If you haven’t heard, there’s a new GenAI tool on the block, and the other neighborhood kids aren’t too happy about it. The newbie, DeepSeek, is stirring up a major rivalry with OpenAI over some alleged and oh-so ironic data “theft”—ha. So, what does Jared think? Well, he’s here for the drama, AND for the AI ethics admonitions all you lawyers need to hear. 

Later, even more ethics! Jared welcomes April McMurrey to hear about the problematic things lawyers do to get themselves into ethical trouble. From iffy (or nonexistent) fee agreements to tech incompetence to communication breakdowns, and more, April dishes on common reasons attorneys are reported for ethics violations. And, don’t worry, she also offers sage advice on how to keep your clients happy and your practice on the up and up.

Finally, April sticks around for some Rump Roast trivia dedicated to Colorful Colorado. Just wait til you hear about Blucifer—yikes. 

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Think your life might be better if you lived in Colorado? Listen to this episode's playlist to set the scene.

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April M. McMurrey is Deputy Regulation Counsel for the intake division of the Colorado Supreme Court Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel.

Mentioned in this episode:

• ABA 50th National Conference on Professional Responsibility

Jared may be too busy to write personalized Valentines for each member of the Legal Toolkit community, so, instead, he's gifting you with a special rebroadcast of an excellent episode from our friends over at Lawyerist.

In this episode, Stephanie Everett sits down with Matthew Hunt on Lawyerist Podcast to break down the art of creating high-impact, snackable content for LinkedIn. Because let’s face it—if you’re not using LinkedIn to boost visibility, generate leads, and build real connections, you’re leaving opportunities on the table.

Matthew shares his best strategies for turning LinkedIn into a powerful tool for growing your law firm, attracting referrals, and making sure you stay top of mind in your network. Get ready to rethink how you use LinkedIn!

It was the 80s, man! The Xennial microgeneration (born between 1977 and 1983) is, arguably, the best generation, but growing up in the magical, tech-free 80s wasn’t actually entirely happy-go-lucky. TV and movies of the era loved inflicting psychological scars on children, so Jared takes a therapeutic moment to get all that emotional damage off his chest.  

Next—what you’re actually here for—insights on legal technology, conferences, products, and more! Jared welcomes Jobst Elster of InsideLegal to get his take on the latest trends. They discuss technology use in law firms and spend time hashing out why legal tech conferences are still a pretty essential part of tech education and making connections with progressive, reputable vendors. 

And, lastly, the Rump Roast! As it turns out, Jobst has a serious barbeque hobby, so, in homage to the name of this segment, he and Jared talk about the literal roasting and smoking of delicious meats.

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A playlist full of...meat?

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Jobst Elster is the Head of Content/Legal Marketing Strategy at InsideLegal.com.

Reminder: In this day and age, attorney tech competence absolutely includes keeping up with the rapidly evolving AI landscape. So, we all know lawyers typically suck at tech adoption, but how are they doing since the advent of the AI renaissance? Surprisingly better than usual! Jared expounds upon the latest data and enlightens us on how lawyers are engaging with AI tools. 

Next, Jared welcomes Judge Marty McGee to explore AI in legal at even greater depths. Judge McGee talks through his personal experience with AI technologies, before going into the specifics of a recent AI court order regarding the appropriate use and responsibilities lawyers must bear as they interact with and implement AI in their legal practice. They touch on permissible GenAI uses, AI evidence, deepfakes, and more. 

Finally, the Rump Roast! Jared gets to know Judge McGee by learning his top picks amongst movie trilogies, breads, fonts, North Carolina barbeque, and lots more, in a game called “My Favorite Things”.

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Feeling festive? So are we.

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Marty McGee serves as the Senior Resident Superior Court Judge in Cabarrus County.

Jared reminisces on the frustrations (and sweet joys) of the Correia family legacy of dedicated Boston sports fandom. But, in spite of the ups and downs, his message is clear—never give up. 

Are you looking to hire or be hired? The legal job market is pretty darn hot, but what are the best ways for law firms and potential hires to connect? Jared Correia welcomes Erin Andersen to discuss the latest employment trends in the legal industry. With insights from both sides of the hiring market, Erin talks through career transitions, ways to optimize your web presence, effects of firm culture on hiring, and yes—AI impacts in job candidate searches! 

And, this time on the Rump Roast, Jared and Erin play Workin’ for a Livin’––showcasing unusual jobs for Erin to rank according to their appeal. Would she like to be a professional cuddler? An egg peeler? A reindeer minder? That’s for us to know and you to find out. 

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Let's Play(list) Ball!

What gives, America? Jared shares his take on Trump’s unexpectedly decisive re-election and what he expects/fears in the upcoming presidential term. Here’s hoping democracy survives the next 4 years. 

Next up, Alan Klevan has used technology to create a better work-life balance for decades, and you can too! Jared and Alan talk through how to leverage technology in your workflows to create a legal practice that aligns with your values and goals as an attorney. Alan shares his favorite tech tools and his strategies for maintaining balance in your personal and professional life.

