Un-Billable Hour: Business Management Strategies for the Busy Lawyer Around the Community Table

What happens when your firm grows faster than your infrastructure can support? Growing pains. It’s a good problem to have, it means your firm is prospering. But you can’t ignore the issue. Guest Lori Brown-Simmons is a law firm operations executive and founder of Fractional Firm Advisors, offering fractional COO and CFO leadership to growing firms, helping them scale in an orderly, profitable mann...

In this episode of the Un-Billable Hour’s Seat at the Table: What’s the difference between sending clients out the door with their case successfully resolved and having clients walk away with a great feeling and a real human connection to you and your firm A law firm is a service industry. Successful firms understand how personal, attentive service and communication leads to happy clients and buil...

Money, profit, probably isn’t the only reason you own a law firm. But it is an important part of it. Guest Ben Hockema is a financial planner who specializes in helping business leaders focus on long-term profits and understand why focusing on, and delivering, profit is so important. Hockema’s company, Illuminate Wealth Management, works closely with law firms and their owners. Perhaps no one told...

In this episode of the Un-Billable Hour’s Seat at the Table: Get past the stigma: Law firms sell a service, and that’s no different than any other service business. It makes sense to hire a sales pro to find and sign customers What makes for a good non-attorney sales pro? What skills do you look for and where do you find them? Attorneys practice law. They aren’t trained in sales. Don’t waste time...

Reputational management and referral marketing in a crowded field are valuable commodities. But how are law firms and legal leaders building their business through reputational development? Guest David Craig is an experienced and recognized attorney specializing in trucking accidents and liability. He developed a reputation through legal acumen, public service, and as the author of the book “It’s...

In this episode of the Un-Billable Hour’s Seat at the Table: Establishing a brand is one thing, sharing that brand with potential clients who need what you’ve established as a brand – your solutions – is next It’s easy to waste money on marketing when your efforts are unfocused. Be strategic. Learn from others. What works? Don’t just pursue all the potential clients in the world, speak directly to...

Lawyers, even busy lawyers, deserve to feel joy and satisfaction. Burnout, time management crises, and stress are signs that your business is running you instead of you running you. The secret may lie in better energy management and better focus on what makes us happier and more productive.  Guest Wendy Meadows runs a successful family law firm. But a few years ago, she realized her busy practice...

In this episode’s Seat at the Table, let’s dig into the bedrock of your business: Your identity. That’s what branding is, it’s defining yourself. Who are you?   If you’re starting a new firm, or trying to grow your existing firm, start with your brand. Do you know what it is? And is what you thought you wanted One part of your brand is easy to express and hard to deliver. Do what you say you are g...

A part of the legal marketing landscape we don’t talk about enough is referral marketing. Sure, we focus on digital marketing, search engines, and paid advertising. But maybe one of the best – and cheapest – forms of marketing could be referral marketing, working with other layers who know, like, and trust us.  Guest John Reed is a former practicing attorney and the founder of Rain BDM, a marketin...

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table, explaining to clients what to expect, marketing, and getting your tech up to speed.   With new clients, take the time to set expectations and explain the process. Assumptions and miscommunication can lead to lower satisfaction when a client’s uninformed expectations don’t meet reality, even with a successful outcome Starting with a clear ex...

The world of legal technology can seem overwhelming. Fortunately, we have a guide in Chelsey Lambert, founder and author at the legal tech education, consulting, and guidance platform Legal Tech Decoded, which features articles, reviews, and opinions on the latest in legal tech. This episode is kind of about marketing, but kind of about operations, but also kind of about AI, because tech is coming...

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table, getting a worrisome associate, and the entire team, on track. Plus, communicating with clients and assuring them you have their back:   A manager struggles to help an associate manage tasks and produce work on time, could tools help through redundancies and accountability. Daily “standups” or “scrums” can help legal teams clear logjams and...

Every firm knows it should be marketing. But go deeper. How should you be thinking about your firm’s own individual goals, brand, and budget? If you’re at a smaller or mid-size firm, you don’t get a pass on marketing. You still need to reach potential clients. But you’ll have to do it on a smarter, scaled level. Guest Erika Steinberg spent decades developing marketing strategies for large firms, t...

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table, recorded in person at the October 2025 ClioCon legal tech conference: After a new client comes on board, within a week, your team needs to check back in. This is your chance to delight. If there’s an issue, a misunderstanding, or a question, this is an opportunity fix it. Delighting a client is always better than simply satisfying a client....

Today’s episode is about you and your mindset as it pertains to generating wealth through your business. Guest Lauren A. Klein was a corporate attorney when she came to a crossroads, would she follow the corporate path and accept a paycheck, or strike out on her own and build wealth on her terms. She started by asking questions about how lawyers make money and build wealth. What does it actually m...

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table, recorded in person at the October 2025 ClioCon legal tech conference: When you attend a legal tech conference such as ClioCon, how do you keep from being overwhelmed by the firehose of information and new tech tools. AI? E-discovery? Vendors? Marketing? It’s a lot. Working in a rural area, it can be difficult to find and hire new attorneys....

AI helps us do a lot, and a lot faster. But there are still tasks that need the human touch. Guest Jens Erik Gould is the founder and CEO of the Amalga Group, a specialized staffing outsourcing service that helps tech and legal businesses (among others) find and employ cost-saving staffing services outside the United States but located close to the country, a function known as “nearshoring.” With...

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table: How do you implement origination percentages when a new attorney joins the firm. What’s important is clarity, making sure everyone knows who originated the case (and how, including prior websites, phone numbers, and relationships) and how those payments will be calculated. What if your new hire has a few existing cases in the pipeline? Can...

How you appear on camera is how you appear to future clients. And today, you’re pretty much always on camera. Guest Kerry Barrett, an Emmy Award-winning television journalist, helps attorneys present their best self on camera, whether that’s on a Zoom call, on YouTube, or when being interviewed by a TV crew. Project authority, build trust, and attract high value clients through video.  As Barrett...

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table:   The Un-Billable Hour takes on a very real move away from the “billable hour.” As Christopher says, the billable hour “is the worst thing that ever happened to law.” Clients pay for results, not time. Examine alternative fee structures as technology changes the practice of law. Young lawyers looking to maximize lifetime earnings have choic...

Did your firm “set and forget” its marketing strategy? Today’s marketing has evolved beyond Google ads and billboards. Finding new, niche channels can tap new markets. Imagine a firm still relying solely on a Yellow Pages ad, that would be crazy. Times change. Guest Carrolee Moore is the CEO and chief strategist at the Podcast Pitching Society, a firm dedicated to matching experienced experts to i...

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table: Growth is the big issue firms repeatedly face. Set reasonable expectations and know what you want. Is it revenue growth? Why? Is it a lifestyle? What does that look like? Growth without a destination in mind is a fool’s errand. As Christopher says, “Clarity of purpose aligns everything.” It’s vital to start planning for the future when you...

When running a law firm, it’s vital to know what’s important. Results? Production? Call it “everything.” When we explore the future of law, it’s important to talk about the whole picture. Today, that means AI, money, financing, and results. Guest Dan Lear, VP of Partnerships at InfoTrack shares his insights.  It starts with understanding the “hemispheres” of the brain and understanding yourself an...

Host Christopher T. Anderson and team are at the Community Table. Real answers, no script. In this episode, a job candidate is a great cultural fit but doesn’t have the skills. And, what about an employe who doesn’t communicate like you? EPISODE NOTES:  In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table: A law firm owner finds an associate candidate who seems like a good “culture” fit and ha...

AI is real and it’s rapidly advancing the practice of law. Guest Austin Brittenham is the co-founder of the legal AI company 2nd Chair. As an attorney, he recognized the inefficiencies that plague the legal profession and put his background in computer tech to work to create an AI platform that both recognizes the unique challenges facing lawyers – including security and confidentiality – while sp...