Lawyerist Podcast

In this episode, Alix Devendra explains why lawyers need to learn and apply design thinking in their law practices. Design is just a process for creative problem solving, and lawyers building client-centered law practices need design thinking as well as legal thinking to build successful client-service models. Alix Devendra is a co-founder and design strategist at Start Here HQ, a purpose-driven consultancy that helps lawyers harness the tools of modern entrepreneurship to build more scalable and sustainable law practices.

In this episode, in-house lawyer Elliot Miller and outside litigation counsel Adam Losey discuss the different perspectives they have in their respective roles, the realities of traditional v. alternative billing structures, the importance of trust, and more. Adam Losey represents companies and individuals in high-stakes litigation across the country and advises clients on a variety of information security, privacy, electronic discovery, technology contracting, social media, and internet-related matters. Elliot Miller is General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of Wowza Media Systems, a global leader in streaming video software and services.

In this episode, Jess Birken, whose solo-practice website stands out among the top ten law firm website of 2017, explains how she got that website built while keeping costs low. Jess Birken focuses on helping nonprofits solve problems and get back to their mission.

In this episode, Gyi Tsakalakis explains why local marketing matters online (spoiler alert: “[those] earning more than $150,000 per year were more likely to choose an attorney based on an internet search than via a friend”) and how to do it effectively. Gyi Tsakalakis helps lawyers earn meaningful attention online because that's where clients are looking. On Lawyerist and elsewhere, he writes and speaks about legal marketing and technology.

In this episode, we discuss the business of public access to law with one of its pioneers, Tim Stanley, and wonder why it's taking so long for courts and legislatures to get on board. Plus, a little karma.

In this episode we check in with Katie Floyd, co-host of the Mac Power Users podcast, about her experience setting up her solo practice and the tools she uses to run it. Katie Floyd is a Florida estate planning and landlord-tenant lawyer who believes that technology is the great equalizer for the small firm and solo practitioner. She is nationally recognized for helping individuals and small businesses make the most out of their technology and speaks regularly on the use of technology and the practice of law for the American Bar Association and others.

In this episode, we talk to Joshua Browder about how he built his DoNotPay chatbot—which has already helped thousands an is about to grow into 300+ robot lawyers—has made robot lawyers a reality. The BBC has called Joshua Browder's DoNotPay robot lawyer the Robin Hood of the internet. Border himself is one of Forbes' 30 under 30 for 2017.

In this episode, Megan Zavieh explains what it takes to reinvent your law practice when you're feeling stuck, and how TBD Law inspired her and gave her the confidence to reinvent her own practice with a new business model for helping self-represented litigants in ethics cases.

In this podcast, we talk to Carl Malamud about public access to law and how it is threatened. We discuss how lawyers benefit from public access to law and how they can help increase it. https://youtu.be/2tOJdGaMvVw Carl Malamud is an American technologist, author, and public domain advocate, known for his foundation Public.Resource.Org.

In this episode Jordan Furlong explains why law has become a "buyers market" and how lawyers can take advantage of the opportunities presented by that market by becoming client-centered law practices. You can read more in Jordan's book, Law Is a Buyer's Market: Building A Client-First Law Firm, available as a paperback and for Kindle. Jordan Furlong is a leading analyst of the global legal market and forecaster of its future development. He helps law firms and legal organizations understand why the legal services environment is undergoing radical change and how to build sustainable and competitive legal enterprises that can dominate the new market for legal services.

In this episode, Minnesota lawyer Marshall Lichty explains why mentoring is important, how lawyers can find a mentor, and how experienced lawyers can find a mentee. Marshall Lichty is an advisor to Minnesota entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses. He also loves sharing everything he knows about law practice with students and young lawyers to help them meet their people, find their thing, and love their job. Mentioned in this episode is Contactually and Marshall Lichty's Double Loop.

In this episode we learn more about Daniel Bramzon's aggressive tenant-advocacy non-profit, BASTA, and learn how it has changed evictions in LA by demanding a jury trial in every case. Also, our Deputy Editor, Lisa Needham makes her podcast debut in the intro while we try to figure out what's behind the wave of new legal research platforms.

In this episode Wendy Calvert discusses what it means to have a "crossover" practice as a corporate consultant, real estate lawyer, and realtor. She explains where her clients come from, how she juggles her various roles, and how access to justice can still come into play for middle-class clients. Wendy Calvert is a real estate attorney, business development consultant and realtor in Wisconsin and Illinois.

