Lawyerist Podcast

In this episode, Megan Zavieh explains what it takes to reinvent your law practice when you're feeling stuck, and how TBD Law inspired her and gave her the confidence to reinvent her own practice with a new business model for helping self-represented litigants in ethics cases.

In this podcast, we talk to Carl Malamud about public access to law and how it is threatened. We discuss how lawyers benefit from public access to law and how they can help increase it. https://youtu.be/2tOJdGaMvVw Carl Malamud is an American technologist, author, and public domain advocate, known for his foundation Public. Resource. Org.

In this episode Jordan Furlong explains why law has become a "buyers market" and how lawyers can take advantage of the opportunities presented by that market by becoming client-centered law practices. You can read more in Jordan's book, Law Is a Buyer's Market: Building A Client-First Law Firm, available as a paperback and for Kindle. Jordan Furlong is a leading analyst of the global legal market...

In this episode, Minnesota lawyer Marshall Lichty explains why mentoring is important, how lawyers can find a mentor, and how experienced lawyers can find a mentee. Marshall Lichty is an advisor to Minnesota entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses. He also loves sharing everything he knows about law practice with students and young lawyers to help them meet their people, find their thing, an...

In this episode we learn more about Daniel Bramzon's aggressive tenant-advocacy non-profit, BASTA, and learn how it has changed evictions in LA by demanding a jury trial in every case. Also, our Deputy Editor, Lisa Needham makes her podcast debut in the intro while we try to figure out what's behind the wave of new legal research platforms.

In this episode Wendy Calvert discusses what it means to have a "crossover" practice as a corporate consultant, real estate lawyer, and realtor. She explains where her clients come from, how she juggles her various roles, and how access to justice can still come into play for middle-class clients. Wendy Calvert is a real estate attorney, business development consultant and realtor in Wisconsin and...

In this episode, former public defender Brad Clark explains how he started his own firm, powered by a criminal expungement web app that lets him start helping people before they even contact him. He also talked about his access-to-justice efforts, from mobile legal clinics to financial aid for criminal expungements. Brad Clark created Unconvicted to help Kentuckians figure out whether they qualify...

In this episode we talk to Nika Kabiri about how your clients' stress makes it hard for them to make good decisions, and how you can help them work around it. Nika Kabiri is Director of Strategic Insights at Avvo, where she works alongside law and technology experts to make legal solutions more accessible to the public. A sociologist by training, Nika conducts research as well as leverages learnin...

In this episode we talk to Scott Bassett, who had a virtual law practice before anyone thought in those terms. We discuss the challenges he had to overcome, like getting insurance, dealing with bona fide office requirements, and what clients think. We also talk about e-briefing—what it is and how a digital brief might differ from the paper briefs (or PDF facsimiles of paper briefs) that lawyers fi...

In this episode we talk to Erin Gerstenzang about her solo criminal defense practice and the challenges of going solo, especially for newer lawyers. We also address the importance of tech competence and the role minimalism plays in Erin's personal life and law practice. Erin Gerstenzang is a criminal defense attorney in Atlanta, Georgia. She primarily handles DUI and other drug- and alcohol-relate...

In this episode, Douglas Sorocco explains why his law firm built a free public event space next door, and why it wound up being a good investment. Before or after you listen, you should watch this video to see how the space gets used: https://vimeo.com/152494352 Doug is an Oklahoma intellectual property lawyer, focused on biotechnology, life sciences, chemistry, and chemical engineering.

In this episode, Josie Beets explains why military spouses who are lawyers should be able to get a license to practice law without taking the bar exam over and over again. Josie Beets is President of the Military Spouse JD Network (MSJDN), a bar association for military spouses who are lawyers.

In this episode we learn from Ansel Halliburton how technologists have come together in solidarity against data collection and surveillance, and consider what level of paranoia is appropriate (more paranoid than you are now, but probably not as paranoid as you think). We also talk about a promising, open-source document assembly tool, Common Form. Ansel Halliburton is a startup lawyer and intellec...