Last, Alan dodges the usual Rump Roast trivia by having a weird hobby! We bet you’ve never heard of a lobster roll connoisseur, but, well, now you have. Jared questions Alan on his unique experiences consuming lobster rolls in extensive and varied locales. 

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Are mixtapes still a thing? Jared says so.

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Alan Klevan has been an attorney since 1990, concentrating in the fields of workers' compensation law, automobile tort law, and general negligence law. 

What’s the next big thing coming in AI? Autonomous agents, that’s what! Currently, you have to drive the process of genAI by honing the iterations of your prompt. But, an autonomous agent can do that stuff without you worrying your pretty little head, dear lawyer. So, what’s there to know about this latest tech evolution? Jared’s here to talk about attorney use cases and whether this tech may be used for good or ill.

Later, the AI apocalypse isn’t upon us yet, so let’s enjoy some awesome music. Jared welcomes Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Richie Furay who, among other accomplishments, was a member of the great American bands Buffalo Springfield and Poco. Jared and Richie talk through his history, digging into many colorful moments from his experiences in the music industry. Richie performs live on the podcast, and he and Jared discuss his upcoming documentary.

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Need more Richie? Jared's got you covered.

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Mentioned in this Episode:

Spellbook Associate, effectively acting as a junior associate in a law firm. 

Spellbook Launches Gen AI Agent that Can Plan and Execute Complex Transactional Workflows | LawSites by Bob Ambrogi

LawNext Podcast: Ep 256: All About Spellbook’s New AI Agent, Capable of Performing Complex Legal Tasks, with CEO Scott Stevenson

Richie Furay 

Documentary — Richie Furay

Dear lawyers, software integrations exist to help you make life easier, make work faster, and much more. So, get on board as Jared takes us on a magical journey of understanding, helping lawyers everywhere grasp the versatile, customizable integration possibilities in legal practice. Jared explains the differences between direct, indirect, and DIY integrations, and gives real-life, legal-centric examples of how to amp up the usefulness of your software in almost innumerable ways. 

Next, there are definitely some issues with our current legal ethics rules, but is there really any way to clear up the confusion? Jared welcomes legal ethics expert Jayne Reardon to talk about some of the inconsistencies at play, antiquated rules, inconsistent enforcement, and all sorts of other ethics questions worth examining in view of the current climate of the profession and needs of consumers. While Jared wants to burn it all down, Jayne offers constructive criticism vital to the future of legal ethics.

And, finally, the Rump Roast, of course! Jared and Jayne play a round of trivia called “Questionable Ethics”. Which philosopher had a penchant for being swaddled like a baby? Yikes.

Jayne R. Reardon is a Partner and Deputy General Counsel at FisherBroyles LLP, a distributed global law firm.

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This week, Jared shares the playlist he turns to for help making the "right" choice. Proceed with caution.

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Our opening song is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

Our closing song is Something Else by Nu Alkemis$t.

If you’re not marketing your law firm well, you’re sitting on a whole lot of untapped potential for income and growth. Jared talks to Ashley Robinson of Green Cardigan Marketing about the need she saw in the legal world for honest, straightforward marketing tactics that help law firms bring in new clients and greater profits. She explains engagement strategies, effective intake processes, essential marketing technology, and more. 

Later on in the Rump Roast, Jared and Ashley play “Don’t Sweat It!”––a delightful round of sweater-related trivia. 

And, it might seem like Sheryl Crow got a late start to her music career, but she was deeply involved in the music industry for many years before her breakthrough solo album, “Tuesday Night Music Club” rocketed her to fame at age 31. That first album was pretty fun, but Sheryl’s perfect album came later with “The Globe Sessions.” Jared digs into the exceptional appeal of this deliciously hard-edged pop/rock album.

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Yes, Jared does have a playlist of his favorite Sheryl Crow songs.

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Our opening song is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

Our closing song is Golden Light by Reveille

Too many law firms aren’t great at being productive, and downfalls in efficiency are often traced to attorneys using the wrong software, or none at all. Jared outlines six productivity-boosting software tools all lawyers should have in their toolkit. 

Later, what’s going to happen to your law firm if something happens to you? Don’t wait until late in your career to establish your succession plan. Start early and communicate well to make a plan that protects your legacy and those you care about. Jared welcomes Ivy Slater to learn the ins and outs of succession planning. 

And, last but not least, what past Olympic event involved two opponents whacking each other with canes? It’s that time of the quadrennial again—so “The Shitty Olympics” returns to the Rump Roast! Jared describes a variety of absurd former competitions, and Ivy must guess the events. 

Ivy Slater is CEO of Slater Success, a consulting and coaching company focused on sustainable growth and leadership development for high level service-based businesses. 

6 Under-The-Radar Software Tools

1. Project Management

1. AI Notetaker

1. AI Features in Your Existing Software

1. Passive Timekeeping Apps

1. Expense Tracking

• Expensify

1. Automated Client Communications:

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If these software tools aren't enough to give your productivity a boost, try listening to this playlist.

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Our opening song is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

Our closing song is In Your Head by Reveille.