In this episode, former public defender Brad Clark explains how he started his own firm, powered by a criminal expungement web app that lets him start helping people before they even contact him. He also talked about his access-to-justice efforts, from mobile legal clinics to financial aid for criminal expungements. Brad Clark created Unconvicted to help Kentuckians figure out whether they qualify for an expungement, and Driven Law Group to help those charged with DUIs and traffic offenses learn what options they have. A former public defender, Brad measures his firms success by the number of people he helps, not just by its revenue.

In this episode we talk to Nika Kabiri about how your clients' stress makes it hard for them to make good decisions, and how you can help them work around it. Nika Kabiri is Director of Strategic Insights at Avvo, where she works alongside law and technology experts to make legal solutions more accessible to the public. A sociologist by training, Nika conducts research as well as leverages learnings from political science, economics, psychology, and sociology to understand what people go through as they navigate their legal issues.

In this episode we talk to Scott Bassett, who had a virtual law practice before anyone thought in those terms. We discuss the challenges he had to overcome, like getting insurance, dealing with bona fide office requirements, and what clients think. We also talk about e-briefing—what it is and how a digital brief might differ from the paper briefs (or PDF facsimiles of paper briefs) that lawyers file now. Scott Bassett is a lawyer, professor, musician, and tech enthusiast. He is in his 36th year of practicing law, the last 15 as a virtual lawyer handling Michigan family law appeals while residing in Florida. Episode Notes: iPad apps. Oral Argument (no longer available), AnyFont. Word extensions. WordRake, PerfectIt. Windows apps. Word and OneDrive (Office 365), PCLaw. Chromebook. Asus Flip. Fonts. Charter, Cooper Hewitt.

In this episode we talk to Erin Gerstenzang about her solo criminal defense practice and the challenges of going solo, especially for newer lawyers. We also address the importance of tech competence and the role minimalism plays in Erin's personal life and law practice. Erin Gerstenzang is a criminal defense attorney in Atlanta, Georgia. She primarily handles DUI and other drug- and alcohol-related offenses.

In this episode, Douglas Sorocco explains why his law firm built a free public event space next door, and why it wound up being a good investment. Before or after you listen, you should watch this video to see how the space gets used: https://vimeo.com/152494352 Doug is an Oklahoma intellectual property lawyer, focused on biotechnology, life sciences, chemistry, and chemical engineering.

In this episode, Josie Beets explains why military spouses who are lawyers should be able to get a license to practice law without taking the bar exam over and over again. Josie Beets is President of the Military Spouse JD Network (MSJDN), a bar association for military spouses who are lawyers.

In this episode we learn from Ansel Halliburton how technologists have come together in solidarity against data collection and surveillance, and consider what level of paranoia is appropriate (more paranoid than you are now, but probably not as paranoid as you think). We also talk about a promising, open-source document assembly tool, Common Form. Ansel Halliburton is a startup lawyer and intellectual property litigator in San Francisco. He is also involved in advancing technology for the practice of law, free access to the law, and open source software.

In this episode, MothersEsquire founder Michelle Browning Coughlin talks about how being a parent—especially a mom—can make it harder to practice law, and what firms can do do be more parent-friendly, from paid paternity leave and flexible working arrangements to breastfeeding accommodations and playing the HR long-game. Michelle Browning Coughlin is a Kentucky intellectual property lawyer.

In this episode, Curo Legal founder, Chad Burton, explains how (and why) he ditched his computer for an iPad Pro, and then ditched his iPad Pro for his iPhone. And the thing is, you might be able to do it, too. Chad Burton is a former litigator who developed one of the nation’s first “new model” law firms, leveraging cloud-based technology and modern business practices to develop a lean virtual law firm.

Lawyers aren't always willing to lighten up and be themselves in public. In this wide-ranging episode we talk to Ruth Carter, a lawyer who is undeniably herself in public and private, about what it means to be a lawyer who is known to participate in the annual No Pants Subway Ride or don a Starfleet uniform for Comic-Con. Arizona lawyer Ruth Carter is known for her daring antics and outgoing personality. With her pants on (probably?), Ruth focuses on intellectual property, social media law, business formation and contracts, and flash mob law.

