Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

Listen in as performers, teachers and corporate workshop facilitators from The Improv Shop in St. Louis explain how improv skills map directly into the courtroom, deposition room and any high-stakes conversation where the unexpected is guaranteed to happen. Hosts Erich Veith and Tim Cronin reflect with Ashley Rube and Ryan Myers on one of the most common failure modes they observe in young trial lawyers: rigid adherence to a prepared outline even when a witness hands them something better. The instinct to follow the script, they argue, is trained into law students from day one and it takes real effort to unlearn. Full disclosure: nobody is here to turn lawyers into comedians, but rather how to apply the discipline of presence, collaboration and responsive decision-making of improve to the legal profession.

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Money, profit, probably isn’t the only reason you own a law firm. But it is an important part of it. Guest Ben Hockema is a financial planner who specializes in helping business leaders focus on long-term profits and understand why focusing on, and delivering, profit is so important.

Hockema’s company, Illuminate Wealth Management, works closely with law firms and their owners. Perhaps no one told you owning a law firm is owning a business. But the reality is you can’t effectively serve clients without focusing on your business and making it work. Law school may teach you the law, but no firm functions without profits. It’s important that you build a firm that pays you first. 

A profitable firm starts with your mindset. If you’re distracted by financial insecurity, if your firm isn’t delivering the profits that allow you to practice without worry, you aren’t doing your best work. The profit-first mindset isn’t about being selfish, it’s about eliminating distractions.

Hear how Hockema helps law-firm owners reshape their understanding of how a firm works. Generating sustainable profit is a leadership decision, a conscious goal, not simply what’s left over at the end of the month. Consider these vital tips that can change your thinking (and understand the biggest mistake law firms make).

Mentioned in This Episode:

“Profit First,” by Michael Michalowicz

Clio legal software

Legal Talk Network

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An honest discussion about imposter syndrome, rejecting societal timelines, and redefining work-life balance with the newest member of the Heels in the Courtroom cast Sydney Marino gives listeners a relatable and inspiring look at the early stages of a legal career and the mindset it takes to thrive. Marino also opens up about navigating burnout through daily walks and leaning on family support and discusses embracing “change” as her defining theme for 2026.

Subscribe to Heels in the Courtroom: https://play.megaphone.fm/lpqcuasdqrkvtile7bx6ng

In a timely episode, host Jim Reeder is joined by attorney, experienced poll worker, and current president of the ABA Michelle Behnke to discuss the American election system and the role of lawyers in that system. It might seem we’re a long way from the notorious practice of voting from the cemetery, but are we? (Spoiler: we are). 

It seems like many Americans are becoming more skeptical about our current election system. And, as Behnke says, whenever there are humans in a process, there’s always a chance for error. But today’s technology and redundancies have made voting more secure than ever, even if allegations of cheating creep into the news cycle. Not only is she a business attorney, but Behnke has served as a poll worker and watched the system work as designed. 

Hear about Behnke’s personal experience and how it built her confidence in the registration and voting process. 

So where do lawyers fit in? And how can you get involved and inspire confidence? Get out there as a poll watcher or even an election official. The system needs you. As Behnke bites, “As lawyers, we are made for serving in that role.” 

Also in this episode, quick tips from Lauren Williams as she discusses centering yourself.

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

Resources Mentioned: 

“Become a Poll Worker,” United States Election Assistance Commission

American Bar Association

American Bar Association Litigation Section

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Wrongful convictions and AI privacy may seem like separate issues, but both raise the same uncomfortable question: what happens when the legal system relies on old assumptions in a changing world? In episode 618 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Zack Glaser talks with Sunny Eaton about conviction review work, evolving science, and why lawyers should not be so quick to surrender privacy expectations in the age of AI. 

Sunny shares how her work in the Nashville District Attorney’s Office focuses on reviewing old convictions, identifying new evidence, and helping correct cases where the system may have gotten it wrong. She explains why changing science, including advances in DNA, trauma research, and bias studies, can matter deeply when reviewing criminal convictions. 

