Best Legalassistant Podcasts (2025)

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089. The Four Ds of Productivity: Removing Bottlenecks & Managing Capacity 25:41

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6h ago25:41

25:41

The Four Ds of productivity (do it, delegate it, defer it, or drop it) show up everywhere in productivity advice. Yet most of us default to the same two options over and over, creating bottlenecks and stress rather than solving our capacity problems. In this episode, I break down why only two of the Four Ds are reliably good options for managing yo…

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088. Why This Firm Stopped Chasing Clients- and Got More Done 29:24

8d ago29:24

29:24

Managing a law firm’s workflow can be tricky, especially when you’re juggling a long list of active matters and chasing unresponsive clients. In this episode, I’ll share how one firm, after years of using Kanban, finally broke through the delivery bottleneck with a simple but powerful shift in their approach. You'll hear the key changes they made t…

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087. Change Management for Law Firms: How to Engage Your Team from Day One 17:26

15d ago17:26

17:26

When you introduce new processes in your law firm, you're asking your team to rethink how they get things done, and that’s a bigger challenge than most realize. In this episode, I explore why the usual approach to change management often misses the mark in law firms. I also discuss why involving your team from the start is critical to getting real …

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086. From Chaos to Consistency: Lessons from a Decade of Agile Lawyering with Jeff De Francisco 39:15

22d ago39:15

39:15

When Jeff De Francisco noticed his less tech-savvy colleagues billing more hours for the same estate planning work, he uncovered an injustice that would reshape his entire practice. The disparity wasn't about knowledge or skill. It was about efficiency, and the billable hour was punishing him for being good at his job. In this episode, I sit down w…

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085. Make Work Visible: Using Kanban Boards To Manage Your Law Firm’s Capacity 24:53

29d ago24:53

24:53

Knowledge work hides in ways that physical work never could. That invisibility creates a dangerous pattern: you say yes to one more matter and before you know it, your entire team operates beyond capacity. In this episode, I use real examples from law firms using Kanban boards to demonstrate how making your work visible can fundamentally change how…

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084. Technical Debt in Law Firms: How Small Shortcuts Create Big Problems 14:45

1M ago14:45

14:45

In this episode, I’m diving into a concept that may be quietly hindering your practice: technical debt. In short, technical debt occurs when you take shortcuts to save time, but they end up costing you more in the long run. I’ll walk you through how technical debt shows up in your firm and why tackling this issue head-on is crucial to prevent burno…

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083. Delivery Debt is as Bad as Financial Debt, and Your Law Practice May Be Drowning in It 24:36

1M ago24:36

24:36

In this episode, I’m revisiting the concept of delivery debt: the promises you’ve made that remain unfulfilled. Just like financial debt, taking on too much delivery debt can snowball and overwhelm your firm. And it’s not just about the practical cost; it’s also psychological. The mental load of these unfinished commitments affects your focus, your…

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082. The Best Way to Word Your Checklists 8:44

2M ago8:44

8:44

In law firms, a lot of time is wasted when work gets passed back and forth because the deliverables aren’t meeting the expected quality standards. This happens when tasks are considered “done,” but the results don’t meet the actual requirements or the unspoken expectations, causing frustration and delays. These unnecessary back-and-forths can grind…

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081. Task Engines in Law: Why Some Cases Sabotage Your Firm’s Productivity 22:33

2M ago22:33

22:33

Task engines are quietly draining your law practice's productivity right now. These hidden culprits show up as certain case types, jurisdictions, or even internal projects that generate a lot of tasks but little tangible progress or return. It’s something a litigation boutique in Oregon learned the hard way when a surge in Washington State cases al…

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080. AI for Legal Workflows: The Potential and the Pitfalls 31:26

2M ago31:26

31:26

AI tools in legal workflows are making waves, but are they really the productivity boosters they’re cracked up to be? While these tools can help speed up certain tasks, like research and drafting, they can also introduce significant risks if we’re not careful. In this episode, I dive into the promise and pitfalls of AI task engines and automation t…

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079. Make Space Before September: A Call for Rest and Intention 20:11

2M ago20:11

20:11

Summer brings its own pressures - family obligations, vacation planning, and the nagging feeling that your practice needs constant attention. The temptation to squeeze in work between beach trips or check emails during family gatherings can rob you of the very reset this season offers. In this episode, I'm exploring the importance of using summer a…

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078. Build Financial Clarity into Your Law Firm with CFO Danielle Hendon 1:01:28

3M ago1:01:28

1:01:28

Law firm owners often feel overwhelmed by their financial statements, staring at QuickBooks reports that seem to tell only half the story. The disconnect between having financial data and understanding what it means for strategic decision-making creates unnecessary anxiety and missed opportunities. In this episode, I'm talking with Danielle Hendon,…

