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 [email protected]  

Topics:

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

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Equal Justice Works CEO Verna Williams discusses her prior experience as a law dean, her work engaging law students and young lawyers in public interest and the inspiration she draws from their passion. As the nation’s largest post-graduate legal fellowship program, Equal Justice Works deploys students and lawyers to legal services organizations across the country. Since its founding in 1986, Equal Justice Works has supported more than 2,700 fellows.

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A part of the legal marketing landscape we don’t talk about enough is referral marketing. Sure, we focus on digital marketing, search engines, and paid advertising. But maybe one of the best – and cheapest – forms of marketing could be referral marketing, working with other layers who know, like, and trust us. 

Guest John Reed is a former practicing attorney and the founder of Rain BDM, a marketing firm that helps lawyers build exceptional relationships. Hear how professionals learn and play “the referral game.” 

Asking for referrals may not feel natural, even a bit awkward. But like any marketing campaign, it can be planned, initiated, and tracked. And it can be fun and rewarding. Don’t try to make a relationship “transactional,” just go out and meet and help people. Let it be more relaxed and natural. 

Hear about the “four questions” and a personalized “grid” plan that can get the ball rolling when you meet another attorney. If you’ve struggled with building intentional relationships with other attorneys and expanding your network, you’ll want to hear this free “relationships 101” lesson from a proven, experienced pro. 

Mentioned in This Episode:

“Endless Referrals” by Bob Burg

“Never Eat Alone” by Keith Ferrazzi

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To mark the sesquicentennial of the Texas Constitution, host Rocky Dhir is joined by two eminent Texans—Texas Supreme Court Justice Evan Young and legal historian Dr. Bill Chriss. They offer a deep dive into the foundational document's history and evolution, tracing its iterations from 1876 to the present day and exploring how its framework for self-governance continues to serve the people of Texas well. 

To learn more about the unique and fascinating story of our state constitution, read Dr. Chriss’ book: Six Constitutions Over Texas: Texas’ Political Identity, 1830–1900. 

Justice Evan A. Young was appointed to the Supreme Court of Texas in November 2021 by Governor Greg Abbott and later elected in November 2022 to serve through December of 2028. 

Dr. Bill Chriss is a self-described lifelong learner. As a lawyer, historian, and author, his work straddles the worlds of academia, family, writing, and appellate law.

Subscribe to State Bar of Texas Podcast: https://play.megaphone.fm/_hh0l5izt4mfkr1zmxo_cg

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Let’s talk about every lawyer’s favorite subject: exams. It seems like every day, there’s another threshold that generative artificial intelligence crosses. First, it was able to take a bar exam and do reasonably well. Then it was able to ace it. Same with law school exams. Right now, AI would probably graduate at the top of its class, edit law review and land a six-figure associate’s job with an Am Law 50 firm. Now comes another milestone.

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Religious organizations and their employees fall into a murky and often-overlooked area of labor and employment law. Guests James “Jim” Paul and Michael Subit practice in employment and labor law and are versed in the world of religious employers and their workers. 

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act carves out some interesting exemptions in employment law regarding religion-based businesses, but some recent court rulings seem to conflict with each other. Paul and Subit join host Matt Greer to delve into what constitutes a “religious employer” and where religious beliefs and practices challenge existing employment laws.

A recent appeals court ruling spells out nine questions regarding religion-based retailers, religious hospitals, and other businesses. Is it created for profit? Does it make a secular product? Do articles of incorporation state a religious purpose? All of these considerations may matter.

This issue goes way beyond practicing a religion. Consider same sex marriage, certain behaviors, and reproductive rights. Hear how quickly employer and employee rights can conflict. Is a Supreme Court showdown on the horizon? 

Mentioned in This Episode:

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, EEOC

“Ninth Circuit Rules in Favor of Employers in Two Recent Religious Discrimination Cases,” New York University School of Law

“LeBoon v. Lancaster Jewish Community Center Association,” U.S. Third Circuit Court

“McMahon v. World Vision,” Ninth Circuit Court

“Union Gospel Mission of Yakima Washington v. Brown,” U.S. Ninth Circuit Court

“Conway v. Mercy Hospital St. Louis,” Justia.com

The ABA Labor and Employment Law Section 2026 Annual Conference is scheduled for Nov. 4-7, 2026 in Washington, DC 

ABA Labor and Employment Law Section

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Guest June Hunter is a trained paralegal professional and legal technology trainer with a 35-year career in legal services that spans the profession’s growth from the days of physical, paper files to today’s legal tech AI revolution. 

Hear how Hunter has come to feel that paralegal professionals are “the best project managers in the world,” juggling clients, lawyers, tech tools, and court schedules and deadlines. The paralegal profession is no longer limited to helping process legal documents. Technology has expanded the field into so many new areas and specialties. 

The best part about today’s tech tools, including AI, is that in the long run, it can save clients money, increase efficiencies, and solve ethical issues involving billing. Hunter’s message: be eager to embrace and master the latest technology throughout your career. The smartest person in the room is the person who’s not afraid to ask questions and learn new things.

Mentioned in This Episode:

San Diego Paralegal Association

San Diego Legal Secretaries Association

Los Angeles Paralegal Association

MCLE, California Minimum Continuing Legal Education

A History of Microsoft’s “Clippy” 

NALA, The Paralegal Association

NALA Conference & Expo 2026

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The process of “case budgeting” is increasingly common in complex litigation, it’s the science and art of laying out the potential time and cost of trying a case. Daniel Dowd is the managing partner and the president of the Phoenix law firm Cohen Dowd Quigley. He explains how to estimate: “How much will this cost to get to the finish line?” 

But how do you do it? How do you react when a client brings up costs? Dowd details the labor-intensive process of understanding each aspect of the case and calculating costs, including discovery, expert witnesses, the potential for a mediated settlement, and even the nature of the court and opposing law firm.

There are many variables, and as the timeline stretches out, projections can become less accurate. But if a client asks, a “best estimate” can help them understand the true cost of a case. “You build a skeleton … and then you have to estimate with your team how much time they’re going to spend,” Dowd explains. “Then you get your calculator out.” 

Plus, a quick tip from attorney and co-chair of the ABA Mental Health & Wellness committee Maritza Rodriguez of the firm Rodriguez Family Law as she discusses “the great commitment reset.” Get a fresh start on a new year by making fewer commitments, auditing your life, and cutting back on self-scheduling.

Have a question, comment, or suggestion for an upcoming episode? Get in touch at [email protected] and [email protected].

Resources:

2026 Women in Litigation CLE Conference

American Bar Association

American Bar Association Litigation Section

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This is likely only the beginning of the reckoning.

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As predicted on last week's episode, Brad Karp left the top post at Paul Weiss following the disclosure of friendly correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein. But Karp wasn't the only Biglaw lawyer in the files, nor were his conversations the most troubling. A former Clifford Chance trainee drafted a sex contract with Epstein, Goldman Sachs GC Kathy Ruemmler made a joke with Epstein that normally you wouldn't make with someone who already pleaded guilty to child prostitution charges, and Alan Dershowitz managed to drag Paul Weiss into the case again when people found sex tourism legal analysis in the files from a now-Paul Weiss partner... passing along Dershowitz's thoughts.

Meanwhile in Minnesota, a DOJ lawyer called out the broken immigration system before literally asking to be held in contempt so she could get some sleep. which is what happens when an administration breaks the legal system so thoroughly that even its own lawyers can't keep up with the chaos. And legal tech took a financial jolt as Anthropic announced its entry into the legal tech space.

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The tensions between the practice and business of law have long been a touchy subject, but lawyers must wrestle with these challenges to thrive in the profession. Dennis and Tom welcome Chantal McNaught to discuss her work at the intersection of law, business, and technology. Chantal delves into how ethics command technology use in legal practice and offers grounded, thoughtful insights on how to develop a sense of community and support in technological pursuits. 

As always, stay tuned for the parting shots, that one tip, website, or observation that you can use the second the podcast ends.

Have a technology question for Dennis and Tom? Call their Tech Question Hotline at 720-441-6820 for the answers to your most burning tech questions.

Show Notes:

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