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Litigation Radio: The Toll It Takes: Litigation, Substance Abuse, And (Maybe) You

Meet the ‘inscrutable’ SCOTUS justice who made the Nuremberg trials possible

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 16:30:14 +0000

Robert H. Jackson was not an easy man to know, but “I found being in Robert Jackson’s company on the whole a great pleasure,” says G. Edward White, author of the new biography Robert H. Jackson: A Life in Judgement.

A longtime ally of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Jackson served as both Solicitor General and Attorney General before FDR nominated him to the U.S. Supreme Court. However, he often pined for his previous life as a small-town litigator in Jamestown, New York. A solitary worker by nature, Jackson did not relish the collegiate aspects of the court, and his influence was therefore limited.

“Jackson was nominally gregarious, active, fun-loving, witty pleasant–but at the same time, he was remote,” White tells Modern Law Library’s host Lee Rawles. “In some ways, his gregariousness was a barrier to maybe a closer understanding of him.”

But as a litigator and as a justice, Jackson made important historical contributions.

One major such contribution was in establishing the format and location of the post-World War II international military tribunals of Nazi leaders, now known as the Nuremberg Trials. Jackson took a leave of absence from the U.S. Supreme Court to be the country’s lead negotiator as the United States, Great Britain, France and the Soviet Union debated how tribunals would take place. He then served as the United States’ chief prosecutor.

White and Rawles also discuss the roadblocks that have prevented Jackson from being better known in legal history; how Justice Felix Frankfurter tried to protect Jackson’s post-death legacy; and Jackson’s controversial cross-examination of Nazi politician Hermann Goering.

In honor of the Olympics, White (who has written books on baseball and soccer) also shares his perspective on the benefits that athletics brings to lawyers.

A Texas-Sized Look at Our Constitution on its 150th Birthday

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 12:00:52 +0000

To mark the sesquicentennial of the Texas Constitution, host Rocky Dhir is joined by two eminent Texans—Texas Supreme Court Justice Evan Young and legal historian Dr. Bill Chriss. They offer a deep dive into the foundational document’s history and evolution, tracing its iterations from 1876 to the present day and exploring how its framework for self-governance continues to serve the people of Texas well.

To learn more about the unique and fascinating story of our state constitution, read Dr. Chriss’ book: Six Constitutions Over Texas: Texas’ Political Identity, 1830–1900.

Justice Evan A. Young was appointed to the Supreme Court of Texas in November 2021 by Governor Greg Abbott and later elected in November 2022 to serve through December of 2028.

Dr. Bill Chriss is a self-described lifelong learner. As a lawyer, historian, and author, his work straddles the worlds of academia, family, writing, and appellate law.

AI Takes The Blame, Epstein Takes The Careers

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 15:15:47 +0000

With a Biglaw firm officially blaming staff layoffs on AI, what is it going to look like if and when layoffs come for lawyers? It’s unlikely to look the same for every Biglaw business model. And it could look even more different for boutiques. Embattled Goldman Sachs chief legal officer Kathryn Ruemmler announced that she’d be leaving her role after her Jeffrey Epstein connections came out in the last file dump. And we found out that the late Ken Starr thought of Epstein as a brother, which tracks. We also saw the first majr firm strike a blow against the expedited law school recruiting cycle.

Religious Employers and Employment Law: Whose Rights?

Ally Kvidt — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 16:30:17 +0000

Religious organizations and their employees fall into a murky and often-overlooked area of labor and employment law. Guests James “Jim” Paul and Michael Subit practice in employment and labor law and are versed in the world of religious employers and their workers.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act carves out some interesting exemptions in employment law regarding religion-based businesses, but some recent court rulings seem to conflict with each other. Paul and Subit join host Matt Greer to delve into what constitutes a “religious employer” and where religious beliefs and practices challenge existing employment laws.

A recent appeals court ruling spells out nine questions regarding religion-based retailers, religious hospitals, and other businesses. Is it created for profit? Does it make a secular product? Do articles of incorporation state a religious purpose? All of these considerations may matter.

This issue goes way beyond practicing a religion. Consider same sex marriage, certain behaviors, and reproductive rights. Hear how quickly employer and employee rights can conflict. Is a Supreme Court showdown on the horizon?

Mental Health & the Legal Profession

Ally Kvidt — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 14:40:29 +0000

The legal profession can be a stressful one. Whether its workload, the demands of clients, financial pressure or long days and nights, it can be overwhelming to many.

So what kind of toll is this stress having on lawyers? And where can you get help?

On this episode of Lawyer 2 Lawyer, Craig joins Attorney Jason Ward, public speaker on mental wellness and addiction, as they discuss mental health & the legal profession. Craig & Jason talk about the stressors that come with the profession, the impact, how to alleviate the day-to-day stress of the occupation, and where to get help.

Mentioned in this Episode:

ABA’s Well Being Toolkit

Epstein Fallout Rocks Legal As Admin Tries To Deflect From ICE

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 16:00:44 +0000

As predicted on last week’s episode, Brad Karp left the top post at Paul Weiss following the disclosure of friendly correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein. But Karp wasn’t the only Biglaw lawyer in the files, nor were his conversations the most troubling. A former Clifford Chance trainee drafted a sex contract with Epstein, Goldman Sachs GC Kathy Ruemmler made a joke with Epstein that normally you wouldn’t make with someone who already pleaded guilty to child prostitution charges, and Alan Dershowitz managed to drag Paul Weiss into the case again when people found sex tourism legal analysis in the files from a now-Paul Weiss partner… passing along Dershowitz’s thoughts.

Meanwhile in Minnesota, a DOJ lawyer called out the broken immigration system before literally asking to be held in contempt so she could get some sleep. which is what happens when an administration breaks the legal system so thoroughly that even its own lawyers can’t keep up with the chaos. And legal tech took a financial jolt as Anthropic announced its entry into the legal tech space.

The One Where Gyi and Conrad Rock the Boat

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 09:00:06 +0000

Hey, friends. The hard truth of it is—It’s bad for business if there’s no rule of law. We’re grateful for the voices in the profession that have shown a willingness to defend our nation’s laws in the midst of uncertainty. Later, Conrad shares tips for making friends.

We’ve been heartened to see a variety of voices standing up for the rule of law in recent weeks, and working in legal, we know the pressures firms feel as they consider how to engage in our current political climate. But, on this we can all agree: The rule of law is essential for the health and prosperity of our nation. Gyi and Conrad take a moment to share stories and amplify the voices of those who have shown their commitment to uphold the Constitution.

Next, Conrad really opened a can of worms on Facebook this week. Come for the drama, stay for the tactical tips on standing out in a world of private equity-backed agencies. Grab some popcorn.

The News:

Bob Ambrogi digs into the hopeful thought that legal-specific tech platforms can do a better job for lawyers’ AI needs – Anthropic’s Legal Plugin for Claude Cowork May Be the Opening Salvo In A Competition Between Foundation Models and Legal Tech Incumbents
Multiple clients have seen a 40% drop in their local visibility. Seems shady, eh?
If you don’t control your WordPress site, there’s a problem, folks. Gyi & Conrad explain how to own your stuff from the get-go.
Announcing the Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Summit in Nashville, Tennessee! It’s gonna be a great time, everyone. Get your tickets before they’re all gone!

Mentioned:

NCBP discusses the rule of law: Presidential Check-In – A Conversation with Patrick Palace
Sign the Pledge!

Listen Next:

Local Love, Review Realities, and the Truth about Google’s PMax Campaigns

Connect:

Al Ludwig’s LinkedIn post

The Help: What labor rights do domestic workers have

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 12:00:58 +0000

A foundational principle of Anglo-American law is that “a man’s house is his castle.” It establishes rights ranging from privacy to justifiable homicide. But what about when your castle is another person’s workplace? What rights do they have?

In Bringing Law Home: Gender, Race and Household Labor Rights, Katherine Eva Maich examines the history of labor protections for nannies, housecleaners and other household employees, and compares how domestic workers fare under the laws in New York City and Lima, Peru.

In this episode, Maich and the Modern Law Library’s host Lee Rawles discuss human trafficking, worker rights and responsibilities, the impacts of slavery and colonialism on the Global South, and the real human relationships that develop between employees and employers within the home.

Accountability In An Age Of Unaccountability

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 17:45:25 +0000

A flurry of stories hit the legal world all at once last week, with the government responding to another ICE killing in Minnesota by… arresting journalists and dumping Epstein files. And while the Epstein files don’t represent the entire universe — or, perhaps, even the most relevant — files about Epstein’s dealings, they have set off downstream shockwaves in the legal industry. Meanwhile, another judge learns that we frown upon judges arbitrarily handcuffing lawyers. Finally, it’s time for the profession to come together behind helping our self-regulators hold Trump administration lawyers accountable. The ethical breaches keep adding up and while there’s never going to be the warranted criminal law reckoning, we can at least make sure our profession is protected by disbarring all these administration lawyers getting caught affirmatively lying to courts… and worse.

The Legalities Behind ICE, The Constitution, Minnesota, & the Impact on the Rule of Law

Adam Lockwood — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 16:30:23 +0000

The recent fatal shootings of Renee Good & Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Minnesota shook the nation and the world. In recent months, the tactics and actions of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known as ICE, have reached a boiling point in communities and have come under scrutiny for the treatment of civilians. In response, many have taken to the streets to protest.