In this episode, MothersEsquire founder Michelle Browning Coughlin talks about how being a parent—especially a mom—can make it harder to practice law, and what firms can do do be more parent-friendly, from paid paternity leave and flexible working arrangements to breastfeeding accommodations and playing the HR long-game. Michelle Browning Coughlin is a Kentucky intellectual property lawyer.

In this episode, Curo Legal founder, Chad Burton, explains how (and why) he ditched his computer for an iPad Pro, and then ditched his iPad Pro for his iPhone. And the thing is, you might be able to do it, too. Chad Burton is a former litigator who developed one of the nation’s first “new model” law firms, leveraging cloud-based technology and modern business practices to develop a lean virtual la...

Lawyers aren't always willing to lighten up and be themselves in public. In this wide-ranging episode we talk to Ruth Carter, a lawyer who is undeniably herself in public and private, about what it means to be a lawyer who is known to participate in the annual No Pants Subway Ride or don a Starfleet uniform for Comic-Con. Arizona lawyer Ruth Carter is known for her daring antics and outgoing perso...

In this episode, we're trying something a little different. We asked three TBD Law alumni to tell us their stories of overcoming personal challenges. First you'll hear from Inti Martínez-Alemán about leaving Honduras after dozens of lawyers were murdered, his mother among them. Then you'll hear Megan Zavieh talk about the challenges that come with building a law practice while moving frequently...

Just when Andrew Haugen was planning to leave law practice for good, an offer came along that made him reconsider. A couple of years later, he has acquired two family law practices. In today's episode he explains why, and talks about the challenges of integrating several law practices into one functioning business. Andrew practice family law in Chaska and Shakopee, MN. Andy's goal is to get his cl...

Mindy Yocum is one year into building a socially conscious law firm. In this episode Mindy explains how she envisions her role as a lawyer, what it's like for a law firm to go through a startup incubator program, and just what she means by socially conscious law firm. Plus, how she hopes to reform the entire legal system from the ground up. Mindy is the founder of Yocum Law Office, a socially cons...

"Weed law," it turns out, is neither as exciting nor as boring as you might think. In this episode, Matthew Buck offers a window into the world of weed law, the ethics of advising clients who are committing federal crimes, and how to market a niche practice. Matt works for Corry & Associates, and he has successfully resolved numerous marijuana cases ranging from cultivation to RICO violations, and...

In this episode, Sam starts some friendly arguments with Jonathan Tobin. They revisit the question whether lawyers should learn to develop their own software, try to agree on whether the legal industry is really capable of meaningful disruption, wonder whether lawyers can really innovate, and forecast the future of law practice. Jonathan Tobin provides legal advice to creative businesses and profe...

In this episode, Dr. Heather Hackman helps us get a new perspective on diversity and the legal profession. She also explains why "doing diversity" doesn't work, and what small firms actually need to do to increase diversity in the legal profession. This may be a challenging podcast for some, but it will reward those who listen with an open mind. Heather has taught, published, and trained on social...

In this episode, we aren't talking about technology and online marketing, although Greg McEwen knows plenty about both. Instead, we talk with Greg about how he has built a multi-million dollar personal injury firm by taking big risks for big rewards—the "old-fashioned" way. Greg McEwen has focused his career on complex, high stakes personal injury litigation, and he has recovered in excess of $500...

In this episode, Bryan Wilson, the Texas Law Hawk, explains how he got started making outrageous viral videos, name-drops another outrageous, viral video–making Texas lawyer, Adam Reposa, and has some tips for lawyers who want to try making videos of their own. Bryan Wilson, better known as the Texas Law Hawk, opened up his law firm in 2014 and chose the loudest path he could in his ridiculous You...

Betsy Stotler and Kelly Hayes Burgeon Legal because they were two lawyer-moms who didn't like the way their firm jobs took up so much of their time. In this episode, they explain how that led them to found an innovative, distributed law firm that balances work, life, and clients. Betsy and Kelly represent health care facilities in collection and Medicaid eligibility matters, including assisting cl...