The Lean Law Firm Podcast

Larry and Dave argue about marketing philosophies… is the best way to sell things to stop “selling?”

Dave sits down with Lindsey Corbin, the founder of delegate.legal, a virtual, 100% women-run legal support services firm that formed during the pandemic to talk about the “democratization” of the legal industry and how cataclysmic events sometimes bring opportunity.

Remember RoboCop?  Yeah, he was cool.  In this first installment of our new “3 Tech Tips” series, we show you how to beat stress with 3 High Tech Devices — The Oura Ring, the Apollo Neuro, and the Muse Headset. 

Larry and Dave are joined by Jonathan Pyle, creator of Docassemble (docassemble.org). Docassemble is a free, open-source software designed to assist with creating guided interviews and document assembly. Learn how to get started with the software and make your business run smoother with a few clicks.

Dave and Larry chat with Chris Heivly, author of ‘Build a Fort’. Rekindling the spark of confidence we had as children can be difficult, but is necessary in order to execute your goals. Tap into your inner ten year old and go out and do the thing that you know you want to. Take risks, step out of your comfort zone, and accomplish what others are too afraid to do.

How can you protect your law firm from online attacks? Dave and Larry chat with Gary Moore and Rick Krenmayer from Stasmayer Incorporated about ransomware and cybersecurity and what you can do to stay safe. From common mistakes to examples of recent attacks, Gary and Rick share their knowledge of this dangerous and ever-present risk to your private information. You won’t want to miss this informative episode.

Most people would jump at the chance to work less, while still bringing home the same paycheck. A recent study shows that working less might even be beneficial for a company. But is it really? Dave and Larry discuss what jobs might see an uptick in performance, and which ones this might actually be a detriment to. You won’t want to miss this engaging episode!

How many decisions do you make in a day? This week, Dave and Larry chat about how people can persuade others to make choices in their favor. Negotiations come both discretely and overtly: Learn how to use these tools and also learn to identify when they are being used on you!

This week, Larry and Dave are joined by Ali Awad, also known as the CEO Lawyer. Ali speaks a wide variety of languages and has utilized these linguistic skills to communicate to a plethora of clients. From humble beginnings to incredible successes, Ali has made a name for himself in the industry and in the world of social media. With so much to talk about, this won’t be the last time we hear from Ali!

Larry and Dave return with special guest Dr. Keith Schellenberger. Keith is a certified Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Master Black Belt (MBB) with over 25 years of experience in successfully leading strategic process improvements in large global organizations. Sit tight for an in-depth discussion about Keith’s journey to his current position and how Lean Six Sigma is impacting the industry.

Larry and Dave return to the show to talk about how to reduce errors and cycle time using software, including Microsoft 365, TextExpander, and Documate. Discover how these powerful tools can help speed up your work, make you more effective, and help you get a leg up on the competition!

Larry and Dave chat with Chris Clearfield, author of Meltdown: Why Our Systems Fail and What We Can Do About It. Chris is also the founder of System Logic, a boutique research and consulting firm that frequently works with lawyers and other legal professionals. Listen as Chris and our hosts talk extensively about goals, including how to properly create them so you don’t set yourself up for failure. You won’t want to miss this! GREAT NEWS! The Lean Law Firm is now available as an audiobook from Audible! Click here to listen to today.

This week, Dave and Larry discuss the ‘waste’ law firms build up, and how to change it into something profitable. Learn how to shorten your cycle time to exponentially increase your profits. You’ll discover several ways to do this in this week’s episode! GREAT NEWS! The Lean Law Firm is now available as an audiobook from Audible! Click here to listen to today.

Larry and Dave chat with Julia Shapiro, CEO and founder of Hire an Esquire. This online service helps law firms connect with an on-demand workforce, making it ideal in the current remote world. Ultra-vetted and verified, this service can quickly and efficiently link up law firms and legal departments to qualified freelance attorneys and paralegals. For those looking to simplify their legal staffing, you won’t want to miss this episode!

Larry and Dave talk with David Notowitz, the founder and president of the National Center for Audio and Video Forensics (NCAVF). David discusses how NCAVF helps attorneys, what makes his business successful, and what he has practiced to get it to where it is today. Larry and Dave also chime in with their own advice, creating a Lean Law Firm business incubator.

