The Agile Attorney Podcast

As professionals, it's easy to jump to conclusions about what clients need based on our experience and the patterns we see emerging. But in making these assumptions, are we missing a critical opportunity to truly connect with them by not taking the time to understand their individual motivations and worries?Tune in this week as I explore why giving clients space to articulate their "why" is so important for delivering great service and keeping them engaged throughout the process. I discuss how to make your client intake meetings more effective, write a compelling professional bio that resonates with your ideal clients, and ultimately build a more sustainable, profitable practice by staying connected to your own "why."For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/33Start your Agile transformation today and check out free resources, including my Law Firm Policy Template, to help you and your team develop a more Agile legal practice: https://www.agileattorney.com/startMentioned in this episode:New Workshop: Adaptive Kanban for Legal TeamsThis live, half-day workshop will teach you the core principles you'll need to create visual workflow systems tailored to the way legal work really happens — so you can spend less time chasing tasks and more time delivering value to your clients. Click here to secure your spot: https://the-agile-attorney.captivate.fm/classesKanban Workshop Sept 2025Greenline.legal is Officially in BetaTo set up a demo of this software with me, talk through the workflow challenges and opportunities you have in your practice, and see how Greenline could help, click here: https://the-agile-attorney.captivate.fm/greenlinelegalGreenlineLegal Demo

As law practice owners, we can gain valuable insights by looking outside of the legal industry. Today, I'm excited to bring you an interview with Michael Clarke. Michael is the co-owner of the financial advisory firm Protection Point Advisors and co-author of the book A Firm Worth Building: Running a Better Professional Business.Tune in this week to explore the differences between having a law practice and running your law practice like a successful business. Michael gives us his perspective on legal services as someone outside of the legal industry. Michael discusses what he's looking for when he hires lawyers for his own business needs, and shares what he considers when referring his clients out for legal help.For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/32Start your Agile transformation today and check out free resources, including my Law Firm Policy Template, to help you and your team develop a more Agile legal practice: https://www.agileattorney.com/startMentioned in this episode:Greenline.legal is Officially in BetaTo set up a demo of this software with me, talk through the workflow challenges and opportunities you have in your practice, and see how Greenline could help, click here: https://the-agile-attorney.captivate.fm/greenlinelegalGreenlineLegal DemoNew Workshop: Adaptive Kanban for Legal TeamsThis live, half-day workshop will teach you the core principles you'll need to create visual workflow systems tailored to the way legal work really happens — so you can spend less time chasing tasks and more time delivering value to your clients. Click here to secure your spot: https://the-agile-attorney.captivate.fm/classesKanban Workshop Sept 2025

Are you a struggling solo attorney trying to get more clients in the door? Before you turn to an expensive technology solution, it's important to take a step back and fully understand the nature of the problem you're trying to solve in your law practice. I'm all for utilizing tech, but it's dangerous to imbue technology with too many magical properties. So, what can you do instead to come up with better, more sustainable solutions to your business problems?While investing in the right technology can certainly help streamline your practice, it's not a magic bullet. If you’re struggling to get clients in the door, the key is to first get clear on your business strategy and really understand your target market. Tune in this week to discover valuable tips for focusing on your core strengths, niching down, and how to best serve the marketplace effectively.For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/31Start your Agile transformation today and check out free resources, including my Law Firm Policy Template, to help you and your team develop a more Agile legal practice: https://www.agileattorney.com/startMentioned in this episode:Greenline.legal is Officially in BetaTo set up a demo of this software with me, talk through the workflow challenges and opportunities you have in your practice, and see how Greenline could help, click here: https://the-agile-attorney.captivate.fm/greenlinelegalGreenlineLegal DemoNew Workshop: Adaptive Kanban for Legal TeamsThis live, half-day workshop will teach you the core principles you'll need to create visual workflow systems tailored to the way legal work really happens — so you can spend less time chasing tasks and more time delivering value to your clients. Click here to secure your spot: https://the-agile-attorney.captivate.fm/classesKanban Workshop Sept 2025

