Lawsome Podcast

Ep 113 – Content That Converts for Law Firms

March 16, 2020 Podcast

We’re talking about content – what it is and why you should do it, and then we go in-depth about content & marketing, with attorney and founder of Davis Legal Media, Alex Davis!

Should Law Firms Be Using Content Marketing?

There are 2 articles in today’s Hot Take – “Yes, Blogging is Worth Your Time. Here’s Why.” by Alexandra Davis, and “Why Content Marketing Is the Best Long-Term Marketing Strategy” by Jayson DeMers. Both are excellent, and in depth, but we made a quick list to cover the content marketing hot spots:

Owned media VS Shared
Always room for GOOD stuff
Good things only grow with time
It attracts new traffic
It builds your reputation
It encourages trust and faith in your brand
It can influence conversions
It can make you a separate stream of revenue
Evergreen content lasts forever

“Without a Story, How Do You Stand Out?”

Alex Davis is an attorney, and the Founder of Davis Legal Media, a content marketing agency crafting and delivering attorney-written thought leadership pieces in the form of client-facing blog posts, website content, and by lined articles.

Alex has a Bachelors in English, got her JD from the Campbell School of Law, her writing has been featured in the National Jurist, ABA Journal, Above The Law, and now she makes a special appearance on the LAWsome podcast

Learn more about Alex Davis and Davis Legal Media HERE

Get More Information About Content Marketing For Law Firms

Be sure to listen to the entire podcast episode for more insights and conversation about content marketing strategies and methods of marketing your law firm by providing outstanding original content. If you want more LAWsome subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform, and for the latest in legal marketing insights and information be sure to subscribe to the Consultwebs Newsletter here –>SUBSCRIBE<—

Ep 112 – Vocal Training for Lawyers

March 9, 2020 Podcast

We’re talking about public speaking and the power of speech, then we sit down with Casey Clark and Julie Fogh, to learn how lawyers can embrace their voice, and become more effective communicators.

“Good Communication Is Never Perfect, And Nobody Expects You To Be Perfect.”

Today’s Hot Take is from Harvard.edu,“10 Tips for Improving Your Public Speaking Skills,” by Marjorie North. This is part one of a two parter, and we recommend reading both, but because this has an enumerated list we decided to go with this one. The ten tips are:

1. Nervousness Is Normal. Practice and Prepare!
2. Know Your Audience. Your Speech Is About Them, Not You.
3. Organize Your Material in the Most Effective Manner to Attain Your Purpose.
4. Watch for Feedback and Adapt to It.
5. Let Your Personality Come Through.
6. Use Humor, Tell Stories, and Use Effective Language.
7. Don’t Read Unless You Have to. Work from an Outline.
8. Use Your Voice and Hands Effectively. Omit Nervous Gestures.
9. Grab Attention at the Beginning, and Close with a Dynamic End.
10. Use Audiovisual Aids Wisely.

Remember – “…practice does not make perfect. Good communication is never perfect, and nobody expects you to be perfect. But that is not an excuse to skip the preparation.”

Everything Is A Conversation

Dubbed “the public speaking Goddesses” Casey Clark and Julie Fog are both co-founders of Vital Voice Training, a vocal consulting agency focused on changing the world by teaching a deeper understanding of what effective communication looks like.

Casey and Julie are both conservatory trained actors, with thousands of hours of vocal coaching experience, working with everyone from industry executives in a boardroom in Finland, to acting students in a classroom in Harrison, New York.

After a wonderful exchange on Twitter about vocal fry in female lawyers – we linked our ambitions to bring you this amazing interview.