With the Trump administration’s mission to deport dangerous criminals, a recent internal ICE policy specifically allowed agents to go door to door without a judicial warrant, in direct contradiction to the Fourth Amendment (unreasonable searches and seizures by the government). As protestors lined the streets, an individual’s First Amendment rights—freedom of speech and assembly in particular—were also under attack.

Are we currently witnessing the shredding of the U.S Constitution and the rule of law? Will there be investigations into the actions of ICE? Will the legislative branch step in? On this episode of Lawyer 2 Lawyer, Craig joins David Cole, Professor in Law and Public Policy at Georgetown Law and former National Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Craig & David discuss the legalities behind the actions of ICE, the constitutional rights of individuals who encounter ICE agents, the recent tragedies in Minnesota surrounding ICE agents and civilians, and the overall impact these actions are having on the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution.

Trump’s Cook Case Looks Cooked

Adam Lockwood — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 21:00:36 +0000

After taking a hacksaw to nearly a century’s worth of congressionally approved independent agencies, the Supreme Court appeared to hit a wall during oral argument over Trump’s attempted firing of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. The Unitary Executive Theory is all fun and games until the justices start worrying about their personal finances. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice now takes the position that the text of the Alien Enemies Act would have authorized the unilateral deportation of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones for being part of the “British Invasion.” Finally, Willkie Farr hit with massive lawsuit alleging the firm helped out a former client’s fraud.

Local Love, Review Realities, and the Truth about Google’s PMax Campaigns

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 16:30:57 +0000

As you advertise locally, advertise your localness! Then, what’s a small firm to do in the sea of reviews? And, we really hate Google’s Performance Max nonsense.

Lots to cover today, folks! Being connected to your community matters, and consumers respond with notable positivity to ads that emphasize all the local feels. Gyi and Conrad have plenty of insights on making the most of where you’re planted.

Next, fake reviews keep pouring in, and you need a clear strategy to rise above the flood. The guys share tactical tips for directing your resources to become a strong competitor in your marketplace.

And, lastly, Google’s PMax campaigns are a mighty unfunny joke. Ugh. The data is in, and—surprise, surprise—Google might not have your best interest at heart. Gyi and Conrad pick apart the latest data to help you understand what these campaigns are (not) doing for your law firm.

The News:

OpenAI put this out there: Our approach to advertising and expanding access to ChatGPT. And, just to remind you all, at one point they told us ads were definitely not in the game plan. But… qué será, será, eh?
Near Media’s “Near Memo” podcast welcomed our very own Gyi for a chat you should definitely go listen to: AI Is Breaking Local Search—But Google Still Decides Who Gets Chosen

Mentioned:

Listen Next:

Conrad’s Crystal Ball V: Lawyer Marketing Predictions for 2026

Connect:

The Monroe Doctrine

Why Being Right Won’t Set You Free — Hard Knox with Amanda Knox

Ally Kvidt — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 12:00:01 +0000

In this episode of Hard Knox, now airing on For the Innocent, Amanda Knox sits down with Michael Semanchik and exoneree Scott McMahon. Scott is an American who endured more than five years of imprisonment in the Philippines for a crime he did not commit. Together, Amanda, Mike, and Scott confront the deep flaws of the Philippine justice system, examining how delay and corruption turned an unfounded accusation into a years-long, life-altering ordeal for Scott and his family.

Listen to more of Amanda’s episodes: Hard Knox with Amanda Knox

Learn more about Scott’s case: Scott McMahon – The Innocence Center

Alienating Our Affections

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 16:00:43 +0000

The Biglaw world continues to watch single-tier partnerships slip away with Sullivan & Cromwell joining the income partner trend. Will the industry have any single-tier firms left by the end of the year? Also former Senator and current Hogan Lovells lawyer Kyrsten Sinema tagged with an alienation of affection tort from her former bodyguard’s soon-to-be ex-wife. Come for the bad soap opera plot, stay for the MDMA-inspired psychedelic trip allegations. Finally, the Supreme Court got hacked, but federal law enforcement managed, a couple years after the fact, to track down the culprit whose social media handle was “ihackedthegovernment.” Cracker jack work all around.

The Venezuela Invasion, the Monroe Doctrine, International Law, and Trump Takeovers

Ally Kvidt — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 12:00:54 +0000

On January 3, 2026, the U.S. military captured Venezuela’s president Nicolas Maduro and his wife and brought them back to the United States where they faced criminal charges related to drug trafficking. Many questioned the legality of the invasion and a policy from the 1800s called the Monroe Doctrine was being alluded to by the current administration. Trump’s reinterpretation of the Monroe Doctrine nicknamed

“The Donroe Doctrine” by Trump himself, was originally a policy created back in 1823 by then-President James Monroe to oppose European interference in the Western Hemisphere. Trump reinvoked Monroe in his decision to take over Venezuela and publicly made threats to take over other countries.

On this episode of Lawyer 2 Lawyer, Craig joins Claire Finkelstein, Professor of National Security Law and faculty director of the Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law (CERL) at University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. Craig & Claire discuss international law, the Monroe Doctrine, the legality of the Venezuela invasion, and the threats from the Trump administration of possible takeovers of other countries.

Mentioned in this Episode:

In Dispute: Why John Adams Defended the British Soldiers During the Boston Massacre Trials

Conrad’s Crystal Ball V: Lawyer Marketing Predictions for 2026

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 15:20:51 +0000

Mystic for hire! Conrad dusts off the ol’ prophetic orb for a look at what 2026 has in store for lawyers and legal marketers.

We know you’re itching to hear those future fortunes, but hang on a second! First, Gyi and Conrad look back at their previous predictions to see how well they forecasted 2025. I mean, you want to know whether you can trust these guys, right?

And, well, those results aside, the guys then gaze into the depths to pick out the important marketing trends to watch in 2026. More AI stuff, new law firm business structures, anybody who could do anything about fake reviews will do absolutely nothing about it… and more! Cheers to a New Year!

The News:

Quite the play, Google. – Official: Apple Intelligence & Siri To Be Powered By Google Gemini
Better pay attention to this one, folks. Commercial environments are changing, but watching this trajectory should help us wrap our heads around it: New tech and tools for retailers to succeed in an agentic shopping era.
And, Jay Ruane wrote a stellar book! – Analog Marketing in a Digital World: A Blueprint for Attorneys to Dominate Local Markets by Being Human

Suggested LHLM Episodes:

Conrad’s Crystal Ball IV | Lawyer Marketing Predictions for 2025 – Legal Talk Network

Connect:

Minnesota Becoming A Constitutional Law Issue-Spotter

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 16:00:40 +0000

With polls showing more Americans now favor abolishing ICE than keeping it, a lot of people will be disappointed to learn that the law is set up to make it almost impossible to hold anyone accountable for killing Renee Good. From sovereign immunity, to the Federal Officer Removal Statute, to the decline of Bivens, to qualified immunity, the whole system is arrayed to shield federal agents from legal redress. Speaking of the Minnesota ICE surge, we moved a step closer to a genuine Third Amendment case after the Department of Homeland Security pressured Hilton Hotels into dropping a franchisee that had refused to rent rooms to DHS. And finally, Judge James Ho published a broadside against fellow judges in his bid to reach the top of the Trump administration’s Supreme Court wishlist. And all he had to do was mock judges receiving violent threats and dishonor a judge’s murdered son.

What’s on tap for 2026 when it comes to generative AI?

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 12:00:49 +0000

In 2025, we saw greater adoption of generative artificial intelligence tools across all areas of the legal industry. Will 2026 bring more of the same? Or will there be a backlash or reaction of some sort? What about the regulatory landscape for AI? Will 2026 bring federal guidelines, or will we have to wait for 2027 or beyond?

Dennis & Tom’s 2026 Tech Resolutions

Ally Kvidt — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 18:00:39 +0000

Dennis and Tom continue their proud tradition of pondering the panorama of timely tech happenings and sharing personal resolutions for learning and development. But first, they both take a look at last year’s goals to gauge their progress (or, ahem, lack thereof). As for new resolutions—from investigative AI problem solving to streamlined tech tool usage to open-sourced writing to content creation, there’s lots to do in 2026!

Later, the guys are loath to make predictions in an unpredictable world, but decided to take a stab at it anyway! Listen in for their thoughts on the possible future and what technologies may become increasingly essential for lawyers.

As always, stay tuned for the parting shots, that one tip, website, or observation that you can use the second the podcast ends.

Have a technology question for Dennis and Tom? Call their Tech Question Hotline at 720-441-6820 for the answers to your most burning tech questions.

Show Notes:

Beyond the Algorithm: How TRAIGA Will Rewrite AI Governance in Texas

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 17:05:57 +0000

New Texas AI legislation will take effect January 1, 2026. What will this mean for your legal practice? The Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act (TRAIGA) aims to regulate the development and deployment of artificial intelligence systems in the state to address issues such as discrimination, intentional harm, illegal sexual content, and the use of biometric data. Rocky Dhir welcomes Chris Schwegmann to help us unpack the nuances of TRAIGA legislation and understand its implications for the practice of law.

The discussion later shifts to the effective and ethical deployment of AI within legal practice. Chris highlights its capabilities by detailing his firm’s approach to AI tools. With proper use, AI has the potential to enhance your legal work and streamline processes to allow for greater attention to high-level tasks.

Chris Schwegmann is managing partner at Lynn, Pinker, Hurst & Schwegmann in Dallas, Texas.

What place do prisons have in democracies?

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 16:00:28 +0000

The idea that prisoners should be treated humanely was discussed by Enlightenment Era aristocrats, “but the idea that they are people who are peers is new,” says Yale Law professor Judith Resnik.

“As Democratic norms turned us all into equal citizens, equal persons in a jurisdiction, the question of government’s relationships in courts, policing, schools and prisons changed over the last hundred years,” says Resnik, author of Impermissible Punishments: How Prison Became a Problem for Democracy.

In this episode of the Modern Law Library, Resnik walks host Lee Rawles through centuries of discussion about how punishments are deemed to be permissible, from a trial about whipping prisoners in Arkansas to the League of Nations’ effort to develop minimum standards of treatment in prisons worldwide.

“People who run prisons have a very challenging time, and there’s a body of data growing that people who work in prisons, like people who live in them, have higher stress, heart attacks, blood pressure, suicide rates,” Resnik tells Rawles. “These are terrible environments of concrete and metal and noise and often dirt and violence. In the United States, many people who are in detention have had mental health issues and behavioral issues of significant kinds. And when you take people with limited training, often with staffs that are too thin, interacting with overcrowded facilities of metal and concrete, with limited resources, you end up generating scary places for everybody.

“So one of the kind of puzzles, if you step back, is how a thing called corrections, that promises safety, has generated institutions that are deeply unsafe for the people who live and work in them.”

2026 Prediction Time!

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 16:30:21 +0000

We begin the year by peering into our crystal balls and issuing some predictions for 2026. Who will be fired? What’s going to happen with law schools? Is a big change on the horizon for Biglaw? Our predictions will inevitably be wrong, but we’ll offer them with a lot of confidence — just like AI would.

Also a whole lot of sports talk for a law podcast.

EP09: Exploring the Taylor Swift ticket case

Ally Kvidt — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 12:00:43 +0000

The Case Doctors explore what legal recourse Taylor Swift fans might have when the tickets they bought for $14,000 didn’t turn out to be what they paid for. Plus, John Simon and Alvin Wolff discuss strategies for an attorney contemplating how to handle a case involving 200 garden gnomes that allegedly violated Homeowners’ Association rules.

A Look Back At The 2025 Dumpster Fire

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 12:00:33 +0000

We’ve made it to the end of the year! And what do we have to show for it as a profession? Our most elite law firms signed deals rather than stand up for themselves in the face of illegal Trump bullying efforts. Others quietly tried to erase their history to avoid the administration’s ire. But some firms did fight back and achieved consistent success in court, while the dealmakers got heckled and derided by young lawyers. And, as anyone who has ever watched Star Wars knows, deals with authoritarians just get worse all the time. The New York Times even wrote a feature on a certain publication covering this story.

We also ran headlong into a constitutional crisis marked by DOJ lawyers lying to courts — when the DOJ even bothers to field lawyers legally — senior government officials declaring “war” on federal judges, and judges being arrested. As right-wing threats against federal judges escalated, the Supreme Court responded with disinterest, preferring to fan the flames with nakedly partisan shadow docket rulings to grease the wheels of Trump’s assault on the structure of government. And, finally, we look at the year of AI in legal. Hallucinations dominated the conversation — from law firms and judges alike — but this was also the year legal tech made huge bets on AI and folks started to realize that the profession can’t avoid the technology. The billable hour may finally be on the decline, but does AI risk making lawyers dumber?

Our Favorite Lawyerist Episodes of the Year, with Stephanie Everett & Zack Glaser

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 25 Dec 2025 12:00:07 +0000

As the year comes to a close, Stephanie Everett and Zack Glaser look back at the Lawyerist Podcast episodes that stood out most to them in episode 594 of the Lawyerist Podcast. From practical AI workflows and ethical guidance to mental health, communication, and leadership, this episode highlights the conversations that sparked new thinking and delivered real value.

Stephanie and Zack revisit standout moments, share why certain episodes resonated, and reflect on the themes that shaped the year—while inviting listeners to share which episodes made the biggest impact and what topics they’d like to hear more about in the year ahead.

Listen to some of the episodes highlighted this year:

Episode #585 – First Aid for the Mind: Mental Health and the Law, with Sumia and Jill — Apple | Spotify | LTN

Episode #577 – Rethinking Law Firm Growth in the Age of AI, with Sam Harden — Apple | Spotify | LTN

Episode #565 – Becoming the AI-Driven Leader, with Geoff Woods — Apple | Spotify | LTN

Episode #553 – AI Tools and Processes Every Lawyer Should Use, with Catherine Sanders Reach — Apple | Spotify | LTN

Episode #579 – Knee Deep in Escheating: Intricacies of Lawyer Trust Accounts, with Amy Woods — Apple | Spotify | LTN

Episode 539 – This VOICE HACK Will Transform Your Legal Career!, with Reena Cook — Apple | Spotify | LTN

Episode 554 – Competence and Diligence in Light of Changing Laws and Regulations, with Craig Dobson — Apple | Spotify | LTN

Have thoughts about today’s episode? Join the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X!

If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap Revisited yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Looking for help beyond the book? See if our coaching community is right for you.

Access more resources from Lawyerist at lawyerist.com.

Chapters / Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction & Year-End Reflection

01:35 – Why These Episodes Stood Out

01:56 – AI Tools and Practical Tech Takeaways

02:59 – Building Community and Adult Friendships

04:28 – Mental Health First Aid for Lawyers

07:06 – Ethics, Flat Fees, and Changing Scope

09:14 – Voice, Presence, and Communication Skills

11:46 – Becoming an AI-Driven Leader

14:36 – Rethinking Growth in the Age of AI

18:00 – Trust Accounting and Compliance Essentials

20:03 – Listener Feedback & Looking Ahead

21:07 – Closing Thoughts and Thanks

Closing Out The Year With Mergers And Attacks On The Rule Of Law

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 12:00:10 +0000

A critical analysis of the best variety of Coca-Cola product gives way to a conversation about law this week. Cadwalader ends its tumultuous year — involving a Trump administration capitulation and a series of defections — with a big quasi-transatlantic merger announcement with cross-Pond Hogan Lovells. Christmas came early — to the extent anyone thinks of U.S. News law school rankings as “Christmas” — with a prediction about the new law school pecking order. And it looks like garbage at a time when those rankings may be more important than ever. Also, ICE appears to be publishing an enemies list? That doesn’t seem great. All that and some thoughts on Alan Dershowitz writing a new book suggesting Trump might be able to get a third term despite the clear text of the Constitution.

Connecting with Faith Communities to Serve Those in Need

Ally Kvidt — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 12:00:32 +0000

Leaders from faith organizations and mission-driven nonprofits discuss the connections between faith communities and legal services on Talk Justice. For many, faith provides guiding principles, like the instruction to help those in need. The Salvation Army recently launched their Faith and Community Based Organizations’ Disaster Training. LSC developed a Faith Community Outreach Toolkit to help faith leaders understand the role of legal services.

Roasting Buckeyes || If You Screw Up the Honeymoon, You’re Headed for Divorce

Ally Kvidt — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 09:00:42 +0000

First—watch out, Ohio. The guys are sore losers, so they’re taking it out on one of your websites. Later, what should law firms be doing during the honeymoon phase with new clients?

Sour grapes, for sure: Following Michigan’s painful loss to Ohio State, Gyi and Conrad take revenge on Ohioans with a teardown of the Buckeye Law Group’s pathetic website. (Eesh—harsh, guys.) From ineffectual “Buckeye” branding to affinity-building misses to a phone number that leads to SOMEONE ELSE’S LAW FIRM, it’s not great. So, basically, Ohio drools, Michigan rules.

Later, Gyi and Conrad want you to have a long and happy marriage with your clients, so you’d better not bungle the honeymoon. During this new, formative time, there are certain things you should and shouldn’t do! The guys talk about building trust through great first impressions, exceptional communication, clear expectations—all the things that create a delightful customer experience for your new clients.

A Wee Bit o’ News:

Huh, Google is now allowing anonymous reviews. So, we’re wondering hard about whether this might encourage a mass influx of fake reviews… ya think? A few silver linings might exist, but let’s all just plan for the worst, shall we?

LHLM’s Top 5 Episodes of 2025!

Listen Next:

Does My Website Suck? | Law Firm Website Teardown

Connect:

Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Newsletter! – The Bite

Cox Communications, Inc. v. Sony Music Entertainment Brief of Amici Curiae ACLU et al. in Support of Petitioners

Cox Communications, Inc. v. Sony Music Entertainment: SCOTUS & Copyright Law

Ally Kvidt — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 12:00:26 +0000

On December 1, 2025, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments in the landmark copyright case, Cox Communications, Inc. v. Sony Music Entertainment.

This case centers on whether Cox, an internet service provider, can be held legally liable for copyright infringement committed by its subscribers when those users downloaded and shared thousands of copyrighted songs without permission.

