonstrations to building practical skills.

Listen to the previous episodes on AI Adoption and Team Confidence.

• #624: Building Better Lawyers in the Age of AI, with April Dawson Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #598: From Hype to Practice: Using Microsoft Copilot in Your Law Firm, with Ben Schorr Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #597: What Lawyers Get Wrong About Teaching Clients and Teams, with Danielle Hall Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #590: Innovating Without Overwhelm: Practical AI Tips for Lawyers, with Graydon Trusler 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 http://lawyerist.com/.

Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

00:32 – How Practice Builds AI Confidence

04:11 – Meet Ben Schorr
05:56 – What a Prompt-a-thon Actually Is
07:30 – Choosing Everyday Tasks for AI Practice
09:36 – Why AI Training Needs a Practice Session
12:37 – Building a Community Around AI Use
14:13 – Getting Your Inbox Under Control with Copilot
15:25 – Refining Prompts for More Useful Results
18:18 – Moving from Prompts to Scheduled Tasks and Agents
19:44 – Connecting AI to Your Firm’s Information
22:00 – Why Documented Procedures Make AI More Useful
25:55 – Using AI to Simplify Monthly Reporting
27:59 – Extracting Client Contact Information from Email
31:35 – In Person, Hybrid, or RemotPrompt-a-thonons
37:56 – Measuring Success Through Learning and Confidence
39:56 – How to RuPrompt-a-thonthon in Your Firm
41:52 – Closing Thoughts

AI can create a law firm website in minutes. Building a useful marketing strategy takes more thought. In episode 639 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Zack Glaser talks with legal marketing consultant Karin Conroy about why easier content creation is leaving so many lawyers overwhelmed and what to do before asking AI for another post.

Karin shares a five-step approach to putting your marketing in order: evaluate your current state, set your strategy, repair the foundation, map your channels, and build a content engine. She explains how understanding your ideal clients and the ways they already find you can help you decide where AI belongs.

Together, they explore why viral posts can generate attention without advancing your business goals, how a polished website can still miss the mark, and why your website, intake process, and referral systems need to support whatever you publish. They also discuss how online marketing and personal relationships can work together to make your firm more memorable.

If every new AI tool makes you feel further behind, this episode offers a practical way to identify what needs attention first and move forward with a clearer plan.

Listen to the previous episodes of our AI, Branding & Law Firm Marketing.

• #610: Beyond Copycat Marketing: Building a Law Firm Brand That Actually Converts, with Karin Conroy Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #603: Turn Expertise into Clients: Building Authority That AI Recognizes, with Karin Conroy Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #584: How to Stay Human in the Age of AI-driven Law Firm Marketing, with Creative Conroy Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #580: Smarter Law Firm Marketing: AI Tools That Actually Work, with FirmPilot Apple | Spotify | LTN

Links from the episode:

https://conroycreativecounsel.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 http://lawyerist.com/.

Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

01:06 – Meet Karin Conroy and the AI Website Question

04:39 – Why Law Firms Skip the Marketing Fundamentals

06:28 – Why AI Creates More Marketing Overwhelm

11:33 – Putting Strategy Before Marketing Tactics

13:56 – Defining Your Strategy and Ideal Client

14:52 – Why Going Viral Doesn’t Mean Getting Clients

16:34 – Why Copying Competitors’ Marketing Doesn’t Work

18:32 – Making Sure Your Website Can Support Your Marketing

21:02 – Choosing Channels Based on How Clients Find You

22:40 – Repairing Your Marketing Foundation Before Adding AI

24:25 – When Your Law Firm Website Needs a Refresh

29:42 – How Website Design Shapes Client Trust

32:58 – Standing Out When Everyone Uses AI

35:22 – Five Steps to Get Your Marketing on Track

36:32 – Connecting Your Online and Offline Marketing

38:09 – Why Human Relationships Still Drive Growth

39:44 – Closing Thoughts

Running two practice areas can feel like running two law firms under one roof. In episode 638 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Stephanie Everett talks with Megan Burns, managing partner at Mirador Law, about the firm’s decision to focus entirely on plaintiff personal injury after years of also handling criminal defense.

After 20 years as a criminal defense lawyer, Megan knew her trial skills could carry over. The business side required its own transition. She explains how different fee structures, marketing needs, and staffing demands led her and her partner to rethink how the firm operated. They started with a partner retreat to agree on a long term vision, then mapped out the steps needed to make it real.

Together, they discuss how to narrow a practice, support the people affected by the change, and build a firm around a shared direction. If your firm handles several practice areas and you are wondering where to focus, this episode offers a practical place to start.

Listen to the previous episodes of our Law Firm Strategy & Leading Change.

• #635: Leading Forward: Why Great Ideas Aren’t Enough for Law Firm Strategy, with Debbie Foster & Stephanie Everett Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #633: Leading People in Law Firms: Building Trust, Developing Talent, and Holding Standards, with Debbie Foster & Stephanie Everetthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leading-people-in-law-firms-building-trust-developing/id951946132?i=1000786272062Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #600: Designing a Law Firm You Actually Want to Run, with Stephanie Everetthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/designing-a-law-firm-you-actually-want-to-run/id951946132?i=1000748365799Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #575: From Overwhelmed Lawyer to Strategic Law Firm Owner, with Chad Fox 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 http://lawyerist.com/.

Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction
00:47 – Why Law Firm Growth Takes a Process
03:19 – Meet Megan Burns
03:53 – From Public Defender to Personal Injury Lawyer
05:41 – How Trial Skills Transfer Between Practice Areas
07:49 – Changing Practice Areas Changes the Business Model
09:11 – Flat Fees, Contingency Fees, and Financial Risk
11:03 – When Two Practice Areas Became Too Much
11:45 – Setting a New Vision at a Partner Retreat
13:13 – Why Two Practice Areas Can Feel Like Two Firms
15:27 – Getting Law Partners on the Same Page
18:00 – Turning the Vision Into a Plan for the Team
20:01 – How Leaders Set the Tone for Change
22:27 – Building on a 50 Year Firm Legacy
24:20 – Competing as a Small Personal Injury Firm
26:11 – Closing Thoughts

Most lawyers know relationships lead to referrals. The challenge is keeping those relationships alive when everything else gets busy. In this episode of the Lawyerist Podcast, Stephanie Everett talks with Jay Ruane about analog marketing and the simple systems that make staying connected part of running a firm.

Jay explains why offline marketing often falls apart after the first month and how a repeatable approach can help lawyers follow through. They explore using AI to identify forgotten connections in your inbox, making time for short coffee meetings, and becoming the person others trust to make a useful introduction.

The conversation also covers networking as an introvert, asking about someone else’s ideal client, and choosing thoughtful gifts that people actually want to keep. Jay shares why his firm sends clients blankets without its logo and why a manageable network of 50 referral partners can support a successful practice.

If your marketing plan depends on remembering to reach out when things slow down, this episode offers a more practical way to build relationships, generate referrals, and keep showing up.

Listen to the previous episodes of our Referral Marketing, Relationship Building & Law Firm Growth.

• #636: Why Past Clients May Be Your Law Firm’s Best Growth Strategy, with EJ Stern & Katherine Wilson Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #608: Business Development for Lawyers: Building Real Relationships That Lead to Clients, with Megan Senese Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #606: Breaking the Copycat Cycle: Building a Law Firm with Personality, with Patrick Patino Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #515: Simple Marketing Hacks Lawyers Swear By, with Gyi Tsakalakis 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 http://lawyerist.com/.

Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

00:59 – Stephanie’s Blog and the Lawyerist Community

03:02 – Meet Jay Ruane

03:57 – Why Relationship Marketing Needs a System

07:17 – Keeping Your Systems Simple

08:46 – Why Analog Marketing Still Works

11:01 – Using AI to Rediscover Referral Connections

12:07 – Building a Network by Connecting Others

14:13 – Networking as an Introvert

17:19 – Preparing for Better Conversations

19:31 – Talking Business Without Forcing a Pitch

20:32 – Asking for Introductions

21:43 – Moving Beyond a Scarcity Mindset

22:41 – Thoughtful Gifts vs. Branded Merchandise

26:16 – Conference Giveaways People Actually Want

27:11 – Making a Book a Personal Gift

28:31 – Building a Repeatable Marketing Routine

29:49 – Why 50 Referral Partners Can Be Enough

30:46 – Closing Thoughts

Law firms spend enormous amounts of time and money winning new clients, then often overlook the relationships they have already built. In episode 636 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Stephanie Everett talks with EJ Stern and Katherine Wilson about how intentional client nurturing can lead to stronger relationships, repeat business, and more referrals.

EJ and Katherine explain why clients can quietly disappear when firms stop staying connected, why asking for feedback can strengthen rather than threaten a relationship, and how lawyers can move beyond being the person clients call with one legal problem to becoming a trusted advisor they call about everything else.

They also share practical ways to stay top of mind, from LinkedIn and personal check-ins to thoughtful gifts, memorable experiences, and small gestures that show you actually know the person behind the matter. As AI-generated communication becomes easier to produce, authentic human connection may become even more valuable.

If your firm is constantly focused on finding the next client, this conversation is a reminder that some of your best growth opportunities may already know, like, and trust you.

Listen to the previous episodes of our Client Retention, Referral Growth & Relationship Building.

• #609: Improve Client Satisfaction Without More Work: Designing Smarter Legal Services, with Laura Hartnett Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #608: Business Development for Lawyers: Building Real Relationships That Lead to Clients, with Megan Senese Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #592: Client Care, Culture, and Character: A Framework for Great Leaders, with William O’Neal Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #526: LinkedIn Mastery: Grow Your Law Firm NOW!, with Matthew Hunt Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #424: How to Get Great Feedback from Clients, with Ashley Steckler Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #347: How a Client Happiness Coordinator Increased My Firm Referrals & Reviews, with Ryan McKeen & Brittany Green Apple | Spotify | LTN

Links from the episode:

https://smith.ai/

8am Kaleidoscope: https://www.8am.com/events/kaleidoscope/

Fractional Law Firm CMO

Fractional Law Firm CMO on LinkedIn

EJ Stern on LinkedIn

Katherine Wilson on LinkedIn

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 http://lawyerist.com/.

Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

01:16 – Getting More From Conferences

03:02 – AI in Law Firms

06:39 – AI for Client Intake

08:15 – Intake Is a Sales Funnel

11:19 – Fixing Intake Leaks

13:22 – AI for Sales and Intake

14:53 – Meet EJ Stern & Katherine Wilson

15:36 – Why Client Retention Gets Overlooked

16:19 – Turning Clients Into Referrals

17:47 – Why Lawyers Avoid Feedback

21:01 – Why Client Experience Matters

21:54 – Becoming a Trusted Advisor

22:54 – How to Ask for Client Feedback

24:33 – Staying Top of Mind

25:27 – Building Client Loyalty

26:50 – Past Clients and Referral Sources

28:41 – Creative Client Gifts

32:22 – Human Connection in the Age of AI

34:50 – Invest in Existing Clients

35:21 – Building Long-Term Client Relationships

36:11 – Marketing Is Like the Gym

37:13 – LinkedIn and Staying Top of Mind

38:00 – Keep Repeating Your Message

38:21 – Closing Thoughts

Law firms know change is coming. Knowing what to do about it is harder. In this episode of the Lawyerist Podcast, Stephanie Everett talks with Debbie Foster about leading a law firm forward as technology, client expectations, and the business of law evolve.

Debbie explains why strategy often gets pushed aside for urgent client work and day-to-day demands. Together, they explore why firms struggle to move beyond “we’ve always done it this way,” how consensus can stall progress, and why great ideas mean little without execution and team buy-in.

They also examine how AI is raising the stakes for law firm leaders. Waiting for certainty is not a strategy. Stephanie and Debbie share practical ways to protect time for strategic thinking, challenge assumptions, build buy-in, and help teams adapt to change.

If your firm keeps talking about what needs to change but struggles to make it happen, this episode will help you move from ideas to action.

Listen to the previous episodes of our Law Firm Leadership Series.

• #632: Law Firm Leadership: How to Lead Yourself Before Leading Your Team, with Debbie Foster & Stephanie Everett Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #633: Leading People in Law Firms: Building Trust, Developing Talent, and Holding Standards, with Debbie Foster & Stephanie Everett Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #634: Leading Law Firm Operations: Building Systems That Reduce the Daily Firefighting, with Debbie Foster & Stephanie Everett Apple | Spotify | LTN

Links from the episode:

https://posh.com/lawyerist/

https://lawyerist.com/scorecard/

https://beanextlevelleader.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 Be a Next Level Leader 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 http://lawyerist.com/.

Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

01:47 – The New Small Firm Scorecard™

03:23 – Making Law Firm Progress Easier to Measure

06:38 – AI & Virtual Receptionists

08:08 – AI vs. Automation: What’s the Difference?

09:03 – Using AI to Enhance the Client Experience

12:03 – AI for Sentiment Analysis & Quality Assurance

13:04 – Keeping Humans in Control of AI

14:56 – Leading Your Law Firm Forward

15:24 – Why Law Firm Strategy Gets Pushed Aside

16:54 – AI Is Changing the Game for Law Firms

18:35 – Law Firms Are Playing 3D Chess

19:30 – Why Strategic Thinking Needs Protected Time

20:40 – Looking Beyond the Day-to-Day

22:47 – Moving Past “We’ve Always Done It This Way”

24:02 – Why Leading Through Change Is So Hard

24:34 – Great Ideas Aren’t the Problem. Execution Is.

26:58 – The Business Case for Law Firm Strategy

28:39 – Creating Believers Inside Your Law Firm

31:09 – Building a Culture That Thinks Ahead

32:28 – Why Leaders Will Build the Next Era of Law Firms

Law firm leaders are often so busy putting out fires that they never get the chance to prevent the next one. In episode 634 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Stephanie Everett talks with Debbie Foster about leading operations, the third cornerstone from their book, Be a Next Level Leader (https://beanextlevelleader.com/).

Debbie and Stephanie explore what it means to shift from being the “hero” who solves every problem to the architect who builds systems that help the firm run better. They break down how leaders can help teams prioritize urgent versus important work, clarify decision-making authority, and develop the judgment to make better decisions without constantly escalating them.

They also explain why healthy firms surface problems early instead of hiding mistakes, how solving root causes can prevent recurring operational headaches, and why some law firm meetings cost far more than the decisions being made inside them.

If your days feel like an endless cycle of interruptions, emergencies, and meetings about the same problems, this episode offers practical ways to build systems that create more clarity, accountability, and consistency across your firm.

This week's homework: head to beanextlevelleader.com/resources for a free meeting audit calculator to see what your recurring meetings are really costing your firm.

Listen to our previous episodes on Law Firm Leadership, Systems & Stronger Teams

•

#633: Leading People in Law Firms: Building Trust, Developing Talent, and Holding Standards, with Debbie Foster & Stephanie Everett Apple | Spotify | LTN

•

#632: Law Firm Leadership: How to Lead Yourself Before Leading Your Team, with Debbie Foster & Stephanie EverettApple |Spotify |LTN

•

#631: Tune In Before You Jump In: A Better Way to Delegate, with Shawn VanderhovenApple |Spotify |LTN

•

#616: From Solo to CEO: Letting Go of Legal Work to Grow Your Firm, with Ellen Williamson Apple | Spotify | LTN

•

#615: How to Stop Being the Bottleneck and Build Stronger Teams, with Debbie Foster and Stephanie EverettApple | Spotify | LTN

•

#530: How to Design Meetings that Drive Results, with Matthew Homann Apple | Spotify | LTN

•

#522: The EOS Secret to Mastering Law Firm Challenges, with Mike Paton Apple | Spotify | LTN

Links from the episode:
Kaleidoscope Conference, September 22-24 in Las Vegas: https://www.8am.com/events/kaleidoscope/ use code “Lawyerist26”

Have thoughts about today’s episode? Join the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram!

For more on leading operations, check out Be a Next Level Leader at https://beanextlevelleader.com/. Looking for help beyond the book?

Access more resources from Lawyerist at http://lawyerist.com/.

Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

00:37 – Lawyerist Heads to Kaleidoscope in Las Vegas

03:23 – What Law Firms Can Learn from the Savannah Bananas

05:01 – Why Ridiculous Ideas Can Lead to Better Solutions

07:20 – The Third Cornerstone of Law Firm Leadership

07:44 – Leading Operations: Turning Ideas into Systems

09:29 – Stop Being the Hero and Start Being the Architect

11:01 – Why Nonbillable Work Can Be Your Most Valuable Work

11:35 – Building Better Systems One Problem at a Time

12:32 – Urgent vs. Important: Helping Your Team Prioritize

13:13 – Why Urgent Work Keeps Taking Over

15:07 – Teach Your Team to Think Without Rescuing Them

15:54 – Priorities, Trade-Offs & Better Judgment

16:45 – Who Actually Gets to Make the Decision?

19:18 – Why Law Firms Struggle with the Fear of Being Wrong

21:02 – Create a Culture Where Problems Surface Early

23:24 – Stop Fixing Symptoms and Find the Root Cause

25:10 – Audit Your Law Firm Meetings

25:50 – The $7,000 Meeting Problem

27:02 – Death by Meeting vs. Not Meeting Enough

28:17 – How to Run Meetings That Actually Accomplish Something

29:27 – Stop the Law Firm Rumor Mill

30:25 – This Week’s Leadership Homework

Most lawyers are taught how to practice law, not how to lead people. Then one day, they are handed a team and expected to figure it out. In episode 633 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Stephanie Everett talks with Debbie Foster about leading people, the second cornerstone from their book, Be a Next Level Leader.

Debbie and Stephanie break people's leadership into four essential responsibilities: building trust, developing others, communicating clearly, and holding standards. They explain why trust grows through small, human interactions, why leaders often overload their most dependable employees, and how delegation can become a tool for development instead of a way to clear your own plate.

They also explore why teams cannot meet expectations that were never clearly communicated, how positive and constructive feedback help people grow, and why “no news is good news” is not a leadership strategy.

If you want to build a team that can take greater ownership, perform at a higher level, and succeed without relying on one overburdened A player, this episode offers a practical place to start.

Listen to our previous episodes on Law Firm Leadership, Delegation, and Building Stronger Teams.

• #632: Law Firm Leadership: How to Lead Yourself Before Leading Your Team, with Debbie Foster & Stephanie EverettApple |Spotify |LTN

• #631: Tune In Before You Jump In: A Better Way to Delegate, with Shawn VanderhovenApple |Spotify |LTN

• #616: From Solo to CEO: Letting Go of Legal Work to Grow Your Firm, with Ellen WilliamsonApple | Spotify | LTN

• #615: How to Stop Being the Bottleneck and Build Stronger Teams, with Debbie Foster and Stephanie EverettApple | 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 http://lawyerist.com/.

Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

00:21 – Track Your Firm’s Progress with the Small Firm Scorecard

03:17 – Leading People: The Second Leadership Cornerstone

04:25 – Trust, Development, Communication, and Standards

05:59 – Why Law Firms Do Not Teach People Management

07:42 – Building Trust Through Real Relationships

08:58 – Small Conversations That Strengthen Trust

10:54 – Delegating to Develop, Not Just to Offload Work

11:26 – The Overburdened A Player Problem

12:48 – Becoming a Multiplier for Your Team

13:31 – Match Delegation to Skill and Readiness

14:52 – Set Clear Expectations Before Asking for More

16:38 – Why Feedback Is a Leadership Skill

18:33 – “No News Is Good News” Does Not Work

19:08 – Learn How Your People Want to Be Recognized

19:53 – A Simple Framework for Better Feedback

21:14 – Holding Standards Without Being Harsh

22:15 – Closing Thoughts and What Comes Next

Leaders do not simply enter a room. They change it. In episode 632 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Stephanie Everett talks with Debbie Foster about leading self, the first cornerstone from their new book, Be a Next Level Leader.

Debbie explains why “leaders bring the weather” and how a leader’s emotions, attention, and energy can shape an entire meeting. Together, they explore what happens when leaders make promises they cannot realistically keep, become bottlenecks for their teams, or undermine decisions by delivering them as someone else’s instructions.

They also discuss why honoring commitments is essential to building trust, how to renegotiate a deadline without hiding behind busyness, and what it means to speak as a leader even when you disagree with a decision. Debbie and Stephanie share practical scripts, exercises, and shared language law firm teams can use to make better leadership habits part of everyday work.

If you want your team to trust your word, follow your direction, and feel secure when pressure rises, better leadership starts with understanding how you show up.

Listen to our previous episodes on Law Firm Leadership, Self-Awareness & Building Stronger Teams.