In this episode, we're trying something a little different. We asked three TBD Law alumni to tell us their stories of overcoming personal challenges. First you'll hear from Inti Martínez-Alemán about leaving Honduras after dozens of lawyers were murdered, his mother among them. Then you'll hear Megan Zavieh talk about the challenges that come with building a law practice while moving frequently a nd having children. Finally, Tom Martin talks about recovering from the near-collapse of his firm and a year of family tragedies. Inti Martínez-Alemán has a one-stop-shop law firm for Latinos and Latinas in Minnesota. Megan Zavieh defends lawyers before the California State Bar. Tom Martin created LawDroid, a chat bot that drafts and files California incorporations over Facebook Messenger.

Just when Andrew Haugen was planning to leave law practice for good, an offer came along that made him reconsider. A couple of years later, he has acquired two family law practices. In today's episode he explains why, and talks about the challenges of integrating several law practices into one functioning business. Andrew practice family law in Chaska and Shakopee, MN. Andy's goal is to get his clients to the other side of their issues with a result that creates resolution and allows them to move on.

Mindy Yocum is one year into building a socially conscious law firm. In this episode Mindy explains how she envisions her role as a lawyer, what it's like for a law firm to go through a startup incubator program, and just what she means by socially conscious law firm. Plus, how she hopes to reform the entire legal system from the ground up. Mindy is the founder of Yocum Law Office, a socially conscious law firm where she provided legal education and accessible legal services to individuals and businesses.

"Weed law," it turns out, is neither as exciting nor as boring as you might think. In this episode, Matthew Buck offers a window into the world of weed law, the ethics of advising clients who are committing federal crimes, and how to market a niche practice. Matt works for Corry & Associates, and he has successfully resolved numerous marijuana cases ranging from cultivation to RICO violations, and has assisted in the formation of grows, dispensaries, and MIPs across Colorado, from the Western Slope to Pueblo, County.

In this episode, Sam starts some friendly arguments with Jonathan Tobin. They revisit the question whether lawyers should learn to develop their own software, try to agree on whether the legal industry is really capable of meaningful disruption, wonder whether lawyers can really innovate, and forecast the future of law practice. Jonathan Tobin provides legal advice to creative businesses and professionals using a subscription-based payment plan that has been popular with his clients, as well as through a traditional fee model. He started his firm, Counsel for Creators, in Los Angeles shortly after graduating from UCLA law school. Before he became a lawyer, Jon spent years as a software developer and designer.

In this episode, Dr. Heather Hackman helps us get a new perspective on diversity and the legal profession. She also explains why "doing diversity" doesn't work, and what small firms actually need to do to increase diversity in the legal profession. This may be a challenging podcast for some, but it will reward those who listen with an open mind. Heather has taught, published, and trained on social justice issues since 1992, as a professor at St. Cloud State University in St Cloud, Minnesota, and full-time as a consultant since 2005. Now, she consults nationally on issues of deep diversity, equity, and social justice, especially racism and white privilege, gender oppression, heterosexism and homophobia, and classism.

In this episode, we aren't talking about technology and online marketing, although Greg McEwen knows plenty about both. Instead, we talk with Greg about how he has built a multi-million dollar personal injury firm by taking big risks for big rewards—the "old-fashioned" way. Greg McEwen has focused his career on complex, high stakes personal injury litigation, and he has recovered in excess of $500 million for clients over the last 20 years.

In this episode, Bryan Wilson, the Texas Law Hawk, explains how he got started making outrageous viral videos, name-drops another outrageous, viral video–making Texas lawyer, Adam Reposa, and has some tips for lawyers who want to try making videos of their own. Bryan Wilson, better known as the Texas Law Hawk, opened up his law firm in 2014 and chose the loudest path he could in his ridiculous YouTube videos. His third video went viral and led to several other commercial appearances, including the 2016 Super Bowl commercials for Taco Bell. He plans on doing more commercials as long as they keep making people laugh.

Betsy Stotler and Kelly Hayes Burgeon Legal because they were two lawyer-moms who didn't like the way their firm jobs took up so much of their time. In this episode, they explain how that led them to found an innovative, distributed law firm that balances work, life, and clients. Betsy and Kelly represent health care facilities in collection and Medicaid eligibility matters, including assisting clients to avoid future problems.

In this episode, Drew Amoroso talks about starting a small fitness law firm of his own, Move Legal, after building a fitness practice at a big firm. Drew talks about meeting his clients for a workout before talking business, using Slack to communicate with clients, and the tools he uses to manage a mobile, niche practice. In the introduction, Sam and Aaron somehow crack themselves up talking about niche practices and marketing to tribes. Drew is a lifelong fitness enthusiast and lawyer who built a fitness innovation team at Reed Smith LLP before founding Move Legal to focus on representing fitness companies exclusively.

