Adventures In Legal Tech

Jared Correia spoke with Megan Sheehan, a law firm owner, about how she modernized a traditional family law practice. Episode Highlights 01:56 The history of Sheehan Associates, including its origins in Lexington, Massachusetts 09:27 The first major transition to tech within the firm by introducing a new billing system 15:41 Importance of gradual introduction of new technologies and why they're being implemented. 18:41 Using Calendly for scheduling and handling client intakes, engagement letters, and credit card authorizations via Myknes 23:36 The necessity of protocols for remote working 29:47 New cannabis law department called Green Path Legal 31:06 How Megan uses different branding for different practices within the firm 33:41 Using different social media platforms for marketing and promotion   Episode Resources Connect with Jared Correia jared@redcavelegal.com https://redcavelegal.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredcorreia https://twitter.com/RedCaveLegal Connect with Megan Sheehan https://www.sheehanlawoffice.net/ https://www.greenpathlegal.com/  

Jared Correia talked with Keith Vallely, an expert in the space about document management best practices for law firms, including the use of appropriate software tools. Episode Highlights 04:54 The differences between document organization and document management 06:34 Why document management should include searching capabilities 14:00 The difference between case management, law practice management and document management systems 20:40 Advice to law firms on choosing a system to start with 23:07 Microsoft's heavy lifting tasks such as supporting, storing, and securing user's content 25:13 Tips on how to organize files in the cloud using Microsoft's platform and how to segregate content according to users' needs 28:28 The potential of workflows once the DMS is in place   Episode Resources Connect with Jared Correia jared@redcavelegal.com https://redcavelegal.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredcorreia https://twitter.com/RedCaveLegal Connect with Keith Vallely https://www.epona.com/  

Jared Correia spoke with Patrick Carver, a digital marketing expert, about law firm websites and related technology. Episode Highlights 04:35 Delving into high performing websites for search and its importance for businesses  10:01 Effect of brand names for law firms in terms of search and competition 19:20 Importance of practice area pages on a law firm's website for both Google's analysis and for potential clients 21:07 Patrick talks about the system being developed to push leads directly into the client's intake tool or CRM 23:37 Selecting and implementing CRM for law firms like Clio Grow and Lawmatics 28:07 The critical role of website hosting in improving the performance and accessibility of a website   Episode Resources Connect with Jared Correia jared@redcavelegal.com https://redcavelegal.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredcorreia https://twitter.com/RedCaveLegal Connect with Patrick Carver https://goconstellation.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickacarver 

Jared Correia talked with Christopher Earley who runs an efficient practice + brand using technology tools. Episode Highlights 02:15 What Christopher’s new show is all about 06:04 The importance of efficiency and productivity in his law firm 06:39 The role of data, CRM, and Lead Docket in their firm’s operations 09:34 Utilizing the usage of Lead Docket 12:10 The importance of client portals in enhancing the client experience 13:38 Using Podium to improve 16:20 Involving their staff in making important decisions in the firm 17:39 The entrepreneurial operating system (EOS) they are using at his firm, which helps in leadership team setup, scaling, core values, etc 19:01 Being open about personal life experiences but commends the connection it builds with potential clients 23:29 Focus on networking and providing value to others 26:38 The costs of comprehensive marketing efforts, specifically in relation to the technology used for marketing..   Episode Resources Connect with Jared Correia jared@redcavelegal.com https://redcavelegal.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredcorreia https://twitter.com/RedCaveLegal Connect with Christopher Earley https://www.chrisearley.com/  