Learn more about Casey, Julie and Vital Voice Training HERE

Get More Information About Public Speaking and the Power of Voice

Be sure to listen to the entire podcast episode for information and conversation about voice coaching, the do’s and don’ts of effective vocal communication, how you can be a better public speaker and more. If you want more LAWsome subscribe to the show n your favorite podcast platform, and for the latest in legal marketing insights and information be sure to subscribe to the Consultwebs Newsletter here –>SUBSCRIBE<—

Ep 111 – Getting Paid is The Job

March 2, 2020 Podcast

We’re talking about getting paid – first with an article by Jared Correia in Attorney at Work, and then we talk to Marco Brown about his CLE presentation “Getting Paid: Your #1 Job”

Shake Your Moneymaker

Today’s Hot Take is from AttorneyatWork.com,“Shake Your Moneymaker: Get Paid in 2017,” by Jared Correia. He writes:

“Lawyers and money do not go together like peas and carrots. Actually, let me rephrase that: Lawyers and talking about money do not go together like peas and carrots. Lawyers and managing money do not go together like peas and carrots. And lawyers and setting competitive market rates do not go together like peas and carrots.
Lawyers and making money, however? Yeah, that goes together like peas and carrots. Lawyers, like every group of business professionals, want to make money. It is the antecedents for doing so, however, that get in the way. Peas, meet … Brussel sprouts.”

What you can do – or should do if you’re looking to avoid problems – is:
– Discuss Money Upfront
– Rehab your Rates
– Adopt Electronic Payment
– Understand overhead vs revenue
– Make efforts towards collections

It’s trust that creates these gaps in accountability – we trust that things will be handled, but we don’t do anything actively to ensure that the trust comes true…?

“Decide to be worth the work you do. If you don’t collect on it, it won’t matter.”

Marco Brown is the managing partner at Brown Law, a family law firm in Utah – He got his JD from the University of Nebraska School of Law, has been lauded and recognized as Utah’s Outstanding Family Lawyer of the Year, sits on all of the bars, and is distinguished beyond distinction. After all this high flying success, we are lucky enough Marco has decided to land his plane on the LAWsome airfields today.

Learn more about Marco HERE

Get More Information About Getting Paid For The Work You Do.

Be sure to listen to the entire podcast episode for information and conversation about how you can be promptly and fairly compensated for the services you provide – and put systems in to place to ensure it’s not just a short term quick fix. If you want more LAWsome subscribe to the show n your favorite podcast platform, and for the latest in legal marketing insights and information be sure to subscribe to the Consultwebs Newsletter here –>SUBSCRIBE<—

Ep 110 – Legal Tech & Access to Justice

February 25, 2020 Podcast

We talk about technology and access to justice, and then we go deeper into the A2J forest with Baobab Connect founder, Guy Stern.

Where Does Technology Fit in Access to Justice?

Today’s Hot Take is from 2civility.org,“Where Does Technology Fit in Access to Justice?” by Mark C. Palmer. He writes:

“Many people don’t seek legal assistance because they simply don’t know that they need legal help. They don’t realize they have a legal problem that has a legal solution. This education gap is where the access to justice issue begins, but isn’t where it should end. Can technology help improve access to justice?”

To us, it seems that 10 years of tech was lawyer focused, but the next ten years should be client focused. If you look at what CLIO is doing as an example, client portal and all-in-one firm management solutions are where the focus is. But on the flipside, according to bar survey adoption rates – it ain’t there. Yet.

Equitable Service Across Demographics

Guy Stern is the CEO of Baobab Connect, a decentralized legal case management platform for lawyers and paralegals in South Africa, that provides legal aid and access to justice projects, a set of tools to track cases, manage teams, and measure impact at scale.

Guy got his bachelor of computer science degree from the university of Cape Town, has been CEO and founder of several other successful ventures in the legal tech space, and now, brings his full suite stack of skills to the LAWsome podcast.

Learn more about Guy Stern and Baobab Law HERE.

Get More Information About Legal Tech, Access to Justice, the Future of Law and More.

Be sure to listen to the entire podcast episode for information and conversation about how technology can help close the access to justice gap, and how innovators like Guy Stern are making it happen right now. If you want more LAWsome subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform, and for the latest in legal marketing insights and information be sure to subscribe to the Consultwebs Newsletter here –>SUBSCRIBE<—

Ep 109 – Fixing Law Schools

February 17, 2020 Podcast

We discuss innovation & regulations of the legal profession, then we chat with Professor Ben Barton, making his return to the podcast to discuss his new book “Fixing Law Schools”

