On the Road with Legal Talk Network

Fewer lawyers are gaining real courtroom experience, and the future of trial advocacy is at risk. In this special episode of On the Road, veteran trial attorney and educator Michael Schwartz examines why trial lawyers are becoming harder to find and what it takes to develop the skills true advocacy requires. Drawing on decades of experience trying hundreds of cases, Schwartz breaks down the founda...

Neurodivergence is far more common in the legal profession than many realize and when supported thoughtfully, it can be a powerful asset. In this special episode of On the Road, legal professional and advocate Christina Hough shares practical insights on working more effectively with neurodivergent attorneys, paralegals, clients, and colleagues. Drawing from both personal experience and decades in...

Employment disputes strike at a person’s identity, security, and sense of control. In this special episode of On the Road, employment attorney Drew Levine explains why clients often resist settlement—even strong offers—and how trauma and betrayal shape their reactions throughout the case. He outlines a trauma-informed approach to lawyering, showing attorneys how to create safety, listen with inten...

AI isn’t replacing legal professionals — it’s reshaping the work they do. In this special episode of On the Road, award-winning paralegals and educators Kelly Rednothy and Kristine Custodio Suero join attorney Michael Harris for a candid conversation about the skills and responsibilities legal pros need to stay competitive in an era of rapid technological change. Together, they break down the ethi...

In this special episode of On the Road, Nexl Chief Growth Officer Ben Chiriboga explains why the future of legal practice hinges on what AI can’t replicate: strong client relationships. He introduces the concept of “relationship intelligence” and shows how lawyers can use simple data points—from communication patterns to internal connections—to focus their limited time on building deeper, more str...

Growing a law firm isn’t just about new clients. It’s about building a strong team and a seamless client experience. In this special episode of On the Road, paralegal and law-firm operations consultant Eda Rosa breaks down the long-term strategies firms need to scale sustainably. She explains why continual staff training, proactive workflows, clear communication, and data-driven systems are essent...

Despite our nation’s commitment to justice, the system sometimes falters, allowing the innocent to be wrongfully convicted. In this episode, Ed Watts sits down with Michael Semanchik, Executive Director of The Innocence Center, for a compelling conversation about the fight to free those unjustly imprisoned. Michael sheds light on how these miscarriages of justice occur, the human stories behind th...

Family law is emotionally charged, complex, and full of pitfalls that can undermine even the most experienced attorney. In this special episode of On the Road, veteran family lawyer Claude Ducloux shares decades of hard-earned insights for running a successful practice. He covers how to set realistic client expectations, identify high-risk clients, handle social media ethically, protect yourself w...

The American Legal Technology Awards recognize those who have shown excellence as technology innovators in the legal industry, and the 2025 winners have been chosen! Patrick Palace welcomes winners across three of this year’s categories—Jim Calloway (Lifetime Achievement Award), Jenifer Whiston (Artificial Intelligence Award), and Susan Choe (Court Award). Patrick learns more about the creative le...

The best payment experiences are transparent and simple, but far too many law firms struggle with awkward payment barriers for their clients. Stephanie Everett welcomes A.J. Axelrod of Clio to discuss modern and secure billing practices for law firms. They consider common errors and archaic methods that may lead to profit losses, share insights from the Legal Trends Report, and talk about how Clio...

The reality is, if you don’t understand your metrics, you aren’t getting the most out of your marketing tactics. Gyi Tsakalakis welcomes fellow marketing pro, Margarita Eberline, to discuss her talk on how to leverage metrics to improve your law firm’s advertising strategies. Margarita explains how to effectively measure and engage with metrics to increase your ROI, make quality connections for be...

The 2025 Legal Trends Report is here—fresh with the latest insights into genAI, billing strategies, marketing tactics, client experience, and so much more. Adriana Linares and Ernie “The Attorney” Svenson sit down with Joshua Lenon, Lawyer in Residence at Clio, to gain a deeper perspective on the major findings in this year’s report. They discuss statistical shifts in legal practice data and consi...

