On the Road with Legal Talk Network

Your firm is more likely to succeed with the right software in place, but not all lawyers have a large technology budget. Judge Barbara Leach shares cost-effective software solutions that can help lawyers grow their business and increase efficiency. Judge Leach emphasizes the importance of a basic investment in practice management software early in your firm’s development to seamlessly move from a few clients to many more. She also outlines the valuable resources both mandatory and voluntary bar associations have to offer their members. Barbara Leach is a Circuit Court Judge in Orlando, Florida where she currently serves one of three Domestic Violence Divisions.

Modernization is pushing us toward change, and one area of contention has been Model Rule of Professional Conduct 5.5 and related Unauthorized Practice of Law issues, particularly as they relate to multi-jurisdictional legal practice. Emma Raimi-Zlatic talks with Charity Anastasio and Micah Buchdahl about their session dedicated to the changing landscape of rule 5.5 and how things are shifting as the legal profession sees a greater need for multi-jurisdictional, national, and even global legal practice. Charity Anastasio is a Practice and Ethics Counsel for the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s Practice and Professionalism Center in Washington D.C. Micah U. Buchdahl is an attorney and President of HTMLawyers, a law marketing company based in Moorestown, New Jersey.

AI is increasingly laced into the daily processes of legal professionals, and it promises to become an even larger part of our lives for greater efficiency and reach in many aspects of the law. Jack Newton joins Laurence Colletti to discuss AI’s rapid advancements and how attorneys can manage its use in legal practice. They also discuss ethical concerns and the continued research and developments that will lead this technology into the future. Jack Newton is the CEO and co-founder of Clio, a pioneer in cloud-based legal technology.

Billing pain points can severely impact a law firm’s success, but today’s technology can make all the difference. Laurence Colletti chats with Jordan Turk and Jayden Doyé to hear highlights from their session on law firm billing automation. They explain the disadvantages of manual billing and offer resources for attorneys to learn and implement automated billing software for greater efficiency and profitability in legal practice. Jordan Turk is a practicing attorney in Texas and the Legal Technology Advisor at Smokeball. T. Jayden Doyé is president of Prestige Accounting Solutions LLC.

Change is hard, especially when your team is uncertain about a new process or uncomfortable with new tech implementations for your legal practice. Gyi Tsakalakis is joined by Danielle Hall and Matt Spiegel to discuss their TECHSHOW session focused on managing change well in your law firm. They discuss common mistakes that may lead to resistance and offer strategies for creating change management processes that encourage and support your team. Danielle Hall is the Executive Director for the Kansas Lawyers Assistance Program. Matt Spiegel is the co-founder and CEO of Lawmatics, an attorney-client relationship management platform.

Often, attorneys’ schedules are so packed that they feel overwhelmed by daily tasks, struggling to manage their time effectively. Lawyers want to have the time they need to do their work well, and Bill Ramsey and Phil Hampton are here to help. They talk about their session dedicated to time-saving practices for lawyers, outlining common struggles, tips for eliminating procrastination, and how a well-prioritized schedule can revolutionize your legal practice. William T. Ramsey is an attorney at Neal & Harwell, where the primary focus of his practice is complex civil and criminal litigation. Phillip Hampton is a legal technology consultant with over 30 years of experience in the field of information technology.

Lawyers operating in the Microsoft ecosystem can make great use of Law Toolbox and its many integrations tailor made to help attorneys with legal practice and matter management. Karolina Sikorska chats with Carol Lynn Grow to learn more about the latest updates and innovations from Law Toolbox. They discuss AI integrations, document management, deadlines and scheduling, and much more. Carol Lynn Grow is co-owner and chief operating officer at LawToolBox.

You don’t want your law firm to get left behind! The AI renaissance is here, and you should do all you can to leverage its capabilities for your firm. Karolina Sikorska talks with Ruchie Chadha of Smokeball about her TECHSHOW session—The Revolutionary Firm: Combining Your Data and AI for Faster and Better Outcomes. Ruchie shares the new ways AI is being integrated into legal software to enhance workflows and optimize case management processes. Ruchie Chadha is president of Smokeball US.

Should you start a podcast for your law firm? Showcasing your expertise could be a great way to engage new clients, but where do you begin? Co-hosts Gyi Tsakalakis and Laurence Colletti chat with Patrick Wright and Mathew Kerbis about their TECHSHOW talk on podcasting for lawyers. They talk through a DIY approach to podcasting, discussing gear and technology, AI-powered workflows, content creation and scheduling, and other basics to help you consider whether a podcast might be right for your law firm. Patrick A. Wright is managing partner of The Wright Firm, LLP, a law firm based in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex. Mathew R. Kerbis is founder of Subscription Attorney LLC, a modern law firm affordable access to legal advice for business owners, freelancers, and everyday people. Links: Lunch Hour Legal Marketing www.lawsubscribed.com thewrightlawyers.com

It’s always best to assume that your case could go to trial, and, with that in mind, lawyers need to be prepared and organized throughout the entire matter. Host Lydia Malone welcomes Alicia Aquino and Heidi Barcus to learn tips from their TECHSHOW session on best practices for methodical trial document organization—highlighting technology use, creating and managing pre-trial documents, developing trial binders, and more. Alicia Aquino is the CEO and Trial Technology Consultant with Aquino Trial Services. Heidi Barcus is a healthcare trial attorney Lewis Thomason, P.C.