Jared Correia talked to experts in the space about law practice management software + its value to law firms. Episode Highlights 06:09 Impressions of AI in the legal tech field right now 08:09 Thoughts on AI's impacts on legal technology 10:35 The ability of taking a look at the wider picture when dealing with cases 14:21 Importance of secure, safe, and private use of AI and the potential of AI in document automation 17:03 How case management software has been impacted by the shift to virtual or hybrid practices 19:56 Benefits of centralized case management and the role of legal software in facilitating remote work and collaboration 22:45 How artificial intelligence can increase efficiency and the consideration of its role in determining legal fees 23:55 The significant role of lawyers despite advanced AI 26:51 The part that Clio's legal trends report on modern payment solutions plays in their case management software   Episode Resources Connect with Jared Correia jared@redcavelegal.com https://redcavelegal.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredcorreia https://twitter.com/RedCaveLegal Connect with Joshua Lenon and Christopher Lafferty joshua.lenon@clio.com clafferty@getcaret.com https://www.clio.com/ https://getcaret.com/ 

Jared Correia interviews Cain Elliott and Michael Powers. They discuss slow adoption rates of lawyers to new technologies and refer to a dedicated event to encourage direct conversations around it. The discussion brings legal operations technology to the fore, emphasizing its need to enhance efficiency and optimize outcomes. They delve into the challenges around secure document sharing, the importance of integrating seamless learning experiences into daily workflow, and utilizing features specific to a user's need for successful tech transitions. Episode Highlights 02:51 The weirdest thing the guests have ever eaten on vacation 04:57 Legal operational technology and its benefits 06:05 How legal specific software can help teams run more efficiently 09:37 Characteristics of a legal document 10:25 How a legal department or firm effectively set up a way to share documents and file 20:15 The role of AI in searches, possible improvements in interaction with documents using conversation features, and benefits of having a digital assistant  25:19 The problem legal departments could solve quickly using legal operations technology  Episode Resources Connect with Jared Correia jared@redcavelegal.com https://redcavelegal.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredcorreia https://twitter.com/RedCaveLegal Connect with Cain Elliott and Michael Powers cainelliott@filevine.com michael.powers@imanage.com https://www.filevine.com/ https://inanage.com/  

Jared Correia interviews Megan Zavieh, a legal ethics attorney, to talk about responsible AI use, managing technology's impact on mental health, and evaluating legal software. She emphasizes the importance of lawyers understanding and verifying AI-generated outputs, and not overly depending on the technology. To maintain mental health, she suggests taking breaks, meditating or participating in non-work activities to avoid burnout. Additionally, lawyers should ethically set communication boundaries with clients. Lawyers must also carefully assess new or non-mainstream technologies to ensure alignment with their ethical obligations. Episode Highlights 06:31 Discussion on how lawyers should use AI ethically, ensuring they don't rely on it blindly and monitor its performance 08:23 The importance of not putting sensitive client data into AI tools like ChatGPT 10:18 Insight on the potential future of ethics opinions treating AI as a tech tool, not as a person 12:50 The interaction between lawyers and AI tools when clients use AI for legal work, treating them similarly to clients' own drafts 15:30 The impact of increased technology usage on mental health during the pandemic and the challenge of breaking away from screens 18:22 Acknowledging and addressing the risk of burnout, utilizing exercise and meditation to maintain mental well-being 20:39 Using technology like meditation apps to improve mental health and stay productive 22:55 Tips for managing communication methods and ethical obligations 24:29 The importance of setting communication boundaries with clients and considering which methods work best for your practice 27:49 Software vetting and keeping records of the vetting process 31:02 Sticking to mainstream technology when not capable of thoroughly vetting new or overseas software Episode Resources Connect with Jared Correia jared@redcavelegal.com https://redcavelegal.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredcorreia https://twitter.com/RedCaveLegal Connect with Megan Zavieh https://zaviehlaw.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganzavieh https://twitter.com/ZaviehLaw 