Listen in for insider tips on Clio’s newest products for law firms everywhere. Kim Bennett chats with Michelle Dunlea about new Clio offerings for intelligent legal workflows with integrated AI through Clio Work, Clio Library, and much more. Michelle shares insights into practical use cases for these new tools to increase productivity and profitability for law firms of all sizes.  Michelle Dunlea...

AI in legal should allow lawyers to do better work for clients and create more accessible legal services, but it can be difficult for attorneys to wrap their heads around how and why this technology can change things for the better in their law firms. At ClioCon 2025, Gyi Tsakalakis sat down with Ed Walters to discuss strategies for embracing AI that reflect the care and wisdom attorneys must use...

What gets measured gets improved. In this On the Road episode, Bryan Billig, VP of Customer Education at Assembly Software, breaks down the most important data points law firms should be tracking—and the ones they shouldn’t stress over. From intake sources and case inventory to staff productivity and marketing ROI, Bryan explains how to turn firm data into actionable insights. Learn how consistent...

Finding fulfillment in your legal career goes beyond technical skills. In this On the Road episode, Chad Aboud, Chief Commercial Officer at Good Lawyer and keynote speaker at the 2025 Legal Up Virtual Conference, shares how attorneys can uncover their natural gifts, align them with meaningful goals, and identify the environments where they thrive. Drawing from his own journey from big law to in-ho...

Even experienced attorneys can stumble when it comes to ethics. In this On the Road episode, Joe Scott introduces Jordan Turk, Director of Education and Attorney Development at Smokeball, who breaks down the ten most common ethics mistakes lawyers make—and how to avoid them. From lapses in diligence and communication to mishandling client funds, failing to return files, and advertising pitfalls, J...

Video is no longer optional. It’s essential. In this special episode of On the Road, attorney, content creator, and video consultant Temi Siyanbade shares how legal professionals can harness video to expand their reach, build authority, and attract aligned opportunities. She introduces her “READY” framework, guiding lawyers through practical steps to reframe visibility, establish a clear message,...

Hosted by Michael Semanchik, For the Innocent exposes the shocking reality of wrongful convictions through raw, first-person stories from the exonerated. Season 3 returns September 9th featuring powerful accounts from Amanda Knox, JJ Velasquez, Bruce Lisker— three exonerees whose names have become synonymous with injustice— and more.  Through their voices, uncover how the justice system failed the...

Wealth Counsel’s robust estate planning drafting software has united with LEAP’s sleek automations to create a powerful end-to-end solution for estate planning and administration. Dan Lear talks with Ari Bulmash to discuss the combination of these technologies, along with other examples of merging tools in the legal technology sphere. They also look ahead to consider the implications of developmen...

Dan Lear talks with Jordan Turk of Smokeball about her career and how she moved on from her work as an attorney to get involved in legal tech companies. Jordan offers realistic tips for lawyers on how to be creative in your career path and venture into new arenas. Later, they chat about Jordan’s many CLE class offerings for lawyers and which topics are currently top of mind, including AI, fee agre...

Case management software’s AI and automations will continue to become more essential in lawyers’ everyday practice, but attorneys should still maintain a human touch to ensure high quality in their work. Dan Lear talks with Jim Garrett about his ideology and approach to AI tools and how to apply them in effective ways in your law firm. Later, if you're feeling very out of the loop on AI’s uses in...

If the post-conference blues are taking hold, fear not! InfoTrack’s Legal Up conference is right around the corner with plenty to look forward to. Lisa Kirkman welcomes Alex Braun of InfoTrack to discuss Legal Up 2025, the largest FREE virtual conference available for legal professionals. The conference strives to be people-centric, offering sessions for individuals with diverse life experiences i...

Lawyers know they need to think about processes and efficiency in their practice, but it’s not always easy to map your workflows when you’ve got so much else on your plate as a busy attorney. Dan Lear welcomes Lauren Murphy to learn how she helps law firms automate workflows to create reliable consistencies in their processes. Implementing automation helps firms streamline everyday tasks, discover...

Boosting efficiency starts with basic tools your law firm probably already has! But, if you’re not engaging with your tools effectively, your firm may very well be falling behind the competition. Niki Black and Stephanie Everett talk with Dan Lear about their session on enhancing law firm workflows and client experience with simple, innovative technology. Embracing tools for scheduling, finances,...