This week, Larry and Dave talk about how to drive success from failure. If you’re not making mistakes, are you actually progressing or are you just staying in place? Discover how value can be gained from embracing mistakes in this engaging episode!

This week, Larry and Dave talk with Matthew Homann, a former lawyer and founder and CEO of Filament idea lab in St. Louis, Missouri. An accomplished keynote speaker and creative facilitator, Matt talks about creating innovative ideas during COVID. Often times we assume that everyone else has the same ideas what we do, but that is far from the case: There are hundreds of good ideas in any given group. It’s learning how to get those good ideas to the surface that can change the game.

This week, Larry and Dave explore the world of social media marketing with special guest Frank Ramos. As the managing partner at Clarke Silverglate, Frank is also a well-renowned author, speaker, and host of DRI’s A Conversation With… podcast. Frank discusses how he uses Linkedin to create engagement with his audience that can translate into connections for his business. Detailing the methods that he uses and what it takes to reach success, Frank opens new doors for those looking to get into the social media scene.

Larry and Dave interview Chris Clearfield, founder of System Logic and co-author of the book MELTDOWN: Why Our Systems Fail and What We Can Do About It. Chris discusses how failure might come about, and how it can be avoided. Learn tips on how to cut through complexity and refine your business.

This week, Larry Port and Dave Maxfield talk with Allison Shields Johs and Dan Siegel about their book: How to Do More in Less Time: The Complete Guide to Increasing Your Productivity and Improving Your Bottom Line. What on your to-do list can be cut down? What’s urgent, and what’s important? Allison and Dan discuss these ideas and more to help individuals get a better idea of their schedules and complete what is essential in a fraction of the time.

Larry flies solo this week as he interviews co-authors Marcia Wasserman and Andrew Elowitt on their ABA book Lawyers as Managers: How to Be a Champion for Your Firm and Employees. Hear the ugly truth about lack of empathy in the workplace, and discover solutions that will enable managers to change these behaviors. Encouraging positive behaviors while remaining intolerant of negative ones can have a huge impact on the overall health of a law firm. Delegation, motivation, leadership: All of these can transform the culture of a workplace.

This week, Larry and Dave welcome Lean lawyer Derek Swindall, a business and tax attorney in South Carolina. Derek talks about his modifications to the Income Formula that help him reduce overhead and drive up revenue. Derek also shares his experience with clients and how he helps them complete their taxes. Laying out what they need to do, and how to do it, Derek shows them how to get out of tough spots come tax season.

Larry and Dave are back again with guest Jack Pringle to discuss if it’s possible to become TOO lean in an effort to reduce time and waste. What is truly needed to run a successful law firm? How can you prepare your business for the unexpected? Join us for this thought-provoking episode.

As the country begins to gradually reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic, Larry and Dave discuss ways to tackle intimidating issues, uncertain events, and the unknown future using the one-page method. Listen as they discuss this popular problem-solving method that can help narrow down your large-scale problems into a simplified solution. Check out the resources below for more information:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A3_problem_solvinghttps://blog.growthinstitute.com/scale-up-blueprint/opsp-one-page-strategic-planhttps://www.eosworldwide.com/vto

While Larry is away, Dave sits down with Keith Lee, the chief marketing officer for Case Status, a client management tool for lawyers. During their conversation, Keith sheds light on the hard road ahead for those graduating in 2020, taking a page from his book after graduating in 2010. Looking at downturns in the past and what happened before, Dave and Keith speculate on the future and what a new normal might entail, and how to prepare for it.

This week, Larry and Dave shamelessly promote Rocket Aid, which offers 12.5 hours of CLE for $25, proceeds going to COVID charities. They then discuss the experimental marketplace currently developing as the world continues to remain in a state of suspense. Larry touches on his methods of adapting to the changes in environment, and what can be done to continue to support others during this unstable time. Taking the time to step back and think about community, well-being, and authenticity during a time of isolation has proven to be incredibly important. Check out leanlawfirmbook.com to download the marketing KPI spreadsheet talked about in todays episode, as well as rocketmatter.com/rocketaid.

This special episode of the Lean Law Firm Podcast details Larry and Dave’s thoughts on the recent outbreak of COVID-19 and how it will affect law firms across the country. Businesses have adapted by working remotely or closing down entirely. Larry and Dave put their heads together to provide general advice and insight on the struggle of working from home, and how to stay productive. Overall, it’s important to keep looking towards the future, and not just focus on the uncertainty in the present.

