Lawyer's Coach - what makes lawyers tick?

In this episode, Claire Rason sits down with Helen Burness, a trailblazer in legal marketing, founder of Saltmarsh Marketing, and co-founder of Helen Squared. Helen shares her remarkable journey from tech PR to big law, through Chambers, and into the realm of legal consultancy. With candid reflections on culture shock, hierarchy, and the challenges of being a woman in law, Helen opens up about the...

In this episode, Claire sits down with James Smither, Global Head of Risk Management at Freshfields and founder of the Legal Neurodiversity Network (LNN). ​James shares his unconventional journey into law and offers a candid look at how law firms approach risk, and discusses why a more holistic, forward-looking model is essential in today’s climate of geopolitical uncertainty, AI disruption, and s...

In this eye-opening episode, Claire Rason sits down with behavioural scientist and coach Martin Andreasen, co-founder of B-Contagious, a company shaking up the world of psychometrics. Together, they dive into the psychology of lawyers and ask: Do legal professionals share a personality type, or are they simply shaped by their environment? You’ll hear: why context matters; how self-awareness can be...

What does it really take to thrive as a female lawyer in today’s legal world? In this heartfelt and honest episode, Claire Rason is joined by Rachel Spink, Employment Law Partner at Gunnercooke LLP and Founder of the Female Lawyer’s Club. Rachel opens up about her personal journey through the legal profession, sharing the lessons, challenges, and breakthroughs that shaped her path. Tune in for: a...

What if the key to a more fulfilling legal career isn’t a new job, but a new mindset? ​In this inspiring episode, Claire Rason is joined by Marcus Norton, a former lawyer turned coach, who now works with purposeful people and organisations to help them thrive. Marcus shares his own journey of stepping away from the traditional legal path and into a career built around meaning, impact, and - yes -...

Is the traditional path into law still the best one, or is it time for a radical rethink? ​In this episode, Claire Rason is joined by Patrick McCann, Chief Executive of the City of London Law Society and Co-CEO of City Century, and Joanna Hughes, award-winning advocate for solicitor apprenticeships and fellow Co-CEO of City Century. Together, they unpack how solicitor apprenticeships are reshaping...

Lawyer's Coach podcast is back, with the first episode of series 9 dropping on Monday 15th September. The thought provoking series is called 'Learning and Law' and  Claire Rason brings together a diverse group of voices to explore what it really means to thrive in the legal profession today. From apprenticeships that challenge the traditional route into law, to the inner work lawyer...

In the legal arena, clients and lawyers alike are thinking about how to address DEI, particularly getting women to be equally represented at the top. In private practice, women represent only 32% of equity partners in England & Wales, despite the profession being 53% female. Women make up 40% of barristers, yet whilst 60% of pupils are female, they make up only 20% of KCs.  Now that our Lady C...

In this episode Oliver and Claire reflect on the series and discuss the findings of their legal pulse survey. They discuss the role that coaching has to play in solving some of the big challenges that the industry faces. The Lawyer's Coach is brought to you by Client Talk  

Lexi Segal, in-house at BT, has had a pivotal role in driving forward BT's desire to see more effective DEI initatives in law firms. She speaks to Claire about the importance of the little actions that support inclusion and how BT works with its panel firms to understand how collectively the profession can be better. The Lawyer's Coach is brought to you by Client Talk  

Nikki Edwards, partner at Howard Kennedy, talks to Oliver about navigating her career as a litigator. She speaks of the importance of values and how she has used these as her guide. She also discusses how she has been working hard to raise DEI as a priority in legal. The Lawyer's Coach is brought to you by Client Talk  

Rob Bower, Managing Partner of Montagu Evans, tells Claire Rason about why he believes the key to encouraging individuals to return to the office lies in fostering a strong organisational culture. While creating appealing workspaces is important, leadership plays a crucial role in shaping a culture that attracts employees back to the workplace.  The Lawyer's Coach is brought to you by Client...

