Lawyers Who Learn

Erin Levine, founder and CEO of Hello Divorce, is a family law attorney who transformed her personal experiences into a mission to make divorce accessible and affordable. In a heartfelt discussion, she reflects on her journey from a sexual abuse survivor to launching a legal tech startup. Erin shares her pivotal moments, including a client's regret over litigation, which motivated her to innovate. She delves into challenges like raising $7.5 million and balancing personal struggles while emphasizing empathy and technology's role in modernizing legal services.

In this episode of Lawyers Who Learn, David Schnurman, CEO of Lawline, has a conversation with Laura Cowan, founder of 2-Hour Lifestyle Lawyer (2HLL) and author of the newly released book "Lifestyle Lawyer Revolution." Laura shares her fascinating journey from working as a CPA at Ernst & Young and hedge funds to making a bold career change at age 35 to attend law school. After her mother's passing in 2015, Laura established a successful estate planning practice in New York City, growing it to a seven-figure business within three years. When COVID hit, she relocated to Rhode Island and was forced to reimagine her practice virtually. This transition led to a profound realization: she could maintain a successful practice working just a few hours a day while enjoying a more balanced lifestyle. Laura explains how this epiphany evolved into her coaching business, 2HLL, where she now teaches other attorneys how to create and build similar virtual estate planning practices that prioritize lifestyle while still generating substantial income. Her framework, which focuses on achieving $10,000 monthly revenue through just 2-4 clients per month, currently has a waitlist and has attracted over 500 lawyers to her program. Throughout the interview, Laura emphasizes the importance of estate planning workshops for client acquisition, the value of investing in coaching, and her philosophy that "a rising tide lifts all ships." She discusses how her approach differs from other legal coaching programs that focus solely on maximizing revenue, noting that many attorneys are seeking balance rather than just financial growth. The conversation concludes with insights about her new book, which codifies her unique approach to practicing law in the post-COVID era.

In this episode of Lawyers Who Learn, David Schnurman, CEO of Lawline, speaks with Seth Price, founder of Price Benowitz LLP and BluShark Digital. Seth shares his entrepreneurial journey from GW Law graduate to building a 50-lawyer firm and one of the legal industry's most successful digital marketing agencies. Seth reveals how he and his law school friend created a "divide and conquer" partnership from day one – with his partner handling the legal work while Seth focused on marketing and operations. This unconventional arrangement allowed Seth to build the firm's digital presence when SEO was in its infancy, eventually growing his internal marketing team to seven people before spinning it off as BluShark Digital in 2016. Throughout the conversation, Seth emphasizes the importance of following your energy – focusing on what gives you enthusiasm rather than what drains you. For Seth, this meant recognizing early that traditional legal practice wasn't his passion, while building relationships and solving problems energized him. He discusses how this philosophy has guided his business decisions, from hiring to client acquisition. Seth also shares valuable insights about business development in the legal space, highlighting the power of conference networking over cold calling. He attends approximately 12 conferences annually, viewing them as opportunities to build relationships that may take years to develop into business. Seth explains how this approach has helped BluShark Digital grow to serve over 300 law firms nationwide. The episode concludes with Seth's thoughts on leadership and service, including his decision to bring futurist Peter Shankman on board to help his team stay ahead of emerging trends in technology and marketing.

In this episode of Lawyers Who Learn, David Schnurman, CEO of Lawline, has a conversation with Evan Shenkman, Chief Knowledge and Innovation Officer at Fisher Phillips. Evan shares his journey from employment litigation attorney to legal innovation leader, and discusses how his firm embraces cutting-edge legal technology. The discussion centers on Fisher Phillips' pioneering role as the first law firm to test Case Text's Co-Counsel AI tool, and explores how Evan has established at least a dozen similar relationships with legal tech startups since then. He explains the mutual benefits of these partnerships: law firms gain early access to innovative tools while startups receive valuable feedback from practicing attorneys to improve their products. Evan offers insights into how these legal tech tools enhance attorney performance, emphasizing that the goal isn't just to save money but to make lawyers more effective. He details his firm's approach to training attorneys on AI tools through live demonstrations, practical use cases, and ongoing support from his growing team of 15 knowledge management professionals. The conversation also covers how innovation impacts client relationships, with Evan sharing examples of winning significant client business specifically because of the firm's technology initiatives. He discusses the practical challenges of implementation, the importance of building relationships in the legal tech community, and how he balances a demanding travel schedule with family life and personal wellbeing. Throughout the episode, Evan provides valuable perspective on how law firms can position themselves at the forefront of legal technology while creating tangible value for clients, attorneys, and the business itself.

Ted Theodoropoulos, Founder and CEO of InfoDash, shares his remarkable journey from a college collection agency to leading innovative legal tech solutions. He dives into the importance of building trust within law firms and reveals how personal relationships can transform the legal tech landscape. Ted also discusses the challenges of shifting from a professional services model to a SaaS platform and provides valuable insights on continuous learning and balancing CEO duties with personal health. His thoughts on handling equity sharing and embracing AI are particularly enlightening.