In this episode, Mary Juetten explains how to use key performance indicators (KPIs) to "start with the end in mind"—to set goals for your law firm and measure your progress (or lack of progress) towards those goals. Make goal-setting and KPIs a part of your planning for 2017 (and keep an eye on the front page for more tools from Mary to help you implement them). Just a heads up: the recording did get a bit choppy. We cleaned it up as best we could, but there are a couple of places where we just had to leave it. Mary Juetten co-founded the Evolve Law community of early legal tech adopters, and wrote Small Law Firm KPIs: How to Measure Your Way to Greater Profits. She also created Traklight business risk management software.

"Just because you're solo/small doesn't mean you have to struggle all the time." In this episode, Joe Bahgat talks about how a shitty revenue month finally got him to start working on his entertainment law firm, Hub City Law Group, with help from How to Manage a Small Law Firm. Sam and Aaron discuss the value of business coaching and what it takes to get lawyers to think strategically about their law firms. Joe Bahgat is a saxophonist-turned-entertainment lawyer. After playing with Grammy award winners like Ray Charles and the Four Tops, Joe went to law school. Now, he represents artists and businesses in New Jersey and Ohio.

In this episode, former public defender Brad Clark explains how he started his own firm, powered by a criminal expungement web app that lets him start helping people before they even contact him. He also talks about his access-to-justice efforts, from mobile legal clinics to financial aid for criminal expungements.

In this episode, Lisa Solomon explains what freelance lawyering is, how to work with a freelance lawyer, and where to find one. She also points out that because you can bill a freelance lawyer's time at more than you pay, a freelance lawyer can generate a profit for your firm. Sam and Aaron lead off with a discussion of the ethics of this practice.

In this episode, Jason Velez explains how he is using IBM's Watson to empower 1Law, the small firm and affiliation of US lawyers he founded. He also explains how he went about building 1Law's technology solutions, which prompts Sam and Aaron to address the question whether lawyers should learn to code.

In this episode, Katrina Leung talks about her "Goldilocks" approach to law practice, which eventually led her to start her own practice, Intuos Law, then move into Clio headquarters for her office space. Through the Courthouse Libraries BC, Katrina also works on access to justice (among other things), including a partnership with Thomson Rivers University Law School and its Designing Legal Expert Systems: Apps for Access to Justice class. Katrina Leung serves businesses in industries like technology, medical, sports, fashion, retail, and entertainment. She also has an unusual office arrangement; Katrina co-works with the practice-management software company, Clio, in its Vancouver, BC, office.

On this week's podcast, Sam and Aaron talk about the Lawyerist podcast joining the Legal Talk Network. Then, Sam talks with Greg Siskind about the evolution of law firm websites and online marketing.

On this week's podcast, Sam and Aaron talk about how going paperless can mean different things to different people, and that's just fine. Then, Sam talks with Noah Waisberg about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning for lawyers.

On this week's podcast, Sam and Aaron talk about just how to actually measure the access-to-justice gap. Then, Sam talks with Susan Garcia Nofi about using fotonovelas and video games to increase access to justice.

This week, Aaron and Sam discuss talk about the five reasons that your customers are leaving. Then, Sam talks with Patrick Palace of Palace Law about opening a boutique law firm and being president of the Washington State Bar Association.

During this week's podcast, Aaron and Sam talk about the recent decision by the Florida State Bar Association to require that Florida lawyers attend technological competence CLEs. Sam also talks with Gyi Tsakalakis about designing a client-centric lawyer practice.

During this week's podcast, Aaron and Sam discuss why sometimes lawyers should shorten written content, and Sam talks with Katie Floyd, co-host of the Mac Power Users podcast, about setting up her solo practice and tips for Mac and iOS users.

This week, Sam talks with Davis Senseman about her creative approach to small-business law practice.

This week, we're replaying Sam and Aaron's interview with Greg McLawsen. Greg gave a great presentation at Clio Cloud Conference in Chicago, and it inspired us to want to dig back into the tips, tools, and motivations Greg uses for building his firm.

This week, Sam talks with Kristin LaMont, lawyer and adjunct professor, about how to maintain your work-life balance when your firm goes mobile.

This week, Sam talks with Michele DeStefano, law professor and founder of LawWithoutWalls, about how to be a creative problem solver.

During this week's podcast, Sam talks with Shemia Fagan about how she juggles being a litigator, legislator, legal hacker, podcaster, and more.