The Legal Toolkit

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.

Were the Beach Boys once on track to become America’s version of the Beatles? Surprisingly, maybe. Disney recently put out a less-than-stellar Beach Boys documentary, so Jared takes on the task of dishing on the true talent, grit, beauty, and tragedy of the group’s career. 

Next, We all have connections that carry the potential to be valuable in our professional lives, but if those connections are difficult to maintain, possibilities may slip away. How can attorneys deepen relationships and strengthen their business opportunities? Just like everything else—with AI, of course! Jared talks with Jody Glidden about new AI-fueled software that helps attorneys with front-office tech geared toward nurturing your network.

And last, Jared hands over the Rump Roast to Real Housewives superfans Ally Kvidt and Lindsey Egan! As it turns out, Jody is a regular on Real Housewives of Miami (gasp!). So, now it’s their turn to dish on the talent, grit, beauty, and vapidity of the RHOMers. Plus, you’ll finally find out whether Jody and Lisa really stole that waffle iron.

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Good, good, good, good vibrations (oom-bop-bop). This episode's playlist is all about the inventors of the California sound: The Beach Boys.

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Our opening song is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

Our closing song is Kokobongo by Alessandro Gugel.

Nowadays, all the cool kids are using customer relationship management (CRM) software, and you should too. It’s not new technology, but if you’ve missed the boat or need a refresher—Jared’s here to fill you in on CRM technology and what it can do for you. He explains different types of CRMs in detail to show you its potential for creating seamless intake experiences and optimizing your workflows.

Speaking of CRMs, Jared welcomes Matt Spiegel of Lawmatics to learn about his story as a tech founder and his methods and means for solving problems for attorneys. Matt offers his perspectives on CRM functionality and its latest developments, and also offers hints at how AI will affect this tech in the future.

Last, but not least, Bobby Orozco joins Jared for the Rump Roast to flex his rap knowledge, unpack the Drake/Kendrick Lamar feud, and talk about the best diss tracks in rap history. 

Matt Spiegel is the co-founder and CEO of Lawmatics, an attorney-client relationship management platform.

Bobby Orozco is director of sales at Lawmatics.

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Drake v. Kendrick is just the start. This week's playlist features some of the best rap diss tracks of all time.

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Our opening song is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

Our closing song is Grime by Ghost Beatz.

Getting in front of an audience to communicate on camera certainly doesn’t come naturally to all (most?) attorneys, but if you’re feeling embarrassed by your lackluster video presence, there are ways to overcome those on-camera nerves. Jared talks with Kerry Barrett about how she helps professionals sharpen media skills to increase their visibility and present confidence and credibility to their audience.

In the Rump Roast, they play “Candid Camera”, where Jared asks Kerry questions on the history of all things video. What was the last truly silent film? What band played the first-ever music video on MTV? Listen in to find out if Kerry’s up to the trivia challenge.

And, lastly, hating on Caitlin Clark is utterly ridiculous. Jared expounds upon the many reasons why WNBA players (including Caitlin’s own teammates) need to take advantage of the hype and bask in all that Caitlin Clark is bringing to women’s basketball. 

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Since Video Killed The Radio Star, here's a playlist featuring songs that had some of the best music videos.

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Our opening song is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

Our closing song is Just Like Me by Thruline.