Successful Barrister

Did you know one of your employees could be stealing from you right now? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry explain how to avoid scams by using financial controls in your law firm. Hear whether you should trust your people or your systems more as a law firm, where fraud thrives when it comes to law firms, how fraud happens to good law firms, who should be allowed to write checks in your law firm, and the tasks you should do daily to avoid scams. Don’t make your password “PASSWORD”

Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at [email protected] to get your AI Checklist & Core Values Checklist.

Did you know you’re probably tracking the wrong things? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry reveal how to manage your KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), dashboards, and metrics with accountability as a law firm. Hear what KPIs to track as a law firm, the difference between a KPI and a metric, how to audit your dashboard, why a green dashboard doesn’t necessarily mean you’re winning, and the difference between leading & lagging indicators. Marc’s next trip will be to film The Godfather Part IV.

Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at [email protected] to get your AI Checklist & Core Values Checklist.

Do you want to be a software company? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry share why they’re not building their own AI agent for their law firm…yet. Hear whether to build your own AI agent for your law firm or outsource it, what the team at Marc Whitehead & Associates is doing with AI today, what AI has to do with the purpose of your law firm, what the future of AI technology will look like, and how to train Claude to act like a CFO for your law firm. Cue The X-Files Theme.

Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at [email protected] to get your AI Checklist & Core Values Checklist.

Did you know our listeners ask the smartest questions? That’s the smartest thing Marc’s ever said. In this special Part 2 episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry continue to answer your listener questions. Hear why AI can’t make legal decisions, how to keep your youthful hunger as a lawyer, the most toxic thing for the culture of a law firm, the question that scared Diana the most, and what Marc would be doing if he sold his law firm. Meet us in Machu Picchu?

Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at [email protected] to get your AI Checklist & Core Values Checklist.

Did you know the secret’s not in the answer, it’s in the question? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this special Part 1 episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry answer your listener questions. Hear the type of clients you should never work with in your law firm, the biggest lie lawyers tell themselves, how to find your purpose as a law firm, why travel & conference budgets are a worthwhile perk for your law firm team, and how to tell when a law firm employee isn’t happy. What’s the plural of thesis?

Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at [email protected] to get your AI Checklist & Core Values Checklist.

Did you know Marc’s more important than Diana is? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry continue their COO talks by sharing what you should look for in a Chief Operating Officer for your law firm. Hear the DiSC profile that makes the best COO for your law firm, the most important thing to look for in a COO candidate, why you need to know yourself before hiring your COO, the non-negotiables when it comes to hiring a COO, and a peek at Marc & Diana’s DiSC profiles. Who’s doing the outro today?!

Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at [email protected] to get your AI Checklist & Core Values Checklist.

Why the heck did Marc hire Diana anyway? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry reveal when to hire a COO (Chief Operating Officer) for your law firm. Hear why your law firm needs a COO, what a COO should own in a law firm, how to designate authority to your COO, Diana’s rules of thumb on when to hire a COO for your law firm, and the COO’s value when it comes to systems & processes. Marc’s on the mend. Send us your highlighters.

Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at [email protected] to get your AI Checklist & Core Values Checklist.

Did you know winning for your client isn’t enough to get them to refer you? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry share how to improve your law firm client experience for more client referrals, based on findings from the Case Status Legal CX Report 2026. Hear how to stop losing referrals for your law firm, why winning cases isn’t enough to earn client referrals, the real reason law firm clients refer, how to nail the “no update” update, and how to know who your real competition is as a law firm. Take us out to the ballgame–we’re a grand slam.

Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at [email protected] to get your AI Checklist & Core Values Checklist.

Did you know the smartest lawyers don’t necessarily know more? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry reveal the 11 mental models every successful lawyer should know. Hear how to make smarter decisions for your law firm, why smart lawyers get stuck, why a metric can’t become the goal, how long to assume noble intent for, and how to be smarter about hiring for your law firm. This episode has more razors than a barber shop.
 

Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at [email protected] to get your AI Checklist & Core Values Checklist.

Did you know the harder I work, the luckier I get? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry share what John Morgan got right about luck in his new book, Life is Luck. Hear why luck favors motion instead of waiting, how to increase your odds by taking small risks, why luck isn’t random, why hope is not a legal strategy, and the truth about “lucky” lawyers. Break out your finest calculator for this one.
 

Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at [email protected] to get your AI Checklist & Core Values Checklist.