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077. The BEST System for Managing Legal Work: Kanban for Lawyers Part 3 38:40

3M ago38:40

38:40

Legal teams face a unique challenge that factory floors and software developers rarely encounter: managing dozens of active matters simultaneously while dealing with constant interruptions from clients, opposing counsel, and courts. You're juggling multiple cases, each with its own timeline, dependencies, and unpredictable external factors that can…

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076. How Scrum Lessons Can Improve Your Law Practice: Kanban for Lawyers Part 2 37:36

3M ago37:36

37:36

Back in the early 2000s, software teams started embracing a new way of working that turned conventional project management on its head. Instead of trying to define everything up front and push massive projects toward a distant deadline, they asked a different question: what’s the most valuable work we can deliver in the next two weeks? That questio…

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075. Legal Workflow Lessons from the Factory Floor: Kanban for Lawyers Part 1 40:06

3M ago40:06

40:06

A Japanese automobile factory floor in the 1950s might seem worlds away from your law office, but the visual management systems that transformed Toyota's manufacturing process hold powerful lessons for modern legal practice. The same principles that helped Toyota become a global automotive giant can help you create smoother workflows, reduce overwh…

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074. Using Kanban to Manage Capacity 28:59

4M ago28:59

28:59

In law firms across the country, I'm seeing a concerning pattern emerge when one attorney adopts Kanban and Agile methods while their partner - often from an older generation of lawyers - resists these systematic approaches. This clash of perspectives frequently pushes teams back into overload and burnout. This week, I explore how this capacity ten…

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073. Don't Let Magical AI Thinking Cloud Your Sense of Capacity 22:31

4M ago22:31

22:31

A concerning trend I've noticed both in my own practice and among my clients is that the rise of AI technology is making it harder to accurately assess our true capacity. Between constant marketing messages and the promise of enhanced productivity through AI tools, many of us are failing to gauge our own capacity and falling into the trap of overco…

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072. The Hidden Dangers of Overcapacity 32:15

4M ago32:15

32:15

We don’t talk about overcapacity enough in legal practice, especially not the hidden ways it erodes performance, burns out your team, and stalls your cases. In this episode, I take a closer look at what really happens when you’re operating beyond your firm’s functional capacity. From unnecessary administrative overhead to frustrated clients and che…

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071. How Trauma Informed Lawyering Helps Avoid Burnout with Dr. Colin James 59:05

4M ago59:05

59:05

The impact of trauma in legal practice extends far beyond individual client interactions. From law school through retirement, lawyers face unique psychological challenges that can fundamentally alter their personalities, relationships, and effectiveness as advocates. Dr. Colin James, author of "Vicarious Trauma and Burnout in Law," brings decades o…

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070. Profit First for Lawyers: A Conversation with RJon Robins 51:45

4M ago51:45

51:45

Is your law practice truly profitable? Not just cash-flow positive, but actually generating the kind of profit that allows you to serve your clients well, take care of your team, and live the life you want? In this episode, I dive deep into the critical topic of law firm profitability with RJon Robins, founder of How to Manage a Small Law Firm and …

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069. Document Automation Secrets for Small Law Firms with Quinten Steenhuis 46:19

5M ago46:19

46:19

If you've ever tried to turn one of your documents or templates into something repeatable, you probably already know it is harder than it looks. Whether you're looking to streamline routine documents or create client-facing tools, this week's conversation will help you find the most effective and straightforward solution for your needs. I'm joined …

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068. Adaptability by Design: Building Law Practices That Respond to Change 28:52

5M ago28:52

28:52

It’s easy to say lawyers need to “be more adaptable” in today’s shifting tech and economic climate, but real adaptability isn’t about working harder or reacting faster. It’s about responding intelligently to change by staying grounded in your mission, your goals, and the strategies that support them. In this episode, I break down what intentional a…

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067. AI & Legal Writing: How to Use It Effectively with Jonah Perlin 45:05

5M ago45:05

45:05

What makes legal writing truly effective? It's not just about knowing the law—it's about knowing how to communicate it. In this episode, I'm joined by Professor Jonah Perlin from Georgetown Law School, where he teaches first-year legal practice and advanced legal writing courses. We explore how the process of putting ideas into words -wrestling wit…

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066. Build a Law Practice that Reflects Your Values, with Carolyn Elefant 49:17

5M ago49:17

49:17

There has never been a better time in the history of lawyers to start your own law practice. The tools, know-how, and access to support are better than ever before, and they keep improving every day. Whether you're facing job uncertainty, working at a firm with values that don't align with yours, or simply tired of working for someone else, going s…

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065. Scale Your Practice with a Mesh Management Approach 23:46

6M ago23:46

23:46

Most law firms start by building support structures around the expert (you), but eventually hit a ceiling where growth becomes limited by your personal capacity. No matter how efficient your team becomes at supporting you, the system can only move as fast as you can. In this episode, I explore how to transform your practice from an expert-dependent…

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064. The Dental Chair Theory of Lawyering 29:29

6M ago29:29

29:29

Ever feel like you're constantly juggling multiple client matters at once, switching between tasks, and never fully focusing on any single piece of work? This scattered way of working is more detrimental to your practice than you realize. One incredibly effective solution to this problem is understanding what call The Dental Chair Theory of Lawyeri…

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063. Legal Automation Pitfalls: Are You Meeting Client Needs? 33:22

6M ago33:22

33:22

Is your law practice suffering from too much automation? Today, I'm sharing how to recognize when automation is hurting rather than helping your practice. I'll explain why efficiency should never be your primary goal, how to avoid the "transactional trap" that alienates clients, and most importantly, how to design automations that enhance rather th…

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062. Delegation Pitfalls: When Legal Work Goes Too Deep or Too Wide 27:39

6M ago27:39

27:39

Have you ever delegated legal work to a colleague, only to get back something that completely misses the mark? Maybe they dove way too deep into the weeds, or perhaps they barely scratched the surface of what you needed. As a lawyer, calibrating expectations when delegating tasks can be a constant challenge. In this episode, I tackle a listener que…

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061. Delivering Your Legal Work: Direct Flight or Long Layover? 19:46

7M ago19:46

19:46

Does your firm have legal matters that are endlessly dragging on, frustrating both you and your clients? It may seem like investing in the latest AI tools is the obvious next step to speed up your firm's delivery, but the real solution lies in managing the flow of work across your entire system. This week, I share three powerful strategies for redu…

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060. Practical Uses for Legal AI - No Hype, No Fear with Damien Riehl 47:35

7M ago47:35

47:35

Have you been wondering how AI can help your law practice today? In this episode, I talk with Damien Riehl, a lawyer and legal technologist who has been at the forefront of AI in law for years. We skip past the usual AI ethics debates to focus on the most important question: how can small and mid-sized firms use AI right now to improve client servi…

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059. Stop Billing and Start Pricing with Jonathan Stark 45:03

7M ago45:03

45:03

Are you tired of the billable hour grind? Do you feel like it's creating a constant conflict of interest between you and your clients? I'm thrilled to have Jonathan Stark back on the show to dive deep into alternatives to hourly billing. Jonathan is a former software developer turned consultant who has been on a mission to rid the world of hourly b…

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058. The Key to Happier Lawyering with Brita Long 47:55

7M ago47:55

47:55

Are you drowning in an overwhelming caseload, struggling to keep up with the demands of clients and the court? This week, I speak with family law attorney and author Brita Long about how flat fee pricing can be a catalyst for creating a healthier, more balanced law practice. Whether you're curious about flat fees, feeling skeptical, or just looking…

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057. Is Your Engagement Agreement Scaring Your Clients? 32:28

8M ago32:28

32:28

As attorneys, we often forget that our engagement letters occupy a unique space - they're not just contracts, but also the final step in our marketing cycle. So why do so many of these crucial documents end up feeling dense, overwhelming, and even off-putting to clients? Tune in this week to learn how to create engagement letters that not only prot…

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056. Less Is More: Why WIP Limits Boost Legal Productivity 26:23

8M ago26:23

26:23

Do you find yourself juggling too many tasks at once, struggling to make meaningful progress on any of them? In this episode, I dive deep into one of the core practices of the Kanban method: limiting work in progress, or WIP. We'll explore how taking on too many concurrent tasks can wreak havoc on your brain, your client experience, and your abilit…

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055. Fixing the Client Homework Bottleneck 35:31

8M ago35:31

35:31

Do you dread assigning client homework, knowing it will likely stall your case for weeks or even months? Chasing down questionnaires and documents from clients can feel like a never-ending battle, leaving you frustrated and resentful. After years of working with law firms to improve their workflows, I've discovered that the client homework bottlene…

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054. Action without Action with Tim Lennon 46:08

8M ago46:08

46:08

Today, I'm excited to welcome Tim Lennon back to the podcast to explore the Taoist concept of Wei Wu Wei, or "action without action." Tim and I dive into why understanding and navigating obstacles is more important than trying to bust through them, why feedback loops are essential to making progress (and how to make those feedback loops more effect…

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053. Time Management Strategies You Need: Calendar Blocking and Calendar Bucketing 28:44

8M ago28:44

28:44

Do you ever feel like there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done? You're not alone. As legal professionals, we often struggle to fit all our commitments into our finite capacity. Here's the thing: having a completely empty calendar isn't the productivity blessing you might think it is. Today, I share two powerful techniques - calen…

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052. Making Daily Standups Work in Your Law Practice 33:31

