The Agile Attorney Podcast

John E. Grant

Episodes

Mentioned books

undefined
Oct 7, 2025 • 43min

090. Stop Writing Policies and Start Creating Working Agreements with Tim Lennon

Most organizations default to command-and-control when creating policies - one person decides what needs to happen, writes it down, and expects everyone else to follow along. The problem is that this approach creates policies that exist on paper but fail in practice, because the people doing the actual work never bought into them in the first place. In today’s episode, I'm joined by Agile Educator and Organizational Coach Tim Lennon to discuss why the traditional approach to making policies explicit often backfires, especially in American workplaces. Through Tim's evolution from teaching the Kanban method to developing what he calls "Adaptive Kanban," we uncover why negotiating working agreements with your team creates far better results than top-down mandates. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/90Take your law practice from overwhelmed to optimized with Greenline LegalFollow along on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnegrant
undefined
Sep 30, 2025 • 26min

089. The Four Ds of Productivity: Removing Bottlenecks & Managing Capacity

The Four Ds of productivity (do it, delegate it, defer it, or drop it) show up everywhere in productivity advice. Yet most of us default to the same two options over and over, creating bottlenecks and stress rather than solving our capacity problems. In this episode, I break down why only two of the Four Ds are reliably good options for managing your law practice workload. I explain the hidden pitfalls of delegation, including why delegated work often creates more quality assurance headaches than it solves, and why deferring work is really just delegating to an unreliable resource called "future you." Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/89Get the 5-day Agile Attorney Boot Camp here: agileattorney.com/resourcesJoin me on Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/agileattorney.comFollow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/johnegrant/
undefined
Sep 23, 2025 • 29min

088. Why This Firm Stopped Chasing Clients- and Got More Done

Managing a law firm’s workflow can be tricky, especially when you’re juggling a long list of active matters and chasing unresponsive clients. In this episode, I’ll share how one firm, after years of using Kanban, finally broke through the delivery bottleneck with a simple but powerful shift in their approach.You'll hear the key changes they made that allowed them to close 40 matters in one month, even in what’s usually their slowest season. Tune in to discover how simplifying your systems, setting clear client expectations, and focusing on the work that matters most can unlock new levels of productivity and capacity for your practice.Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/88Get the 5-day Agile Attorney Boot Camp here: agileattorney.com/resourcesJoin me on Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/agileattorney.comFollow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/johnegrant/
undefined
Sep 16, 2025 • 17min

087. Change Management for Law Firms: How to Engage Your Team from Day One

When you introduce new processes in your law firm, you're asking your team to rethink how they get things done, and that’s a bigger challenge than most realize. In this episode, I explore why the usual approach to change management often misses the mark in law firms. I also discuss why involving your team from the start is critical to getting real buy-in.This approach might take a little longer upfront, but it pays off when it comes to actually implementing the changes you need.Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/87
undefined
Sep 9, 2025 • 39min

086. From Chaos to Consistency: Lessons from a Decade of Agile Lawyering with Jeff De Francisco

When Jeff De Francisco noticed his less tech-savvy colleagues billing more hours for the same estate planning work, he uncovered an injustice that would reshape his entire practice. The disparity wasn't about knowledge or skill. It was about efficiency, and the billable hour was punishing him for being good at his job.In this episode, I sit down with Jeff, a long-time client and now business partner, to explore his decade-long journey with Agile practices. You’ll also hear lessons from Jeff’s journey that you can apply to your own law practice - and get a peek at how tools like Greenline Legal can support your systems along the way.Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/86
undefined
Sep 2, 2025 • 25min

085. Make Work Visible: Using Kanban Boards To Manage Your Law Firm’s Capacity

Knowledge work hides in ways that physical work never could. That invisibility creates a dangerous pattern: you say yes to one more matter and before you know it, your entire team operates beyond capacity. In this episode, I use real examples from law firms using Kanban boards to demonstrate how making your work visible can fundamentally change how your team coordinates, communicates, and makes decisions about your capacity.Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/85
undefined
Aug 26, 2025 • 15min

084. Technical Debt in Law Firms: How Small Shortcuts Create Big Problems

Discover the hidden dangers of technical debt in law firms. Shortcuts may save time initially but can lead to bigger problems later. The discussion includes practical strategies for improving workflow and efficiency to combat burnout. Learn about the innovative Greenline Legal tool designed to tackle these challenges. Feedback and demos are encouraged for those eager to enhance their legal practice.
undefined
Aug 19, 2025 • 25min

083. Delivery Debt is as Bad as Financial Debt, and Your Law Practice May Be Drowning in It

In this episode, I’m revisiting the concept of delivery debt: the promises you’ve made that remain unfulfilled. Just like financial debt, taking on too much delivery debt can snowball and overwhelm your firm. And it’s not just about the practical cost; it’s also psychological. The mental load of these unfinished commitments affects your focus, your decision-making, and ultimately, your practice’s efficiency.I’ll share practical steps to help you clear delivery debt by addressing unfulfilled commitments that are draining your capacity. You’ll also learn how to prioritize your existing work and make intentional decisions about what to let go of to protect your firm’s ability to take on the right cases. This approach will give you the tools to balance your commitments with your firm’s capacity, allowing you to avoid overwhelm and be more proactive as you head into the busy fall season.Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/83
undefined
Aug 12, 2025 • 9min

082. The Best Way to Word Your Checklists

Discover how to improve law practice efficiency by transforming traditional checklists into 'done lists' that clarify quality standards. Learn about essential frameworks like 'definition of done' and 'definition of ready' to ensure projects meet high standards. The power of phrasing tasks in past tense fosters accountability and a sense of accomplishment. Plus, get a sneak peek into an innovative tool, Greenline Legal, designed to enhance legal workflows and simplify project management.
undefined
Aug 5, 2025 • 23min

081. Task Engines in Law: Why Some Cases Sabotage Your Firm’s Productivity

Task engines are quietly draining your law practice's productivity right now. These hidden culprits show up as certain case types, jurisdictions, or even internal projects that generate a lot of tasks but little tangible progress or return. It’s something a litigation boutique in Oregon learned the hard way when a surge in Washington State cases almost derailed their entire operation.In this episode, I’m sharing how a firm with plenty of demand and a growing team found themselves in crisis mode due to task engines in disguise. I also walk through how the firm survived, learned valuable lessons about case selection, and took steps to improve their workflow. Discover how understanding the relative effort of different work types can help you build a more intentional, sustainable practice.Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/81

The AI-powered Podcast Player

Save insights by tapping your headphones, chat with episodes, discover the best highlights - and more!
App store bannerPlay store banner
 Get the app