State Bar of Michigan: On Balance Podcast

Leveraging AI in your practice can help you create better client experiences and become a more efficient lawyer. Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway talk with Mitch Jackson about ways to integrate AI into your practice to speed up legal service delivery. Mitch talks through current ethics of AI use and offers many examples of ways to use AI in your day-to-day tasks, including research, document analysis, templates, chatbots, and so much more. Mitch Jackson is the CEO of Jackson and Wilson, a California litigation law firm, and founder of Maneuver Mediation.

It is important to attorneys to build a rich career, but just as important is the time they put into life outside of legal practice. Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway talk with Kevin McGoff about his recently published book, Find Your Landing Zone: Life Beyond the Bar. Kevin shares his personal experiences and discusses effective ways to manage transitions both during and at the close of a legal career. Kevin believes attorneys should commit to reflection and take charge of the many fulfilling opportunities retirement has in store. Kevin McGoff is an author, travel writer, speaker and lawyer.

Technology can help you solve problems in your law firm, connect with clients, save time and money, and so much more. But, how do you know what tech will work best for your practice? Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway talk with Colin Levy about understanding and utilizing technology, common mistakes in choosing new tools, and ways to overcome tech-related fear and anxiety. Check out Colin’s book, The Legal Tech Ecosystem, to learn more! Colin S. Levy is director of legal at Malbek, a legal tech evangelist and speaker, and an attorney with more than a decade of experience in corporate transactional law.

The legal profession as a whole now has a heightened awareness of the fact that wellbeing is a critical piece in the life of a lawyer, but rates of addiction, depression, anxiety, and other mental health struggles are still high. How can we support fellow attorneys, judges, students, and ourselves when dealing with a crisis? Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway welcome Bree Buchanan to discuss her personal addiction and recovery story and learn about her work with the National Task Force on Lawyer wellbeing. Bree describes strategies and resources for reducing stigma and encouraging those who are struggling to seek the help they need. Lawyers & Judges Assistance Program - State Bar of Michigan Bree Buchanan is co-founder of the National Task Force on Lawyer Wellbeing and co-author of its 2017 groundbreaking report that launched the Wellbeing in Law Movement.

Clio’s Legal Trends Report has given us a whole new perspective on many aspects of the profession since its inception in 2016, and the latest report has new insights in store. JoAnn Hathaway and Molly Ranns talk with Joshua Lenon about the 2023 findings and what they tell us about the current state of legal business and technology. They discuss rates and billing across different areas, tech features that improve legal businesses, notable findings in access to justice, AI tools in legal practice, and more. Peruse the report here: 2023 Legal Trends Report - Clio Joshua Lenon is Clio’s Lawyer in Residence, and has worked on the front lines of legal technology innovation for more than a decade.

In August of this year, the Michigan Task Force on Well-Being in the Law released a comprehensive report outlining current recommendations for supporting law student, lawyer, and judicial wellness. JoAnn Hathaway talks with co-chairs of the task force Molly Ranns and Justice Megan Cavanagh about their efforts to address common struggles in the profession, including high rates of depression, anxiety, and substance use. The task force also aims to form an ongoing Commission on Well-Being in the Law which would focus on promoting a healthier culture within all spheres of the profession. Read the full report here: MICHIGAN TASK FORCE ON WELL-BEING IN THE LAW And find more information on the commission at: onecourtofjustice.org Justice Megan K. Cavanagh is an Associate Justice on the Michigan Supreme Court.

Whether you’re setting up a new law firm or trying to get your current firm up to modern standards, technology absolutely must be a foundational element. Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway talk with Adriana Linares about what software and tools attorneys need to manage a firm effectively. Adriana draws from her many years of experience as a law practice consultant to offer the best solutions for case management software, document management systems, accounting, collaboration, security, and so much more. Check out some of Adriana’s recommendations: Microsoft 365 QuickBooks NetDocuments Clio Rocket Matter TextExpander MyCase And, for Michigan attorneys, learn more about: State Bar of Michigan Member Technology Discounts Adriana Linares is a law practice consultant and legal technology coach and founder ofLawTech Partners. She has years of experience working with law firms, legal departments, legal aid groups and even legal technology startups.

The legal profession places an enormous premium on getting judicial clerkships, which usually offer both valuable learning experiences and a major boost to a young lawyer’s future prospects. But, are there potential downsides to clerkships? Some law clerks have a wonderful experience, but too many have had an experience marked by harassment and mistreatment at the hands of an abusive judge. Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway welcome Aliza Shatzman to talk about her personal story and her efforts to bring transparency and awareness about the full range of clerkship experiences to lift current stigmas and prevent future judiciary workplace mistreatment. Aliza Shatzman is the president and co-founder of the Legal Accountability Project.

Productivity practices are essential—even life-changing—in legal practice. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, that your time is not your own, hopelessly behind on technology, or that you just can’t seem to balance work and life, learning productivity strategies can help. JoAnn Hathaway and Molly Ranns talk with Dan Siegel and Allison Johs about their book, “How to Do More in Less Time: The Complete Guide to Increasing Your Productivity and Improving Your Bottom Line, Second Edition.” Dan and Allison share the most recent updates to their book, including pertinent information addressing post-pandemic, tech-fueled changes facing the legal profession. The ABA has provided a 20% discount code for listeners! Enter HTDMILT23 at checkout for How to Do More in Less Time: The Complete Guide to Increasing Your Productivity and Improving Your Bottom Line, Second Edition Daniel J. Siegel is a nationally recognized authority on ethics, technology, data protection and business workflow management, and the principal of both the Law Offices of Daniel J. Siegel, LLC and Integrated Technology Services, LLC. Allison C. Johs, Esq., is president of Legal Ease Consulting, which provides marketing, social media, business development, productivity, and practice management coaching and consulting for lawyers and law firms.

Mindfulness refers to our ability to maintain our present-moment awareness without drifting unhelpfully to the past or future. That might sound like a heady concept, but a focused, steady mind truly is helpful in life, and its applications in legal practice could lead to radical improvements for lawyers and their clients. So, how do we get there? Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway talk with Dr. Nehal Patel about his article, Why Lawyers Fear Love: Mohandas Gandhi's Significance to the Mindfulness in Law Movement, where he highlights Gandhi’s teachings and explains how meditation and mindset shifts help legal professionals thrive in the practice of law.  Nehal Patel is a licensed attorney and an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Sociology at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.