The Kennedy-Mighell Report

Many attorneys and law firms are turning toward digital content creation to better market their companies and connect with potential clients. One type of content that is increasing in popularity among legal practitioners is podcasting. In this episode of The Kennedy-Mighell Report, hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell discuss their nine years together creating podcasts, the benefits podcasting can provide to your legal career, and a few tips for attorneys interested in creating their own podcasts. In the second segment of the podcast, Dennis and Tom discuss drones and how this technology might affect the practice of law. As always, stay tuned for Parting Shots, that one tip, website, or observation that you can use the second the podcast ends. Special thanks to our sponsor, ServeNow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ensuring that your law firm’s technology is functional, secure, and up to date requires tech savvy and constant vigilance. One of the toughest decisions, and a fairly common one, is whether you should upgrade your firm’s existing operating system to a newer one. In this episode of The Kennedy-Mighell Report, hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell discuss popular operating systems and the risks and benefits of upgrading your software. In the second segment of the podcast, Dennis and Tom discuss how Twitter has evolved over time and the recent rumors that Twitter will be acquired. As always, stay tuned for Parting Shots, that one tip, website, or observation that you can use the second the podcast ends. Special thanks to our sponsor, ServeNow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is well known that there is a tech proficiency skills gap within the legal industry and that  lawyers tend to be resistant to new technologies. However, is the solution to this problem simply encouraging attorneys to utilize current and new tech or should lawyers actually know how these technologies work? In this episode of The Kennedy-Mighell Report, hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell discuss the cloud, how it has changed, and whether it is more important for lawyers to implement or learn about new tech. In the second segment of the podcast, Dennis and Tom discuss apps, their popularity, and if they are still actively sought after and downloaded. As always, stay tuned for Parting Shots, that one tip, website, or observation that you can use the second the podcast ends. Special thanks to our sponsor, ServeNow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As firms build and grow it can be hard to accurately gauge how your business stacks up against similarly sized competitors. Furthermore, with the rapid pace of technological advancements it can be challenging to stay on top of current marketplace trends for even the largest firms. In this episode of The Kennedy-Mighell Report, hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell discuss the ILTA/InsideLegal Technology Purchasing and ABA LTRC Tech surveys, what they say about current tech trends, and how law firms can use this information to gain an advantage in the marketplace. In the second segment of the podcast, Dennis and Tom discuss Blockchain technology, smart contracting, and how this technology can help law firms build trust and increase security. As always, stay tuned for Parting Shots, that one tip, website, or observation that you can use the second the podcast ends.  Special thanks to our sponsor, ServeNow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Kennedy-Mighell Report, hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell discuss their dreams for future tech innovations, the ways technology is currently failing us, and the strong reactions consumers are having to the rumors that the new iPhone 7 will not have a traditional headphone jack. Dennis shares that the catalyst for this show topic was a recent experience with aggressive drivers that made him recall a traffic accident he was in. The recklessness of the drivers and the distraction that resulted in his crash made him think that perhaps the world needs driverless vehicle technology more than ever before. Tom further emphasizes this sentiment by referencing several recent stories of individuals who, while driving, experienced heart attacks or other medical emergencies and utilized driverless car technology to safely and expediently reach the hospital. He states that humanity has to get use to the idea that computers can do things as well as, if not better than we can, and driving might be one of the last places that this occurs. Both hosts provide their wish lists of tech innovations that could improve their everyday lives, including intelligent voice recognition software that understands the context of spoken requests and a dashboard that provides sophisticated multi-platform social media management. They end the first segment with their thoughts on how these advancements could greatly benefit lawyers. In the second segment of the podcast, Dennis and Tom explore why consumers are having such a negative reaction to the rumors that Apple’s iPhone 7 will not come with a headphone jack. Dennis remarks that traditional tech is disappearing faster than ever before and wonders if this is another sign of our technological future that society will have to get use to. Tom thinks that consumers are concerned about their previous tech investments, like top quality headphones, becoming obsolete and reminds us all that technology always changes and that you can either accept that evolution or give up the technology altogether. They both speculate how removing the headphone jack and utilizing the lightning port could potentially innovate the headphone as a platform. As always, stay tuned for Parting Shots, that one tip, website, or observation you can use the second the podcast ends. Special thanks to our sponsor, ServeNow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Kennedy-Mighell Report, hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell discuss whether it is beneficial to take a break from technology and if increased tracking of consumers through their technology is inevitable. Dennis and Tom were both recently on vacation and during this time of seclusion Dennis started to rethink his relationship with technology. His decreased use of email and sporadic access to social media led him to question if a controlled break from technology was beneficial in simplifying one's approach to tech use. Tom stayed much more connected during his vacation and came to the conclusion that he doesn’t want to take a break from technology. Leveraging the maps, apps, and entertaining content tech provides, in his opinion, helps him to supplement the activities that he likes to do. They both encourage anyone feeling overwhelmed by tech to take an audit of their use and find ways to be more efficient and remove unsustainable habits. They end the segment with an analysis of how a complete break from technology can affect a lawyer’s practice and their relationship with their clients. In the second segment of the podcast, Dennis and Tom take a look at the concept of tracking consumers through their technology and whether or not the growth of this trend is inevitable. Dennis admits that he is wary to enable tracking on his devices and that this caution is also why he doesn’t use social media often when he travels. However, he also recognizes that the services he relies upon like browser searches and mobile applications would be greatly improved if he enabled more tracking. Tom does feel that tracking is inevitable but also emphasizes that transparency over what is collected and control over how much you share is incredibly important to him. They both analyze what this complex