Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

In episode #577 of Lawyerist Podcast, discover how to use AI to drive firm growth, expand practice areas, and strengthen client relationships while avoiding the trap of treating it as a simple efficiency tool. Too often, conversations about AI in law stop at shaving time off tasks or reducing headcount, but AI holds far more potential than cost-cutting. Innovation strategist Sam Harden explains why firms should resist the temptation to view AI as a staff replacement and instead embrace it as a growth engine. By experimenting with generative tools and even “vibe coding,” lawyers can create new services, improve client experiences, and reach entirely new markets. Rather than narrowing practice, AI can open doors to expansion, innovation, and more sustainable business models—helping firms future-proof themselves in a rapidly evolving market.  Ideal for growth-minded lawyers, firm leaders, and legal innovators who want to use AI strategically to scale smarter, serve better, and stay ahead.  Links From the Episode:  https://samharden.substack.com/  https://legaltalknetwork.com/podcasts/for-the-innocent/  https://tabs3.com/seetabs3/    Listen to our other episodes on AI & Legal Innovation:  #565: Becoming the AI Driven Leader, with Geoff Woods Apple | Spotify | LTN  #562: Beyond ChatGPT: The AI Revolution Happening Inside Your Firm, with Charreau Bell Apple | Spotify | LTN  #555: How to Use AI and Universal Design to Empower Diverse Thinkers with Susan Tanner Apple | Spotify | LTN  #553: AI Tools and Processes Every Lawyer Should Use with Catherine Sanders Reach Apple | Spotify | LTN  #452: Managing AI in Your Practice, with Ed Walters Apple | Spotify | LTN    If today's podcast resonates with you and you haven't read The Small Firm Roadmap Revisited yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Looking for help beyond the book? See if our coaching community is right for you.    Access more resources from Lawyerist at lawyerist.com.    Chapters/Timestamps:    00:00 – Welcome & What Legal Talk Network Is  04:33 – Building a Modern Legal Tech Stack  10:33 – Meet Sam Harden: From Trial Lawyer to Innovator  16:38 – AI in Law: Efficiency vs. Growth  23:53 – The Risks of Replacing People with Technology  31:46 – Vibe Coding and the Future of Legal Tech  44:57 – Looking Ahead: Sam’s Vision as Innovation Strategist  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it look like when two solos run completely independent practices—but still share staff, expenses, and even office celebrations? In this episode of New Solo’s First Flight series, Adriana Linares revisits her interview with Orlando attorneys Conti Moore and Barbara Leach to unpack how they crafted a “work wife” arrangement that saves money, boosts efficiency, and provides daily collaboration without merging firms. From splitting receptionist hours and copier leases to balancing friendship with professionalism, Conti and Barbara explain how their shared setup helped them avoid loneliness, strengthen their brands, and keep their autonomy while enjoying the benefits of teamwork. Later, ALPS Insurance’s Rio Laine joins Adriana to highlight the risks and rewards of these unconventional arrangements and why clear boundaries, role definitions, and coverage conversations are key to making them work. Hear the original episode with Conti Moore and Barbara Leach  Learn more about ALPS Insurance.  Receive email notifications every time we release a new episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Law school is more expensive than it used to be... but barely more expensive! ----- Federal judges have had to deal with more and more threats from conservatives whipped into up by the Trump administration rhetoric blasting judges blocking illegal executive orders, only to be unceremoniously overruled by the Supreme Court. Last week, multiple judges called out the Republican justices for issuing unexplained opinions refusing to challenge -- indeed, passively encouraging -- Trump's attacks. So much for Chief Justice Roberts sanctimoniously declaring that the threats are just a product of the public not understanding the opinions. Law school tuition has skyrocketed in real terms for decades, but based on the last 10 years, the fever may finally have broken. Meanwhile, Amy Coney Barrett has some books to sell! And she's going to do it by playing up her image as the tortured, yet principled conservative who strips Americans of long enshrined freedoms, but just because she has no other choice. And, as she made clear in Dobbs, women and choice just don't mix! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Querious utilizes the power of generative AI to listen into a conversation and deliver real-time insights based on what it hears. Essentially, it’s like having another person in the room with you—only one who knows all the answers and can access information faster than anyone else. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you feel guilty when you take time for yourself?  Why do we do that?! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Diversity, equity, and inclusivity initiatives, DEI, have been under scrutiny in the past year. Is DEI “dead” or simply “evolving under pressure?” Guests Stephanie Jones and Joan Willaims – with decades of scholarship and experience in the field of inclusive, fair labor, and employment issues – dig into recent shifts in the landscape.  