The conversation then turns to AI, attorney client privilege, client data, and the growing role of data brokers. Zack and Sunny explore whether information shared with AI tools should automatically lose privacy protection, and why lawyers may need to make stronger arguments before courts accept that assumption. 

If you are concerned about AI in law firms, client confidentiality, or the future of privacy rights, this episode challenges lawyers to think harder about what should remain private and why it is our job to make the government work for it.  

Listen to our previous episodes on AI, Privacy & Legal Ethics. 

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 

01:25 Pruning Your Practice 

04:15 When Loyalty Gets in the Way 

06:25 Meet Sunny Eaton 

08:45 Conviction Review Units 

09:50 Reviewing Old Cases 

11:25 Building Trust 

12:40 What Cases Qualify 

14:35 Changing Science 

16:00 DNA, Trauma, and Bias 

18:05 Case by Case Review 

19:25 Bad Science and Old Convictions 

20:40 AI and Privacy 

22:00 Lawyers, Therapists, and Privacy 

23:20 Giving Up Too Quickly on AI Privacy 

25:30 Reasonable Expectations of Privacy 

26:15 Client Data and AI Risk 

29:15 What Email Teaches Us 

31:00 Attorney Client Privilege and AI 

33:20 Personal vs. Workplace AI Use 

34:00 Old Rules, New Technology 

35:45 Make the Government Work for It 

Guest Jaclyn Foster was a paralegal struggling to make ends meet in rural Wisconsin with a new baby when she started her own paralegal services business, online only, out of her home and out of desperation. It took off, generating six-figure revenue and ultimately being acquired just three years later by a larger company, giving her the breathing room to pursue her passions.

She founded the Paralegals in Business Society, dedicated to helping others in the field start and run their own paralegal businesses while serving a market that needs those services. Foster is watching and navigating a sea change in the paralegal profession. E-filing, remote work, and new systems are driving the field forward along with the entire legal industry. The COVID-19 pandemic turned the paralegal industry upside down, and for those who adapted, it’s for the better.

For freelance paralegals ready to level up, hear how there’s a better way to specialize, solve problems, and get out there. Go beyond resumes and office politics and take charge of your career.

Hear how Foster taught herself the business, from marketing to scope-of-work contracts and built her life outside the traditional confines of the law firm paralegal practice. Yes. You. Can. As she says, “There is always a way to figure this out, and paralegals are the best at doing this.” If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Who am I to start a business,” ask yourself instead “Who am I not to.”

Mentioned in This Episode:

“Paralegals Should Be Millionaires: Stop Settling. Break Boundaries. Create the Life You Deserve,” by Jaclyn Foster, on Amazon

NALA, The Paralegal Association

NALA Conference & Expo 2026

The rise of artificial intelligence has created new legal challenges around identity and consent, especially for public figures like Taylor Swift. In response, Taylor has recently taken matters into her own hands by filing trademark applications to protect her voice and image from AI.

On this Lawyer 2 Lawyer episode, Craig welcomes Attorney Daliah Saper, Principal at Saper Law Offices. Craig & Daliah discuss spotlight trademark law, AI, trademarking voice and image, and how AI has changed the game when it comes to trademark protection for celebrities and non-celebrities.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Legal Issues Surrounding Social Media Featuring Daliah Saper (2010)

Attorney Daliah Saper is Principal at Saper Law Offices. Daliah’s practice focuses on a number of practice areas including trademark, copyright, and entertainment law.

Subscribe to Lawyer 2 Lawyer: https://play.megaphone.fm/6kyeqlhety25kgmgqdr7cw

An honest discussion about imposter syndrome, rejecting societal timelines, and redefining work-life balance with the newest member of the Heels in the Courtroom cast Sydney Marino gives listeners a relatable and inspiring look at the early stages of a legal career and the mindset it takes to thrive. Marino also opens up about navigating burnout through daily walks and leaning on family support and discusses embracing “change” as her defining theme for 2026.

Subscribe to Heels In The Courtroom: https://play.megaphone.fm/lpqcuasdqrkvtile7bx6ng

AI is changing legal marketing faster than most law firms realize. In episode 617 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Stephanie Everett talks with Conrad Saam, founder of Mockingbird, about what law firms need to understand as AI begins reshaping marketing, reporting, decision making, and the business of running a firm. 

Conrad shares why AI may give smaller, more entrepreneurial law firms a new way to compete against larger firms with bigger budgets and more data. He explains how firms can use AI to build smarter internal systems, improve reporting, and rethink the tools they rely on every day. 

The conversation also explores leadership under pressure through Conrad’s volunteer work in ski patrol and search and rescue. From staying calm in high stress situations to debriefing after things go wrong, he shares practical lessons law firm owners can apply when managing clients, teams, campaigns, and business decisions. 

If you are trying to understand what AI really means for law firm growth, legal marketing, and the future of small firms, this episode offers a grounded look at what is changing, what is overhyped, and what law firm owners should pay attention to next. 

Listen to our previous episodes on Legal Marketing, AI & Smarter Law Firm Growth. 

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 

00:25 – Lawyer Mental Health and Well Being
02:45 – Meet Legal Marketing Expert Conrad Saam
03:35 – The Early Days of SEO for Lawyers
04:00 – What Search and Rescue Teaches About Business
06:40 – Why Law Firm Owners Struggle to Disconnect
08:45 – Calm Leadership in Stressful Moments
09:55 – How Leaders Shape Law Firm Culture
12:05 – Using Checklists to Make Better Business Decisions
13:00 – Preparing for Problems Before They Happen
14:20 – Why Outcomes Don’t Tell the Whole Story
16:05 – The Value of Legal Marketing Content
17:40 – AI and the Future of Legal Marketing
18:25 – What ABA Tech Show Revealed About AI
19:35 – Why Law Firms May Build Their Own AI Tools
20:35 – Can AI Level the Playing Field for Small Firms?
23:35 – Replacing Expensive Reporting Systems with AI
26:25 – Why AI Rankings Can Be Misleading
28:45 – Tactical Marketing for Law Firm Owners
31:10 – Rethinking Leadership as a Law Firm CEO
32:20 – Closing Thoughts 

In this episode, learn about the intersection of animal protection and cruelty, domestic violence, and family law with two leaders in the field. Guests Maricarmen Garza is chief counsel for the American Bar Association Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence and Megan Senatori is the executive director of the Center for Animal Law Studies at the Lewis & Clark Law School.

The field of animal law is emerging as states, courts, and lawyers recognize how animal law and animal abuse plays into domestic violence and family law. Progress is being made, but this critical field isn’t fully recognized or understood.

In many cases, victims of domestic violence are forced into difficult situations, caught between their own safety and the safety of beloved animal family members. The American Bar Association recently recognized the issue through both its Animal Law Committee and the Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence. ABA’s recently approved Resolution 504 calls for laws and judicial processes that protect domestic violence survivors and their pets through civil protection orders, domestic relations proceedings, and expanded access to safe housing.

Litigators play a vital role in developing this area of law. Hear what you can do and where you can find legal guidance when protecting victims of domestic violence and their pets, from dogs and cats to horses and others.

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

Resources Mentioned:
Five Ways Attorneys Can Support Domestic Violence Clients with Pets

Sheltering Animals of Abuse Victims – Start Up Guide

ABA Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section Animal Law Committee

ABA Resolution 504 “ABA House Adopts Policy to Protect Domestic Violence Survivors and Their Pets”

American Bar Association Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence

American Bar Association Animal Law Committee

American Bar Association

American Bar Association Litigation Section

Subscribe to Litigation Radio: https://play.megaphone.fm/rhyxdryztyy2v3itq6sdlq