Do you feel like you're stuck on the hamster wheel of your law practice, constantly working on being more productive as an individual, but never getting ahead? It's time to explore how shifting your mindset from individual excellence to team excellence can help you break free and build a thriving, sustainable firm.Tune in this week to discover criminal defense attorney-turned-law-firm-owner Justie Nicol's secrets for creating a law firm that supports your personal goals and enables your team to do their best work. From implementing unique meeting structures to tracking meaningful KPIs, Justie offers a wealth of practical tips and hard-won wisdom that can help you transform your own practice.For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/30Start your Agile transformation today and check out free resources, including my Law Firm Policy Template, to help you and your team develop a more Agile legal practice: https://www.agileattorney.com/startMentioned in this episode:New Workshop: Adaptive Kanban for Legal TeamsThis live, half-day workshop will teach you the core principles you'll need to create visual workflow systems tailored to the way legal work really happens — so you can spend less time chasing tasks and more time delivering value to your clients. Click here to secure your spot: https://the-agile-attorney.captivate.fm/classesKanban Workshop Sept 2025Greenline.legal is Officially in BetaTo set up a demo of this software with me, talk through the workflow challenges and opportunities you have in your practice, and see how Greenline could help, click here: https://the-agile-attorney.captivate.fm/greenlinelegalGreenlineLegal Demo

Engaging your team around process improvement is a vital part of successfully implementing changes in the way you work in your law practice. When everyone is on the same page, working toward the same goals while you empower each member of your team to demonstrate leadership in their field of expertise, process improvement becomes an easier proposition, no matter the size of your firm.Tune in this week to discover my favorite tools and concepts for fostering an environment that is not only open to change, but actively recruits your people to be willing participants, and even leaders in those improvement efforts.For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/29Start your Agile transformation today and check out free resources, including my Law Firm Policy Template, to help you and your team develop a more Agile legal practice: https://www.agileattorney.com/startMentioned in this episode:Greenline.legal is Officially in BetaTo set up a demo of this software with me, talk through the workflow challenges and opportunities you have in your practice, and see how Greenline could help, click here: https://the-agile-attorney.captivate.fm/greenlinelegalGreenlineLegal DemoNew Workshop: Adaptive Kanban for Legal TeamsThis live, half-day workshop will teach you the core principles you'll need to create visual workflow systems tailored to the way legal work really happens — so you can spend less time chasing tasks and more time delivering value to your clients. Click here to secure your spot: https://the-agile-attorney.captivate.fm/classesKanban Workshop Sept 2025

Is your law practice feeling overwhelmed? Discover three tell-tale signs that your team may be overcapacity and the risks associated with it. Learn effective strategies to manage your workload and maintain productivity, ensuring you deliver a top-notch client experience. Explore the importance of focusing on value-added work while implementing helpful techniques to regain control of your practice. Join the conversation on how to navigate the challenges of a busy legal environment and foster a more balanced work atmosphere.

A common piece of conventional wisdom around how law firms prioritize their work is that they should organize everything around deadlines and due dates. While deadline-driven prioritization does have a place, it's my experience that there's a better technique that law firms should be adopting as their default prioritization method: first-in first-out (FIFO).Tune in this week to discover the advantages of a first-in first-out policy in your law firm. I discuss how deadline-driven prioritization leads to overwhelm and unpredictability, and you'll learn how FIFO as a default prioritization method will keep work flowing through your organization.For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/27Start your Agile transformation today and check out free resources, including my Law Firm Policy Template, to help you and your team develop a more Agile legal practice: https://www.agileattorney.com/startMentioned in this episode:New Workshop: Adaptive Kanban for Legal TeamsThis live, half-day workshop will teach you the core principles you'll need to create visual workflow systems tailored to the way legal work really happens — so you can spend less time chasing tasks and more time delivering value to your clients. Click here to secure your spot: https://the-agile-attorney.captivate.fm/classesKanban Workshop Sept 2025Greenline.legal is Officially in BetaTo set up a demo of this software with me, talk through the workflow challenges and opportunities you have in your practice, and see how Greenline could help, click here: https://the-agile-attorney.captivate.fm/greenlinelegalGreenlineLegal Demo

