The Legal Toolkit

As lawyers, you constantly assess the risks of your clients, whether in their business practices, court cases, personal relationships, or a multitude of other things. So, managing risk for your clients is what you do, but when was the last time you took a hard look at your own liabilities? Jared welcomes Mark Bassingthwaighte of ALPS Insurance to chat about common risks in modern legal practice. Mark’s approachable take on insurance could help just about anybody understand what they need for their law firm, and he and Jared also talk through current ethics considerations around AI and cybersecurity.

Then, in the Rump Roast, Jared tests Mark’s expertise on authentic blunders in a game called “Historic Mistakes.” Did the Titanic sink because of a sleepy watchman? Was Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination the result of a forgotten fancy hat? Listen in to find out.

And, lastly, everybody’s rolling out their AI tools/extras/whatever, and pricing for these things is truly all over the place. Jared ponders this issue—as a lawyer, you need to be able to keep up with the other guy, but how much should all this cost you?

Mark Bassingthwaighte has been a Risk Manager with ALPS, the nation’s largest direct writer of lawyers’ malpractice insurance, since 1998.

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Since we talked about mistakes - those lawyers make + historical ones, have a listen to our playlist featuring songs about fucking up.

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Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

Our closing track is Night Whispers by Dr. Delight.

Whether there’s a generational divide, unhelpful technology, a lack of emotional intelligence, or, really, a whole bunch of other issues—communication is hard. And, when communication breaks down, your business just doesn’t operate like it should. Is there any way to bridge all these gaps and interact effectively in your workplace? Jared talks with Rachael Bosch about her strategies for helping both individuals and teams understand each other better and overcome challenges in their professional lives.

In the Rump Roast, Jared and Rachael play “A Rose By Any Other Name”—a game entirely focused on… deodorant! Jared tries to stump Rachael with a variety of real and made-up slogans.

And, speaking of deodorant, Jared’s monologue took a deep, unpleasant dive into what is apparently acceptable on network TV commercials these days. It’s pretty revolting. Has Jared gone too far this time? Probably.

Rachael Bosch is the founder of Fringe PD.

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We talked about how to cover up for your stankiness, and so we put together some songs about smells.

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Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

Our closing track is I'm Drowning by Dr. Delight.

Document management is a must in legal, and Microsoft 365 has plenty of ways to organize and process your documents for you. So, what do you need to know about it? Jared welcomes Keith Vallely to talk through the uses of SharePoint, OneDrive, and other Microsoft features to help attorneys understand the nuances of Microsoft’s methods for document management.

The Rump Roast digs deep into tricky Star Wars trivia in a game Jared likes to call “Star Tours.” Do you know what language is written on Darth Vader’s chest plate? Does Keith know? Listen in to find out.

And, Jared taps into his unapologetically nerdy side to analyze the current sci-fi offerings in the multiverse and beyond. So, if you’re in need of some excellent escapism, Jared has plenty of recommendations for the sci-fi movies and shows you should watch.

Keith Vallely is Vice President and Senior Consultant at Epona USA.

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Since we talked about a lot of different sci-fi IP - including Star Wars - let's enjoy a list of the best sci-fi movie needle drops of all-time.

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Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

Our closing track is Tenderness of You by Cast of Characters.

Women attorneys are intelligent and brave, but they still face particular challenges in the legal profession. Jared chats with Rachel Clar of Interconnected Us about her mission to create safe environments for women in law to get the support they need to grow their influence and flourish in legal practice.

Later, in perhaps the most uniquely named Rump Roast game yet, Jared and Rachel play “Town in Upstate NY, Town in Rural Alabama, or Discontinued Household Cleaner?” And, yeah—the name is pretty self-explanatory.

And, we know you’re sick of hearing about AI, but Jared still has a few things that need to be said. First, don’t be a moron and believe everything AI tells you, and second, *do* save yourself time by using AI for contracts, emails, and generating workflows.

Rachel Clar is founder and CEO at Interconnected Us.

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We talked about how law firms can use generative AI tools right now, so here's a playlist about AI, designed by AI. Hey, we had a nice run.

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Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

Our closing track is Night Whispers by Dr. Delight.

Chuki Obiyo has made a science of growing law firm businesses, with plenty of research to back up his time-tested strategies. Jared talks with Obiyo about how to form deeper connections with your network, tips for start-up firms, and leveraging social media and other technology to promote business growth.

Later, who knew September had so many stupid holidays? Apparently, Jared did, so you’re in for a treat on the Rump Roast. Jared and Chuki play “Fake-Ass Holidays" to showcase September’s plethora of silly celebrations.

And, Jimmy Buffet had a life well-lived. Jared pays homage to the late musician, highlighting his greatest songs, memorable collaborations, and more.

Chuki Obiyo is managing director of business development at Vedder Price.

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We talked about the recent passing of Jimmy Buffett. So, let's pour out a little rum for our fallen homie.

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Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

Our closing track is Kokobongo by Alessandro Gugel.

It’s been 563 days, but we’re finally back in the Playroom with musical guest Mark Oblinger. Mark holds the double distinction of being an Emmy-winning/Grammy-nominated musician AND having a longtime connection with this very podcast! Tune in for Jared and Mark’s chat about his colorful career in music and audio. Mark highlights his time playing with bands like Firefall and Pure Prairie League, his successful stint in the tv-music world, and his current budding career as a solo artist.

And then, the good stuff! Mark performs two of his songs live, including his slightly darker, melancholy version of the classic hit “Amie” by Pure Prairie League.

Learn more about Mark and his upcoming tours and projects at: https://markoblinger.com/

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Mark's done us the kindness of putting together an absolutely stellar playlist for our enjoyment. Check out some of the songs that inspire his work and maybe become inspired as well.

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Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

Our closing track is Little Bird from Mark's 2019 album High Water Line.

Lawyers, you really actually do need to use KPIs—that’s Key Performance Indicators for those of you who *still* haven’t kept up with good business practices. Do it! And, Jared’s here to help with a breakdown of the 5 KPI categories you need to start keeping track of, like, yesterday.

Next, software demos! If you’re paralyzed with indecision about what software to use, a demo could help, but only if you ask good questions throughout the process. Jared welcomes Andreas Becker to talk about the importance of planning and strategizing to gain the knowledge you need to solve problems and increase productivity with new software.

And, the Rump Roast takes yet another new turn, this time leaving us with Jared & Andreas dreaming about the songs they’d love to use in their podcasts if royalties weren’t a thing.

Andreas Becker is director of business development of Lawyaw at Clio.

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If we had no limit on the money we could spend for music, can you just imagine what music we'd use on this show. Well, IMAGINE NO MORE! Andreas and I share our dream picks for podcast music.

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Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

Our closing track is Chillabye by Midnight Daydream.

Integrations, integrations, integrations. You’ve probably heard about integrations for years, but lots of people still struggle to understand just how this stuff is going to change their workflows. Jared explains the whole concept, gives some of the first integrations you need to be using, and warns you away from some missteps.

Next, Emil Ali stops by chat with Jared about the unique challenges and worrying trends in IP ethics. Oh, what’s that? You’re not an IP attorney? Well, you’d be surprised how many non-IP attorneys get hit with these very much not trivial penalties.

Finally, the stars have aligned! Welcome to the era of Barbenheimer! Jared and Emil look back at past movie release days to debate other great film pairings that have paved the way for this “momentous” occasion.

Emil Ali is a partner at McCabe & Ali, LLP.

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Since it's Barbenheimer weekend, we've mixed some serious + silly songs together, in the spirit of the moment. (Though, I hear 'Barbie' is pretty deep, too.)

Why would a law firm hire a PR agency? Well, if you’ve ever wished your firm was known for its expertise and thought leadership, a PR agency might be just the thing. Jared brings on Michelle Calcote King to talk through the lawyer/PR relationship and its potential for improving your credibility, furthering your reach, and growing your business.

The rest of the show is a total Succession-fest. Jared’s monologue spoils the entire beginning, middle, and end of the series, so listeners beware. And, later on in the Rump Roast, Jared welcomes his own kids for dramatic readings of some favorite Succession quotes.

Michelle Calcote King is principal and president of Reputation Ink.

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We have fun on this show, but today it's all business - Succession style.

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Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

Our Rump Roast song is Macbeth by JeesGuy.

Our closing track is Lucky Day by SPARKZ.

Adding value for bar association members is always a good idea. Jared chats with Rio Peterson, who has just about seen it all when it comes to bar programming—from cool events to tech offerings to stellar educational programs and more. Listen in for her thoughts on improving bar culture and providing more for members. Jared and Rio also talk about how lawyer side hustles are more common than you might think and just might provide the little extra something you need in your life.

This time on the Rump Roast—you don’t often use Simon Le Bon heads as your rating mechanism, but today is the day! Jared has Rio rate the annoyance level of a variety of “Name Songs” pulled from the archives of popular music. Also, does Rio like it when you ask her if she “dances on the sand”? If the answer to that one isn’t obvious, tune in to find out.

Circling back—since you’re a lawyer, your side hustle has to be seriously legit. You don’t want to find yourself in the middle of a legal ethics violation, so Jared explains the best ways to keep your extra gigs on the up and up. Learn more about this topic in Christa Arcos’ article: Wearing Two Hats: Dual Practices and Ancillary Businesses.

Rio Peterson is Bar and Affinity Partnerships Strategist at ALPS Lawyers Malpractice Insurance.

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We talked about songs titled after girls' name and how annoying that must be if you happen to share that name, so here's a playlist highlighting that occasion!

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Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

Our closing track is Jewels by Falls.