Executive orders, political agendas, and public opinion have challenged advances made under DEI initiatives. These efforts to maintain fairness and build diversity face being dismantled faster than they can be instituted in some cases.  In this episode, we’ll explore the future of DEI, including the program “buzzwords” that often attract negative attention, as well as the most effective DEI programs that focus on data, evidence, consistency, and fairness. Hear how DEI programs can be reshaped, implemented, and sustained in a shifting cultural, legal, and political environment.  Mentioned in This Episode: ABA Leadership Development Program “I’m Just a Bill,” Schoolhouse Rock “Target was one of the most outspoken supporters of DEI. It’s changed its tune,” CNN Business W.K. Kellogg Foundation “The New Class Bubble Quiz”   ABA Labor and Employment Law Section Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Small business owners and a lawyer discuss how free legal services can create opportunities for entrepreneurs on Talk Justice. Joshua Danrich, the 16-year-old entrepreneur behind the brand Mr. Fresh, had the idea at just 10 years old. His mother, Shay, had a business background and decided to help her son pursue his dream. Now, Mr. Fresh products are being sold by Walmart. Along the way, they needed help with legal processes like trademarking their brand. They received help through Legal Services of Eastern Missouri's Microenterprise Program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Suffering is part of the human experience, but most of us are granted the dignity of processing our pain and healing in private. For Amanda Knox, that has never been an option. As she herself puts it, “The worst experience of my life is the thing that most people know about me.”  Amanda recounts the harrowing story of her wrongful conviction for the murder of her roommate while studying abroad in Perugia, Italy. The 2007 crime sparked a global media frenzy that vilified Amanda at an international scale, branding her as guilty despite the absence of evidence connecting her to the crime. A combination of her own naiveté, coercive police interrogations, language barriers, and critical errors in the investigation process led to Amanda’s wrongful imprisonment.  And yet, since her eventual acquittal, Amanda has found a way to live in hope and transform her painful experience into a force for good. She now focuses on finding meaning in the aftermath, using her story to expose the realities of wrongful convictions and to advocate for others who have been falsely accused. Learn more about Amanda through her books, “Waiting to Be Heard” and “Free", and her podcast, “Hard Knox”.  Watch the Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox on Hulu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table:   The Un-Billable Hour takes on a very real move away from the “billable hour.” As Christopher says, the billable hour “is the worst thing that ever happened to law.” Clients pay for results, not time. Examine alternative fee structures as technology changes the practice of law. Young lawyers looking to maximize lifetime earnings have choices. Big firm partnership track or solo practice? Ask yourself if you have the “fire” under you to build a practice from nothing, because there’s no ceiling on earnings when you build your dream. But if that’s not you, maybe the big law firm path is right. No matter where you are, knowing where you want to get to is hard. Christopher explains how charting a career path takes a real, conscious effort, and it can change over time. Make time for contemplation and move with purpose.  Ask us anything for the Community Table. Leave us a question online,   Join the next Community Table discussion live! Always the third Thursday of the month at 3pm Eastern Mentioned in This Episode: InfoTrack InfoTrack Legal Up 2025 Clio Legal Trends Report Cliocon 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are the guys on the verge of a major Second Brain breakthrough, hand in hand with AI? Dennis and Tom reexamine their ongoing Second Brain projects, discussing nagging questions about the efficacy of their current systems and how they plan to move forward with their personal knowledge management.  Later, a listener and long-time iPhone user wonders—are Android devices actually far superior? Tom has some major thoughts on the issue.  As always, stay tuned for the parting shots, that one tip, website, or observation that you can use the second the podcast ends. Have a technology question for Dennis and Tom? Call their Tech Question Hotline at 720-441-6820 for the answers to your most burning tech questions. Show Notes - This is Your Second Brain on AI A Segment: This is Your Second Brain on AI Notebook LM - https://notebooklm.google.com    B Segment: Should iPhone Users be Jealous of Android’s Obvious Superiority? Google Pixel 10 https://store.google.com/category/phones?hl=en-US    Parting Shots: Kortex - https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/kortex/hdapplggdhndkblofffknpmnnnnbncbn?pli=1 Personal Strategy Compass - by Dennis Kennedy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices