The Legal Toolkit

A real shocker, we know, but many law firms are still struggling with efficiency. Surely you’re not among them… ahem… but, just in case, Jared welcomes Larry Port and Dave Maxfield, authors of The Lean Law Firm and its accompanying training course, to help lawyers understand how to streamline processes and increase profitability. 

And, the term ‘fee agreement’ really doesn’t cut it, so Jared’s here to clue you in on crafting an ‘engagement agreement’ with his top five tips. 

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On the Rump Roast, Jared, Larry, and Dave play “Disposable Income,” where they examine some of the crazy stuff rich people buy and whether they’d do the same if they had money to throw away.  

Larry Port, CEO of Rocket Matter, is also a speaker and award winning writer at the crossroads of the legal profession and cutting edge technology.

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And in honor of all the stupid stuff people buy, here are some songs about straight, cash-money!

Employers have experienced massive shifts in hiring practices the past few pandemic-affected years, and those who leaned into hybrid/remote work scooped up quality talent left and right. But, nowadays, law firms are discovering that new talent is harder and harder to find. It seems that strategic planning and a flexible mindset are key in our current hiring market, so Jared brings on Anna Saunders to talk through what employers need to know about successful tactics for legal hiring.

And, Jared offers his two cents on talent searches for your law firm, emphasizing how to use the connections and tools you already have to find new attorneys for your firm.

Later on in the Rump Roast, Jared and Anna play “Workin’ It,” where Anna must guess the salaries of quirky jobs you quite possibly didn’t know existed.

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If you haven't noticed, it's HOT. So here are some songs to cool you down.

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Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

The music for the Legal Trends Report Minute is I See You by Sounds Like Sander.

Our closing track is Inlet by Sam Barsh.

Being so weird, so unique, so nerdy, and so “you” CAN actually be the foundation of your business plan. Jared talks with Mike Whelan about the ins and outs of using personality-driven content creation to grow your law firm. Worried that you don’t have a personality? Well, don’t worry–you do! Mike offers tons of insights on recognizing your strengths, translating them into content ideas, and using them to “be yourself out loud.”

Later, the Rump Roast returns! In yet another questionable, made-up trivia game—”Bag of Dicks”—Jared quizzes Mike on a variety of “Dicks” throughout history, sports, pop culture, and more.

In Jared’s opinion, a perfect album not only contains no bad songs, but also encapsulates the time period in which it was created. So, perfect album number two is – Snoop Dogg’s “Doggystyle” of 1993. Jared talks us through what he considers to be the greatest rap album of all time, with Snoop Dogg’s musical genius on full display in its adroit illustration of the early 90s west coast scene.

Mike Whelan, Jr. is an attorney, author, and CEO at Lawyer Forward, a community of attorneys looking for practical ways to advance their practices.

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Don't you dare stop at just 'Doggystyle'. Check out these classic 90's rap tunes we've put together for you.

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Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

The music for the Legal Trends Report Minute is I See You by Sounds Like Sander.

Our closing track is Space Money by Ghost Beatz.

Continuing legal education was slowly moving online even before COVID-19 hit, but nowadays, online, in-person, and hybrid CLE programs are all just part of the norm. Jared chats with Bruce Richard about what the post-pandemic CLE experience is like for attendees and the benefits of becoming a CLE speaker.

Later, they guys play Jared’s latest game – “Course Correction!” Jared gives both real and fake online course descriptions, and Bruce must decide which oddball classes are really out there for your consumption.

And, love him or hate him, Conan O’Brien has been a mainstay of comedy and late-night TV for decades. Listen in for Jared’s thoughts on why Conan is the best late-night talk show host ever.

Bruce Richard is program attorney for Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc. (MCLE│New England).

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Just because we've finished our conversation about continuing education doesn't mean you're done studying. Check out this episode's playlist all about learnin' and schoolin'.

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Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

The music for the Legal Trends Report Minute is I See You by Sounds Like Sander.

Our closing track is At Sea by In This World.

The way we see it, you’re either ghosting your clients on purpose (for shame!), or you’re just super busy like every lawyer, ever, and don’t know how to keep everybody in the loop (okay, we get that). So, Jared Correia and Matt McClellan talk tips for boosting your communications and helping your clients get the love, appreciation, and case updates they deserve.

Then – yay! – more Florida Man shenanigans, this time with a summer twist. See if Matt’s up to the challenge of identifying which odd life choices can be attributed to true Floridian fellas.

And, Jared’s got thoughts on LawPay’s MyCase acquisition. You better hear ‘em.

Matthew McClellan is co-founder of Hona, an application that auto-updates clients on the status of their case.

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Since Florida Man's clearly getting into the swing of summer, you should too. Let's break out the Summer Jamz!

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Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

The music for the Legal Trends Report Minute is I See You by Sounds Like Sander.

Our closing track is Impact by Tiger Gang.

Yes, that Margaret Atwood—famous author of “The Handmaid’s Tale” and tons more, is really here on The Legal Toolkit! 

But first, Jared chats with Matthew Gibson about how innovations involving video, audio and LongPen robotic pens are giving e-signatures the ability to truly meet legal standards worldwide.

Later, Jared gets to talk with Margaret Atwood, the inventor of the LongPen, about the development of this unique e-signature technology and stories from her illustrious career. 

Matthew Gibson is president, CEO, and a co-founder of Syngrafii Inc.

Margaret Atwood is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, teacher, environmental activist, and inventor.

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In honor of our special guest and world-famous author, Margaret Atwood, here's a playlist of some songs related to books and writing!

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Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

The music for the Legal Trends Report Minute is I See You by Sounds Like Sander.

Our closing track is All Over You by VAULTZ.

Half-assed marketing plans not really working for you? Jared’s got Cady Darago here to nudge (or shove, nicely, if needed) you in the direction you actually need to go. They chat about effective, fun approaches to marketing your law firm, customizing plans for a niche practice, and how CRM software will seriously change your life for the better.

Then, Jared has come up with yet another new game: “Philly Fanatics,” where Cady must identify which crazy fan behaviors were actually committed by wacked out Philly sports enthusiasts.

Also, Jared shares the Big 4 software tools every law practice needs and why.

Cady Darago is a Principal at ESQuisite Marketing, LLC.

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In honor of the Big 4 software tools being discussed, here's a playlist of great songs by quartets.

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Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

The music for the Legal Trends Report Minute is I See You by Sounds Like Sander.

Our closing track is There Will Be Another Day by Alessandro Gugel.

Special thanks to our sponsors TimeSolv, Clio, Scorpion, and Alert Communications.

Jared chats with Lauren Fernandez about her experiences moving from a career as a practicing lawyer to a business owner and entrepreneur in the restaurant industry. For lawyers looking for a change, tune in for her tips on making the most of your skills to pursue new opportunities. 

Then, Jared subjects Lauren to “The All-Out Artery Clogger,” where he tests Lauren’s knowledge of fast food menu items guaranteed to give you a heart attack.

And what does our fascination with shows like Netflix’s “Is It Cake” say about our culture? Anything? Jared ponders whether we’re a bunch of dummies. 

Lauren Fernandez is CEO of Full Course, a restaurant development and investment firm.

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Shows like Netflix's "Is It Cake" aren't exactly complicated, but we're all too eager to consume them. So, in that spirit, here are some short and simple songs you don't need to think about, either.

"Unlong Songs"

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Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

Our opening also includes Coastal Dreaming by King Flamingo.

The music for the Legal Trends Report Minute is I See You by Sounds Like Sander.

Our closing track is Starfruit by PALA.

Special thanks to our sponsors TimeSolv, Clio, Scorpion, and Alert Communications.

Every single referral you get is going to google you before they give you a call, so… what will they find? If you’re not sure, that’s a problem. Jared says it’s time to take a hard look at your website and social media presence (and go take a listen to Lunch Hour Legal Marketing) to make sure those leads turn into paying clients. 

Next, all that web presence talk leads us right into Jared’s chat with Jeff Lantz of Esquire Interactive. They discuss what makes a great website, keeping things fresh, and leveraging analytics and social media. 

And, no, we didn’t forget the Rump Roast! Jared and Jeff play “Lance-A-Lot,” where Jeff “Lantz” must identify famous “Lances”… you see where we’re going here. 

Jeff Lantz is an attorney, ABA book author, and CEO at Esquire Interactive.

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Since we played the name game with Jeff Lantz of Esquire Interactive, here's a bunch of songs with people's names in them.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2zitgmHXqG8LusNHqzOl7A?si=5be0e426621e4d48

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Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

The music for the Legal Trends Report Minute is I See You by Sounds Like Sander.

Our closing track is Brooklyn Brunch by AFTERNOONZ.

Special thanks to our sponsors TimeSolv, Clio, Scorpion, and Alert Communications.

Ever wanted to watch a dark, oddball love story about a death-obsessed couple with a 60-year age gap? Jared’s got just the thing! The 1971 film, “Harold and Maude” is a cult classic and has a Cat Stevens-centric soundtrack, so, obviously, a total win-win for your next movie night.

Next, Jared welcomes Shaun Buck to chat about the surprising ways that traditional newsletters can grow your business. Shaun shares insights on how a useful, entertaining piece of mail can impact consumers and bring them to your law firm.

And, last but not least, what’s cool about Idaho? Jared and Shaun are on a quest to find out in the new Rump Roast game: “Idaho? YOUdaho!”

Shaun Buck is founder and CEO of Newsletter Pro based in Boise, Idaho.

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In honor of the long-delayed release of the "Harold and Maude" soundtrack, it's time for y'all to make sure you've totally caught up on Cat Stevens.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7F02Lp2J2ovTHfo2eHl2YL?si=6e693f3a6cad4998

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Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

The music for the Legal Trends Report Minute is I See You by Sounds Like Sander.

Our closing track is Canoe Journey by Andy Ellison.

Special thanks to our sponsors TimeSolv, Clio, Scorpion, and Alert Communications.