John Didday, Associate General Counsel for Product and Privacy at Zendesk, shares his journey from law firm to in-house legal roles. He emphasizes the need for clear communication of legal advice to non-lawyers in tech. John discusses the creation of a new law school course on Product Counseling, highlighting the integration of AI tools in legal work. The conversation also covers navigating career risks and enriching legal education through real-world applications, showcasing the importance of mentorship and practical legal skills.

In this episode of Lawyers Who Learn, David Schnurman, CEO of Lawline, talks with Ed Walters, co-founder of Fastcase and current Chief Strategy Officer at vLex, following a 2023 merger. The discussion traces Walters' remarkable journey from starting Fastcase with Phil Rosenthal in 2000 to building a legal research platform that disrupted established providers like Westlaw and LexisNexis. Walters shares how Fastcase's mission to "democratize the law" led them to pioneer a bar association subscription model that gave 1.3 million attorneys access to affordable legal research. He details their bootstrap approach - attending more than 1,000 bar association meetings over 15 years - and the importance of building deep, genuine relationships within the legal community rather than simply raising venture capital. The conversation explores how Fastcase expanded beyond basic legal research to include bankruptcy forms, docket tracking, analytics, and now AI tools through their Vincent platform. Throughout the episode, Walters emphasizes the crucial role his team played in Fastcase's success, particularly highlighting co-founder Phil Rosenthal (a former rocket scientist who worked with Stephen Hawking) and team members who helped build and maintain their bar association relationships. Walters also discusses the decision to merge with vLex rather than sell, creating a global legal research platform now covering 110 countries with 350 employees across 17 time zones. He reflects on the importance of timing, luck, and perseverance in entrepreneurship, sharing insights about learning through teaching (he teaches AI and law courses at Georgetown and Chicago Law), and his personal productivity system inspired by Getting Things Done. The episode provides a thoughtful exploration of how innovation, relationship-building, and team dynamics can transform an industry, even with limited resources and against established competitors.

In this episode of Lawyers Who Learn, David Schnurman, CEO of Lawline, has a conversation with Linda Maryanov, an estate planning and administration attorney with 40 years of experience who created the "Thursday Think Tank" - a virtual study group for trust and estates and elder law/special needs attorneys that began during COVID and has flourished for five years. Linda shares how the Think Tank started almost accidentally in response to the pandemic's challenges. What began as a one-time Zoom meeting to discuss best practices for remote will executions quickly grew from 25 participants to many more, at first meeting weekly for two and a half years, eventually becoming twice-monthly sessions that host 75, 100, once 240 attorneys. The conversation explores how Linda structures these sessions, alternating between expert speakers and "open mic" formats where participants can ask questions (on camera, or anonymously, if they wish), without fear of judgment. She explains how the Think Tank has created meaningful professional connections, opened communication channels between attorneys and court personnel, and provided a platform for knowledge sharing that transcends geographic boundaries. Throughout the discussion, Linda emphasizes the professional generosity of the trusts and estates and elder law/special needs communities and why she considers this volunteer effort the most rewarding achievement of her career. She also offers insights into how similar study groups could be created for other practice areas, potentially providing a model for peer-to-peer learning that organizations like Lawline might help facilitate. The episode highlights the power of organic community-building and the impact of creating spaces where lawyers can learn from each other in a collaborative, non-competitive environment.

Steve Gluckman, a pioneer in legal e-learning, discusses his journey from PwC to founding SkillBurst Interactive. He reflects on the importance of timing in business innovations and the emotional journey of entrepreneurs post-acquisition. Gluckman shares insights about building customizable e-learning solutions for law firms and how he navigated the challenges of identity after selling his company. The conversation also touches on leadership, work-life balance, and the evolving landscape of legal education, highlighting the need for adaptability in today's market.

In this episode of Lawyers Who Learn, David Schnurman, CEO of Lawline, has a conversation with Andy Jones, a Texas personal injury attorney who specializes in medical malpractice cases. Andy shares his journey from working at a high-volume car wreck firm—what he calls "emergency law"—to becoming a medical malpractice specialist at Sawicki Law, where he eventually became partner. Andy offers valuable insights for attorneys at various career stages, from recent graduates to those looking to transition practice areas. He discusses how his early experience handling a medical malpractice case at his first firm inadvertently set him on his current path, illustrating how seemingly negative experiences can create positive momentum in one's career. He encourages new lawyers to "listen to your grades" while not letting them define you, and to be willing to "eat dirt" in a less-than-ideal position to gain valuable experience. Throughout the conversation, Andy explains how his medical malpractice work has transformed him into a "difficult consumer of medical services" and shares how he became an EMT to better understand the medical field. He also discusses his teaching experience as an adjunct professor at UNT Dallas and his approach to creating valuable continuing legal education content. The episode wraps up with a philosophical discussion about decision-making, with Andy sharing his favorite Theodore Roosevelt quote and reflecting on the Japanese Bushido concept of momentum shaping one's life journey.