Jared Correia and Jill Schornack, VP of Product at Net Documents, discuss AI's role in legal technology. They explore how AI-powered tools can enhance document management, streamlining workflows and improving consistency. They also emphasize the benefits of integrating document management software with platforms like Microsoft M365 and Teams for better collaboration, document sharing, and security. The conversation highlights the need for software vendors to support customers and users to effectively leverage these technologies in the legal sphere. Episode Highlights 01:18 Introducing guest Jill Schornack from Net Documents 03:16 AI, ChatGPT, and large language models and how technology has improved over the years and how it can be beneficial and transformative for legal technology 05:17 How AI can impact legal and specifically the document management arena. 08:52 The many capabilities of AI 11:12 Data security in AI applications 12:42 The importance of properly vetting AI software and looking for solutions that allow users to design their own prompts while also having out-of-the-box AI skills 14:51 The exciting world of taxonomies for document management and the benefits of having a standardized legal data taxonomy to enhance AI workflow capabilities 18:27 The shift in adoption of tools like Microsoft Teams and M365 for document sharing, storing posts and chats, and how access controls and security measures are important in this new environment 20:30 Continuing need for cloud-based tools to support remote teams and diversified workforces even after the pandemic 20:55 Supporting customers and users through software by delivering value alongside the user while drafting documents and collaborating on virtual platforms like Microsoft Teams Episode Resources Connect with Jared Correia jared@redcavelegal.com https://redcavelegal.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredcorreia https://twitter.com/RedCaveLegal Connect with Jill Schornack https://www.netdocuments.com/ https://twitter.com/netdocuments https://www.facebook.com/ndocuments/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillschornack  

For today’s episode, Jared welcomes Brooke Lively, founder and CEO of Cathedral Capital, who discusses financial management and data reporting for law firms. By analyzing financial data with other factors, such as average case value and employee productivity, law firms can optimize their strategies and increase profit. Lively suggests using cloud-based software systems for efficient reporting and data tracking. Cathedral Capital assists law firms in setting up systems and determining data to monitor, ultimately helping firms grow and potentially transition from outsourcing to hiring in-house staff. Episode Highlights 03:25 Explaining Cathedral Capital's function as outsourced CFO for law firms 04:36 Looking at valuable data for law firms outside of financials 05:38 Discussing efficiency and productivity data 07:08 Creating strategies for law firms' growth 09:50 Importance of consistent language and terminology in data management 15:17 Connecting accounting software with case management systems 18:07 Comparing and deciding on reporting options and tools 20:03 Helping law firms set up their case management systems correctly 20:53 The importance of cash flow forecasts 22:41 The significance of employee productivity reports 23:45 When to engage a financial professional 25:00 Transitioning from outsourced CFO to in-house financial management   Episode Resources Connect with Jared Correia jared@redcavelegal.com https://redcavelegal.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredcorreia https://twitter.com/RedCaveLegal Connect with Brooke Lively https://www.cathcap.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/cathedralcapital https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookelively 

For today’s episode, Jared welcomes legal tech expert Peggy Gruenke who discusses the advantages of using cloud-based accounting systems like QuickBooks Online and integrating them with Law Practice Management software. She highlights the importance of maintaining accurate data and the need for training law firms and bookkeepers to use these systems effectively. Peggy emphasizes the focus on financial management, tracking revenue and expenses, and monitoring KPIs such as billing and collections rates. She advises engaging a professional to assist with law firm accounting and finance for increased efficiency. Episode Highlights 04:23 Debate between QuickBooks Desktop vs. QuickBooks Online and the advantages of using a cloud-based software system 07:01 The ease of transitioning from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online. 09:57 Integrating accounting software and case management software, such as Clio and QuickBooks Online 11:00 The learning curve for law firms transitioning to new software and training needed by office managers 13:27 Building custom financial reports, particularly for compensating lawyers, and running trust account reports, including the trust three-way match report. 18:23 Tracking Work in Progress (WIP) and analyzing contingent work and hourly work for revenue generation 19:45 The importance of reviewing bank accounts and finances due to the increasing number of fraud incidents. 21:19 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Tracking accounts receivable, billing, and collections. 23:51 Utilization rate and its importance in law firm management 25:52 Expense tracking and focusing on growing revenue rather than cutting expenses 27:26 When should law firms engage a professional for financial management and advice? Episode Resources Connect with Jared Correia jared@redcavelegal.com https://redcavelegal.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredcorreia https://twitter.com/RedCaveLegal Connect with Peggy Gruenke https://cpn-legal.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggygruenke