In episode 589 of Lawyerist Podcast, Stephanie sits down with Barron Henley of Affinity Consulting to talk about the practical, real-world ways law firms can use Excel to save time, reduce errors, and streamline everyday work.
Barron breaks down why Excel is one of the most underused tools in law firms and shares examples like expense tracking, probate calculations, medical bill summaries, date calculators, amortization tables, document automation, and even embedding live spreadsheets inside Word.
If Excel feels intimidating, Barron explains how even simple functions can dramatically improve workflows across litigation, estate planning, family law, real estate, and firm operations.
Listen to our previous episodes on legal tech tools and smarter workflows:
- #497: Real Talk About Artificial Intelligence in Your Office, with Ben Schorr Apple | Spotify | LTN
- #581: Agentic AI for Lawyers: Moving Beyond Enhanced Search, with Drew Bloom Apple | Spotify | LTN
- #587: Future-Proofing Your Firm in the Age of AI, with Jack Newton Apple | Spotify | LTN
Listen to our previous episodes on Finances:
- #306: Getting to Know & Love Your Numbers, with Bernadette Harris Apple | Spotify | LTN
- #583: From Survival to Strategy: Scaling Your Law Firm Finances, with Bernadette Harris Apple | Spotify | LTN
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Chapters / Timestamps:
0:00 – Why lawyers should look at their numbers
4:17 – AI updates from 8AM (MyCase/Docketwise)
13:46 – Why Excel is the most underused tool in law
17:35 – What Excel can do that lawyers don’t expect
23:25 – Templates, formulas & real practice examples
31:27 – Using Excel for automation & mail merges
37:32 – Everyday lawyer workflows made easier with Excel
41:23 – Final takeaways