Why is the concept of "start with what you do now" crucial for creating meaningful and durable change in your law practice? This principle helps you understand your current processes and the people involved in them, recognizing why you are where you are, so you can make more informed decisions about how to move forward.Tune in this week for a dive into a foundational aspect of the Kanban Method: Start with what you do now. I share tips for initiating sustainable change in your law practice, respecting the roles and titles of your current team, helping them embrace the changes you want to see in your firm, and allowing them to become a valuable part of the change process.For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/26Start your Agile transformation today and check out free resources, including my Law Firm Policy Template, to help you and your team develop a more Agile legal practice: https://www.agileattorney.com/startMentioned in this episode:New Workshop: Adaptive Kanban for Legal TeamsThis live, half-day workshop will teach you the core principles you'll need to create visual workflow systems tailored to the way legal work really happens — so you can spend less time chasing tasks and more time delivering value to your clients. Click here to secure your spot: https://the-agile-attorney.captivate.fm/classesKanban Workshop Sept 2025Greenline.legal is Officially in BetaTo set up a demo of this software with me, talk through the workflow challenges and opportunities you have in your practice, and see how Greenline could help, click here: https://the-agile-attorney.captivate.fm/greenlinelegalGreenlineLegal Demo

Melissa Shanahan, founder of Velocity Work and host of The Law Firm Owner Podcast, teaches her clients a planning and accountability method she calls Monday Map/Friday Wrap. This method highlights some vital parts of the Agile practices of weekly planning and weekly review meetings.Monday Map/Friday Wrap is about creating micro-feedback loops within the context of a larger strategic plan, which is the kind of thing I love, so tune in this week as Melissa and I unpack this methodology, and have an all-round entertaining discussion about strategic planning and its benefits in general for the leaders of legal teams.For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/25Start your Agile transformation today and check out these free resources to help you and your team develop a more Agile legal practice: https://www.agileattorney.com/startMentioned in this episode:New Workshop: Adaptive Kanban for Legal TeamsThis live, half-day workshop will teach you the core principles you'll need to create visual workflow systems tailored to the way legal work really happens — so you can spend less time chasing tasks and more time delivering value to your clients. Click here to secure your spot: https://the-agile-attorney.captivate.fm/classesKanban Workshop Sept 2025Greenline.legal is Officially in BetaTo set up a demo of this software with me, talk through the workflow challenges and opportunities you have in your practice, and see how Greenline could help, click here: https://the-agile-attorney.captivate.fm/greenlinelegalGreenlineLegal Demo

Visualizing your work on a Kanban Board can be a life-changing improvement to your and your team's overall productivity. But adopting the board as a tool and the Kanban method more broadly can be a little uncomfortable at first, especially when you see all of your to-dos laid out in one place. So, how do you stick with change, like using a Kanban Board, when change gets hard?Your Kanban Board can be overwhelming to look at, especially if you're new to the concept, so tune in this week to discover how to stick with it and keep your work flowing, even if your workflow looks overcommitted right now and you want to give up on your Kanban Board altogether.For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/24Start your Agile transformation today and check out these free resources to help you and your team develop a more Agile legal practice: https://www.agileattorney.com/startMentioned in this episode:New Workshop: Adaptive Kanban for Legal TeamsThis live, half-day workshop will teach you the core principles you'll need to create visual workflow systems tailored to the way legal work really happens — so you can spend less time chasing tasks and more time delivering value to your clients. Click here to secure your spot: https://the-agile-attorney.captivate.fm/classesKanban Workshop Sept 2025Greenline.legal is Officially in BetaTo set up a demo of this software with me, talk through the workflow challenges and opportunities you have in your practice, and see how Greenline could help, click here: https://the-agile-attorney.captivate.fm/greenlinelegalGreenlineLegal Demo