• #627: Building Stronger Law Firm Teams Through Better Communication, with Zeina Baydoun Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #615: How to Stop Being the Bottleneck and Build Stronger Teams, with Debbie Foster and Stephanie Everetthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-stop-being-the-bottleneck-and-build-stronger/id951946132?i=1000764732003Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #596: The Athlete’s Mindset for Lawyers, with Jess Sargushttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-athletes-mindset-for-lawyers-with-jess-sargus/id951946132?i=1000744285863Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #592: Client Care, Culture, and Character: A Framework for Great Leaders, with William O’Nealhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/client-care-culture-and-character-a-framework-for/id951946132?i=1000740839430Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #527: Casting Your Vision and Leading Your Firm, with Kevin DeShazohttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/527-casting-your-vision-and-leading-your-firm-with/id951946132?i=1000673428760Apple | Spotify | LTN

Links from the episode:

https://beanextlevelleader.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 http://lawyerist.com/.

Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

01:19 – Why Leadership Teams Need Shared Language

03:16 – Meet Debbie Foster

03:45 – Why Leadership Starts with Leading Self

04:13 – Leaders Bring the Weather

05:27 – Showing Up Fully Present

06:17 – How Broken Commitments Erode Trust

08:15 – When the Leader Becomes the Bottleneck

09:29 – Speak as a Leader, Not a Messenger

10:11 – Disagree, Commit & Support the Decision

12:02 – How Leaders Undermine Their Own Credibility

12:57 – Turning Leadership Theory into Practical Tools

14:31 – Scripts for Renegotiating Commitments & Receiving Feedback

16:10 – How the Book and Workbook Took Shape

17:21 – Shared Language Creates Stronger Leaders

19:26 – Leading When Responsibility Exceeds Authority

21:21 – How Do You Show Up Under Stress?

22:34 – Closing Thoughts

When everything feels urgent, meaningful work rarely gets the attention it deserves. In episode 631 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Zack Glaser talks with leadership researcher and author Shawn Vanderhoven about how law firm leaders can create the clarity their teams need to focus and perform at their best.

Drawing from his book, Pause: How to Lead Brilliant Work in a Busy World, Shawn explains why effective leadership sometimes requires slowing down before moving forward. He shares what his research revealed about the behaviors that improve focus, the leadership habits that amplify distraction, and why teams struggle when every project is treated like a top priority.

Together, they explore how to make realistic tradeoffs, involve your team in prioritization, delegate without derailing someone’s entire day, and create systems that make difficult conversations easier. Shawn also explains why asking, “What will it take to do this well?” can lead to better decisions than simply asking whether the work can get done.

If your law firm is juggling too many priorities, this episode offers practical ways to reduce distraction, lead with greater clarity, and create space for work your team can be proud of.

Listen to our previous episodes on Law Firm Leadership & Building Stronger Teams.

• #627: Building Stronger Law Firm Teams Through Better Communication, with Zeina Baydoun Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #615: How to Stop Being the Bottleneck and Build Stronger Teams, with Debbie Foster and Stephanie Everett Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #604: From Practice to Business: Scaling Beyond Yourself, with Andy Hays Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #592: Client Care, Culture, and Character: A Framework for Great Leaders, with William O’Neal Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #541: Why the Best Teams Have Keystone Conversations, with Michael Bungay Stanier Apple | Spotify | LTN

Links from the episode:

https://www.pausebook.co/

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 http://lawyerist.com/.

Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

00:25 – A Different Kind of Law Firm Conference

03:10 – LabCon for Law Firm Leaders

07:05 – What Is Broken About Law Firm Intake

11:30 – How to Secret Shop Your Firm

15:15 – The Role of AI in Client Intake

20:45 – Why Clients Still Want Access to Humans

26:30 – Meet Shawn Vanderhoven

29:15 – Why Leaders Need to Pause

30:25 – How Leadership Can Improve Focus

33:25 – When Everything Feels Important

37:15 – Making Prioritization a Team Sport

40:20 – Choosing Your Majors and Minors

42:45 – A Better Way to Delegate Work

46:10 – Navigating Competing Priorities

49:10 – Making Difficult Conversations Easier

54:45 – Creating Clarity Around What Matters

56:10 – Pausing to Help Your Team Move Faster

59:05 – Closing Thoughts

Lawyers may soon spend less time opening applications, and more time simply telling AI what needs to happen next. In episode 630 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Zack Glaser talks with innovation strategist Sam Harden about the rise of agentic AI and how tools like ChatGPT Work and Claude Cowork could reshape the way legal professionals work.

Unlike a traditional chatbot, an agentic system can operate within a workspace, analyze groups of files, create and update documents, develop plans, and connect information from different sources. That could allow lawyers to access emails, calendars, case materials, research, and practice management information through a single working interface.

Zack and Sam discuss what this means for law firms filled with open Word documents, browser tabs, PDFs, research databases, and disconnected software. They also challenge the idea that AI should perform the most sophisticated legal reasoning while lawyers clean up the formatting. Instead, AI should take on the repetitive administrative work so lawyers can operate at the top of their licenses.

If you want to understand where legal AI is heading beyond prompting and summarization, this episode offers a grounded look at the tools, opportunities, risks, and experiments shaping the next phase of legal work.

Listen to our previous episodes on Agentic AI, Law Firm Workflows & the Future of Legal Work.

• #620: What Claude Means for Law Firms, Part 2: Using AI to Practice at the Top of Your License, with Sam Harden Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #619: What Claude Means for Law Firms: AI Skills, Connectors, and Workflow Strategy, with Sam Harden Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #601: Beyond Chatbots: Using Agentic AI in Law Firm Intake, with Matt Spiegel Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #581: Agentic AI for Lawyers: Moving Beyond Enhanced Search, with Drew Bloom 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 http://lawyerist.com/.

Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

00:18 – What the World Cup Teaches About Professionalism

05:19 – Meet Sam Harden

06:25 – The “Claudification” of ChatGPT

08:15 – From Chatbot to Agentic Workspace

10:35 – Why ChatGPT Is Following Claude

13:00 – The Shift from Asking to Delegating

14:00 – What Agentic AI Actually Means for Lawyers

17:40 – Making AI the Interface for Legal Work

19:10 – The Future Surface of Work

23:30 – When Your Phone Becomes Your Workspace

25:35 – How Agentic AI Could Transform Law Firms

26:45 – Letting AI Handle the Legal Busywork

29:20 – Operating at the Top of Your License

31:15 – AI Should Format the Work, Not Make the Judgment

34:30 – How Lawyers Can Start Experimenting Safely

37:25 – Closing Thoughts

Privacy is not just about keeping secrets. It is about protecting your power. In episode 629 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Zack Glaser talks with Oxford professor and author Carissa Véliz about how personal data gives companies, governments, and technology platforms the ability to influence our choices and shape our lives.

Carissa explains why seemingly harmless information, from the music you enjoy to the way your phone battery drains, can be used to identify, categorize, and predict you. They explore how AI has made surveillance cheaper and more powerful, why predictions should never be treated as facts, and how automated scores can affect important decisions without giving people a meaningful way to challenge them.

The conversation also offers practical ways to reclaim control without abandoning technology entirely. From choosing more private digital tools to questioning the predictions presented as inevitable, Carissa shows why every decision to protect your privacy matters.

If you have ever clicked “accept” without thinking about what happens next, this episode will change the way you think about your data, your autonomy, and who gets to shape your future.

Listen to our previous episodes on AI, Privacy & Legal Ethics.

•

#618: AI and Legal Ethics: Protecting Client Privacy in a Changing Legal System, with Sunny Eaton Apple | Spotify | LTN

•

#612: AI for Lawyers: What You Need to Know Before Your Clients Do, with Cat Casey Apple | Spotify | LTN

•

#582: Deepfakes, Data, and Duty: Navigating AI Ethics in Law, with Merisa Bowers Apple | Spotify | LTN

•

#543: What Lawyers Need to Know About the Ethics of Using AI, with Hilary Gerzhoy Apple | Spotify | LTN

•

#486: How to Safely Include AI in Your Legal Tech Stack, with Will Anoh 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 http://lawyerist.com/.

Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

00:55 – The Future of Law Firm Leadership

05:00 – The Four Cornerstones of Leadership

09:00 – Be a Next Level Leader

10:45 – Meet Carissa Véliz

11:45 – Why Privacy Is Power

13:30 – How Personal Data Limits Your Autonomy

15:50 – Who Decides What Your Data Says About You?

17:50 – How Companies Exploit Personal Vulnerabilities

20:10 – The Data You Never Realized Was Personal

21:15 – The Connection Between Surveillance and Prediction

22:30 – Applying Fiduciary Duties to Personal Data

24:15 – Why You Cannot Contest a Prediction

26:20 – Banning the Sale of Personal Data

28:25 – Predictions Are Power Plays, Not Facts

30:30 – AI and the Expansion of Digital Surveillance

33:25 – How to Take Back Your Digital Privacy

37:30 – Why Every Privacy Choice Matters

40:00 – The Future Is Not Predetermined

41:25 – The Most Private Way to Read a Book

Law firm marketing does not have to mean paid ads, aggressive sales tactics, or posting constantly online.

In episode 628 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Chad Fox talks with Aaron Thomas about marketing for lawyers who do not think of themselves as marketers. Aaron shares how he went from relying almost entirely on referrals to building a more intentional approach that helped grow his firm and bring in better-fit clients.

They explore why referral marketing is still marketing, how newsletters can keep firms visible, and why useful content often works better than a direct sales pitch. Aaron also explains how lawyers can build stronger referral networks, make their expertise easier to find, and outsource repetitive marketing tasks without hiring a full-time employee.

If you want to grow your firm without sounding salesy or turning marketing into a second job, this episode provides simple strategies you can begin using right away.

This episode is sponsored by Posh Virtual Receptionists. As Aaron explains, effective marketing is often less about selling and more about making it easier for the right clients to find, trust, and connect with your firm. Posh helps support that experience by answering calls, improving responsiveness, and helping law firms maintain consistent communication with prospective and current clients.

Learn more athttps://posh.com/lawyerist/.

Listen to our previous episodes on Law Firm Marketing & Building Client Relationships.

•

#608: Business Development for Lawyers: Building Real Relationships That Lead to Clients, with Megan Senese Apple | Spotify | LTN

•

#603: Turn Expertise into Clients: Building Authority That AI Recognizes, with Karin Conroy Apple | Spotify | LTN

•

#546: Unlock Law Firm Growth: AI Marketing Secrets, with Karin Conroy Apple | Spotify | LTN

•

#526: LinkedIn Mastery: Grow Your Law Firm NOW!, with Matthew Hunt Apple | Spotify | LTN

•

#515: Simple Marketing Hacks Lawyers Swear By, with Gyi Tsakalakis 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 http://lawyerist.com/.

Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

00:25 – What Happens When a Business Fully Unplugs

02:05 – Why Rest Belongs in Your Business Plan

12:15 – Meet Aaron Thomas

13:05 – Every Law Firm Is Already Marketing

15:05 – Finding More of the Right Clients

16:20 – Why Advertising Should Not Be Your First Move

17:40 – Marketing to Your Existing Network First

18:50 – Newsletters That Clients Want to Read

21:05 – Networking Without the Sales Pitch

21:55 – Creating Referral Partnerships with Other Lawyers

23:50 – Using Helpful Content to Build Authority

25:10 – Let Your Expertise Do the Selling

26:25 – Why Free Information Still Leads to Paid Work

28:30 – A Practical Starting Point for Overwhelmed Firms

29:50 – Outsourcing the Work That Never Gets Done

31:20 – How Basic Marketing Created Rapid Growth

32:55 – Closing Thoughts

Knowing your communication style is useful. Knowing when to move beyond it is what creates growth. In episode 627 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Zack Glaser talks with Zeina Baydoun about how law firm leaders and teams can use DISC to better understand themselves, communicate more effectively, and respond with greater intention.

Zeina breaks down why DISC is not a personality test or a permanent label. It is a starting point for recognizing the behaviors that come most naturally, the blind spots those tendencies can create, and the ways stress may amplify them. Rather than using a profile to say, “That is just how I am,” she encourages leaders to ask whether their default response is actually what the person or situation needs.

They discuss how different communication styles can create friction inside law firms, why understanding behavior can replace judgment with curiosity, and how teams can better support one another without lowering expectations for growth.

If you want to improve communication without forcing everyone to think and work the same way, this episode offers a thoughtful framework for building more adaptable leaders and more connected teams.

Listen to our previous episodes on Leadership, Communication & Building Stronger Law Firm Teams.

• #615: How to Stop Being the Bottleneck and Build Stronger Teams, with Debbie Foster and Stephanie Everett Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #596: The Athlete’s Mindset for Lawyers, with Jess Sargus Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #592: Client Care, Culture, and Character: A Framework for Great Leaders, with William O’Neal Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #527: Casting Your Vision and Leading Your Firm, with Kevin DeShazo 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 http://lawyerist.com/.

Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction
01:25 – Using DISC as an Active Leadership Tool
04:10 – Meet Zeina Baydoun
05:45 – What DISC Reveals About Communication
08:35 – Understanding Behavioral Preferences
12:00 – How Self-Awareness Changes Team Dynamics
14:40 – The Problem with Personality Labels
16:20 – Why Leaders Cannot Hide Behind Their Style
17:40 – Developing Skills Outside Your Comfort Zone
18:55 – Adapting Your Communication to the Situation
21:55 – Leadership and Communication Under Pressure
25:25 – Supporting Strengths and Managing Blind Spots
28:50 – Creating Space for Other People to Lead
31:05 – Moving Beyond Fixed Leadership Styles
32:10 – Building New Behavioral Habits
33:05 – Choice, Growth and Intentional Leadership
35:05 – Closing Thoughts

Law firms deal with serious issues, but that does not mean every client interaction has to feel heavy. In episode 626 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Stephanie Everett talks with Jennifer Cargo about humor as an underrated communication skill for lawyers and law firm teams.

Jennifer shares how her experience with comedy training and amateur standup shaped the way she connects with clients, leads a team, and lightens stressful moments inside a law firm. From breaking the ice during client signings to helping team members feel more comfortable bringing challenges to her, she explains why humor is not about being silly or unprofessional. It is about paying attention, reading the room, and making people feel at ease.

Together, they explore how small moments of levity can build trust, improve client experience, and create a more approachable workplace culture. Jennifer also shares what comedy teaches about timing, observation, confidence, and finding the absurdity in everyday life.

A more human law firm does not always start with a new process or platform. Sometimes, it starts with the way you make people feel when they walk through the door.

Listen to our previous episodes on Law Firm Communication & Client Trust.

• #609: Improve Client Satisfaction Without More Work: Designing Smarter Legal Services, with Laura Hartnett Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #606: Breaking the Copycat Cycle: Building a Law Firm with Personality, with Patrick Patino Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #592: Client Care, Culture and Character: A Framework for Great Leaders, with William O’Neal Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #462: Designing an Empathetic Client Experience, with Kirk Simoneau Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #338: Reframing Your Client Experience, with Spencer Keys Apple | Spotify | LTN

Have thoughts about today’s episode? Join the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram!

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 http://lawyerist.com/.

Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

00:20 – Humor as a Serious Communication Skill

00:45 – What Makes LabCon Different

02:05 – Working on the Business, Not Just in It

04:03 – Meet Jennifer Cargo

05:17 – How Comedy School Changed Jennifer’s Perspective

06:29 – Practicing Confidence Before the Stage

07:22 – Standup, Improv, and Learning to Be Funny

08:42 – Observing the Absurdity Around You

09:05 – Turning Office Friction into Client Connection

10:44 – Humor and the Client Experience

12:06 – Finding Levity Without Dismissing Stress

14:43 – Why Smiling Changes the Interaction

15:29 – Timing, Pauses, and the Structure of a Joke

18:56 – What Law Firms Can Learn from Comedy

20:27 – Building Trust Through Approachable Leadership

22:45 – AI, Comedy Writing, and Creative Prompts

24:51 – Using AI as a Thought Partner

25:17 – The Value of Trying Something New

Most law firm owners know what it feels like to need help. But needing help and being ready to hire are not always the same thing. In episode 625 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Stephanie Everett sits down with Bernadette Harris to talk about the timing, planning, and clarity required to make a successful hire.

Bernadette shares why the biggest hiring mistake is not always choosing the wrong person. Sometimes, it is hiring at the wrong time. Hire too soon, and the firm may not have enough work or revenue to support the role. Hire too late, and the owner may be too overwhelmed to train, onboard, and set the new person up for success.

Stephanie and Bernadette discuss how to evaluate consistent demand, identify whether the owner is the real bottleneck, and use capacity planning to make a more grounded hiring decision. They also explore why lawyers need to define the role clearly before bringing someone in, including the tasks, expectations, soft skills, and success metrics that will shape the position.

If you are thinking about hiring because your firm feels chaotic, this episode will help you pause, look at the data, and make sure you are solving the right problem before adding another person to the payroll.

Listen to our previous episodes on Law Firm Hiring, Delegation & Building Better Teams.

• #621: Stop Calling Them VAs: How to Build a High-Performing Remote Legal Team, with Raquel Gomes Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #616: From Solo to CEO: Letting Go of Legal Work to Grow Your Firm, with Ellen Williamson Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #615: How to Stop Being the Bottleneck and Build Stronger Teams, with Debbie Foster and Stephanie Everett Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #523: Financial Red Flags: Are You Hiring Too Soon?, with Bernadette Harris 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 http://lawyerist.com/.

Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction
00:17 – The Case for Closing the Firm for a Week
01:30 – What Has to Be True Before You Can Unplug
02:35 – Planning Ahead So Time Off Actually Works
03:25 – Meet Bernadette Harris
03:55 – The Real Hiring Problem: Wrong Timing
04:20 – Financial Stress vs. Operational Chaos
05:25 – How to Know When Your Firm Is Ready
06:05 – Why Hiring Decisions Need Data
06:40 – Capacity Planning for Law Firm Owners
07:40 – Are People in the Right Seats?
08:45 – Consistent Work vs. One Busy Month
09:55 – The Referral Problem and Predictable Demand
11:15 – When the Owner Becomes the Bottleneck
12:25 – The Time Study Every Owner Needs
13:05 – Stop Hiring for “Help”
14:20 – Role Clarity and the Type of Person You Need
15:45 – Soft Skills Matter More Than You Think
16:40 – Why You May Need the Opposite of Yourself
17:45 – Onboarding Is More Than Paperwork
18:30 – Creating a 90-Day Training Plan
20:25 – Why Expectations Need to Be Clear Up Front
22:50 – Showing New Hires What Success Looks Like
24:30 – What Really Makes a Firm Ready to Hire
24:45 – Closing Thoughts

AI is not just changing how lawyers work. It is changing how lawyers learn. In episode 624 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Zack Glaser talks with April Dawson, Associate Dean of Technology and Innovation and Professor of Law at North Carolina Central University School of Law, about what AI means for legal education, new lawyer training, and the future of law practice.

April explains why law schools can no longer rely on written work alone to measure whether students truly understand the material. As AI becomes embedded in legal writing, research, and drafting tools, new lawyers will need to prove their value in different ways, including verbal explanation, critical thinking, judgment, and the ability to use technology responsibly.

Together, they explore how AI may shrink traditional mentorship opportunities, why new lawyers need to become more self-directed learners, and how legal employers may increasingly expect graduates to arrive with real AI fluency. April also shares why small firm owners should rethink their workflows from beginning to end instead of layering AI on top of inefficient systems.

If you are wondering what the next generation of lawyers needs to know, this episode offers a practical look at how AI is reshaping legal education, law firm training, and the skills lawyers will need to stay valuable.

Listen to our previous episodes on AI Skills New Lawyers Need Now.

• #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

• #577: Rethinking Law Firm Growth in the Age of AI, with Sam Harden Apple | Spotify | LTN

• #553: AI Tools and Processes Every Lawyer Should Use, with Catherine Sanders Reach 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 http://lawyerist.com/.

Chapters / Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction
01:20 – What Claude for Legal Shows Lawyers About AI
05:20 – Using AI Without Starting from Scratch
09:20 – Meet April Dawson
10:40 – Why Law School Can’t Teach the Same Way
12:05 – Why Writing Alone No Longer Proves Understanding
13:20 – The Skills Clients Will Actually Measure
16:05 – Why “Strong Writer” Is Now Table Stakes
18:15 – What New Lawyers Lose When AI Does the First Draft
19:25 – How New Lawyers Can Learn Faster with AI
22:55 – Building Judgment Without 20 Years of Experience
27:10 – Why AI May Help New Lawyers Start Firms Sooner
28:35 – What Small Firms Should Rethink Before Adding AI
31:50 – Why AI-Savvy Lawyers Will Stand Out
34:15 – The Risk of Automating Broken Processes
36:15 – Closing Thoughts