Wendy Witt, CEO and owner of Million Dollar Attorney, joins Larry and Dave to talk about how she helps law firms run their businesses. During her 15 years practicing Trust and Estates, Wendy saw that many attorneys needed help with the business aspect of the job, and decided to change her focus to helping other attorneys tackle the root cause of their issues. Wendy talks about her hardships, her growing pains, and the methods that came from them. Don’t miss it!

Dorna Moini got fed up trying to cram the needs of her domestic violence work into the existing tools for document assembly. So she built her own product with a friend of hers. Now Dorna runs Documate, a cloud-based product that takes the rocket science out of document automation. Dave and Larry discuss how Documate fits into the context of a lean law firm, eliminating various forms of waste and reducing cycle time.

Meet Brian Bradley, an attorney who turned it all around. When Brian first started his practice, he was scrambling. No business acumen, no clue how to run his practice. But he righted the ship, little by little. Now, when he’s not running a thriving asset protection law firm in the Pacific Northwest, Brian helps other law firms find their business footing, helping them adjust their mindsets and tuning them for business and personal success.

Let’s get weird! On this episode of The Lean Law Firm Podcast, Larry Port and Dave Maxfield get personal about intention and meditation. Listen as our hosts open up about including mindfulness and meditation in their daily lives to help achieve their personal and career-based goals.

On this week’s episode of The Lean Law Firm Podcast, Larry Port and Dave Maxfield chat with the father/son lawyers Richard and Matthew Sullivan. Take a listen as Richard and Matthew talk about their experiences implementing Lean processes and reducing their real estate footprint while overcoming obstacles in their California-based family law firm. For those looking to get a multi-generational perspective on Lean, this episode is a great resource!

On this week’s episode of The Lean Law Firm Podcast, Larry Port and Dave Maxfield welcome special guest Anitra K. Brown, otherwise known as “Attorney Anitra“. Anitra has made a name for herself in the Lean legal space through her devotion to systematizing (and monetizing) her legal process and also through finding her niche in the legal world. For systems junkies out there, this episode is a must! For more information about Anitra’s new strategic process of legal niche matchmaking, visit her website at https://shiftedlawyer.com/.

On this week’s episode of The Lean Law Firm Podcast, Larry Port and Dave Maxfield talk with Eric Voogt, creator and co-founder of PROOF. PROOF offers instant access to nationwide process servers and helps attorneys go Lean by removing a ton of operational waste. Take a listen to learn more about this amazing service! Are you going through your own Lean journey or do you offer a product or service that helps attorneys go Lean? We’d love to feature you on an upcoming podcast episode! Email [email protected] or fill out the form on our contact page to get in touch.

On this week’s episode of The Lean Law Firm Podcast, Dave Maxfield talks with Larry Port about his impending office move and how he sees it as an opportunity to become Leaner by adopting new structures and processes. For anyone looking to restructure their office, this episode is a must! Are you going through your own Lean journey? We’d love to feature you on an upcoming podcast episode! Email [email protected] or fill out the form on our contact page to get in touch.

On this week’s episode of The Lean Law Firm Podcast, Larry Port and Dave Maxfield chat with Simon Sigler and Naomi Morisawa De Koven of MDK Business Law. Based out of Ontario, MDK Business Law excels in implementing and executing Lean operational processes in their multigenerational firm. Listen as they give insight into how they eliminate bottlenecks and use processes to attract the best clients for their firm to maximize profitability. Don’t miss this engaging episode! MDK Business Law also runs its own legal podcast called Disrobed, where they talk about the naked turth behind business and law. Episodes are available on Spotify, iTunes and Google Play!

On this week’s episode of The Lean Law Firm Podcast, Larry Port and Dave Maxfield talk Lean with Ethan Powsner, Vice President of Technology and Market Development at Fidelity National Title Group. Ethan shares his personal experiences in getting started with Lean, and also offers some practical advice for those who plan on doing the same. Don’t miss this informative episode!

This week’s episode of The Lean Law Firm Podcast shines a new light on efficiency with the concept of Law Firm 2.0®, which has been pioneered by the exceptionally successful firm FisherBroyles. Special guests James Fisher and Kevin Broyles explain how Law Firm 2.0 fosters success by identifying and eliminating the inefficiencies of the traditional law firm model. This episode is a must-listen!