social contract might look like as tracking capabilities and the categories that are tracked continue to increase. As always, stay tuned for Parting Shots, that one tip, website, or observation you can use the second the podcast ends. Special thanks to our sponsor, ServeNow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Kennedy-Mighell Report, hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell consider the increased popularity of artificial intelligence, the usefulness of chatbots, and how both innovations can impact the practice of law. Tom speculates that the current data age and the large volumes of information available for analysis have helped to enable the advancements in machine learning and artificial intelligence. Dennis explores exactly what machine learning means and explains the three current learning types: unsupervised, supervised, and reinforced. Tom finds the technology perplexing and uses the definition of Tenser Flow to illustrate how grasping these advanced concepts requires more education and technology knowledge than the average lawyer possesses. They both discuss the AI lawyer Ross and if legal professionals should gain technical knowledge in order to influence future ethical regulations with emergent technology. They end the first segment with a list of possible ways that these advancements in tech can aid lawyers in their everyday lives. In the second segment of the podcast, Dennis and Tom talk about chatbots and how they can help lawyers with their daily tasks. Dennis proposes that they get a chatbot for the show and Tom strongly disagrees. Tom emphasizes that there are two ways to create a chatbot: programming one manually or allowing one to learn via data analysis and that he is fine observing what innovations programmers create. They both discuss how chatbots can help lawyers automate their scheduling needs and how utilizing this technology can save law practitioners valuable time. As always, stay tuned for Parting Shots, that one tip, website, or observation you can use the second the podcast ends. Special thanks to our sponsor, ServeNow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mobile applications are varied and cover a wide range of functions and services. What recent developments have been made with mobile apps and what are the current download trends within the industry? In this episode of The Kennedy-Mighell Report, hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell talk about recent developments within the mobile applications industry. Dennis begins with a discussion of the mobile app economy and Apple’s move towards allowing all apps sold through their store the ability to offer auto-renewable subscriptions. Tom expresses his concern with this change in model and states that for this to be successful the app experience must provide ongoing value worth the recurring payment. He pivots the conversation to an analysis of the application boom and statements that this period has ended, and shares that 65% of smartphone users download exactly 0 applications per month. They both end the first segment with an evaluation of The ABA Legal Technology Research Center data, which found that a small percentage of lawyers have even downloaded a legal app to their phone or tablet. In the second segment of the podcast, Dennis and Tom talk about Microsoft’s recent acquisition of LinkedIn and what this might mean for lawyers who are heavy LinkedIn users. Tom was not initially impressed by the acquisition but eventually realized that Microsoft is transitioning into a company that is selling online services to business customers. They both speculate the many ways LinkedIn and its subsidiary Lynda.com can be integrated into Microsoft’s existing product ecosystem. As always, stay tuned for Parting Shots, that one tip, website, or observation you can use the second the podcast ends. Special thanks to our sponsor, ServeNow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Attorneys handle and process huge quantities of data each year. As data becomes more digital it will become even more important for legal professionals to have good, regimented email tidiness, or what we're calling "email hygiene." What are some data management best practices and how can lawyers maintain good inbox cleanliness? In this episode of The Kennedy-Mighell Report, hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell provide guidance principles to help lawyers improve their email hygiene. Tom challenges lawyers to identify how they perceive their emails, either as simple communications or possible business records, and encourages them to adopt an email retention policy. He emphasizes that keeping emails forever can be a liability, specifically if you are sued, and talks about the risks, costs, and productivity problems that can develop as a result of excess clutter. Tom and Dennis also analyze two types of email management styles; filing and piling, and explore practical ways to more efficiently search and manage their data for each style. They both end the first segment with application suggestions to help attorneys manage the clutter and helpful habits to keep the disorder at bay. In the second half of the podcast, Dennis and Tom talk about what you can do to get rid of your old cords, adapters, and other miscellaneous computer parts. Tom admits that he has major cord clutter in his garage and that he replaces these types of items immediately if he can’t find them. Dennis shares his system of storage and identification for assorted computer parts and encourages others to donate old tech gear to charity. As always, stay tuned for Parting Shots, that one tip, website, or observation you can use the second the podcast ends. Special thanks to our sponsor, ServeNow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than 50 percent of internet searches today is not done by humans but rather by bots. What exactly are bots and how can industry professionals use them to improve the practice of law? In this episode of The Kennedy-Mighell Report, Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell discuss bots and how attorneys can utilize them to improve their everyday lives. Tom explains that bots, short for web or internet robots, are applications that run automated software or scripts over the internet. This software can do relatively simple things but much faster than any human can. Dennis talks about search engines employing specific bots, known as spiders or crawlers, that read website pages and other information to create entries for their indexes. Both hosts then discuss cutting edge uses for bots like Microsoft’s Tay, an artificial intelligence chatterbot created for Twitter, and how attorneys can use simple bots for everyday tasks like creating stand-up meetings, checking deposition schedules, or aggregating case information. They then close the first half of the show by analyzing the use of customer service bots by lawyers and Tom provides some of his concerns that clients may be misled by not understanding when the bot interaction stops and the human interaction begins. In the second half of the podcast, Dennis and Tom reflect on their time at ABA TECHSHOW 2016. Dennis shares that he thinks the most interesting things that happen at conferences occur at dinners, in the halls, and at events like LexBlog and The ABA Journal’s Beer for Bloggers event. Tom views TECHSHOW as a great educational service to lawyers, providing them with resources that matter, and reveals that he would like to attend more panels than he was able to attend at this year’s conference. As always, stay tuned for Parting Shots, that one tip, website, or observation you can use the second the podcast ends. Special thanks to our sponsor, ServeNow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices