The Agile Attorney Podcast

114. The Case for Better Meetings: A Smarter Way to Move Legal Work Forward

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 01:00:00 -0700

Do your meetings actually move work forward, or do they just take up time on your calendar?

In this episode, I share three examples from my recent work that illustrate what well-designed, well-run meetings can actually accomplish. From Agile cadence meetings like weekly planning and daily standups, to larger strategy discussions and even simple client check-ins, I walk through how real-time conversations create alignment, surface better ideas, and move work forward more effectively than email.

By the end, you will have a clearer understanding of when meetings are the right tool, how to structure them for better outcomes, and why they are essential for creating fast feedback loops in legal work.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/114

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113. Building a Practice That Lasts: Kanban, Credibility, and the Long Game with Jordan Couch

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 01:00:00 -0700

Are you building a practice designed to last, or one that only works as long as you can keep up with the pace? It is easy to focus on immediate demands, chasing efficiency or output, without stepping back to consider whether your systems, your reputation, and your way of working are actually sustainable over time.

In this episode, I talk with Jordan Couch, an attorney and innovator at Palace Law, about what it really looks like to take a long view of your legal practice. We explore how tools like Kanban can help make work visible and manageable, but also how credibility, consistency, and service shape the foundation of a practice that endures. This conversation goes beyond workflow and into how you think about your role, your clients, and the kind of practice you are building.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/113

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112. The Problem with Billable Hour Targets & What to Measure Instead with Radhika Dutt

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 01:00:00 -0700

What happens when the metrics we rely on to measure success start pulling us away from the outcomes we actually care about? From internal performance to billable hour targets, many of the systems we use were designed to create clarity, but over time, they can distort behavior in ways that are hard to see until the impact is already felt.

In this episode, I sit down with author Radhika Dutt to explore how this dynamic shows up not just in legal work, but across industries, and why optimizing for the wrong metrics can quietly undermine client relationships, team wellbeing, and long-term growth.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/112

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111. The Core Patterns Behind an Agile Law Practice [Agile Lawyering Finale]

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 01:00:00 -0700

After ten episodes on Agile lawyering tools and practices, it is worth stepping back to ask a bigger question. What does it really mean to be an Agile Attorney?

In this episode, I bring the series together by revisiting those core patterns and the first principles behind Agile thinking. My goal is to leave you with a clearer sense of how these ideas can help you build a practice that is more resilient, more intentional, and better able to serve the people who rely on it.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/111

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110. Why Every Legal Matter Needs a Strategy Plan [Agile Lawyering Part 10]

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 01:00:00 -0700

Legal work is complex and high-stakes, yet many law firms still rely on outdated project management approaches. In this episode, I introduce the concept of a matter strategy plan, a flexible, evolving document that keeps legal teams aligned and informed. I discuss how this Agile approach fosters collaboration, smarter decision-making, and helps legal teams stay adaptable, ultimately leading to better outcomes for both the team and the client.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/110

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109. Creating Consistency in Law Firms Without Sacrificing Autonomy [Agile Lawyering Part 9]

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 01:00:00 -0700

For many firms, consistency is fragile. It lives in individual habits, personal preferences, and institutional knowledge that never quite makes it out of people’s heads.

In this episode, I explore what it really takes to focus on creating consistency inside a growing law practice without sacrificing professional autonomy. If you want your client journey to be more than an aspiration, creating consistency has to move beyond good intentions and into deliberate mechanisms that make quality and timing repeatable across people and over time.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/109

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108. The Client Journey Map: A Systems Tool for Better Client Experience and Law Firm Flow [Agile Lawyering Part 8]

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 01:00:00 -0700

Most law firms improve internal workflows without ever defining the full client experience. That blind spot creates unnecessary friction for both clients and teams.

In this episode, I explain why building a client journey map is a powerful strategic move for law firm owners who want stronger client engagement and more cohesive operations. When you can see the journey clearly, everything else starts to align.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/108

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107. Beyond Tracking Hours: The Law Firm Metrics That Improve Flow [Agile Lawyering Part 7]

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 01:00:00 -0700

Imagine getting into your car and realizing the only gauge on the dashboard shows how hard the engine is working. No speedometer, no fuel gauge, just RPMs. That is how most law firms operate.

In this episode, I introduce a better dashboard built around six practical law firm metrics that help you manage the work, not the worker. These metrics are not about squeezing more hours out of your team. They are about creating clarity, balance, and predictable delivery.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/107

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106. Breaking the Cycle of Urgency in Law Firms [Agile Lawyering Part 6]

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 01:00:00 -0700

Does your law firm feel like it’s constantly reacting instead of progressing? In this episode, I break down how urgency becomes the default operating system in many practices and how to replace it with a calmer, more predictable way of working.

You’ll hear how capacity limits, first-in-first-out prioritization, and simple cadence meetings can shift your firm away from fire-fighting and toward consistent delivery, without relying on willpower or heroics.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/106

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105. The Counterintuitive Solution to Getting More Work Done [Agile Lawyering Part 5]

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 01:00:00 -0700

Getting more work done often starts with doing less, even though that idea can feel uncomfortable for lawyers. When everything feels urgent, it’s tempting to push harder, take on more, and hope it all evens out.

In this episode, I explain why the most reliable way to increase throughput in a law practice isn’t effort or efficiency, but smarter constraints. You’ll hear how counterintuitive Agile principles help firms reduce overload, protect capacity, and deliver more consistently without burning out the people doing the work.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/105

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104. Quality Standards for Law Firms: How to Make Expectations Explicit and Work Predictable [Agile Lawyering Part 4]

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 01:00:00 -0700

For many legal professionals, one of the most persistent sources of stress isn't the complexity of the law itself but the uncertainty that permeates daily work. Not knowing who's doing what, when something is actually done, or whether it's been done correctly.

In this episode, I'm tackling this uncertainty head-on by showing you how to create explicit quality standards that serve as a stabilizing force for your practice with simple, easy-to-implement tools. You'll learn how to create fit-for-purpose quality standards, why explicit policies reduce rework, and practical guidance on developing these standards in the context of your current work without trying to boil the ocean.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/104

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103. Bottlenecks in Law Firms: Fixing Flow Without Heroics [Agile Lawyering Part 3]

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 01:00:00 -0700

Once you make your work visible, you can finally see how much of your work is just stuck. And while a common reaction is to think that you are the bottleneck, that thinking is actually preventing you from understanding something much more useful and ultimately less personal about bottlenecks in law firms and how work is actually flowing through your legal delivery systems.

In this episode, I’m building on last week's discussion of making work visible. The focus now shifts from seeing where work is to getting work to flow. You'll learn how to find the most important place where work is getting stuck, the best way to improve flow, and why treating process improvement as a team sport and approaching it with curiosity rather than judgment will yield far better outcomes than trying to fix everything yourself.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/103

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102. Build a Promise-Keeping Machine for Your Law Practice [Agile Lawyering Part 2]

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 01:00:00 -0700

What happens when good intentions collide with finite capacity? In many law practices, it shows up as overload, missed deadlines, and promises that quietly slip through the cracks.

In this episode, I’m introducing the idea of a promise-keeping machine and explaining why making work visible is the first and most important step toward building one. You’ll learn how simple visual systems like Kanban help lawyers see their true commitments, protect capacity, and make more credible promises to clients, colleagues, and themselves.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/102

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101. First Principles: An Introduction to Agile Lawyering 101

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 01:00:00 -0700

A new year and a new number on the podcast episodes feels like the perfect time to slow down for a moment and get back to some foundational questions. In this episode, I’m kicking off a reboot of The Agile Attorney Podcast with a return to first principles.

You'll discover why so many legal professionals feel pressure to do more and more work, why that so often leads to overwhelm and burnout, and how you can start to prevent that overwhelm by focusing on what it really means to be agile in a world that keeps demanding more.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/101

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Managing Capacity by Making Work Visible: Agile Lessons for Law Firms with Dimitri Ponomareff [Bonus]

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 01:00:00 -0700

When massive technology projects spiral out of control, teams often feel like they're trapped in an endless cycle of changing requirements, missed deadlines, and mounting frustration.

In this episode, I sit down with my GreenLine co-founder, Dimitri Ponomareff, to explore how he discovered a different way forward during one of those classic "death march" projects early in his career. You'll discover the Agile lessons he carried forward from his early Agile experiments, and how they translate directly into the way modern law firms can operate with more calm, more confidence, and far more control.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/bonus2

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The Fundamentals of Process Improvement with Joe Bockerstette [Bonus]

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 01:00:00 -0700

When lawyers tell me their practice is too unique for standardized processes, I hear the same concern echoed across every type of legal work. We believe our complexity makes us special, that our clients' needs are too varied to systematize.

But in this episode, I'm joined by process expert Joe Bockerstette, who brings a perspective forged across manufacturing floors, angel investment firms, and county public defender offices that challenges this fundamental assumption. Through our conversation, you’ll discover the universal fundamentals of how work gets done so you can create the clarity and consistency that transform how your team operates.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/bonus1

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100. Why Agile Lawyering Matters & The Journey to 100 Episodes

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 01:00:00 -0700

In this special episode, I explore the three drivers that have sustained this podcast: perspiration, inspiration, and determination. I share personal stories that shaped my mission and the lessons learned. After 100 episodes of sharing tactics and advice, this is my chance to pull back the curtain on the bigger picture of building practices that are profitable, sustainable, and scalable.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/100

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099. Stop Random Acts of Marketing: Build an Intentional Strategy for Your Law Firm

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 01:00:00 -0700

When leads slow down, most firms respond with a burst of random marketing activity, but that reactive approach rarely works. In this episode, I’m explaining why marketing must be a coherent system, not a scramble, and share practical steps for creating an intentional strategy rooted in ideal client profiles, referral partner relationships, and alignment with your firm’s actual capacity.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/99

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098. What Law Firms Can Learn from Radical Product Thinking with Radhika Dutt

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Most lawyers don’t think of their work as a product, but according to Radhika Dutt, author of Radical Product Thinking, that mindset is exactly what keeps firms stuck in reactive mode.

In this episode, Radhika and I explore how product thinking applies directly to legal services and why defining the change you want to create for clients is the foundation for a sustainable, client-centered practice. Whether you manage a team or operate solo, this episode will help you rethink how your firm creates value and give you a more structured way to build services that scale without losing the human impact at the center of legal work.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/98

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097. Creating Space Within Your Law Practice: Finding Momentum Without Overwhelm

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Creating space in your law practice begins with understanding your true capacity and the demands already filling it. In this episode, I share practical ways to assess what your system can actually handle, close out the work that’s weighing you down, and set clearer boundaries for new commitments using core Kanban principles. You’ll learn simple techniques for regaining breathing room so you can end the year with more intention and start the next one with a workflow that’s sustainable for you and your team.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/97

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096. An Agile Approach to Quality Legal Writing with Brendan Kenny & Neven Selimovic

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 01:00:00 -0700

When high-stakes motions are due, most firms face bottlenecks, inconsistent quality, and last-minute chaos. In this episode, Hellmuth & Johnson attorneys Brendan Kenny and Neven Selimovic share how they've rebuilt their legal writing process using Kanban visibility, Agile principles, and smart AI support to deliver consistent, high-quality work. Their internal system worked so well that they now offer it as a legal writing subscription, helping other firms adopt a more predictable, scalable approach.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/96

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095. Beyond Marketing: How Client Communication Builds Engagement and Improves Practice Flow with Strawberry Nevill

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Legal professionals often think of communication strategy as part of their marketing toolkit - a way to attract and convert clients to their law practice. But quality communication strategy extends far beyond getting clients to sign your engagement letter. It becomes a tool for continuously re-recruiting the client to their own cause and ensuring true alignment around solving their legal issue.

I’m joined this week by legal communication strategist Strawberry Nevill, where we explore how ethical communication can drive and shape demand for your services. We discuss practical ways to use marketing principles not just to attract the right clients, but to create more peaceful, productive relationships throughout their entire matter. Plus, you'll discover how thoughtful communication reduces those Friday afternoon fire drills and creates the kind of client engagement that makes your practice more sustainable.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/95

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094. Alternative Intelligence for Lawyers: Empower Your Team Before Turning to AI

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Everyone’s talking about artificial intelligence, but before you invest in new tools and software, it’s worth looking at the alternative intelligence already inside your firm. Drawing on insights from W. Edwards Deming, this episode looks at why empowering your team’s creativity and problem-solving ability often drives greater improvement than AI ever could.

You’ll learn how to make work visible, build psychological safety, and turn everyday team members into continuous-improvement partners, so your law practice runs better, not just faster.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/94

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093. Legal Document Automation: Building Productized Legal Services with Laura Patton

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Life can change in an instant. For attorney Laura Patton, that moment came when her college-age son landed in the emergency room, and she discovered that without proper legal documents, she couldn't even speak to his doctor about his condition. By combining her decades of estate planning experience with open-source document automation tools, Laura created a scalable, affordable solution that protects families while preserving the personal connection at the heart of her practice.

In this episode, Laura shares how thoughtful use of document automation can expand access to justice, improve efficiency, and strengthen client relationships. You'll learn how lawyers can identify opportunities to systematize repetitive work, build productized legal services, and design innovative, human-centered solutions for modern legal practice.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/93

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092. Essential Skills to Build a Successful and Profitable Law Practice

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Building a new law practice requires confronting the reality of what actually works, not just what should work in theory. The natural tendency for lawyers starting something new is to perfect every system and procedure before launching, but this perfectionist approach often becomes the very thing that prevents real progress.

This week, I'm breaking down why the essential skill for new legal business owners isn't doing the legal work, it's getting the work. Drawing from a recent consultation with an attorney who wanted to dial in all their systems before ramping up their practice, I explain why this cart-before-the-horse approach misses what really matters.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/92

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091. Broken Systems, Not Bad People: How Blame Breaks Your Law Practice

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 01:00:00 -0700

When someone on your team drops the ball or a client misses a deadline, it's tempting to write them off as disorganized or unmotivated. This snap judgment feels natural - after all, if they cared enough, they'd follow through, right?

In today's episode, I'm unpacking the fundamental attribution error - a cognitive bias that makes us blame people's character instead of examining the broken systems they're working within. I'll show you how well-designed workflows can transform your team's performance and why investing in better systems beats endless hiring cycles every time.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/91

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090. Stop Writing Policies and Start Creating Working Agreements with Tim Lennon

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Most organizations default to command-and-control when creating policies - one person decides what needs to happen, writes it down, and expects everyone else to follow along. The problem is that this approach creates policies that exist on paper but fail in practice, because the people doing the actual work never bought into them in the first place.

In today’s episode, I'm joined by Agile Educator and Organizational Coach Tim Lennon to discuss why the traditional approach to making policies explicit often backfires, especially in American workplaces. Through Tim's evolution from teaching the Kanban method to developing what he calls "Adaptive Kanban," we uncover why negotiating working agreements with your team creates far better results than top-down mandates.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/90

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089. The Four Ds of Productivity: Removing Bottlenecks & Managing Capacity

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 01:00:00 -0700

The Four Ds of productivity (do it, delegate it, defer it, or drop it) show up everywhere in productivity advice. Yet most of us default to the same two options over and over, creating bottlenecks and stress rather than solving our capacity problems.

In this episode, I break down why only two of the Four Ds are reliably good options for managing your law practice workload. I explain the hidden pitfalls of delegation, including why delegated work often creates more quality assurance headaches than it solves, and why deferring work is really just delegating to an unreliable resource called "future you."

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/89

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088. Why This Firm Stopped Chasing Clients- and Got More Done

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Managing a law firm’s workflow can be tricky, especially when you’re juggling a long list of active matters and chasing unresponsive clients. In this episode, I’ll share how one firm, after years of using Kanban, finally broke through the delivery bottleneck with a simple but powerful shift in their approach.

You'll hear the key changes they made that allowed them to close 40 matters in one month, even in what’s usually their slowest season. Tune in to discover how simplifying your systems, setting clear client expectations, and focusing on the work that matters most can unlock new levels of productivity and capacity for your practice.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/88

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087. Change Management for Law Firms: How to Engage Your Team from Day One

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 01:00:00 -0700

When you introduce new processes in your law firm, you're asking your team to rethink how they get things done, and that’s a bigger challenge than most realize. In this episode, I explore why the usual approach to change management often misses the mark in law firms. I also discuss why involving your team from the start is critical to getting real buy-in.

This approach might take a little longer upfront, but it pays off when it comes to actually implementing the changes you need.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/87

086. From Chaos to Consistency: Lessons from a Decade of Agile Lawyering with Jeff De Francisco

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 01:00:00 -0700

When Jeff De Francisco noticed his less tech-savvy colleagues billing more hours for the same estate planning work, he uncovered an injustice that would reshape his entire practice. The disparity wasn't about knowledge or skill. It was about efficiency, and the billable hour was punishing him for being good at his job.

In this episode, I sit down with Jeff, a long-time client and now business partner, to explore his decade-long journey with Agile practices. You’ll also hear lessons from Jeff’s journey that you can apply to your own law practice - and get a peek at how tools like Greenline Legal can support your systems along the way.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/86

085. Make Work Visible: Using Kanban Boards To Manage Your Law Firm’s Capacity

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Knowledge work hides in ways that physical work never could. That invisibility creates a dangerous pattern: you say yes to one more matter and before you know it, your entire team operates beyond capacity.

In this episode, I use real examples from law firms using Kanban boards to demonstrate how making your work visible can fundamentally change how your team coordinates, communicates, and makes decisions about your capacity.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/85

084. Technical Debt in Law Firms: How Small Shortcuts Create Big Problems

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 01:00:00 -0700

In this episode, I’m diving into a concept that may be quietly hindering your practice: technical debt. In short, technical debt occurs when you take shortcuts to save time, but they end up costing you more in the long run.

I’ll walk you through how technical debt shows up in your firm and why tackling this issue head-on is crucial to prevent burnout and boost your firm’s overall productivity. I’ll also share practical steps you can take to begin addressing your firm’s technical debt.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/84

083. Delivery Debt is as Bad as Financial Debt, and Your Law Practice May Be Drowning in It

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 01:00:00 -0700

In this episode, I’m revisiting the concept of delivery debt: the promises you’ve made that remain unfulfilled. Just like financial debt, taking on too much delivery debt can snowball and overwhelm your firm. And it’s not just about the practical cost; it’s also psychological. The mental load of these unfinished commitments affects your focus, your decision-making, and ultimately, your practice’s efficiency.

I’ll share practical steps to help you clear delivery debt by addressing unfulfilled commitments that are draining your capacity. You’ll also learn how to prioritize your existing work and make intentional decisions about what to let go of to protect your firm’s ability to take on the right cases. This approach will give you the tools to balance your commitments with your firm’s capacity, allowing you to avoid overwhelm and be more proactive as you head into the busy fall season.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/83

082. The Best Way to Word Your Checklists

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 01:00:00 -0700

In law firms, a lot of time is wasted when work gets passed back and forth because the deliverables aren’t meeting the expected quality standards. This happens when tasks are considered “done,” but the results don’t meet the actual requirements or the unspoken expectations, causing frustration and delays. These unnecessary back-and-forths can grind your entire practice to a halt and create more stress than necessary.

In this episode, I share a simple but powerful shift in how you write your policies and procedures that can dramatically improve the quality of work flowing through your firm. Instead of creating traditional to-do lists or recipe-style instructions, writing your checklists as "done lists" using past tense phrasing creates clarity and accountability. This approach transforms ambiguous task completion into definitive quality standards that everyone can understand and follow.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/82

081. Task Engines in Law: Why Some Cases Sabotage Your Firm’s Productivity

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Task engines are quietly draining your law practice's productivity right now. These hidden culprits show up as certain case types, jurisdictions, or even internal projects that generate a lot of tasks but little tangible progress or return. It’s something a litigation boutique in Oregon learned the hard way when a surge in Washington State cases almost derailed their entire operation.

In this episode, I’m sharing how a firm with plenty of demand and a growing team found themselves in crisis mode due to task engines in disguise. I also walk through how the firm survived, learned valuable lessons about case selection, and took steps to improve their workflow. Discover how understanding the relative effort of different work types can help you build a more intentional, sustainable practice.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/81

080. AI for Legal Workflows: The Potential and the Pitfalls

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 01:00:00 -0700

AI tools in legal workflows are making waves, but are they really the productivity boosters they’re cracked up to be? While these tools can help speed up certain tasks, like research and drafting, they can also introduce significant risks if we’re not careful.

In this episode, I dive into the promise and pitfalls of AI task engines and automation tools in law practices. I'll also explain why more working time doesn’t always mean faster delivery, and how managing both working and waiting time is key to improving your firm’s overall efficiency. By the end, you’ll have a clearer understanding of how AI tools can be used effectively in your practice to optimize your firm’s overall process.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/80

079. Make Space Before September: A Call for Rest and Intention

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Summer brings its own pressures - family obligations, vacation planning, and the nagging feeling that your practice needs constant attention. The temptation to squeeze in work between beach trips or check emails during family gatherings can rob you of the very reset this season offers.

In this episode, I'm exploring the importance of using summer as an intentional season of rest and reflection for your law practice. You'll discover practical strategies for disconnecting from work, like allowing yourself to be bored. Most importantly, you'll learn how to use this time to honestly assess your capacity and priorities. By the end, you'll have a clear framework for making summer work for you - not just as a break, but as a strategic investment in your practice's sustainability.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/79

078. Build Financial Clarity into Your Law Firm with CFO Danielle Hendon

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Law firm owners often feel overwhelmed by their financial statements, staring at QuickBooks reports that seem to tell only half the story. The disconnect between having financial data and understanding what it means for strategic decision-making creates unnecessary anxiety and missed opportunities.

In this episode, I'm talking with Danielle Hendon, a fractional CFO who specializes in helping law firms transform their relationship with their finances. We explore how to structure your revenue streams and expenses to understand which practice areas are truly profitable, why treating all costs the same way obscures important business decisions, and how budgeting becomes a strategic tool rather than an annual exercise you dread.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/78

077. The BEST System for Managing Legal Work: Kanban for Lawyers Part 3

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Legal teams face a unique challenge that factory floors and software developers rarely encounter: managing dozens of active matters simultaneously while dealing with constant interruptions from clients, opposing counsel, and courts. You're juggling multiple cases, each with its own timeline, dependencies, and unpredictable external factors that can derail your best-laid plans.

In this episode, I dive into why the Kanban method is the best-fit system for that reality, and how it helps legal teams reduce overwhelm, spot bottlenecks, and manage work more intentionally. If your team is stuck in reactive mode, tune in to hear how Kanban gives you a practical path forward.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/77

076. How Scrum Lessons Can Improve Your Law Practice: Kanban for Lawyers Part 2

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Back in the early 2000s, software teams started embracing a new way of working that turned conventional project management on its head. Instead of trying to define everything up front and push massive projects toward a distant deadline, they asked a different question: what’s the most valuable work we can deliver in the next two weeks?

That question gave rise to Scrum—a system built on fixed time, cross-functional teams, and fast feedback. And while it started in software, the lessons apply just as powerfully to legal work. Tune in to hear how you can apply these principles to your practice—especially around prioritization, workflow design, and respecting your finite capacity—so that you’re working smarter, not just harder.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/76

075. Legal Workflow Lessons from the Factory Floor: Kanban for Lawyers Part 1

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 01:00:00 -0700

A Japanese automobile factory floor in the 1950s might seem worlds away from your law office, but the visual management systems that transformed Toyota's manufacturing process hold powerful lessons for modern legal practice. The same principles that helped Toyota become a global automotive giant can help you create smoother workflows, reduce overwhelm, and deliver more predictable outcomes for your clients.

In this episode, I explore the origins of the Kanban method and why visual systems are so effective for managing work. I trace the journey from physical cards on factory floors to the digital Kanban boards that software developers adopted in the late 1990s, and explain why these same tools are perfectly suited for legal work.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/75

074. Using Kanban to Manage Capacity

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 01:00:00 -0700

In law firms across the country, I'm seeing a concerning pattern emerge when one attorney adopts Kanban and Agile methods while their partner - often from an older generation of lawyers - resists these systematic approaches. This clash of perspectives frequently pushes teams back into overload and burnout.

This week, I explore how this capacity tension manifests in law firms, particularly during succession planning. I share specific strategies for implementing personal Kanban systems to manage competing demands and discuss the critical difference between basic Kanban board interfaces and true Kanban methodology tools designed to support sustainable legal practice management.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/74

073. Don't Let Magical AI Thinking Cloud Your Sense of Capacity

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 01:00:00 -0700

A concerning trend I've noticed both in my own practice and among my clients is that the rise of AI technology is making it harder to accurately assess our true capacity. Between constant marketing messages and the promise of enhanced productivity through AI tools, many of us are failing to gauge our own capacity and falling into the trap of overcommitting.

The legal tech landscape is evolving rapidly, and technology companies are using sophisticated attention-hacking techniques to convince us their products are essential. Without clear goals and strategies in place, we become more susceptible to these marketing messages and risk adopting tools that don't actually serve our practice needs.

In this episode, I explore how to maintain an honest assessment of capacity while embracing new technology and the problem with chasing every new technological promise. I share my personal experience with AI tools leading to overcommitment, and discuss the importance of using systems like Kanban boards to track capacity objectively.

Get full show notes, transcript and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/73

072. The Hidden Dangers of Overcapacity

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 01:00:00 -0700

We don’t talk about overcapacity enough in legal practice, especially not the hidden ways it erodes performance, burns out your team, and stalls your cases.

In this episode, I take a closer look at what really happens when you’re operating beyond your firm’s functional capacity. From unnecessary administrative overhead to frustrated clients and cherry-picked tasks, the ripple effects of overload are costing you more than you think. If your firm is feeling stretched, stuck, or constantly in firefighting mode, this episode will help you understand why.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/72

071. How Trauma Informed Lawyering Helps Avoid Burnout with Dr. Colin James

Tue, 27 May 2025 02:00:00 -0700

The impact of trauma in legal practice extends far beyond individual client interactions. From law school through retirement, lawyers face unique psychological challenges that can fundamentally alter their personalities, relationships, and effectiveness as advocates.

Dr. Colin James, author of "Vicarious Trauma and Burnout in Law," brings decades of experience as a senior lecturer of law and researcher to examine how trauma theory applies to legal practice. Through exploring concepts like vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and post-traumatic growth, this conversation illuminates practical ways that individual practitioners and organizations can build more trauma-informed approaches.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/71

For Oregon Attorneys, you can claim CLE credit under the "Mental Health & Substance Abuse" requirement. Just go to yourt Oregon Bar MCLE Dashboard, select "Accredited Group Course," enter MCLE ID 122717 in the search field.

For attorneys in other jurisdictions, you may be able to claim CLE credit using the following steps:

Check your state’s CLE rules to see if they accept credit from Oregon-accredited programs. Many do, especially for courses taken out of state.
Confirm if your jurisdiction allows on-demand (pre-recorded) courses and whether there are any limits or special requirements.
Search for the Oregon accreditation info at www.osbar.org using the approved course title (Trauma Informed Lawyering with Dr. Colin James) or the application ID 122717.
Document the number and type of credits approved by Oregon (e.g., general, ethics) and whether the course is listed as recorded.
Self-report the credit to your state bar using their required process, and retain documentation in case of audit.

070. Profit First for Lawyers: A Conversation with RJon Robins

Tue, 20 May 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Is your law practice truly profitable? Not just cash-flow positive, but actually generating the kind of profit that allows you to serve your clients well, take care of your team, and live the life you want? In this episode, I dive deep into the critical topic of law firm profitability with RJon Robins, founder of How to Manage a Small Law Firm and author of Profit First for Lawyers.

We explore why so many lawyers struggle with profitability, how to properly calculate your cost of goods sold, and why understanding the difference between static and dynamic overhead can transform your practice. While RJon and I have different communication styles, we align on the core principle: putting profit first isn't selfish—it's essential for creating a sustainable practice that truly serves everyone involved.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/70

069. Document Automation Secrets for Small Law Firms with Quinten Steenhuis

Tue, 13 May 2025 01:00:00 -0700

If you've ever tried to turn one of your documents or templates into something repeatable, you probably already know it is harder than it looks. Whether you're looking to streamline routine documents or create client-facing tools, this week's conversation will help you find the most effective and straightforward solution for your needs.

I'm joined by Quinten Steenhuis, co-director of the Legal Innovation and Technology Lab at Suffolk Law School and owner of Lemma Consulting. His work with the Document Assembly Line project during the pandemic revolutionized access to justice when courts physically closed but legal needs remained urgent. We explore the intersection of document automation, generative AI, and legal practice, uncovering practical insights for firms of all sizes.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/69

068. Adaptability by Design: Building Law Practices That Respond to Change

Tue, 06 May 2025 01:00:00 -0700

It’s easy to say lawyers need to “be more adaptable” in today’s shifting tech and economic climate, but real adaptability isn’t about working harder or reacting faster. It’s about responding intelligently to change by staying grounded in your mission, your goals, and the strategies that support them.

In this episode, I break down what intentional adaptability looks like in practice, and how clarity at the strategic level helps you navigate complexity without losing your footing. I share how to make better tech decisions and future-proof your practice without sacrificing what matters most: delivering real results to your clients.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/68

067. AI & Legal Writing: How to Use It Effectively with Jonah Perlin

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 01:00:00 -0700

What makes legal writing truly effective? It's not just about knowing the law—it's about knowing how to communicate it. In this episode, I'm joined by Professor Jonah Perlin from Georgetown Law School, where he teaches first-year legal practice and advanced legal writing courses.

We explore how the process of putting ideas into words -wrestling with language and structure- is actually the path to stronger analysis and deeper understanding, and the role AI has in effective legal writing. We discuss the importance of feedback in legal education and practice, and how both giving and receiving feedback effectively is a skill that needs to be developed.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/67

066. Build a Law Practice that Reflects Your Values, with Carolyn Elefant

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 01:00:00 -0700

There has never been a better time in the history of lawyers to start your own law practice. The tools, know-how, and access to support are better than ever before, and they keep improving every day. Whether you're facing job uncertainty, working at a firm with values that don't align with yours, or simply tired of working for someone else, going solo might be the best career move you can make.

This week, I'm joined by Carolyn Elefant, the brains behind myshingle.com and the author of "Solo by Choice," the go-to guidebook for creating a startup law practice that aligns with your values and serves your life. Carolyn shares insights on how to overcome common obstacles, build a client base through relationship marketing, and structure your day for maximum productivity.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/66

065. Scale Your Practice with a Mesh Management Approach

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Most law firms start by building support structures around the expert (you), but eventually hit a ceiling where growth becomes limited by your personal capacity. No matter how efficient your team becomes at supporting you, the system can only move as fast as you can.

In this episode, I explore how to transform your practice from an expert-dependent model to a resilient mesh system where quality standards are embedded in your processes and your team is empowered to make decisions without constant oversight. The result? A practice that can scale far beyond your personal limitations while maintaining the quality your clients expect.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/65

064. The Dental Chair Theory of Lawyering

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Ever feel like you're constantly juggling multiple client matters at once, switching between tasks, and never fully focusing on any single piece of work? This scattered way of working is more detrimental to your practice than you realize.

One incredibly effective solution to this problem is understanding what call The Dental Chair Theory of Lawyering, and I'm explaining it in today's episode. This approach not only improves the quality of your work but also enhances the client experience and ultimately leads to a more efficient, less stressful practice.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/64

063. Legal Automation Pitfalls: Are You Meeting Client Needs?

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Is your law practice suffering from too much automation? Today, I'm sharing how to recognize when automation is hurting rather than helping your practice. I'll explain why efficiency should never be your primary goal, how to avoid the "transactional trap" that alienates clients, and most importantly, how to design automations that enhance rather than replace the human elements of your practice.

By keeping both client and team needs at the center of your automation strategy, you can create systems that truly deliver better outcomes for everyone involved.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/63

062. Delegation Pitfalls: When Legal Work Goes Too Deep or Too Wide

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Have you ever delegated legal work to a colleague, only to get back something that completely misses the mark? Maybe they dove way too deep into the weeds, or perhaps they barely scratched the surface of what you needed. As a lawyer, calibrating expectations when delegating tasks can be a constant challenge.

In this episode, I tackle a listener question about managing the extremes when delegating legal work. What do you do when you've got a true "lawyer's lawyer" on your team who loves to explore every rabbit hole? And how do you handle a junior team member who doesn't yet have the context to know which path to take? Listen in to find out.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/62

061. Delivering Your Legal Work: Direct Flight or Long Layover?

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Does your firm have legal matters that are endlessly dragging on, frustrating both you and your clients? It may seem like investing in the latest AI tools is the obvious next step to speed up your firm's delivery, but the real solution lies in managing the flow of work across your entire system.

This week, I share three powerful strategies for reducing waiting time in your law practice. By implementing these techniques, you'll be able to deliver quality outcomes to your clients faster, improve their overall experience, and boost your firm's profitability and sustainability.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/61

059. Stop Billing and Start Pricing with Jonathan Stark

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Are you tired of the billable hour grind? Do you feel like it's creating a constant conflict of interest between you and your clients? I'm thrilled to have Jonathan Stark back on the show to dive deep into alternatives to hourly billing.

Jonathan is a former software developer turned consultant who has been on a mission to rid the world of hourly billing since 2006. He's the author of Hourly Billing Is Nuts and has helped countless professionals in various industries break free from the time-based pricing model. In this episode, we explore alternative pricing strategies, from fixed fees and productized services to value-based pricing and fractional engagements. If you're ready to stop billing and start pricing, this is the episode for you.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/59

058. The Key to Happier Lawyering with Brita Long

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Are you drowning in an overwhelming caseload, struggling to keep up with the demands of clients and the court? This week, I speak with family law attorney and author Brita Long about how flat fee pricing can be a catalyst for creating a healthier, more balanced law practice.

Whether you're curious about flat fees, feeling skeptical, or just looking for ways to achieve better balance in your practice, this conversation will give you a new perspective on an age-old problem in the legal profession. Get ready to challenge your assumptions and discover a path to becoming a happier attorney.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/58

057. Is Your Engagement Agreement Scaring Your Clients?

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 01:00:00 -0700

As attorneys, we often forget that our engagement letters occupy a unique space - they're not just contracts, but also the final step in our marketing cycle. So why do so many of these crucial documents end up feeling dense, overwhelming, and even off-putting to clients?

Tune in this week to learn how to create engagement letters that not only protect your firm but also set the stage for a positive, productive attorney-client relationship. I share some simple, actionable ways to make your engagement letter a seamless, welcoming transition into the legal services you provide.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/57

056. Less Is More: Why WIP Limits Boost Legal Productivity

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Do you find yourself juggling too many tasks at once, struggling to make meaningful progress on any of them?

In this episode, I dive deep into one of the core practices of the Kanban method: limiting work in progress, or WIP. We'll explore how taking on too many concurrent tasks can wreak havoc on your brain, your client experience, and your ability to keep your commitments. I also provide you with several practical tools and strategies for setting WIP limits in your personal work and your practice as a whole. By the end of this episode, you'll have a clear roadmap for regaining control of your workload and consistently delivering your best work.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/56

055. Fixing the Client Homework Bottleneck

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Do you dread assigning client homework, knowing it will likely stall your case for weeks or even months? Chasing down questionnaires and documents from clients can feel like a never-ending battle, leaving you frustrated and resentful.

After years of working with law firms to improve their workflows, I've discovered that the client homework bottleneck isn't actually about the clients - it's about how we structure and support the assignments. In this episode, I'm sharing my proven six-part framework for optimizing client homework. Tune in because these techniques will help you get unstuck and achieve a more predictable, efficient flow of work, creating a better experience for both your firm and your clients.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/55

054. Action without Action with Tim Lennon

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Today, I'm excited to welcome Tim Lennon back to the podcast to explore the Taoist concept of Wei Wu Wei, or "action without action." Tim and I dive into why understanding and navigating obstacles is more important than trying to bust through them, why feedback loops are essential to making progress (and how to make those feedback loops more effective), and why preparation and intentionality are the keys to true agility. If you're looking for ways to work smarter, not harder, in your law practice, this episode is for you.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/54

053. Time Management Strategies You Need: Calendar Blocking and Calendar Bucketing

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Do you ever feel like there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done? You're not alone. As legal professionals, we often struggle to fit all our commitments into our finite capacity. Here's the thing: having a completely empty calendar isn't the productivity blessing you might think it is. Today, I share two powerful techniques - calendar blocking and calendar bucketing - that will transform how you think about and use your time. Get ready to take control of your calendar and supercharge your productivity!

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/53

052. Making Daily Standups Work in Your Law Practice

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 01:00:00 -0700

What if I told you that a simple 15-minute daily standup meeting could dramatically improve your team's performance and help everyone work more effectively and predictably within their actual capacity?

In this episode, I share how implementing a daily standup can be a game-changer for your law practice. You'll learn the key elements of an effective daily standup, including the three essential questions to ask, how to keep the meeting focused and concise, and how to use the standup to surface dependencies and roadblocks. I also detail some pitfalls to avoid and techniques to make your standup meetings productive from day one.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/52

051. Matter Management Meetings Suck. Do This Instead.

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 01:00:00 -0700

You’ve probably already set your goals for 2025 in your law practice, but do you have a system for following through on your plans and goals week after week? Implementing a simple weekly planning and review habit could be the key to helping you and your team manage capacity and prioritize the right work, transforming your firm's productivity and predictability.

Tune in to learn a step-by-step process for conducting effective weekly planning and review meetings with your team. I share tips for structuring the meetings, involving your whole team, and using the insights gained to continuously improve your practice. Implementing this habit consistently can help you break free from the cycle of overcommitment and overwhelm too many law firms fall into.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/51

050. Flat Fee Pricing for Lawyers with Elise Buie and Emery Wager

Thu, 02 Jan 2025 01:00:00 -0700

How do you address the unpredictability of legal fees in your practice? In this episode, I talk with practicing attorney Elise Buie, founder of Elise Buie Family Law, about her journey implementing flat fee pricing in her practice. This was originally an interview conducted by Emery Wager for Confido Legal’s podcast Financially Legal, and Emery has his own insight to share in this area too.

Join us this week to dive into the nuts and bolts of designing and implementing flat fee services in a legal practice. Whether you're just starting to explore alternative pricing models or looking to refine your existing approach, you'll come away with valuable insights and practical strategies you can apply in your own firm.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/50

049. Lessons from Old Hollywood: Why Flat-Fee Legal Work Is Nothing New

Thu, 26 Dec 2024 01:00:00 -0700

Something I find fascinating is the extent to which the behaviors and practices of the legal profession have evolved over the years, and the extent to which they haven't. In this unique episode, I take a look at some intriguing insights from the legal files of my great-grandfather, Lloyd Wright Sr., a pioneering entertainment lawyer who represented some of the biggest names of the era.

Join me as I explore the captivating case of Jane Wyman's divorce from Ronald Reagan in 1948, which offers a glimpse into the world of celebrity marriages, for-cause divorces, and the evolution of legal practices, as well as an interesting look into the history of flat-fee billing.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/49

048. The Obvious Switch to Value Pricing with Jonathan Stark

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 01:00:00 -0700

As a lawyer, it's easy to fall into the trap of equating more hours with more revenue. But as Jonathan Stark points out, this mindset often leads to a vicious cycle of overwork and burnout, without necessarily translating into increased profitability or client satisfaction. The key to breaking free from this cycle lies in streamlining your processes and focusing on delivering value, rather than simply billing time.

In this episode, I share an episode I recorded with Jonathan Stark on his podcast Ditching Hourly exploring how improving your delivery workflows can make the switch to value pricing a no-brainer. From implementing systems and checklists to leveraging technology and outsourcing, we explore the many ways you can optimize your workflows to deliver better results in less time.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/48

047. How Kanban Creates Capacity Liquidity in Your Law Firm with Richard Hoare

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 01:00:00 -0700

How do you build the systems, tools, and culture required to sustain and scale a law practice and deliver the results your clients need, even when you have non-standard working arrangements, or a fairly unique practice area?

In this episode, I'm joined by Richard Hoare, owner of Hoare Associates, to discuss how he transformed his music-centric law practice by embracing Agile and Kanban methodologies with a heavy emphasis on capacity liquidity. Richard explains how visual management systems and Kanban thinking have allowed his firm to be more responsive, efficient, and profitable in support of their mission.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/47

046. Improving Legal Workflows without New Technology

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 01:00:00 -0700

I walk you through the specific steps my client took to optimize their workflow, improve their client experience, and ultimately achieve remarkable results by embracing Kanban without implementing new software. Whether you're a solo practitioner or part of a larger organization, you'll learn valuable insights and actionable strategies to implement Kanban principles, even if you’re restricted in terms of the tech you have available.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/46

045. Agile Access to Justice, Leveraging Process Improvement to Serve the Underserved

Thu, 28 Nov 2024 01:00:00 -0700

There are people all over the US who find themselves in legal binds, but are unable to get the legal help they need. As we enter this season of giving, this episode is here to highlight an Access to Justice success story that I've been fortunate enough to be a part of, albeit one that is still very much in its early chapters. I’m sharing this to spread a little hope, but also to illustrate some Agile tools and concepts that you might be able to use in your own private practice.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/45

044. Kanban Made Easy: A Lawyer's Guide to Visual Task Management

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 01:00:00 -0700

When you’re buried in work, your to-do list is flowing off the page, and you’re feeling totally overwhelmed in your day-to-day activities, I invite you to hit play on this episode. I go old school, describing how to build a very simple Kanban board on your wall, a whiteboard, or any simple Kanban system. Discover how using even the most basic Kanban board can help you break down your work into manageable pieces, focus on what matters most, and start crossing those items off your list with confidence, one sticky note at a time.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/44

043. The Right Way to Incentivize Your Team

Thu, 14 Nov 2024 01:00:00 -0700

One of the biggest challenges law firms face when moving away from hourly billing and towards incorporating flat fees is motivating your team in a way that actually supports the new business model.

Tune in this week as I challenge the conventional wisdom around using billable hours as a key performance metric, even for firms that bill by the hour. I explain why billable targets often work against efficiency and profitability, especially for firms incorporating flat fee billing. But more importantly, I dive into the social science behind human motivation and share proven strategies for tapping into your team's intrinsic drive to do great work.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more here: https://www.agileattorney.com/43

042. Ditch Effective Hourly Rates: How to Calculate Matter-Level Profit

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 01:00:00 -0700

Do you know the most profitable parts of your law practice? If you're like most lawyers, the answer is probably no. But without a clear understanding of matter-level profitability, you could be making costly decisions about where to invest your limited time and resources.

In this episode, I explain why the traditional approach of using effective hourly rate to compare flat fee and hourly matters is flawed and what to do instead. By assigning a direct cost to each team member's time and calculating the gross profit on a matter-by-matter basis, you'll be able to make more informed decisions about which types of work to pursue. The result is a more profitable and intentional law practice.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/42

Start your Agile transformation today and check out free resources, including my Law Firm Policy Template, to help you and your team develop a more Agile legal practice: https://www.agileattorney.com/start

040. Legal Workflow Management and Matter Management Are Not the Same Thing

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 01:00:00 -0700

Are you familiar with Clio's Kanban-inspired feature, Clio Matter Stages? It’s been around for a while now, but as a Kanban enthusiast, I was eager to check it out at this year's Clio Cloud Conference. While it's certainly a step in the right direction and an interesting tool for Clio users, how does it measure up when it comes to implementing some of the more robust Kanban systems?

In this episode, I share my first impressions of Clio Matter Stages, and explore some key Kanban principles that can help you level up your workflow, including the power of queue columns, work-in-progress limits, and definitions of done.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.agileattorney.com/40

Start your Agile transformation today and check out free resources, including my Law Firm Policy Template, to help you and your team develop a more Agile legal practice: https://www.agileattorney.com/start

039. Productive With Dollar Signs, with Clarke Ching

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 01:00:00 -0700

I’m a massive fan of Bottleneck Theory. This is the idea that you can make massive improvements to your legal workflows by finding and focusing on just one part of your overall system: the bottleneck. In this episode, I’m super excited to bring you an interview with The Bottleneck Guy himself, Clarke Ching.

Tune in this week to explore where the bottlenecks might be in your legal practice, and discover how to address these constraints. We discuss how small iterative adjustments can create big changes in how work flows through your practice, and you’ll learn the value of preserving your capacity, so you don’t end up being a bottleneck in your own practice.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/39

038. Delivering Effective Feedback to Legal Teams

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 01:00:00 -0700

Have you ever struggled with giving tough feedback to your team members? Do you find yourself resorting to the criticism sandwich approach, hoping to soften the blow by sandwiching negative comments between compliments?

Tune in this week to discover why the criticism sandwich doesn’t work. I also discuss the importance of setting clear quality standards, providing explicit training, and offering timely feedback to help your team members grow and succeed. Plus, I address the recent trend of blaming younger generations for workplace shortcomings and offer a more productive approach to building the skills and capabilities your law firm needs.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/38

037. Putting the ‘Flow’ Back into Workflow

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 01:00:00 -0700

Something I see with my lawyer clients is that they have so many different things on their plate that each piece of work looks like an object, like a static thing that we need to deal with, as opposed to a dynamic part of a bigger process. When you are overloaded, that is totally natural. But this phenomenon points to the importance of seeing work as flow.

Tune in this week to discover a helpful tool to help you get work flowing more smoothly and predictably through your law practice. You’ll learn how to break down your workflow into its component parts so you can identify bottlenecks, streamline processes, and keep work moving smoothly through your law practice.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/37

Catch me at the Clio Cloud Conference 2024, Tuesday, October 8th at 3pm (Discount code: ACTFAST): https://cliocloudconference.com/

036. What To Do When I’m the Bottleneck with Melissa Shanahan and Ben Hudson

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 01:00:00 -0700

Adding capacity to your law practice, whether through hiring new team members, outsourcing work, or using AI to help you with certain tasks does not always add up to overall workflow improvement. This can be really frustrating for law firm owners because you’ve spent time and money on these solutions, only for the work to continue getting stuck in workflow bottlenecks.

Melissa Shanahan and Ben Hudson join me today to discuss what changes when you shift your focus from resource efficiency to flow efficiency, and why sometimes the key to increasing capacity is actually doing less. Ben shares his insights on using data to inform hiring decisions, improving client perception, and defining productivity in a way that aligns with his goals, and we dive deep into the tools and strategies that make a difference.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/36

Catch me at the Clio Cloud Conference 2024, Tuesday, October 8th at 3pm (Discount code: ACTFAST): https://cliocloudconference.com/

035. Two Heads Are Better: How Coworking Sessions Can Improve Law Firm Efficiency

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 01:00:00 -0700

Have you ever felt like certain tasks in your law practice are taking longer than they should? What if I told you that sometimes the key to efficiency is slowing down and working together? This is where a concept from the software development world called "paired programming" can help you create better outcomes in your legal practice.

Tune in this week to discover how to accelerate your law firm’s efficiency using the concept of paired programming. From co-working on complex briefs to training new team members, you’ll learn how working together in real-time can reduce miscommunication, accelerate feedback loops, and ultimately lead to a better work product for your clients.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/35

034. Short-Term Efficiency Can Hurt Long-Term Goals

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 01:00:00 -0700

One common anti-pattern I run into in working with lawyers and law practices is people who are constantly looking for little efficiencies to try to improve particular parts of their practice or their legal workflow. But sometimes, finding those short-term efficiencies, even if they work in the short term, can actually cut against the long-term productivity or the overall flow of work through your practice.

Tune in this week to discover where you might be sacrificing long-term flow in pursuit of short-term efficiency. I discuss how engaging your clients in the legal process improves long-term efficiency, and you’ll learn how to start balancing the immediate demands of your legal work with long-term efficiency in your practice.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/34

033. Connecting with Your Clients’ "Why"

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 01:00:00 -0700

As professionals, it's easy to jump to conclusions about what clients need based on our experience and the patterns we see emerging. But in making these assumptions, are we missing a critical opportunity to truly connect with them by not taking the time to understand their individual motivations and worries?

Tune in this week as I explore why giving clients space to articulate their "why" is so important for delivering great service and keeping them engaged throughout the process. I discuss how to make your client intake meetings more effective, write a compelling professional bio that resonates with your ideal clients, and ultimately build a more sustainable, profitable practice by staying connected to your own "why."

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/33

032. Organize Your Law Practice for Business Success with Michael Clarke

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 01:00:00 -0700

As law practice owners, we can gain valuable insights by looking outside of the legal industry. Today, I'm excited to bring you an interview with Michael Clarke. Michael is the co-owner of the financial advisory firm Protection Point Advisors and co-author of the book A Firm Worth Building: Running a Better Professional Business.

Tune in this week to explore the differences between having a law practice and running your law practice like a successful business. Michael gives us his perspective on legal services as someone outside of the legal industry. Michael discusses what he's looking for when he hires lawyers for his own business needs, and shares what he considers when referring his clients out for legal help.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/32

031. Tech Improvement Should Be Step 3. Don’t Skip Steps 1 & 2.

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 01:00:00 -0700

Are you a struggling solo attorney trying to get more clients in the door? Before you turn to an expensive technology solution, it's important to take a step back and fully understand the nature of the problem you're trying to solve in your law practice. I'm all for utilizing tech, but it's dangerous to imbue technology with too many magical properties. So, what can you do instead to come up with better, more sustainable solutions to your business problems?

While investing in the right technology can certainly help streamline your practice, it's not a magic bullet. If you’re struggling to get clients in the door, the key is to first get clear on your business strategy and really understand your target market. Tune in this week to discover valuable tips for focusing on your core strengths, niching down, and how to best serve the marketplace effectively.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/31

030. From Solo to CEO: Lessons in Building a People-First Law Firm with Justie Nicol

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 01:00:00 -0700

Do you feel like you're stuck on the hamster wheel of your law practice, constantly working on being more productive as an individual, but never getting ahead? It's time to explore how shifting your mindset from individual excellence to team excellence can help you break free and build a thriving, sustainable firm.

Tune in this week to discover criminal defense attorney-turned-law-firm-owner Justie Nicol's secrets for creating a law firm that supports your personal goals and enables your team to do their best work. From implementing unique meeting structures to tracking meaningful KPIs, Justie offers a wealth of practical tips and hard-won wisdom that can help you transform your own practice.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/30

029. Getting Team Buy-in for Change

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 01:00:00 -0700

Engaging your team around process improvement is a vital part of successfully implementing changes in the way you work in your law practice. When everyone is on the same page, working toward the same goals while you empower each member of your team to demonstrate leadership in their field of expertise, process improvement becomes an easier proposition, no matter the size of your firm.

Tune in this week to discover my favorite tools and concepts for fostering an environment that is not only open to change, but actively recruits your people to be willing participants, and even leaders in those improvement efforts.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/29

028. 3 Signs Your Law Practice Is Over Capacity

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 01:00:00 -0700

Are you struggling to keep up with your law practice workload, like there's never enough time to get everything done? You may be operating at or over your practice's ideal effective capacity, meaning just one or two small tasks added to your team's workload could potentially grind everything to a halt.

In this episode, you'll discover the three key indicators that your practice has too much work in progress, as well as three helpful techniques for rightsizing your workload and getting back to a more comfortable working space. With the strategies I share, you'll be on your way to feeling more in control of your practice and delivering a better experience for your clients.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/28

027. The Advantages of a First-In, First-Out Policy

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 01:00:00 -0700

A common piece of conventional wisdom around how law firms prioritize their work is that they should organize everything around deadlines and due dates. While deadline-driven prioritization does have a place, it's my experience that there's a better technique that law firms should be adopting as their default prioritization method: first-in first-out (FIFO).

Tune in this week to discover the advantages of a first-in first-out policy in your law firm. I discuss how deadline-driven prioritization leads to overwhelm and unpredictability, and you'll learn how FIFO as a default prioritization method will keep work flowing through your organization.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/27

026. Start with What You Do Now

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 01:00:00 -0700

Why is the concept of "start with what you do now" crucial for creating meaningful and durable change in your law practice? This principle helps you understand your current processes and the people involved in them, recognizing why you are where you are, so you can make more informed decisions about how to move forward.

Tune in this week for a dive into a foundational aspect of the Kanban Method: Start with what you do now. I share tips for initiating sustainable change in your law practice, respecting the roles and titles of your current team, helping them embrace the changes you want to see in your firm, and allowing them to become a valuable part of the change process.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/26

025. Following Your Law Firm Strategic Plan with Melissa Shanahan

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 01:00:00 -0700

Melissa Shanahan, founder of Velocity Work and host of The Law Firm Owner Podcast, teaches her clients a planning and accountability method she calls Monday Map/Friday Wrap. This method highlights some vital parts of the Agile practices of weekly planning and weekly review meetings.

Monday Map/Friday Wrap is about creating micro-feedback loops within the context of a larger strategic plan, which is the kind of thing I love, so tune in this week as Melissa and I unpack this methodology, and have an all-round entertaining discussion about strategic planning and its benefits in general for the leaders of legal teams.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/25

Start your Agile transformation today and check out these free resources to help you and your team develop a more Agile legal practice: https://www.agileattorney.com/start

024. Sticking with Change When Change Gets Hard

Thu, 04 Jul 2024 01:00:00 -0700

Visualizing your work on a Kanban Board can be a life-changing improvement to your and your team's overall productivity. But adopting the board as a tool and the Kanban method more broadly can be a little uncomfortable at first, especially when you see all of your to-dos laid out in one place. So, how do you stick with change, like using a Kanban Board, when change gets hard?

Your Kanban Board can be overwhelming to look at, especially if you're new to the concept, so tune in this week to discover how to stick with it and keep your work flowing, even if your workflow looks overcommitted right now and you want to give up on your Kanban Board altogether.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/24

Start your Agile transformation today and check out these free resources to help you and your team develop a more Agile legal practice: https://www.agileattorney.com/start

023. Roots of the Lawyer Shortage

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 01:00:00 -0700

The lawyer shortage is a complex issue with multiple factors at play, but the impacts are becoming apparent everywhere, from the public defender crisis to the civil access to justice gap, to the fierce competition for hiring and retaining mid-career associates. But what are the roots of this lawyer shortage?

Tune in this week to discover what I believe are the roots of the lawyer shortage. I highlight the significant shifts we've seen in the legal services industry, analyze how increasingly complex federal laws and regulations have changed the landscape of legal demand, and I discuss what all of this means for the future of your legal firm and our whole industry.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/23

Start your Agile transformation today and check out these free resources to help you and your team develop a more Agile legal practice: https://www.agileattorney.com/start

022. How to Write Effective Law Firm Policies

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 01:00:00 -0700

I've spoken before about the importance of making policies explicit. But what does it mean to draft an effective policy in your law firm?

Tune in this week to discover what I believe are the elements that comprise a good policy, and learn how to get your team on board in implementing your policies. I share a template for writing effective policies in your law firm, give you examples of policies I use with my clients, and I even dive into the slightly meta idea of a policy for writing policies in a law practice.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/22

Grab my free Law Firm Policy Template & Policy Library and other resources mentioned in today's episode to help you and your team develop a more Agile legal practice here: https://www.agileattorney.com/start

021. You Can't Scale Your Way Out of a Sustainability Problem

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 01:00:00 -0700

One of the features of modern business is that there's tons of pressure to grow, scale, and do more with less. Lawyers and their teams aren't exempt from this expectation. It makes sense to leverage our resources and our impact. However, growth for the sake of growth isn't necessarily the healthiest approach for your business, or for the people in it.

Tune in this week to discover the critical importance of prioritizing sustainability before scalability in your law practice. I discuss why you can't scale your way out of a sustainability problem, and you'll learn how to identify the areas of your law practice that are currently unsustainable, so you can clear a pathway toward making scaling a real possibility.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/21

Start your Agile transformation today and check out these free resources to help you and your team develop a more Agile legal practice: https://www.agileattorney.com/start

020. The “Really Check:” Fostering Accountability with Jess Birken & Meghan Heitkamp

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 01:00:00 -0700

In past episodes, I’ve talked in detail about individual practices and how the Kanban method has upleveled them, and today’s show provides living proof. That’s because I’m talking with two clients of mine, Jess Birkin and Megan Heitkamp, of the Birkin Law Office, about the start of their practice and how they’ve transformed their business with systematic improvements.

Together we’ll discuss how these concepts and frameworks are wholly trainable and teachable, allowing you to bring full teams on board and then streamline processes even more effectively (think automated lead nurturing campaigns). Even better, this episode can serve as a case study that these systemizations can improve your practice too.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/20

Start your Agile transformation today and check out these free resources to help you and your team develop a more Agile legal practice: https://www.agileattorney.com/start

019. Fit for Purpose: Designing Legal Services To Meet Client Needs

Thu, 30 May 2024 01:00:00 -0700

Have you ever put a ton of time and attention into a piece of legal work only to realize that it's not quite hitting the mark for your client? Or maybe you've delivered a technically flawless document, but your client’s just sort of “meh” about the whole thing, like they just don't seem to be satisfied?

Tune in this week to discover how the Fit for Purpose framework helps you deliver what your clients need, when they need it. You'll learn the three core components of evaluating whether your legal offerings are Fit for Purpose, how to come up with user models around common Fit-for-Purpose criteria, and how to design Fit for Purpose products and services that are 'just right' for your firm's context and resources.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/19

Start your Agile transformation today and check out these free resources to help you and your team develop a more Agile legal practice: https://www.agileattorney.com/start

018. Understanding "Jobs To Be Done" to Unlock Hidden Client Needs

Thu, 23 May 2024 01:00:00 -0700

Most lawyers think of their intake form as something that they need to send to the client so they can get the information they need to actually do the legal work their client requires. But what if we shifted the perspective and instead asked the question, "What is the job that my client is hiring my intake form to do?"

Tune in this week to gain a deep understanding in "Jobs To Be Done" Theory and unlock hidden client needs in the process. You'll learn how to better understand the job that your client is hiring your product to accomplish, as well as get clarity around the scope of competition for your products and services, so you can innovate the products and services you offer in your law practice to better meet your clients' needs.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/18

Start your Agile transformation today and check out these free resources to help you and your team develop a more Agile legal practice: https://www.agileattorney.com/start

017. How Minimum Viable Products Can Improve Efficiency AND Quality

Thu, 16 May 2024 01:00:00 -0700

As you work to meet the high standards you set for yourself, it can become impossible to get tasks all the way through to done. However, in today's episode, I'm bringing you a framework that will help counterbalance your natural tendency to overbuild in the early stages of developing a process or product, so you can ultimately land on a higher-quality output than if you'd tried to build the perfect product from the outset: the minimum viable product or MVP.

Tune in this week for some insight into the minimum viable product and the valuable role that minimum viable products can play in delivering quality in your law practice, especially when you're setting out to create something new and you aren't yet 100% sure what 'good quality' is going to look like.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/17

Start your Agile transformation today and check out these free resources to help you and your team develop a more Agile legal practice: https://www.agileattorney.com/start

016. Aligning Your Firm's People and Systems with Tim Lennon

Thu, 09 May 2024 01:00:00 -0700

You've heard me talk about the individual practices and concepts from the Kanban method, but today's episode is an exciting opportunity for you to learn from one of my teachers in this world of Agile, Kanban, and Lean: Tim Lennon.

Tim shares his experiences using and teaching the core practices of the Kanban method (like making work visible, limiting work in progress, managing flow) and how those practices work together to create balanced systems that are primed to create better customer outcomes while also bringing internal balance in your delivery teams.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/16

015. Mastering Effective Handoffs in Your Legal Practice

Thu, 02 May 2024 01:00:00 -0700

Handing off work, especially multiple back-and-forth handoffs, can be a huge source of delay and rework in your law practice.

Tune in this week to discover how to be more effective when handing off work in your legal practice, minimizing the negative effects of ineffective handoffs. Rework is a harmful form of waste in your practice, so you’ll learn about the three different kinds of handoffs that occur in a law practice, and I give you practical tips for mastering effective handoffs.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/15

014. How to Prioritize Work Within Your Law Practice

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -0700

Ever started your Monday already swamped with emails and tasks, all competing for your attention? Determining the best sequence to tackle these tasks is crucial for maximizing your effectiveness throughout the week and beyond.

In today’s episode, I introduce a structured framework that enhances your ability to prioritize demands effectively, helping you manage your limited time and resources. You’ll also gain insights into common pitfalls to avoid when prioritizing projects and tasks in your law firm.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/14

013. Taming Email Overwhelm

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -0700

If you’re like a lot of attorneys, one of the more significant sources of overwhelm in your law practice comes from the sheer volume of emails and other communications you have to process in the course of your day.

In today’s episode, I share my recommendations for designing a better communications policy for creating more effective, efficient communications that will ultimately reduce the administrative overhead of dealing with email, Slack, Teams, or other related tools. I also share how to get hold of a downloadable template for creating your own communication policy in your law practice, prefilled with recommendations from this episode.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/13

012. Principles for Legal Design with Alexandra Devendra

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -0700

One of the hardest things to recognize in a law practice is how the default way in which lawyers approach and deliver their work creates barriers to access for everyday people trying to reach that lawyer’s services. So, how do you identify it and what can you do about it?

This week, Alexandra Devendra, founder of design-focused B Corp law firm Aligned Law and I discuss the design elements that help meet your clients’ human needs. We explore Alix’s passion for organizational design, development, and alternative ownership models, and Alix shares her tips and tricks for more intentional design in your law practice.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/12

011. The Definition of Done

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -0700

How do you know that you’ve done enough to meet the standards you’ve set for your law practice? Today, I have two specific tools that work beautifully together and amount to a specific type of quality standard policy that you can implement within your law practice.

Tune in this week as I share two important parts of the Agile Framework - Definition of Done and Definition of Ready. I’m discussing the role that checklists play in coming up with your Definition of Done and Definition of Ready, and you’ll learn how these tools help you ensure the flow of work and client-facing deliverables through your systems.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/11

010. Make Policies Explicit

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 05:00:00 -0700

If you don’t have explicit policies, it becomes incredibly difficult to develop any consistency around how and when you deliver your work. Tune in this week to discover the importance of establishing simple but clear policies in your law practice.

Those policies are going to be the key to improving the quality and consistency of your work product and your workflow. You’ll learn two different ways to think about policies that can help you accomplish the same thing, but ultimately, I think one of them is more powerful than the other.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/10

009. Focus on Quality To Improve Efficiency

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 05:00:00 -0700

What if the best way to improve the efficiency of your law practice is to not try to improve efficiency at all, but to focus on quality instead? This may sound paradoxical, but focusing on quality, not efficiency, is the key to unlocking more balanced workloads, smoother workflow, increased capacity, and ultimately greater efficiency while delivering an improved client experience along the way.

On today’s show, I'm musing on why I believe quality improvement and process improvement are the same thing. Plus, I'm sharing the cascade of events that occurs when you focus on defining and prioritizing quality in your services and deliverables.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/9

007. Don’t Let Efficiency Destroy Customer Value

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 06:00:00 -0700

Streamlining processes in your law practice makes sense. It saves you and your team precious time and energy and keeps the backend running smoothly. However, optimizing a system for efficiency doesn’t always go down well with clients. In fact, it can reduce customer value and loyalty, leaving them disengaged from the process you’re helping them through.

Tune in this week to discover how you might unknowingly be alienating your customers in an effort to have efficient systems in your law firm. I’m discussing how to find the line that separates efficiency and customer value, and you’ll learn how to help customers see intrinsic value in becoming part of your streamlined systems.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/7

006. What Clients Really Want from Lawyers

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 06:00:00 -0700

When somebody hires a lawyer, what are they really looking for? One mainstay of being an Agile Attorney is delivering customer value consistently, so how do you invest your time and experience in your practice now to create an environment that prioritizes client value in your firm?

Discover how you can pivot in your law firm to provide the kind of value your clients really want from you. I’m giving you tools that will help you expand what you’re able to offer your clients, aside from advancing their legal matters, to meet their human needs without neglecting the social and emotional complexities that people experience when navigating the legal system.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/6

005. Close the Closable: Finding Balance in Your Caseload

Thu, 22 Feb 2024 06:00:00 -0700

Do you have numerous cases close to being completed but, because they are no longer urgent, they sit among the rest of your work and make you feel overwhelmed by all there is to do? Many firms overlook addressing this common issue as an opportunity to reduce the total amount of work in their system.

This week, I’m building on concepts we’ve talked about over the last few weeks to help you organize your law practice. I’ll cover two important concepts related to law practice management and how to prioritize where you set your and your team’s finite time and attention. I’ll also introduce new concepts to help you reduce administration overheads and close cases and tasks that are closeable in your law practice.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/5

004. Kanban Board Essentials for Lawyers

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 09:00:00 -0700

There is a wealth of tools out there designed to streamline your workflow, easy to pick up and capable of adapting in countless ways as you master them. A personal favorite of mine is the Kanban board.

We'll explore various board types, identifying the one that best meets your practice's needs and pinpointing bottlenecks in your process. You'll learn how to introduce useful complexity into your workflow modeling, understand the differences between Matter-level and Task-level boards, and decide which one suits your practice's requirements.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/4

003. Finding and Fixing Bottlenecks to Drive Law Practice Efficiency

Thu, 08 Feb 2024 09:00:00 -0700

Are you hitting roadblocks in your legal delivery systems because of stubborn bottlenecks that disrupt the flow of work? It feels like every new solution out there promises smoother operations, yet often, they just end up shifting the problem elsewhere.

In today’s episode, I’m going to guide you through the most effective strategies for getting work to move seamlessly through your system again. We’ll take a close look at the bottleneck areas in your law practice and discuss why making improvements in the wrong areas doesn’t really cut it.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/3

002. The Honest Reckoning with Capacity

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 09:00:00 -0700

If you're feeling overwhelmed or overburdened in your law practice, it may be a sign that you're operating beyond your current capacity. But how do you know what that is? And how can you go from prioritizing intake and growth to focusing on delivering quality work within the firm's capacity?

In this episode, I provide tools to help you get back within a comfortable capacity and deliver the work you promised to clients and customers. You will discover how to think of capacity in a way that avoids feeling overwhelmed and instead lays the foundation for future clients, while also keeping the promises already made to your people. Start the process today of striking a better balance between your real current capacity and the commitments that you make in a way that is agile and free of burden.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/2

001. Four Agile Principles to Help Your Legal Practice

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -0700

Do you ever feel discouraged or overwhelmed by the amount of unfinished work in your law practice? Are you ever juggling so many balls that you’re worried something is going to drop and you may not notice when it does? Join me this week as I dive deeper into what the Agile Methodology is and how it can help you avoid the overwhelm that leads to problems and burnout.

I share the four principles of Agile Methodology and how beneficial they can be for your practice and encourage you to slow down and think about what each of these principles means in the context of your firm or business.

For full show notes, transcript, and more information, visit: https://www.agileattorney.com/1

Start Here: Build a Practice That is Profitable, Scalable, and Sustainable

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 14:53:00 -0700

Hi, I'm John Grant. I'm an operations expert on a mission to help legal professionals of all kinds build practices that are profitable, scalable, and sustainable for themselves and the communities they serve.

I created this podcast for law firm owners, in-house leaders, practice group leads, and really any other legal professional who wants to reduce overwhelm and gain better visibility and control over their legal delivery workflows. After all, you should be running your law practice. It shouldn't be running you.

Before I became a lawyer, my first career was with a wildly successful technology start-up, and I've spent the last decade applying the tools of modern entrepreneurship to help legal practices become more successful. Along the way, I've learned that a lot of the conventional wisdom around how to manage a law practice isn't actually so wise.

Each week, I'll draw upon my experience with agile project management, lean manufacturing, the theory of constraints, and other proven methods to help you improve not just how you manage your law practice, but how you think about legal services and the value you bring to your clients.

If you're ready to bust through your law practice bottlenecks and uncover ways to bring whole new levels of client value and get recognized for that value, please subscribe or follow the show wherever you get your podcasts.

Thank you, and see you in the next episode.

Voice of the Client: Jason

Tue, 05 Oct 2021 19:00:00 -0700

In this bonus series of the Agile Attorney Podcast, we are focusing on the Voice of the Client. I am bringing you the stories of real people, in their own voice, talking about the challenges and successes they've had dealing with lawyers.

Today you will hear from Jason, a maintenance technician at an industrial plant who represented himself through the majority of his divorce proceedings in Massachusetts. Listen more to hear what happened to his original attorney, how he prepared for court and what his takeaways are from the process.

For show notes and more information, be sure to visit https://www.agileattorney.com/podcast

Voice of the Client: Dennis

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 13:42:00 -0700

Today you will hear from Dennis, a financial planner in central California. In Dennis's Case, he's not hiring the lawyer as a client, but he is "hiring" lawyers that he can trust to handle the legal work for *his* clients.

For show notes and more information, be sure to visit https://www.agileattorney.com/podcast

Voice of the Client: Amy

Tue, 06 Jul 2021 12:00:00 -0700

Delivering customer value is at the heart of being Agile. That’s why, in this bonus series of the Agile Attorney Podcast, I’m focusing on the Voice of the Client. I am bringing you the stories of real people in their own voice talking about the challenges and successes they have had dealing with lawyers.

Today you will hear from Amy who only has good things to say about the lawyers she works with regularly. For me, it highlights what's possible when there's strong mission alignment and open lines of communication between attorney and client. Amy also disavows me of a false dichotomy that I was trying to draw between lawyers and scientists so I will go ahead and take my lumps on that one. Overall I really appreciate how she thinks about the role of her lawyers in helping her frame the important business decisions she has to make.

For show notes and more information, be sure to visit https://www.agileattorney.com/podcast

Voice of the Client: Angel

Thu, 24 Jun 2021 11:30:00 -0700

In this bonus series of the Agile Attorney Podcast, we are focusing on the Voice of the Client. I am bringing you the stories of real people in their own voice talking about the challenges and successes they have had dealing with lawyers.

Today you will hear from Angel who has had some serious challenges in the workplace at the intersection of racial and gender discrimination. There is a lot to unpack in this interview, but one of the things I hear is an internal struggle about how to value the effort he gets from his lawyer. In the end, Angel learns some tips from his lawyer that helps him navigate future challenges in the workplace.

For show notes and more information, be sure to visit https://www.agileattorney.com/podcast

Voice of the Client: Lynn

Wed, 09 Jun 2021 22:56:00 -0700

Today you will hear from Lynn who is in the later stages of a custody battle. I’m excited for you to hear her opinions about her lawyers and the legal process in general. She voices her frustrations both with her case and their implication for the larger society. So listen along as she talks about going through 3 different attorneys and what went wrong. We also talk about what the most recent one finally got right.

Additionally, Lynn is a marketing professional, so she shares some tips for lawyers trying to communicate with their clients and prospects.

For show notes and more information, be sure to visit https://www.agileattorney.com/podcast