This episode of the Lawyers Coach podcast features Sarah Henwood, the CEO of Thomson, Snell and Passmore, recognised as the oldest law firm by the Guinness Book of Records. Sarah, breaking the mould as a non-lawyer, shares her background in marketing and business development, emphasising the value of a fresh perspective. Having been a CEO before and with international experience, Sarah discusses t...

In this episode, Claire Rason sits down with Nicky Owen, Head of Professional Practices at Crowe, to explore her unique career journey from working with underwater explosives to becoming a senior equity partner in the field of tax. They delve into the importance of authentic leadership, the challenges of developing people in the evolving workplace, and insights from Crowe's benchmarking surve...

In this episode Oliver Hansard speaks to Lee Curtis of LINAR consulting. He describes what lawyers need to think about if they want to differentiate and win new work. He explores why it's time to find your splendid splinter! Key Points in this episode: Understanding Lawyers and BD (Business Development) Lee classifies lawyers into three categories: 20% who inherently understand BD, 60% who ne...

The Lawyer's Coach returns next week with valuable conversations you won't want to miss.  In this 'teaser' episode, hosts Claire Rason and Oliver Hansard hint at this season’s themes. The Lawyer's Coach is brought to you by Client Talk  

In this episode of Lawyer's Coach we hear from Tracey Rodgers,  Head of Client Intelligence at Harneys .  Host Oliver hansard speaks to Tracy about non billable time and in particular the time that professional spend on business development. She talks about how by perhaps relabelling it firms can get more buy in. The Lawyer's Coach is brought to you by Client Talk  

The billable hour has been the theme of the latest series with presenters  Claire Rason and Oliver Hansard  talking to a variety of guests about what is the marmite of legal.  In this episode Claire and Oliver are going to reflect on what they have learned so far and also share some thoughts of their own.   The Lawyer's Coach is brought to you by Client Talk  

Adam Morallee is the Founding Partner of litigation boutique Brandsmiths, specialising in IP and sports matters.  Adam spoke to Claire about his take on the billiable hour. Adam also shared some insights on setting up a firm of his own and how Brandsmiths has grown. The Lawyer's Coach is brought to you by Client Talk  

Daniel Martin is London Head of Business Crime and Regulation at JMW Solicitors.  He spoke to Oliver Hansard about his journey to becoming a lawyer and also his take on the billable hour. The Lawyer's Coach is brought to you by Client Talk  

Richard Burcher dedicates all of his time to legal services pricing consultancy work and is widely regarded as the leading international authority on pricing legal services. We caught up with him to find out his take on the billiable hour. ​ The Lawyer's Coach is brought to you by Client Talk  

On Monday April 17th the Lawyer's Coach podcast returns with a series all about the billable hour, the marmite of legal. It is criticised for driving inefficiencies and is even cited as a cause of cultural ills. In the meantime, we will be giving you a chance to delve into our back catalogue. This episode features a replay of a conversation Oliver Hansard had with Pamela Cone. Pamela  works w...

On Monday April 17th the Lawyer's Coach podcast returns with a series all about the billable hour, the marmite of legal. It is criticised for driving inefficiencies and is even cited as a cause of cultural ills. In the meantime, we will be giving you a chance to delve into our back catalogue. This episode features a replay of a conversation Claire Rason had with Sadie Baron, CMO of global law...

In this last episode of this series, Claire and Oliver reflect on the insights gained.  They speak about the impact that culture has on diversity, through the lens of a diversity study with a difference. They also explore the impact of the Billable Hour on culture. Is this the elephant in the room that needs to change before anything else can work? The Lawyer's Coach is brought to you by Clie...

In this episode we speak to Elizabeth Rimmer, Chief Executive of LawCare . Elizabeth speaks to us about the impact that legal culture has on mental health in the provision. We explore what changes need to be made and think about the importance of teaching lawyers about the role of emotions.  The Lawyer's Coach is brought to you by Client Talk