On this week’s episode of the Lean Law Firm Podcast, Larry Port and Dave Maxfield talk with Rick Krenmayer. Rick is the CEO and co-founder of Stasmayer, Inc, a managed IT security service provider in South Carolina. You’ll hear about the current landscape of law firm cybersecurity and the top three things you should be doing to protect your firm. You’ll also learn how (proper) cybersecurity and IT ties into Lean by providing your firm with indirect value. Don’t miss this informative episode!

This week on the Lean Law Firm Podcast, Larry Port and Dave Maxfield speak with consultant/author/speaker (and all-around legal technology celebrity) Dennis Kennedy. Dennis helps forward-looking legal organizations improve their innovation efforts and has pioneered the idea of Legal Innovation as a Service (LIaaS). Learn more about LIaaS and you can benefit (and possibly profit) from this service. Don’t miss this eye-opening episode!

On this week’s episode of the Lean Law Firm Podcast, Larry Port and Dave Maxfield welcome legal technology consultant Adriana Linares. Listen as Adriana talks about the barriers to technology adoption in law firms and how you can eliminate waste with technology. You won’t want to miss this highly entertaining (and informative) episode!

On this episode of the Lean Law Firm Podcast, Larry Port and Dave Maxfield geek out over two entrepreneurial books by Mike Michalowicz: Clockwork: Design Your Business to Run Itself, and Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine. Listen as our hosts talk about the Lean concepts found in these popular and practical books.

On this week’s episode of the Lean Law Firm Podcast, Larry Port and Dave Maxfield talk about averages and models. You’ll understand how by analyzing past averages, you can help predict the financial future of your firm. Don’t miss this practical (and entertaining) episode!

On this week’s episode of the Lean Law Firm Podcast, Larry Port and Dave Maxfield talk about the five “S’s” of Lean, which are the different means of streamlining and organizing your environments and workflows. Don’t miss this informative (and entertaining) episode!

On this week’s episode of the Lean Law Firm Podcast, Larry Port and Dave Maxfield welcome special guest Dean Sonderegger, the Vice President and General Manager of Legal Markets and Innovation at Wolters Kluwer. Dean discusses the results of Wolters Kluwer’s recent Future Ready Lawyer Survey and exposes fascinating insights into where lawyers are at with their adoption of technology. You’ll also hear actionable advice for using technology to solve specific law firm pain points. You won’t want to miss this engaging and informative episode!

On this week’s episode of the Lean Law Firm Podcast, Larry Port and Dave Maxfield welcome special guest Ed Walters, CEO of Fastcase legal research software. Ed describes what Lean processes are currently in place behind the scenes at Fastcase, and shares his thoughts on the future of data and research in the legal profession. Don’t miss this engaging (and slightly longer) episode!

On this week’s episode of the Lean Law Firm Podcast, Larry Port and Dave Maxfield welcome attorney Jeff Krause. Jeff works as a legal technology consultant at Affinity Consulting and is the author of the book Moneyball for Lawyers. In this highly informative and engaging episode, you’ll learn the five things that lead to profitability in any business, the top three things your firm absolutely needs to be measuring, and much more!

Looking to transition away from hourly billing? This week on the Lean Law Firm Podcast, Larry Port and Dave Maxfield talk about the Lean aspects of incorporating alternative fee arrangements in your practice. Learn some best practices in this engaging episode!

On this week’s episode of the Lean Law Firm Podcast, Larry Port and Dave Maxfield welcome Chelsea Williams, founder of Core Solutions Group, Inc, a financial management firm for the legal industry. Hear why you shouldn’t be afraid of the “A” word, and learn which key reports and formulas you should be tracking to maintain profitability. You won’t want to miss this episode!

On this week’s Lean Law Firm Podcast, Larry Port and Dave Maxfield welcome guest Erin Gerstenzang, a criminal defense attorney in Atlanta, Georgia. Erin is a veteran ABA TECHSHOW speaker on topics such as law firm automation. Listen as Erin talks about the tools she uses in her firm to help automate and streamline her workflows, including some do’s and don’t about vetting technology. You won’t want to miss this super-informative episode!