9M ago33:31

33:31

What if I told you that a simple 15-minute daily standup meeting could dramatically improve your team's performance and help everyone work more effectively and predictably within their actual capacity? In this episode, I share how implementing a daily standup can be a game-changer for your law practice. You'll learn the key elements of an effective…

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051. Matter Management Meetings Suck. Do This Instead. 27:51

9M ago27:51

27:51

You’ve probably already set your goals for 2025 in your law practice, but do you have a system for following through on your plans and goals week after week? Implementing a simple weekly planning and review habit could be the key to helping you and your team manage capacity and prioritize the right work, transforming your firm's productivity and pr…

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050. Flat Fee Pricing for Lawyers with Elise Buie and Emery Wager 54:12

9M ago54:12

54:12

How do you address the unpredictability of legal fees in your practice? In this episode, I talk with practicing attorney Elise Buie, founder of Elise Buie Family Law, about her journey implementing flat fee pricing in her practice. This was originally an interview conducted by Emery Wager for Confido Legal’s podcast Financially Legal, and Emery has…

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049. Lessons from Old Hollywood: Why Flat-Fee Legal Work Is Nothing New 19:03

9M ago19:03

19:03

Something I find fascinating is the extent to which the behaviors and practices of the legal profession have evolved over the years, and the extent to which they haven't. In this unique episode, I take a look at some intriguing insights from the legal files of my great-grandfather, Lloyd Wright Sr., a pioneering entertainment lawyer who represented…

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048. The Obvious Switch to Value Pricing with Jonathan Stark 49:18

10M ago49:18

49:18

As a lawyer, it's easy to fall into the trap of equating more hours with more revenue. But as Jonathan Stark points out, this mindset often leads to a vicious cycle of overwork and burnout, without necessarily translating into increased profitability or client satisfaction. The key to breaking free from this cycle lies in streamlining your processe…

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047. How Kanban Creates Capacity Liquidity in Your Law Firm with Richard Hoare 1:15:19

10M ago1:15:19

1:15:19

How do you build the systems, tools, and culture required to sustain and scale a law practice and deliver the results your clients need, even when you have non-standard working arrangements, or a fairly unique practice area? In this episode, I'm joined by Richard Hoare, owner of Hoare Associates, to discuss how he transformed his music-centric law …

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046. Improving Legal Workflows without New Technology 33:24

10M ago33:24

33:24

I walk you through the specific steps my client took to optimize their workflow, improve their client experience, and ultimately achieve remarkable results by embracing Kanban without implementing new software. Whether you're a solo practitioner or part of a larger organization, you'll learn valuable insights and actionable strategies to implement …

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045. Agile Access to Justice, Leveraging Process Improvement to Serve the Underserved 39:18

10M ago39:18

39:18

There are people all over the US who find themselves in legal binds, but are unable to get the legal help they need. As we enter this season of giving, this episode is here to highlight an Access to Justice success story that I've been fortunate enough to be a part of, albeit one that is still very much in its early chapters. I’m sharing this to sp…

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044. Kanban Made Easy: A Lawyer's Guide to Visual Task Management 31:16

10M ago31:16

31:16

When you’re buried in work, your to-do list is flowing off the page, and you’re feeling totally overwhelmed in your day-to-day activities, I invite you to hit play on this episode. I go old school, describing how to build a very simple Kanban board on your wall, a whiteboard, or any simple Kanban system. Discover how using even the most basic Kanba…

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043. The Right Way to Incentivize Your Team 29:29

11M ago29:29

29:29

One of the biggest challenges law firms face when moving away from hourly billing and towards incorporating flat fees is motivating your team in a way that actually supports the new business model. Tune in this week as I challenge the conventional wisdom around using billable hours as a key performance metric, even for firms that bill by the hour. …

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042. Ditch Effective Hourly Rates: How to Calculate Matter-Level Profit 39:34

11M ago39:34

39:34

Do you know the most profitable parts of your law practice? If you're like most lawyers, the answer is probably no. But without a clear understanding of matter-level profitability, you could be making costly decisions about where to invest your limited time and resources. In this episode, I explain why the traditional approach of using effective ho…

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041. How to Transition From Hourly Billing To Flat Fees, One Phase at a Time 39:29

11M ago39:29

39:29

Transitioning away from the billable hour can feel daunting, but it doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. By taking an iterative, milestone-based approach to your matters, you can begin to identify which phases of work are ripe for flat fee billing, helping you increase your firm’s profitability. As I share more insights and takeaways f…

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040. Legal Workflow Management and Matter Management Are Not the Same Thing 25:34

11M ago25:34

25:34

Are you familiar with Clio's Kanban-inspired feature, Clio Matter Stages? It’s been around for a while now, but as a Kanban enthusiast, I was eager to check it out at this year's Clio Cloud Conference. While it's certainly a step in the right direction and an interesting tool for Clio users, how does it measure up when it comes to implementing some…