Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

AI is more than just another tool for lawyers. It may fundamentally change how law firms make money. In episode #607 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Stephanie Everett talks with legal industry analyst Jordan Furlong about the shifting economics of law practice and what happens as AI begins doing work lawyers once billed for.  Jordan explains why the traditional law firm model built on billable hours and human effort is starting to break down as legal workflows become automated. Together, they explore how AI may shift lawyers away from producing legal work and toward supervising systems, validating outcomes, and delivering the one thing machines cannot easily replicate: judgment under uncertainty.  The future of law practice may depend less on expertise and more on qualities machines struggle to replicate such as judgment, character, and the ability to guide clients through uncertainty. The conversation also explores why hourly billing may no longer make sense in an AI-driven world, how firms can rethink pricing around outcomes and client experience, and why smaller firms may adapt more quickly.  If the billable hour fades and AI begins handling the routine “widgets” of legal work, the real question becomes what a lawyer’s value is now, and how firms should prepare for what comes next.  Listen to our previous episodes on Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Legal Practice.  #601 – Beyond Chatbots: Using Agentic AI in Law Firm Intake, with Matt Spiegel Apple | Spotify | LTN  #590 – Innovating Without Overwhelm: Practical AI Tips for Lawyers, with Graydon Trusler Apple | Spotify | LTN  #587 – Future-Proofing Your Firm in the Age of AI, with Jack Newton Apple | Spotify | LTN  #577 – Rethinking Law Firm Growth in the Age of AI, with Sam Harden Apple | Spotify | LTN   Links from the episode:  https://jordanfurlong.substack.com.    Have thoughts about today’s episode? Join the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X!  If today's podcast resonates with you and you haven't read The Small Firm Roadmap Revisited yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Looking for help beyond the book? See if our coaching community is right for you.   Access more resources from Lawyerist at lawyerist.com.    Subscribe to Lawyerist Podcast: https://play.megaphone.fm/xrm0mqp4tqwi0ozntiu41g Chapters / Timestamps:   00:00 – Introduction  01:45 – Why Everyone Is Talking About AI in Law  04:20 – Meet Jordan Furlong  06:40 – The Real Disruption AI Brings to Law Firms  09:30 – The Economics Behind the Billable Hour  12:50 – What Happens When Software Does the Work  16:05 – The Shift from Expertise to Judgment  19:20 – What Lawyers Still Do Better Than AI  22:40 – Client Value in an AI-Driven Profession  26:00 – Why Smaller Firms May Have an Advantage  29:10 – What This Means for New Lawyers  32:45 – Preparing for the Next Version of Law Practice  36:10 – Closing Thoughts  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this jam-packed episode, host Tony Sipp welcomes four outstanding paralegal professionals and educators to share tips on balancing mindfulness, wellness, and self-care in today’s world of rapid tech advancements.  If it seems like the profession is bolting forward at light speed, you’re not wrong. It’s important to take care of yourself. Let tech work for you, not wear you down. At times, you need to plug back into yourself before you plug into the latest technology.  With a race to incorporate that latest in AI, it is important to keep learning, but also to learn how to embrace “the power of the pause,” taking a moment to step back. Don’t just survive, thrive!  Mentioned in This Episode: American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE) AAfPE Legal Luminaries podcast Paralegals on Fire podcast Adam Grant, speaker Los Angeles Paralegal Association NALA, The Paralegal Association NALA Conference & Expo 2026 Subscribe to The Paralegal Voice: https://play.megaphone.fm/sq1e-saoq6ga2fue1-y_qw Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Succession planning has never been more critical for corporate legal departments. In this episode of The Legal Report from Robert Half, host Jamy Sullivan talks with Ami Rodrigues, Deputy General Counsel at Under Armour, about developing the next generation of legal leaders. They discuss why succession planning is a business imperative, how to transfer institutional knowledge and strategies for building future-ready teams. Tune in for practical insights on how legal departments can build strong leadership pipelines and prepare for long-term success. Subscribe to The Legal Report from Robert Half: https://play.megaphone.fm/taobgtzvrne014wkmbcgew Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your smartwatch tracks your heart rate and counts your calories. Your Ring camera lets you know when a package has been delivered. The GPS in your car smoothly directs you to a restaurant you've never been to before. We've grown used to getting a technological assist for everything from finding our keys to checking where our children are at curfew. But the consumer electronics which can make our lives easier can also be used by the government to track and prosecute us–and Fourth Amendment protections haven't been keeping up. Prof. Andrew Ferguson of George Washington University Law School has long been an advocate for digital privacy, and in his new book, Your Data Will Be Used Against You: Policing in the Age of Self-Surveillance, he hopes to kick off a movement to protect Americans from government intrusion. In this episode of the Modern Law Library, Ferguson and host Lee Rawles talk about cases where people's device data wound up being used against them, how personal information is being sold by data brokers, and how the Wiretap Act could point the way forward for future data privacy protections. Ferguson also shares tips on how to sabotage your data and explains the Tyrant Test. Subscribe to Modern Law Library: https://play.megaphone.fm/93wtgxnatpsubsdxwklzwq Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A real Olympian on our little podcast?! Athlete and lawyer Rich Ruohonen shows us all how excellence and commitment are good for business. And, more importantly, how standing up for what’s right as both a citizen and a representative of the law is so necessary in our current cultural climate.  ---- Okay, so maybe you can’t be an Olympian, but you can grow your business by pursuing your passions, investing in your community, and showing genuine care for those around you. Gyi and Conrad are honored to welcome Rich Ruohonen, the oldest-ever American winter Olympian, to talk about his experiences with the American Curling team in the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Games. Oh, and for all you lawyers out there, Rich shares down-to-earth insights on how his personal injury law firm engages with their community.  Later, in the wake of the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti, Rich was compelled to use the Olympic stage to speak out about ICE violence in his home state of Minnesota. He shares what that experience meant for him as both a lawyer and a citizen of our great country. Thank you to Rich for representing our country and the profession so well.  📺 Watch: Rich's Olympic Speech   The News: Guess this wasn’t a no-brainer—don’t be a dummy and talk about sensitive information with public AI chatbots. This case shows us why: United States v. HEPPNER And, in more AI nonsense: Lawyer apologizes for fake quotes, fabricated judgments generated by AI in murder case. Yikes. And, some lawyer skulduggery in South Carolina: Lowcountry Attorney Charged with Defrauding $1.5M from Mt. Pleasant Law Firm and Clients. Eesh. On a lighter note, get your tickets for the LHLM Summit! Yay!   Listen Next: The One Where Gyi and Conrad Rock the Boat   Connect: The Bite - Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Newsletter! Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok r/LHLM  Subscribe to Lunch Hour Legal Marketing: https://play.megaphone.fm/boagdxq4tr2wawseaj104w In This Episode: 00:00 Fit Check 02:24 Starting with the News 07:50 Introducing Olympian Lawyer Rich Ruohonen 08:18 Rich's Olympic Journey in Curling 15:15 Curling, Law, and Business: The Intersection of Being an Athlete and a Trial Lawyer 29:11 Making a Stand: Rich Ruohonen's Olympic Speech on the Rule of Law in Minnesota 41:18 Closing & Final Thanks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode’s Seat at the Table, let’s dig into the bedrock of your business: Your identity. That’s what branding is, it’s defining yourself. Who are you?   If you’re starting a new firm, or trying to grow your existing firm, start with your brand. Do you know what it is? And is what you thought you wanted One part of your brand is easy to express and hard to deliver. Do what you say you are going to do. If you promise something, if you pitch something, live up to that. Build your business on results, on meeting clients where they are, and on meeting client demands and expectations. A slick website is meaningless if you are disappointing or even inconveniencing your clients. Should you rebrand, or refresh your brand, or invest in branding? What is a brand? What’s your brand? Good intentions and hope are not a business plan. Do something tangible by defining your business and living up to your promises. In this new Un-Billable Hour series, “Seat at the Table,” we dig into helping lawyers attract clients, build the business flow, and branding, all while turning your vision into reality, profit, and success. New guest hosts Kristen David, Rob Leitner, and brothers Elliot Alicea and Erik Alicea are experienced pros in business development and marketing for law firms. With proven track records, they join host Christoper T. Anderson and dig into the real needs of growing firms.  If you’re getting started, hear how creating a brand – and building trust – sets you on the right path. Are you doing the things you say you’re going to do? It’s important to deliberately help potential new clients understand who you are and what you do (and avoid the most common branding mistakes startups trip over).  Mentioned in This Episode: Michael Gerber “The E-Myth Revisited”  Pragmatic Institute Clio ClioCon 2026, Oct. 26-27, 2026 Subscribe to Un-Billable Hour: https://play.megaphone.fm/qxfro4f-suekajnwe_solw Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Texas is fortunate to be home to a diverse and impressive roster of professional sports organizations, and it should come as no surprise that the demanding world of professional athletics requires highly skilled legal counsel. Host Rocky Dhir welcomes two distinguished attorneys from the Texas professional sports scene: Eunice Nakamura, Executive Vice President, General Counsel for the Texas Rangers Major League Baseball team, and James O’Sullivan, General Counsel for the Major League Soccer team, FC Dallas. Their conversation gives an inside look at the dynamic day-to-day experiences of lawyers specializing in the business of sports. Eunice and James candidly share their professional paths, detailing the opportunities and career choices that led them to their current roles. Subscribe to State Bar of Texas Podcast: https://play.megaphone.fm/_hh0l5izt4mfkr1zmxo_cg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For more than a decade, the Modern Law Library has been chatting with authors about their books. But there haven't been many opportunities to talk directly with our listeners, and we want that to change. We are so excited to announce that we are launching a monthly book club series, which will appear in your normal podcast feed.  This year, we are going to be diving into The Brethren: Inside the Supreme Court, by Bob Woodward and Scott Armstrong. This book made waves when it was released in 1979, giving readers an unprecedented look into the U.S. Supreme Court chambers. Covering the 1969 to 1975 terms, The Brethren exposed the internal debates over matters like the Pentagon Papers and Roe v. Wade.  Each month, we will be reading a section of the book and inviting on a guest to discuss the issues raised. To be ready for the first book club meeting at the end of March, read the introduction and prologue! We are hoping to hear from you, so if you have a comment about the book or want to share your experiences with it, email us a written message, video or audio recording to modernlawlibrary@legaltalknetwork.com.  You can purchase a copy here and join in the discussion in our Goodreads group athttps://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1285340-modern-law-library Subscribe to Modern Law Library: https://play.megaphone.fm/93wtgxnatpsubsdxwklzwq Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the NCBP’s Midyear Meeting in San Antonio, Amanda Arriaga sat down with conference speaker Michael Ariens, professor at St. Mary’s School of Law, for a deeper discussion on law, democracy, and ways to engage with the challenges we see in both the legal profession and our society at large. They discuss the relevance of the Declaration of Independence as we celebrate its 250th anniversary and wrestle with the concepts of liberty and equality in the present day. Professor Ariens emphasized the vital role of legal professionals in strengthening the rule of law and fostering constructive, civil discourse when tackling difficult community issues. In addition, Amanda and NCBP President Patrick Palace recap the NCBP Midyear Meeting held in San Antonio.   Sign the Pledge: NCBP Pledge - National Conference of Bar Presidents  Subscribe to Leading the Bar: https://play.megaphone.fm/8u2l9j2_tyq9jp84okd4lg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meet Alyssa Vachon Daigneault, a new Massachusetts attorney who benefitted from a chat with lawyer and law coach Kellam Parks, an amazing guest from our previous podcast. Hear how Daigneault launched her law firm as a second career after years teaching high school chemistry and hear what she learned from Parks as she beefed up her technology. Daigneault launched her own firm less than two years ago in the busy Boston area, specializing in real estate, land use, and property matters, all fields she was already well versed in. A session with a coach helped Daigneault fully frame the vision and direction of her practice, craft policies, and understand onboarding new hires. Starting a new solo firm is hard, do you need help cutting through some of the steps and learning from those who went before you?   Daigneault is an advocate for learning about and investing and experimenting in tech, AI, and other tools before worrying about office space. As a new solo, tech can save time, build efficiencies, and let lawyers do what they do best.  Questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at NewSolo@legaltalknetwork.com     Topics: A new solo, embarking on a second career as an attorney, took some tips from one of New Solo’s earlier guests, attorney and legal practice coach Kellam Parks.  Not all tech and AI are the same, it takes time and research to understand what works for you. Lining up the right tools makes a difference. In today’s legal environment, tech is becoming king. But if you can manage it, the right support staff and office space can push you forward and keep you growing. Resources: Previously on New Solo, “Six To-Dos Every Firm Can Embrace in 2026,” with Kellam Parks The Real Estate Bar Association for Massachusetts QuickBooks Gusto Adobe ChatGPT Perplexity Spellbook Lexis Protégé Clio ABA Techshow 2026 Clio Cloud Conference 2026 Subscribe to New Solo: https://play.megaphone.fm/snklydceswminrbke6phsq Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices