XL Legal

Sarah Picciotto talks about outsourcing legal research and drafting. Sarah’s a former judicial law clerk and litigator – and founder of OnPoint Legal Research, a firm that specializes in providing a variety of research, writing and litigation support services to lawyers across Canada. Topics discussed include: Sarah’s career path and how it led to the creation of OnPoint Legal Research Challenges in setting up a firm specializing in legal research and drafting Types of services OnPoint offers The benefits of outsourcing legal research and drafting Qualities of a good research lawyer To learn more about outsourcing and OnPoint Legal Research, visit onpointlaw.com This episode contains 20 minutes of Professionalism Content You can listen to the episodes here or by subscribing on your favourite podcast apps. And don’t forget to rate and review the XL Legal Podcast.

Jock Climie shares his experience building successful careers in law and football simultaneously – and some of the lessons he learned along the way. Jock’s a partner at Emond Harnden, a boutique labour and employment law firm in Ottawa, where he’s practiced for over 20 years. During that time, Jock also juggled two careers in football – first as a professional player with the CFL, and then as a TSN on-air football analyst. Topics discussed include: Managing the competing demands of academics and professional football Challenges of combining two very different careers The importance of: Focus Planning and preparation Confidence Balance Passion Support This episode contains 40 minutes of Professionalism Content. You can listen to the episodes here or by subscribing on your favourite podcast apps. And don’t forget to rate and review the XL Legal Podcast.

Allison Wolf shares her expertise and insights about the associate retention challenge. Allison’s a sought-after legal coach, writer, and presenter who helps lawyers across North America develop thriving legal practices. Topics discussed include: Why so many associates are leaving legal practice Why raising compensation isn’t stemming associate attrition What law firms can do to retain associates How developmental networks can help solve the associate retention challenge Tips to help associates build their own developmental networks Associate Mentoring Plus After we recorded the episode, Allison found what she describes as a “great DIY developmental network resource” that she’d like to share: Find it here To learn more about Allison and her work – and access some great resources – visit the following websites: The Lawyer Coach Attorney with a Life Associate Mentoring Plus And make sure you read Allison’s article about the associate retention challenge. This episode contains 50 minutes of Professionalism Content. You can listen to the episodes here or by subscribing on your favourite podcast apps. And don’t forget to rate and review the XL Legal Podcast.

The Podcast Lawyer™ – Gordon Firemark – shares his expertise and advice about podcasting for lawyers.  Gordon’s a media, entertainment, and business lawyer; podcaster; author; and creator of an online podcasting training course designed specifically for lawyers. Topics discussed include: How Gordon became interested in podcasting How podcasting helped Gordon’s law practice Why lawyers should consider podcasting Challenges to starting a legal podcast Tips for launching and maintaining a successful legal podcast Legal podcast topic ideas To learn more about Gordon, visit his website and be sure to request your free copy of The Podcaster’s Ultimate Quick Start Guide You can listen to Gordon’s Entertainment Law Update Podcast here This episode contains 40 minutes of Professionalism Content You can listen to the episodes here or by subscribing on your favourite podcast apps. And don’t forget to rate and review the XL Legal Podcast.

Business coach and consultant Amy Grubb shares her insights and advice about setting up a solo law practice.  Amy’s a Big Law-trained lawyer and former sole practitioner who helps other lawyers build successful solo and small legal practices. Topics discussed include: Common concerns lawyers have about going solo Niching down Benefits of going solo Challenges of going solo Embracing technology Marketing tips To learn more about Amy and her work, visit her website and request a free copy of The Ultimate Guide to Building a Profitable Solo/Small Firm Practice Additional resource Amy referred to during our discussion: LSO Coach & Advisor Network This episode contains 40 minutes of Professionalism Content You can listen to the episodes here or by subscribing on your favourite podcast apps. And don’t forget to rate and review the XL Legal Podcast.

Cameron Stout shares his insights about impostor syndrome in the legal profession. Cam’s a former securities litigator – and current mental wellness advocate and coach – with a special interest in impostor syndrome. Topics discussed include: What impostor syndrome is Why so many lawyers experience impostor syndrome Common signs of impostor syndrome in lawyers How impostor syndrome impacts lawyer well-being Ways to deal with/overcome impostor syndrome To learn more about Cam and his work, and read his blog, visit www.stoutheart.org This episode contains 45 minutes of Professionalism Content You can listen to the episodes here or by subscribing on your favourite podcast apps. And don’t forget to rate and review the XL Legal Podcast.

Jane Griesdorf shares her expertise and advice about a topic lawyers love to hate – grammar. Jane’s the founder of The Writing Consultants, a firm specializing in effective writing and grammar training for lawyers and other professionals. She’s passionate about grammar and is often praised as the “best grammar teacher ever”. Topics discussed include: Why grammar is important for lawyers “Thinking like an editor” Common grammar errors lawyers make – and tips to avoid them Grammar “rules” you can break Why what “sounds right” may be wrong To learn more about Jane’s webinars and in-house training programs, visit her website This episode contains 50 minutes of Professionalism Content You can listen to the episodes here or by subscribing on your favourite podcast apps. And don’t forget to rate and review the XL Legal Podcast.

Norm Bacal shares his expertise about effective law firm leadership. Norm founded the Toronto office of Heenan Blaikie and – as co-managing partner – built the firm into an iconic Canadian and international firm. After the firm unravelled almost 8 years ago, Norm wrote a fascinating bestseller entitled Breakdown: The Inside Story of the Rise and Fall of Heenan Blaikie. Topics discussed include: Why Heenan Blaikie dissolved when it did The role played by the firm’s unique culture in both its rise and its demise The “three Cs” of law firm leadership The importance of leadership training Tips for effective law firm leadership To learn more about Norm, his books, and his consulting practice, visit Norm’s website. This episode contains 50 minutes of Professionalism Content You can listen to the episodes here or by subscribing on your favourite podcast apps. And don’t forget to rate and review the XL Legal Podcast.

Stephanie Hanna shares her expertise about creating meaningful connections while networking. Stephanie’s a lawyer, coach, and founder of The Other 85 where she helps lawyers build their brand and grow their business, while helping remove the stigma around relationship building and networking. Topics discussed include: Why relationship-building is important for lawyers Leveraging social media Making the most of networking events Common relationship-building challenges and how to overcome them You can learn more about Stephanie, her work, and her podcast here: The Other 85 website Capture Your Confidence Podcast LinkedIn This episode contains 40 minutes of Professionalism Content You can listen to the episodes here or by subscribing on your favourite podcast apps. And don’t forget to rate and review the XL Legal Podcast.

Dr. Shawn Healy shares his insights and advice about practicing law with ADHD. Dr. Healy’s a clinical psychologist with Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers in Massachusetts where he runs workshops on practicing law with ADHD, and weekly support groups for law students and lawyers with ADHD. Topics discussed include: Defining ADHD Why viewing ADHD as a deficit in attention can be problematic What ADHD looks and feels like for lawyers “Time blindness” Practical strategies lawyers with ADHD can use to harness their attention and focus Here are links to the resources Dr. Healy mentioned during our discussion: Transforming ADHD: Simple, Effective Skills to Help You Focus and Succeed, by Greg Crosby and Tonya K. Lippert ADDitude JDHD This episode contains 50 minutes of Professionalism Content You can listen to the episodes here or by subscribing on your favourite podcast apps. And don’t forget to rate and review the XL Legal Podcast.