The Legal Profession Isn’t Overregulated It’s Just Badly Regulated

Today’s Hot Take is from Abovethelaw.com,“The Legal Profession Isn’t Overregulated It’s Just Badly Regulated,” by Joe Patrice. He writes:

“Like every other industry, the legal profession has gotten the deregulation bug lately and true to the deregulation story, it’s all about the “widows and orphans” on the wrong side of the access to justice gap. “If only we didn’t have all these regulations on the practice of law, they could get the legal help they need!” It’s a well-meaning argument and there’s no denying that a lower cost alternative is necessary for the growing gap – but but opening up the floodgates is not a particularly attractive solution…”

Jds are expected out of school to know how to run a biz, be a psychologist, do accounting, know computers and much more. Regulations are holding people back – there is no innovation for busy lawyers with huge debt. We find out later that OUTPUT REGULATIONS for law schools, the factories pumping out these hopeless lawyers, is the key – are the prepared? Fix the schools then we can see the fixes?

The Return of The Professor

Professor Ben Barton is the author of the books, “Fixing Law Schools” and “Rebooting Justice.” He’s worked as an associate at a large law firm, a clinical law professor, clerked for a federal judge, and now Professor Barton teaches torts and advocacy evidence at the University of Tennessee.

His scholarship has been discussed in the New York Times, Wall St. Journal, the American Bar Association Journal, and TIME magazine – He’s won several awards including a Fulbright Award.

With several critically-important books and law review articles published worldwide, we are honored to have tracked down Ben and trapped him for a few inspirational minutes on his second appearance on LAWsome.

Learn more about Prof. Ben Barton’s latest book “Fixing Law Schools: From Collapse to the Trump Bump and Beyond” HERE

Get More Information About Law School fixes, the Future of Law and More

Be sure to listen to the entire podcast episode for information and conversation about how law schools can make changes for the better, the pros and cons of regulation, the future of law and more. If you want more LAWsome subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform, and for the latest in legal marketing insights and information be sure to subscribe to the Consultwebs Newsletter here –>SUBSCRIBE<—

Ep 108 – Social Media Success for Lawyers

February 10, 2020 Podcast

Social media for lawyers, marketing, creativity, content, and a whole bunch of other stuff with the Streaming Lawyer, Mitch Jackson.

12 Social Media Trends to Watch in 2020

Today’s Hot Take is from Entrepreneur.com, “12 Social Media Trends to Watch in 2020,” by Deep Patel. In it he writes:
“The last decade has seen social media solidify into thriving, multifaceted communities where more than 3.2 billion people worldwide are active daily. More than 90 percent of millennials regularly use at least one of these platforms, and more than 85 percent of Generation Zers learn about new products through social media. It’s not hard to see why nearly three-fourths of marketers believe social media is an effective part of their business.

As we close this decade down, there’s no doubt that social media will play a growing role in our lives for the foreseeable future. So, how should businesses, brands and even the average user anticipate the future for social platforms?”

It’s a good breakdown, and two of the points he makes really stood out to us – “Authentic content key to social selling,” and “Social media is the place to nurture trust.”

The underlying theme here is strategy. Mitch, who you would think is some content factory, is actually all about being selective. He is very intentional and specific about the platforms, about the messaging, about the content.We still see lawyers thinking they have to be everywhere – and that social lets you be everywhere – and that’s true. Reach is good. Content is good. But what are you saying?

The Streaming Lawyer

Mitch Jackson is a senior partner and founding attorney of Jackson & Wilson, a firm in Orange County California, representing PI clients for over 30 years.

In addition to the numerous awards he’s received in recognition of his skills as a trial lawyer, Mitch, AKA The Streaming Lawyer, is also one of the most well-known lawyers on social media.

He’s been profiled in best-selling marketing books, dozens of publications and platforms including INC., Mashable, and The Wall Street Journal.

Mitch is also the founder of the global LegalMinds.lawyer a Mastermind group, has written a new #1 best selling book on Amazon, “The Ultimate Guide to Social Media for Business Owners, Professionals and Entrepreneurs” and now he puts it all on the line, with a tell-all interview here, on the LAWsome Podcast.

Learn more about Mitch Jackson HERE.

Get More Information About Content Marketing & Social Media For Lawyers

Be sure to listen to the entire podcast episode for information and conversation about how to be authentic on social media, how to effectively use content marketing, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more. If you want more LAWsome subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform, and for the latest in legal marketing insights and information be sure to subscribe to the Consultwebs Newsletter here –>SUBSCRIBE<—

Ep 107 – Law Firms vs Marketing

February 4, 2020 Podcast

We talk ROI, marketing, awareness and advertising with the Emmy award winning Ed Herman of Brown and Crouppen.

What is Return On Investment (ROI)?

Today’s Hot Take is from hbr.org,“A Refresher on Marketing ROI,” by Amy Gallo. It is awesome, and really goes in depth to addresses questions like:

What is ROI?

How do you calculate it?

What mistakes companies make when measuring ROI?

“One of the downsides of marketing ROI is that it is easy to only recognize the incremental profits in short-term sales and underestimate the long-term benefits that marketing brings to brand value.

The key is to remember that while marketing expenditures hit the P&L immediately, every dollar you spend today is building your brand as an asset for the future, Avery explains. So, ideally your marketing program is not only affecting sales and profits this year but also strengthening your brand equity and customer relationships over time.”

Ed Won An Emmy

Ed Herman is the Managing Partner at Brown & Crouppen, a Missouri-based law firm that’s been successfully resolving personal injury cases for clients since 1979. Ed got his JD from Washington University in St. Louis, is a member of every conceivable trial lawyer organization, is an Emmy-Award winning host of Brown & Crouppen’s own YouTube series, and now, he pads his resume further, with his court-ordered appearance on the LAWsome podcast today.

Learn more about Ed Herman HERE.

Get More Information About Content Marketing & Video For Lawyers

Be sure to listen to the entire podcast episode for information and conversation about how to use content marketing, video, YouTube and more. If you want more LAWsome subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform, and for the latest in legal marketing insights and information be sure to subscribe to the Consultwebs Newsletter here –>SUBSCRIBE<—

Ep 106 – Legal Project Management

January 27, 2020 Podcast

We talk legal tech & business trends in 2020, and then we talk legal project management and get agile and lean w/ Jessica Robinson of Casepoint.

25+ Legal Tech and Business of Law Predictions for 2020

Today’s Hot Take comes to us from Aderant.com, “25+ Legal Tech and Business of Law Predictions for 2020.” There’s quite a lot to unpack here, but the article is basically the results of a survey:

“For the third year in a row, we’ve reached out to big thinkers in the legal community and asked them for their predictions for legal tech and the business of law in 2020. Some of these predictions are grand, and some are pointed; all are interesting.Importantly, these fascinating predictions are not grouped or ordered by any importance.”

Two of these predictions really stuck out to us and are relevant to today’s episode regarding project management.

The first one mentions lean and six sigma project management strategies:

“Pricing and process come back into focus – Legal technology will continue to advance, especially with the advent of AI. There will be more attention paid to client focus, improved value and efficiency. Alternative fee arrangements and other pricing strategies will be brought back into a renewed focus coupled with a focus on process improvement and project management, employing lean and six sigma principles to providing efficient and cost-effective legal services.”

– Frederick J. Esposito, Jr., MBA, CLM, Rivkin Radler LLP

The second is that project management decisions are going to be less in the hands of the finance folks, and more in the hands of those in the firm with more client experience:

“As sophistication grows across the legal industry, both the AmLaw 100 and Second Hundred firms will understand Pricing sits at the intersection of Marketing/Business Development/Client Relationships, which will push the P+PM functions out of the Finance silo. Look for an increase in Chief Pricing Officer roles to emerge as a result.”

– Patrick Johansen, CLM, CPP, Pricing Strategist, Law Firm Pricing

“Given all the change – the skill set to solve problems is project management.”

Jessica Robinson is the vice president of client services for Casepoint – an attorney with more than 17 years of experience in the legal industry, 16 of which were spent working for such notable Am Law 100 firms as Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, Morrison & Foerster, Crowell & Moring, and Paul Hastings. She has served in a variety of operational leadership roles, ranging from Litigation Support and Senior Firmwide eDiscovery Resource Manager to Firmwide Director of eData Practice Support and the eData Project Management Office. Jessica earned her J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law and her M.B.A. from Wake Forest University, Babcock Graduate School of Business.

Learn more about Jessica Robinson HERE

Check out a demo of Casepoint eDiscovery platform HERE

Get More Information About E-Discovery and Legal Project Management

Be sure to listen to the entire podcast episode for information and conversation about how to use Casepoint for e-discovery, how project management can benefit a law firm and help lawyers be more effective problem solvers and more. If you want more LAWsome subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform, and for the latest in legal marketing insights and information be sure to subscribe to the Consultwebs Newsletter here –>SUBSCRIBE<—

Ep 105 – E-Discovery & The Digital Law Firm

January 21, 2020 Podcast

E-discovery and tech competence, then a chat with digital forensics mastermind Scott Green about data discovery in the digital age.

Ethics Opinion Misses The Mark On Tech Competence

Today’s Hot Take is from AboveTheLaw.com,“Ethics Opinion Misses The Mark On Tech Competence,” by Bob Ambrogi. He writes:

“Louisiana issued some ethics opinion on tech competency for their lawyers but it misses the mark – The opinion presumes that using technology in law practice is optional and that a lawyer must be competent in technology only if the lawyer chooses to use technology.”

Bob is right on the money that it misses the mark, and it’s confusing because lawyers are unsure where tech and practice and client needs and business practices intersect.

“The technology that affects the practice of law is not just the technology used by lawyers. It is also the technology used by clients. Whether the lawyer is conducting discovery, handling a divorce, drafting a licensing agreement, or representing a criminal defendant, the client’s use of technology is likely to be implicated. A lawyer who lacks competence in technology cannot competently represent that client.”

If your client – or the opposition is doing stupid/implicating type stuff online or has left an electronic trail and you don’t understand the tech then you are in a spot.

The Biggest factor in digital security is EDUCATION

Scott Greene is the Senior Technology Examiner at Evidence Solutions, a premier forensics company that provides consulting, industry expert witness, and testimony services. Scott has spoken across the country at legal seminars on a variety of topics including e-discovery, data security, and it’s those topics and his love of all things digital that has brought him to the show today.

Learn more about Scott Greene and Evidence Solutions HERE

Get More Information About E-Discovery, Data, and the Digital Law Firm

Be sure to listen to the entire podcast episode for information and conversation about how to use technology for e-discovery, data security in the law firm and more. If you want more LAWsome subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform, and for the latest in legal marketing insights and information be sure to subscribe to the Consultwebs Newsletter here –>SUBSCRIBE<—

Ep 104 – Intake, Marketing, and Leads

January 13, 2020 Podcast

We discuss the must-haves for successful law firm intake processes, and then we talk with master of intake-fu, Tom Ball from Alert Communications.

5 Absolute Musts for Effective Law Firm Intake

Today’s Hot Take is from Consultwebs.com “5 Absolute Musts for Effective Law Firm Intake.” Key takeaways here are:

1 – Real People
2 – Sensitivity/Empathy
3 – Prompt Response Time
4 – Lead Tracking
5 – Follow-Up and Nurturing

Intake often gets overlooked and written off as a lesser part of the business, but intake is serious business. Without effective intake and proper notes, you never know the true return you’re getting. You also miss out on knowing where your opportunities for improvement are. You can learn a lot from each prospective client who calls in, even if it’s a case that isn’t in your practice area. Invest in your intake system and watch your return on investment improve as more cases flow in.

Making The Most of Those Calls and Contact Forms

Tom Ball has been the Marketing & Sales Director for Alert Communications since 2017. Founded in 1965, Alert is an Intake & Retainer agency, currently servicing thousands of lawyers and hundreds of legal marketing agencies across the nation.

Learn more about Tom Ball Here.

Get More Information About Intake Fixes, Mistakes and Strategies and More

Be sure to listen to the entire podcast episode for information and conversation about how to use intake more effectively. If you want more LAWsome subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform, and for the latest in legal marketing insights and information be sure to subscribe to the Consultwebs Newsletter here –>SUBSCRIBE<—

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