On this episode of Lawyer 2 Lawyer, Craig joins Professor Christopher Jon Sprigman, Co-Director of the Engelberg Center on Innovation Law and Policy at NYU Law,

as they spotlight Cox Communications, Inc. v. Sony Music Entertainment.

Craig & Chris discuss this SCOTUS case, oral arguments, the friend-of-the-court brief, copyright law, and the potential impact of a future ruling.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Pop culture picks of 2025

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 12:00:37 +0000

Looking for something to occupy yourself over the holidays, or to kick off your 2026? Lee Rawles is joined by her fellow Legal Talk Network hosts Stephanie Everett of the Lawyerist podcast and Conrad Saam and Gyi Tsakalakis of Lunch Hour Legal Marketing to share what books, TV shows and movies they enjoyed this year. They also share some of their own resolutions for 2026–and reveal a special new project for the Modern Law Library, coming soon to your podcast feed.

At Least The Robots In The Coming War Against Humans Will Understand War Crimes

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 17:00:27 +0000

If you want 2025 in a nutshell, it doesn’t get much better than a blundering Secretary of Defense bragging that the Pentagon bought an expensive, bespoke AI bot and it immediately started calling out the Trump administration for committing war crimes. As the legal industry ventures into a hallucinatory AI frontier, it’s worth remembering that sometimes the bots outperform the human lawyers. At the Supreme Court, Justice Sotomayor tries to convince her colleagues not to blow up the federal government over a theory concocted in the 1970s. Sadly, she’s fighting the wrong fight. And in a world of mergers — especially cross-border mergers — we have a reminder that sometimes it doesn’t work out.

Survivors Guide to Prison: Examining a Broken System with Matthew Cooke

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 12:00:02 +0000

The failure rate of our prison systems is staggering, with recidivism exceeding 70% in nearly every state. What should this tell us about the success—or lack thereof—of our criminal justice system? And, how can those who are incarcerated survive the harshness of prison and avoid becoming part of the large percentage who seem to inevitably return?

This time on For the Innocent, Michael Semanchik welcomes Matthew Cooke, writer and director of Survivors Guide to Prison, a documentary exploring life in United States prisons from the perspectives of two wrongfully convicted men, Bruce Lisker and Reggie Cole. Drawing from his extensive research, Matthew reveals a system plagued with fundamentally misaligned incentives that do little to create pathways for inmates to succeed on the outside.

Michael and Matthew discuss new shifts in criminal justice reform and offer their thoughts on how to continue to bring this issue to the forefront of public discourse. The system is broken, but change is possible.

Listen to our episode about Bruce Lisker’s story: A Deceitful Detective & Manipulated Evidence – The Wrongful Conviction of Bruce Lisker.
Learn more about Matthew Cooke and his film projects on IMDB: Matthew Cooke – IMDb

Why Authenticity Builds Better Client Connections || LHLM Takeout

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 09:00:06 +0000

Authenticity can be a powerful differentiator in legal marketing. Many lawyers hesitate to share their personal story, but doing so can create real connection and trust with the right clients. Gyi sits down with Chris Earley to talk about his marketing journey and why authenticity matters. They also dive into Chris’s involvement in masterminds and coaching programs, his commitment to integrity and positive firm culture, and how those values show up in the way he connects with clients.

Read Chris’s book! – Scaling the Wall: One Man’s Journey of Healing Childhood Trauma to Find Fulfillment and Success: Earley, Christopher

Chris Earley is the founder and CEO of the Earley Law Group Injury Lawyers in Boston, Massachusetts.

Former EEOC Chair Charlotte Burrows on the State of Workplace Protections

Ally Kvidt — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 12:00:38 +0000

Live from Denver and the ABA Labor and Employment Law Section Annual Conference, a conversation with guest Charlotte Burrows on gender discrimination and the status of the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission).

Host Matt Greer talks in person with Burrows, the former chair of the EEOC and a fellow at both the University of California Berkeley’s Applied Technology Policy group and the New York University School of Law.

When most people spend the majority of their adult lives working, Burrows says there’s nothing more important than workplace protections against discrimination, sexual harassment, and abuse, regardless of sex and gender identity.

Today, recent attempts to roll back many protections have brought the mission of the EEOC into the spotlight. Hear from a lifelong fighter for workers’ rights about how the tug of war over conflicting interpretations of the law, along with staffing cutbacks and shortages at the EEOC, are impacting workplace rights, protections, and case processing.

Also, a few minutes with Salomon Chiquiar-Rabinovich Ph.D., 2025 winner of the ABA Labor and Employment Law Section’s Honorable Bernice B. Donald Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Legal Profession Award. Chiquiar-Rabinovich came to the US from Mexico and shares his inspiring story of immigration, his thirst for knowledge, and overcoming challenges and a disability in his service to others.

This Is Why We Have Bar Exams

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 18:15:36 +0000

Kim Kardashian is trying to enter the legal profession without a law school education. The bar exam is a deeply flawed and largely unnecessary test, but the best case for having some kind of licensing exam is to make sure anyone taking an alternative path to a law license meets the minimum requirements for a lawyer. Meanwhile, the Trump administration continues to oscillate between bluster and blunder. Lindsey Halligan’s doomed reign as quasi U.S. Attorney draws an ethics complaint. Luckily for her, the Virginia State Bar has no interest in doing its job. And Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche is threatening lawyers to stop pointing out DOJ mistakes.

Know Your Enemy—Or Your Competitors, At Least!

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 09:00:32 +0000

Where are your competitors spending their marketing money? Gyi and Conrad’s insights into this valuable data can help you stay ahead of the rivals in your market.

Competitive research is an oft overlooked marketing activity, but you should definitely be focusing on this valuable information to make smarter decisions for your law firm’s marketing efforts. However, getting your hands on this research might not be as easy and obvious as you’d like it to be. So, how do you find out what you need to know? The guys talk through what to keep in mind as you pursue your research.

The News:

This is looking like a smart new venture: Rankings.io has acquired Gladiator.
Aw, shucks—Chris Dreyer named us as top SEOs. Thanks, Chris!
Aaaaand, another acquisition, if you care to know — SEMRush (an SEO tool) was purchased by Adobe.
Still steadily sinking toward the inevitability of your AI overlords? Welp, with new updates from both ChatGPT and Gemini, we’ll all get there eventually.
Conrad’s spidey senses are tingling… Floyd Mayweather got into the law through The Money Team Law Firm, and is now entering the legal marketing realm. Hmm.
Last, more thoughts on exclusivity with Gyi and Conrad. And, we want to know what you think! Leave us a comment on LinkedIn or YouTube.

Suggested LHLM Episodes:

Local SEO 2024: How to Rank with Local Falcon

Connect:

Mindful Gifting || Resolutions Past and Future

Creating New Pathways for DV Survivors to Access Legal Help

Ally Kvidt — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 12:00:22 +0000

Innovative programs that leverage unlicensed practice of law reform to create new pathways to justice for domestic violence (DV) survivors are featured in this episode of Talk Justice. Community Justice Advocates of Utah manages the Certified Advocate Partner Program, which trains Victim Advocates at organizations throughout Utah to provide limited-scope legal help to DV survivors as they pursue civil protective orders or civil stalking injunctions. In Arizona, Innovation for Justice partners with community-based organizations to train, support and mentor domestic violence legal advocates. Since 2021, the Domestic Violence Legal Advocate Program has trained trauma-informed legal advocates at DV service providers to deliver limited-scope legal help on protective orders and certain family law matters.

Illegal Orders, Military Law, and Investigations

Ally Kvidt — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 12:00:41 +0000

Last month, six Democrat lawmakers, all with military or intelligence backgrounds, released a controversial video urging service members to refuse illegal orders set forth by the current administration. In response, the Defense Department said it would investigate these lawmakers, while President Donald Trump chimed in accusing them of “seditious behavior,” a charge “punishable by death.

On this episode of Lawyer 2 Lawyer, Craig joins Professor Victor M. Hansen as they spotlight the controversy over the “illegal orders”video. Craig & Victor discuss what constitutes illegal orders in the military, the FBI/DOD investigation into those involved in the video, and military code and law.

Crypto Clarity: What Lawyers Should Know About Digital Currency

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 12:00:19 +0000

Ever since cryptocurrency made its debut, many have repeatedly questioned its validity. Is it legal tender? A scam? Well, in today’s digital ether, both exist en masse, and lawyers need to understand how to recognize the real thing and how it fits into our current legal framework. Rocky Dhir welcomes Nelson Ebaugh to chat about his article in the Texas Bar Journal, Texas Cryptocurrency Jurisprudence.

Nelson Ebaugh is an attorney in Houston. He has an LL.M. in securities and financial regulation and is certified in criminal appellate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Special thanks to our sponsors Thomson Reuters and State Bar of Texas.

The Truth About Marketing Attribution || LHLM Takeout

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 09:00:02 +0000

Craving a sneak peak of our live recording from Filevine’s Lex Summit? This year, Filevine’s Josh Hostilo and Stefanie Minter joined us at the table table to tackle one of the most confusing—and most important—topics in legal marketing: accurate attribution. Gyi and Conrad dig into how Lead Docket approaches first-touch, last-touch, and dual-source attribution, why “How did you hear about us?” still matters, and how UTMs, web forms, call tracking, and client feedback all get folded together to give firms real visibility into ROI. We even get into Google Ads optimization, Zapier webhooks, and the surprising disconnect between what clients say and what the data actually shows.

This is just a small appetizer. Check out the extended interview on YouTube!

A Bad Week For Trump’s Fake U.S. Attorneys

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 18:00:47 +0000

While most of us celebrated Thanksgiving, some of Trump’s phony U.S. Attorneys were the real turkeys. First, a conservative leaning panel of the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the million dollar sanctions against Donald Trump and the parking garage lawyer he claims to have running the District of New Jersey. Then his Eastern District cosplaying prosecutor managed to lose not one, but two of the high profile revenge cases she brought. In other news, a major firm announced a new look summer associate program as it tries to deal with the law school recruiting free-for-all that everyone hates, yet no one seems able to do anything about.

John Lennon’s lawyer explains how the musician’s deportation case changed immigration law | Rebroadcast

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 12:00:15 +0000

December 8th marks the 45th anniversary of John Lennon’s death in 1980. In this special rebroadcast of Modern Law Library, we’re looking back at how his immigration helped expose corruption within the Nixon administration and rewrote the immigration process. His attorney, Leon Wildes, sat down with Lee Rawles and his son Michael Wildes to discuss what the case and the legal legacy Lennon left behind.

When immigration attorney Leon Wildes got a call from an old law school classmate in January 1972 about representing a musician and his wife who were facing deportation, their names didn’t ring a bell. Even after meeting with them privately at their New York City apartment, Wildes wasn’t entirely clear about who his potential clients were. He told his wife that he’d met with a Jack Lemon and Yoko Moto.

“Wait a minute, Leon,” his wife Ruth said to him. “Do you mean John Lennon and Yoko Ono?”

What Wildes didn’t know when accepting the Lennons’ case was that he and his clients were facing a five-year legal battle which would eventually expose corruption at the highest levels of the Nixon administration and change the U.S. immigration process forever. His account of that legal battle is told in “John Lennon vs. the USA: The Inside Story of the Most Bitterly Contested and Influential Deportation Case in United States History.”

Leon Wildes and his son Michael (now a managing partner at the firm his father founded, Wildes & Weinberg) joined the ABA Journal’s Lee Rawles to discuss the legacy of the case and the effect it’s had on the entire family.

Mentioned in This Episode

John Lennon vs. The U.S.A.: The Inside Story of the Most Bitterly Contested and Influential Deportation Case in United States History

Bonus Season Begins In Earnest

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 12:00:50 +0000

Bonus season is underway, and Biglaw firms are lining up to reward associates for a year’s worth of effort. The market scale — unless some firm breaks rank and crashes the party — tracks last year, which can be a bit anticlimactic, but with the economy possibly resting on the precipice of recession, this was probably all we could hope for. Also, we discuss Lindsey Halligan’s epic fail in the James Comey case — and we recorded this before the judge tossed the case. Finally, Judge Jerry Smith decided to commit his unhinged conspiracy theories to paper in a massive, doorstop of a dissent in the Texas redistricting case. And we discuss Thanksgiving sides.

Don’t Get Duped: How to Spot BS Marketing Metrics

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 09:00:16 +0000

It’s surprisingly easy for a marketing agency to make underperforming campaigns look like wins. How do you guard yourself against marketers who exaggerate your results? Also, NAP consistency—the definitive answer!

Yeah, it’s scummy, but not all marketers have your best interests at heart. More perniciously, data can be spun and credit can be misattributed. Less so, inexperienced consultants misinterpret your campaign data and draw the wrong conclusions. Either way, bad insights lead to bad decisions—and those decisions can cost your firm big. You, dear lawyer, need to know enough about your marketing data to avoid being taken advantage of. Gyi and Conrad are here to help.

Later, the guys answer a YouTube question on NAP (Name-Address-Phone) consistency. So, is your NAP consistency negatively affected by using a call tracking number along with your primary phone number? Usually, no! Unless you screwed something up on your site—Gyi tells you how to make sure everything’s as kosher as a pickle.

The News:

Darnit—the robots aren’t supposed to solve your legal problems anymore: OpenAI is no longer giving legal advice.
To retract, or not to retract… For now, we’ll call it a news update: Scorpion confirmed that they do break out branded vs. non-branded campaigns in their reporting, so that’s good.

Listen Next:

Connect:

How to Rank with Google AI Mode

Building the Next Generation of Rural Lawyers

Ally Kvidt — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 12:00:06 +0000

A recent report from LSC’s Rural Justice Task Force, “Justice Where We Live: Promising Practices from Rural Communities,” dives into a multitude of programs and approaches that address the biggest challenges to accessing civil justice in rural America. One issue is the scarcity of attorneys in rural areas, often called “legal deserts.” This episode highlights three programs working to create a pipeline of new rural lawyers.

Alienation of Affection: Litigation and the Treatment of Intimate Deception

Ally Kvidt — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 12:00:37 +0000

Recently, in the state of North Carolina, a judge ordered a Tik Tok influencer to pay 1.75 million for destroying her manager’s marriage citing a common law tort called alienation of affection. Alienation of affection lawsuits are still legal in a few states, including Hawaii, Illinois, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Utah.

On this episode of Lawyer 2 Lawyer, Craig joins Professor Jill Hasday from the University of Minnesota Law School, as they spotlight the tort of alienation of affection. Craig & Jill discuss litigation, states that recognize alienation of affection, and the law’s treatment of intimate deception.

Maybe The Legal Industry Has Just Lost All Sense Of Shame

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 18:00:22 +0000

Biglaw recruiting director out after racist rant goes public. A squabble between lawyers and their former firm presents important lessons on document management, but we spend most of the time wondering about the best legally themed dominatrix names. And we talk about Paul Weiss getting heckled at the New York Bar Foundation awards gala, providing one more embarrassing story to a rough year.

‘The Shadow Docket’ shines light on an increasingly uncommunicative Supreme Court | Rebroadcast

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 15:30:57 +0000

If you’re dreading your family’s lack of communication this Thanksgiving, here’s a conversation about another group that’s saying less and less with real consequences. In this rebroadcast, University of Texas law professor Stephen Vladeck joins The Modern Law Library to discuss The Shadow Docket and how the Supreme Court’s growing use of secretive, unsigned emergency orders is reshaping transparency, civic discourse, and public trust in the rule of law.

In The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic, University of Texas law professor Stephen Vladeck argues the U.S. Supreme Court is expanding its powers at the expense of the rule of law and public transparency.

A case ordinarily comes before the U.S. Supreme Court after a long appellate process; receives a public hearing where the case is argued before the justices; then a signed opinion or series of opinions and a majority ruling are issued, which generally comes months after oral arguments—and years after a matter first entered the court system. Given the limited length of each Supreme Court term, there has always been the need for an alternative form of response when the court is not in session or a swift response was absolutely necessary. The vast bulk of those occasions have been in capital cases, where a last-minute appeal might be the difference between life and death.

But since 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court has issued many more emergency orders than at any time previously, and on matters ranging from election law to immigration bans, from abortion access to COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings.

By issuing unsigned majority emergency orders rather than signed majority opinions, Vladeck says the court is establishing precedents without supplying the legal reasonings behind its rulings. During a time when the U.S. Supreme Court and individual justices are being criticized for not abiding by a clear judicial code of ethics, Vladeck argues the secretive nature of the shadow docket will only further undermine public trust in the rule of law.

In this episode of the Modern Law Library, Vladeck discusses with the ABA Journal’s Lee Rawles the origin of the term “shadow docket,” the dangers he sees for the court and the country, and what remedies may be available to the republic.

From Prison to the Oscars: The True Story Behind Sing Sing and Rehabilitation Through the Arts

Ally Kvidt — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 18:00:20 +0000

A maximum-security prison may not seem like the natural setting for a homegrown theater program. But at Sing Sing Prison in New York, just such a project has inspired scores of incarcerated men to learn and grow through the stories they step into—offering them the chance to be part of a supportive community and equipping them with life skills to carry home when they return to the world outside.

People in prison are more than just prisoners, and the Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) program continues to help participants discover new strengths through creative expression. In today’s episode, Michael Semanchik welcomes John “Divine G” Whitfield and Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin—both former inmates, RTA members, and actors in the Oscar-nominated film Sing Sing—to talk about their experiences on the inside. They discuss the film project and its ability to teach the outside world about the transformative power of community, art, vulnerability, and purpose.

Creativity and storytelling can restore dignity, bridge divides, and reveal the humanity that is too often overlooked within the prison system.

Please visit www.FreeDivineG.org to learn the details of John “Divine G” Whitfield’s fight for exoneration.

John “Divine G” Whitfield is an Oscar-nominated adapted screenplay writer, executive producer, and the compelling inspiration behind the critically acclaimed, multiple Oscar-nominated film, Sing Sing.
Oscar Nominee Clarence Maclin starred in the feature film Sing Sing, inspired by his life story as a graduate of Sing Sing’s Rehabilitation Through the Arts program.

Divine G and Clarence are friends to another former Sing Sing and RTA-involved inmate, Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez, whose long and arduous exoneration was shared in our last episode. Listen to JJ’s story here: A Murdered Cop and a Mishandled Mugshot – JJ Velazquez’s Wrongful Conviction

If The DOJ Fails Another Time, They Win A Free Sandwich

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 18:00:00 +0000

The news that Kirkland had to teach its lawyers how to stop being mean to the private equity industry is incredibly funny. We’re not saying Kirkland is getting a bad rap here, but when did corporate clients become such fragile snowflakes? The Federalist Society’s annual meeting brought together the leading minds of the Trump legal movement to call for a “war” to impeach the federal judges — many of them longtime conservatives themselves — for not appropriately facilitating the administration. And the DOJ completes its humiliation in the D.C. sandwich thrower case by failing to secure even a misdemeanor conviction.

Stuff You NEED to Know to Rank in Local Search with Darren Shaw

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 16:30:44 +0000

Whitespark’s Local Search Ranking Factors Report surveys the best and the brightest SEOs (and Gyi and Conrad) to gain a clearer picture of the latest drivers of local search rankings. Understanding how to rank in Google’s local search results is critical to every single one of your marketing plans, so the guys welcome Darren Shaw to nerd out on this year’s report findings and teach you what to prioritize in your marketing efforts.

Darren and the guys have plenty of great knowledge tidbits to hash out–from the importance of accurate business hours to maintaining a visible address online to current AI search observations, and much more. Stick around to the end of the episode for some tactical tips on making LSAs work for your law firm!

The News:

Top Dog Acquires Keller Swan – Always a good day for an acquisition, buuut… Florida? Really?
AIO Impact on Google CTR: September 2025 Update – Click-through rates are way down—Should you care? It might be time to shift your focus elsewhere.
Great insights here, folks: Future-Proofing Your Firm in the Age of AI, with Jack Newton – Lawyerist #587

Listen Next:

Connect:

Legal Trends Report | Data-Driven Insights for Law Firms | Clio

Inside ICE: Immigration Law, Constitutionality, and the Impact on Our Communities

Ally Kvidt — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 12:00:23 +0000

The actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known as ICE, have divided the country. Many believe that the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration and violent crime is making the country safer. On the other side, there has been a resistance across the United States with communities standing up to ICE’s intimidating tactics, which include anything from unmarked vehicles, masks concealing ICE agents’ identities, to arrests outside courtrooms, and a lack of due process. This has led to controversy and legal challenges.

So do ICE’s actions go too far? Or is ICE making our country a safer place to live? And are these ICE raids protected and legal? On this episode of Lawyer 2 Lawyer, Craig joins Professor Daniel Kanstroom, founder of the Boston College Immigration and Asylum Clinic, as they spotlight immigration law and ICE. Craig & Dan take a look at the legalities behind the actions of ICE, the constitutionality of ICE raids, the lack of due process, and the impact ICE is having on citizens and non-citizens of the United States.

American Legal Technology Award Winners | ClioCon2025

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 17:00:02 +0000

The American Legal Technology Awards recognize those who have shown excellence as technology innovators in the legal industry, and the 2025 winners have been chosen! Patrick Palace welcomes winners across three of this year’s categories—Jim Calloway (Lifetime Achievement Award), Jenifer Whiston (Artificial Intelligence Award), and Susan Choe (Court Award). Patrick learns more about the creative legal technology contributions of each individual, all of which have promoted tech understanding in the profession and furthered efforts for access to justice in our legal systems.

Learn more about our winners’ organizations!

A Riot By Any Other Name…

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 16:00:22 +0000

We talk about the DOJ lawyers suspended by the White House for calling January 6 a riot in a sentencing memo. and the conversation veers down a rabbit hole about the proper role of pardons. For years, the billable hour seemed like the cockroach of law firm management, but after surviving numerous brushes with death, AI might finally force firms to look into alternative fee structures. And if you’re in law school and thinking about serving the public interest, expect it to be a lot more expensive unless your future employer is blessed by the Trump administration.

Yale Law’s Owen Fiss talks about threats to democracy and ‘Why We Vote’ | Rebroadcast

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 12:00:30 +0000

It’s election week in the U.S., and while many eyes are on the polls, we’re revisiting a conversation that reminds us why voting matters in the first place. In this rebroadcast, Yale Law professor Owen Fiss reflects on his work enforcing the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts, the courts’ role in protecting democracy, and why casting a ballot remains both a privilege and a duty.

After 50 years as a professor at Yale Law School, Owen Fiss says his students are still idealistic and passionate about the rights won in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965. As a young lawyer in the late 1960s, Fiss worked with the Department of Justice to implement those laws. A classroom discussion in the spring of 2020 prompted him to draw upon his legal expertise and decades of experience to produce his new book, Why We Vote.

In this episode of The Modern Law Library podcast, Fiss speaks with the ABA Journal’s Lee Rawles about the paradox of the court system–the least democratic branch of government–having the responsibility of safeguarding the right to vote. He looks back on his work with the DOJ in southern states, and his time as a clerk for Justice Thurgood Marshall (then on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York) and Justice William Brennan.

Rawles and Fiss also discuss recent threats to the electoral system and right to vote, including the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. Fiss shares his thoughts about Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, and whether former President Donald Trump should be removed from the ballot on that basis.

While every book he writes is for his students, Fiss says, he hopes Why We Vote can impress upon a broader audience the privilege and duty of voting and participating in a democracy.

A Murdered Cop and a Mishandled Mugshot – JJ Velazquez’s Wrongful Conviction

Ally Kvidt — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 16:40:38 +0000

In 1998, a retired NYPD officer was shot and killed inside an illegal gambling parlor. Angry cops wanted speedy justice for one of their own, and an overzealous, incautious investigation ensued. A witness to the shooting with a criminal past was put under intense pressure to deliver a suspect. After hours of questioning and over 1800 mugshots, he picked one at random—one that should never have been on the table in front of him.

The man in the photo, Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez, was accused, arrested, and labeled a cop killer—despite the fact that there was a complete lack of physical evidence linking him to this terrible incident. JJ was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison for a crime of which he had no knowledge or connection.

JJ, along with friend and investigative journalist Dan Slepian, tells the story of his 27-year fight to gain his freedom and clear his name. They dig into the failures of the system that led to JJ’s conviction and how his tenacious advocacy finally led to his exoneration.

Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez is an American actor and activist who exemplifies resilience and dedication to legal reform. JJ is the founder of MONUMENTAL MEDIA based in NYC, a mission-driven creative agency and talent incubator dedicated to reshaping the narrative around incarceration and social justice issues. JJ now serves his community locally as the Co-founder and Executive Director of Voices from Within based in New York, and nationally as the Program Director at the Frederick Douglass Project for Justice.
Dan Slepian is a Pulitzer Prize finalist and Emmy winning investigative journalist at NBC News whose reporting has helped solve cold cases, exonerate the innocent, and spark legal reform.

The Salem Witch Trials | An In Dispute Halloween Special

Ally Kvidt — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 15:10:29 +0000

This Halloween, Lawyer 2 Lawyer is stepping back into the courtroom of 1692 with a special episode of In Dispute, Craig’s miniseries on landmark trials throughout history. In this haunting installment, Craig revisits the Salem witch trials, where hysteria ruled and justice vanished in the shadows.

In 1692, claims of satanic rituals, ghosts, and seemingly “afflicted” children stirred puritanical imaginations, deepened by petty rifts between powerful families and rival congregations in Salem Village (now known as Danvers, Massachusetts). In response to the growing number of citizen complaints and imprisonments, Massachusetts Bay Colony Governor William Phips appointed a man with no legal training to preside over the trials. More than a dozen poor decisions and questionable verdicts later, townspeople became all too familiar with death sentences by hanging. Hear the full story unravel with voiceover reenactments, historical context and present-day reflection from Attorney J. Craig Williams.

LINKS:

Listen to all episodes of In Dispute: 10 Famous Trials That Changed History
Purchase the e-book.
Purchase the hardcover.

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR VOICE ACTORS:

Troy Starr as John Hathorne

Doreen Wiley as Sarah Good

Kevin McGrath as Cotton Mather

Dave Scriven-Young as Stephen Sewell

Evan Dicharry as Judge

Georgia Well as Bridgett Bishop

Dispatches From The Collapse Of The Rule Of Law

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 15:20:12 +0000

Catching up with the slice of the conservative legal movement who have stared into the moral abyss of the Trump administration and recoiled in horror. The Society for the Rule of Law held its annual summit and while many attendees voiced clear-eyed opposition, some continued to grapple with the cognitive dissonance in recognizing that Trump might be the natural and logical consequence of their own long championed conservative projects. One attendee who has no illusions over the gravity of the threat though was Judge Michael Luttig who railed against the Supreme Court in the legal equivalent of a rousing halftime locker room speech. Also, Cadwalader seems increasingly at an existential crossroads and looking for a merger partner. And a lawyer loses her job over ballpark rant — and what’s more, her team lost.

Compassionate Services for Struggling Veterans – Rebroadcast

Ally Kvidt — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 11:00:30 +0000

This rebroadcast of the November 26, 2024 episode of Talk Justice features a panel discussion about wraparound services for veterans who are struggling with substance use disorders, mental and behavioral health challenges, brain injuries and cognitive impairment, or who have been charged with nonviolent offenses. The guests share about a rehabilitative treatment court program, civil legal services for veterans and how the Americans with Disabilities Act protects these former service members.

Clio Legal Trends Report | ClioCon 2025

Ally Kvidt — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 11:00:24 +0000

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

Clio’s full 2025 report is available now—completely free for all attorneys:

Traffic Stops, Terry Stops, Policing, the Fourth Amendment, and Your Rights

Ally Kvidt — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 11:00:53 +0000

In a landmark ruling back in 1968, the Supreme Court ruled in Terry v. Ohio, that it is constitutional for police to “stop and frisk” a person they reasonably suspect to be armed and involved in a crime. Over the years this ruling has been criticized, with many saying that this decision leads to an abuse of power by police and racial profiling.

On this episode of Lawyer 2 Lawyer, Craig joins Aliza Hochman Bloom, assistant professor of law at Northeastern University School of Law, as they spotlight traffic criminal law. Craig & Aliza take a look at traffic stops, Terry stops (Terry v. Ohio), the constitutionality of policing, the 4th Amendment, and what rights an individual has when pulled over by law enforcement.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Terry V. Ohio

Justice for All: A City’s Fight for Inclusion, Respect, and Fairness for Everyone

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 11:00:57 +0000

How do professionals in the legal community help protect and enhance the civil rights we all deserve? Guest Capri Maddox is the executive director of the Los Angeles Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department, working to ensure Los Angeles is a city of belonging, justice, and a welcoming space for all.

She’s an attorney, but she also worked as a paralegal professional, and she recognizes how big projects depend on every level of the legal team.

As a former prosecutor, Maddox says she knows no city can arrest its way to safety. Described as “a powerhouse of purpose,” she believes the only way to ensure public safety is to make sure everyone feels included, feels represented, and feels that justice works for all, not just a few.

Her team’s latest campaign is a simple, yet powerful project called “Just Say Hello.” The idea is that if people say “hello” to a stranger once in a while, it can create a friendlier, more inclusive city. As she notes, it’s unlikely someone will mistreat someone if they’ve just said “hello” to each other. Hear how we can all do something in our own communities to ensure everyone feels welcome, respected, safe, and empowered.

No, Your Honor, I Didn’t Call You That, I Was Talking About, Um, Bundt Cake

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 14:45:57 +0000

Appeals court decides that some things are best left unsaid. And among those things are calling your judge the c-word. Just so we’re clear, even though this was over Zoom, we’re not talking about “cat.” After trying to bully Michigan Law Review through litigation, the anti-DEI publicity hounds at FASORP have dropped the case. And with Trump inching closer to declaring martial law in America’s cities, right-leaning legal analysts have started the process of normalizing abuse of the Insurrection Act by pretending its strict limits are really just open-ended invitations and if anyone’s to blame for Donald Trump’s authoritarianism, it’s really Joe Biden. We manage to talk about AI and Baudrillard in a single episode.

Not All Leads Are Created Equal

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 08:00:14 +0000

Bungling lead follow-up and neglecting to learn AI’s many, many profitable uses in your law firm will definitely come back to haunt you. Learn how to do it right!

Changing the way you handle your leads can be a game changer for your business. Gyi and Conrad talk through the latest trends in AI-powered lead qualification and how to recognize the most valuable—and profitable—potential clients in your marketing channels.

Later, in a world where data-informed decision making is critical for business success, do small firms have enough data to make it useful, whether it be for AI or other business growth needs? The guys discuss.

The News:

New lead products offer plenty of variety for your growth strategy! Check out the latest lead scoring products from Lawmatics (Qualify AI), Filevine (Lead Docket with LeadsAI), and Clio (Clio Grow Leads).
Check out Bob Ambrogi’s detailed article for more on Lawmatics: Exclusive: Lawmatics Announces Qualify AI, A Sophisticated Lead Scoring Platform for Law Firms | LawSites
Clio’s 2025 Legal Trends Report is ready for your perusal! We’ll dig into it here on the pod at a later date.
Acquisitions… vLex & Clio Library are joining forces, and ShareDo joins Clio’s fold.

Suggested LHLM Episodes:

Clio’s All-In with Scorpion – Who Gets Stung? | Legal Industry | Lunch Hour Legal Marketing

Connect:

ABA Labor and Employment Law Section Annual Conference Nov. 12-15

Get the Scoop! The ABA LEL Section Annual Conference, Nov. 12-15

Ally Kvidt — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 18:00:00 +0000

The 2025 ABA Labor and Employment Section annual conference is scheduled for Nov. 12-15 in Denver. In this episode, get a preview of the conference from planning committee co-chair Jeremy Glenn, host committee co-chair Anne Shaver, and Section chair Jason Marsili.

This is the 19th annual signature conference for the Section. It’s a great chance for members to earn a year’s worth of CLE credit at one location and a great place to network (plus, Denver is a fantastic city).

Brush up and hear the latest developments in your own niche area of specialization or get a feel for areas where you might not regularly work. There’s been a seismic shift in federal employment oversight this year making it an interesting time to work in labor and employment law.

Plus, hear how artificial intelligence, AI, is working its way through the legal community. Where does it make your life easier, and where does it create ethical issues?

Resources:

ABA Labor and Employment Law Section

History Colorado Center

History Colorado Sand Creek Massacre

History Colorado “The 90s: Last Decade Before the Future”

Denver Art Museum

Meow Wolf

Casa Bonita (you really do need a reservation)

Workers’ Comp, Politics, and the Economy: A Concerning Mix

Ally Kvidt — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 11:00:54 +0000

It’s not you, the Workers’ Compensation system has changed over time, and not always for the best. Guest Christopher Godfrey, with a long career in Workers’ Comp, including his current role as research director at the Workers’ Injury Law & Advocacy Group (WILAG) and a lengthy stint running the office of Compensation Programs at the U.S. Department of Labor, offers some insights.

Where a non-adversarial atmosphere used to prevail within Workers’ Comp, Godfrey worries it has been driven toward a confrontational system with a struggle for unilateral control. That isn’t how a program aimed at making injured workers whole and getting them back to work started out.

Also concerning Godfrey is a lack of funding for the Federal Employees’ Compensation Program, making it difficult for injured federal workers to even find a doctor willing to accept them as patients.

In both state and federal systems, Workers’ Comp is being buffeted by politics. Godfrey notes the government shutdown, a slowing employment environment, and even the potential for a stock market bubble threaten the system. Economics and politics can build hurdles that trickle down to how insurance companies and Workers’ Comp plans operate. Godfrey shares his personal concerns and describes what WILAG is doing today to protect the rights of injured workers.

If you have thoughts on Workers’ Comp law or an idea for a topic or guest you’d like to hear, contact us at JPierce@ppnlaw.com or APierce@ppnlaw.com.

The Collapse of a Conviction: How an LAPD Cop and Two Journalists Unraveled the Case Against Bruce Lisker

Ally Kvidt — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 11:00:44 +0000

At just 17 years old, Bruce Lisker was branded a murderer after being accused and convicted of the violent killing of his mother. He would go on to spend the next 26 years of his life in prison, until a federal judge finally overturned his conviction in 2009. Bruce’s exoneration might never have happened without the investigative efforts of LA Times journalists Scott Glover and Matt Lait and LAPD officer Jim Gavin.

In this episode, Michael Semanchik speaks with this trio of truth-seekers about their involvement in the Lisker case. Initially skeptical, each of them set out to poke holes in Bruce’s claims, but as their investigations progressed, the evidence increasingly pointed to his innocence. They share details of their research, explaining how discoveries of both ignored and manipulated evidence in the decades-old case raised red flags in the original investigation, ultimately bringing the truth to light.

Matt Lait is Vice President of CNN’s investigative team. Previously, he worked at the Los Angeles Times where he was an investigative reporter, city editor and ran the local investigations team.
Scott Glover is a reporter on the CNN Investigates team. Glover came to CNN with 20 years of experience at the Los Angeles Times where he covered the LAPD, federal courts and law enforcement agencies.
Jim Gavin retired from the Los Angeles Police Department in August 2020, as the head of Operations Valley Bureau Homicide. He served 32 years with the LAPD in a wide variety of assignments.

Preparing for the Legal AI Era with Ed Walters | ClioCon 2025

Ally Kvidt — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 17:30:02 +0000

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

Later, they also discuss the latest offerings from Clio, including new potential for better legal work through the Clio Work product powered by AI assistant Vincent and the Clio Library.

Ed Walters is the Chief Strategy Officer of vLex and the co-founder of Fastcase.

Fresh Voices on Legal Tech with April Dawson

Ally Kvidt — Fri, 17 Oct 2025 11:00:33 +0000

AI is disrupting every facet of the law, and understanding how to engage with AI technologies is essential for all attorneys and law students. Dennis and Tom talk with April Dawson about her experience researching and teaching about ethical, effective AI uses in the legal world while preserving vital learning skills for law students. They discuss AI challenges in law schools, AI governance considerations, new applications for AI in access to justice, and much more.

As always, stay tuned for the parting shots, that one tip, website, or observation that you can use the second the podcast ends.

Have a technology question for Dennis and Tom? Call their Tech Question Hotline at 720-441-6820 for the answers to your most burning tech questions.

Show Notes:

NCCU’s 4th Annual Law and Technology Summit on October 17, 2025.
April Dawson on LinkedIn
Voice Memos organized by ChatGPT!
Trello (explained by ChatGPT!)
AI prompt – “What am I missing?”

On Campus Hiring Is Broken, And This Isn’t Helping

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 14:40:05 +0000

Some law firms are handing out recruiting entertainment budgets to law students. While we don’t fault law students some sweet walking around money, placing that power in the hands of students highlights the breakdown in the law school recruiting process and a real risk of baking more bias into hiring. Why has Kirkland memory holes its incoming partner class? The decision to opt out of its traditional announcement message seems like a move to shield its high-achievers, but there are some other possibilities. And a Senator wants some answers after a pair of federal judges issue opinions with possible (read: likely) AI hallucinations.

Users keepers: Pirates, zombies and adverse possession | Rebroadcast

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 11:00:32 +0000

As Halloween swiftly approaches, we’ve conjured up a classic from the Modern Law Library crypt. What do zombies and pirates have to do with the law? Grab your candy and find out as host Lee Rawles is joined by Paul Golden, author of Litigating Adverse Possession Cases: Pirates v. Zombies.

——-

“Trespassing plus time equals adverse possession,” Paul Golden writes in his new book, Litigating Adverse Possession Cases: Pirates v. Zombies. When someone has occupied or used a piece of property as though they own it for long enough, a court could determine that they are the rightful owner—regardless of what the paperwork says. It’s a concept more popularly discussed as squatter’s rights.

In this episode of The Modern Law Library, Golden speaks with the ABA Journal’s Lee Rawles about the ancient concepts underlying modern adverse possession law; some quirky state laws; and why societies would allow land to be transferred in this way. They also discuss how the plain meaning of terms like “hostile” are changed when used in adverse possession cases, and Rawles raises a hypothetical—taken from real life—of a neighbor’s crooked fence.

During Golden’s first appearance on The Modern Law Library, he explained how the lack of a written contract could be navigated by a savvy lawyer. In his new book, Golden guides attorneys and their clients through the finer points of arguing for and against adverse possession claims. He shares some of the errors he’s seen pop up in adverse possession cases, and offers advice for how to avoid common pitfalls.

Rebuilding Lives After Disaster

Ally Kvidt — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 13:30:19 +0000

Leaders of nonprofit law firms discuss their disaster response work for major storms and floods in Texas, North Carolina and Louisiana on Talk Justice. The conversation was recorded at a briefing for the U.S. House of Representatives, where these local leaders educated Congressional staff on the importance of providing legal services in the aftermath of natural disasters. Robert Doggett, Executive Director of Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA), joined to talk about the July floods in central Texas; Ashley Campbell, executive director of Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC), spoke about the ongoing response to Tropical Storm Helene; and Laura Tuggle, executive director of Southeast Louisiana Legal Services (SLLS), discussed her state’s history of dealing with major storms like Hurricanes Ida and Katrina.

Trump’s Tariffs: SCOTUS, and the Impact on International Trade Law & the American People

Ally Kvidt — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 11:00:34 +0000

At the start of his 2nd term, President Trump imposed a series of tariffs affecting nearly all goods imported into the country, causing controversy. These tariffs on goods from countries all over the world, include steel, aluminum, cars, auto parts, furniture, pharmaceuticals and more. Since Trump’s announcement, there have been many legal challenges regarding these tariffs.

On this episode of Lawyer 2 Lawyer, Craig joins attorney, author, and professor, Raj Bhala, a University Distinguished Professor at the University of Kansas School of Law. Craig & Raj discuss tariffs, President Trump’s use of tariffs, SCOTUS, and their potential impact on international trade law, and the American people.

Mentioned in this Episode:

KU Professor Says Trump’s Tariffs are Xenophobic, Unlawful and Harmful to U.S. By Tim Carpenter Kansas Reflector/The Lawrence Times

Deepfakes, Data, and Duty: Navigating AI Ethics in Law, with Merisa Bowers

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 11:00:23 +0000

In episode 582 of Lawyerist Podcast, Zack Glaser talks with Merisa Bowers, Loss Prevention and Outreach Counsel at the Ohio Bar Liability Insurance Company, about how artificial intelligence is reshaping lawyers’ ethical duties.

Merisa explains how deepfakes and realistic scams are creating new challenges for diligence and verification, why unregulated chatbots can accidentally create attorney-client relationships, and what disclosures lawyers should make when using AI tools. She also shares practical steps to maintain confidentiality, protect client data, and apply long-standing ethics rules to fast-changing technologies.

Links from the episode: 

ABA Formal Opinion 512 – Generative AI

ABA Formal Opinion 510 – Prospective Clients & Rule 1.18

Listen to our previous episodes about non-lawyer ownership:

#354: A Look at the New Non-lawyer Firm Ownership Reform, with Lori Gonzalez: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Lawyerist

#355: A Look at the New Non-lawyer Firm Ownership Reform, Pt.2, with Allen Rodriguez: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Lawyerist

#221: The State of the Legal Profession, with ABA President Robert M. Carlson: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Lawyerist

Have thoughts about today’s episode? Join the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X!

Access more resources from Lawyerist at lawyerist.com.

Chapters / Timestamps:

0:00 – ClioCon
4:45 – Meet Merisa Bowers
6:50 – Tech Shifts & New Ethics Risks
9:10 – Deepfakes & Diligence
13:40 – AI Scams & Fake Clients
18:30 – Chatbots Creating Clients

23:40 – Ethical Chatbot Models
26:45 – Should Lawyers Disclose AI?
29:40 – Don’t Let AI Think for You
34:20 – Protecting Client Data
36:10 – Staying Ethical with AI
37:40 – Wrap-Up & Final Thoughts

Live! From LHLM Summit 2025

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 15:30:14 +0000

Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Summit 2025 was an awesome time, and we are incredibly grateful that we got to see so many of you in person. If you couldn’t make it this time around, or are feeling that post-conference sorrow that can only be remedied by reliving the LHLM Summit (YAY!), then this is the episode for you. Gyi and Conrad responded to your most pressing marketing questions live at the conference. Listen in for an abundance of on-the-spot marketing wisdom, covering everything from Google business tips to unreasonable hospitality to ad fatigue and so, so much more.

The News:

Legal Talk Network is a Signal Award finalist for the For the Innocent podcast featuring Amanda Knox! We’d love to get your vote on Signal Award Voting, and you can listen to the full episode here: The Amanda Knox Story: Her Fight for Justice on the Global Stage.

Suggested LHLM Episodes:

Tasty Tactical Tidbits || Don’t Call It a Rebrand

Connect:

Reddit Is Said to Sign AI Content Licensing Deal Ahead of IPO – Bloomberg

Is This The Beginning Of The End For The Bar Exam?

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 14:30:20 +0000

For a long time, the bar exam seemed like the nasty habit that the legal profession just couldn’t quit. But there’s finally some progress on that front, with Utah unveiling a new alternative pathway to licensure that values experience and the skills that an actual practitioner needs. We also check in on Cadwalader, where the firm brings on a new co-manager while taking some serious blows in the lateral market. Finally, the Supreme Court is back in session, so we look back at the summer of shadows, when the Court’s shadow docket finally crashed into the reality of a president unwilling to play the game and Justice Thomas shed a little light on his decision to bail on teaching his class after Dobbs.

Clio founder talks $1B acquisition of vLex and upcoming Clio Cloud Conference

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 11:00:51 +0000

When Clio announced that it had acquired global legal research platform vLex for $1 billion in June, it was the latest in a series of big moves from the cloud-based practice management software company.

A Deceitful Detective & Manipulated Evidence – The Wrongful Conviction of Bruce Lisker

Ally Kvidt — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 14:00:12 +0000

In 1983, Bruce Lisker’s mother was violently attacked in their family home. After responding to his frantic 911 call, police quickly drew assumptions from the chaotic crime scene. Dorka Lisker was bludgeoned, stabbed several times, and near death in her Sherman Oaks home. Seventeen year-old Bruce embodied the era’s “stoner” look, he was highly agitated, and his hands were covered in his mother’s blood. The distraught teen, rather than being allowed to accompany his mother to the hospital where she died, was arrested and interrogated as the prime suspect in her murder.

Bruce Lisker tells the story of how presumptions, the actions of a dishonest detective, and failures to examine critical evidence led to his wrongful conviction. After years seeking justice through every conceivable avenue, Bruce was finally exonerated through the determined efforts of LAPD Sgt. Jim Gavin and LA Times articles by Matt Lait and Scott Glover that shed light on the mistakes and manipulations that led to his false conviction.

EPO6: Financial fraud via an astrology app?

Ally Kvidt — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 11:00:03 +0000

The Case Doctors tackle questions from an attorney handling a case on behalf of a client suing for negligent misrepresentation after investing in stocks on the advice of a psychic and losing untold amounts of money. In hot topics, John and Alvin discuss the settlement Google and its YouTube subsidiary reached to resolve a long-running class action case accusing them of illegally collecting children’s data to generate targeted advertising.

All The Cool Kids Are Passing The Bar, All The Cooley Kids… Not As Much

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 15:00:08 +0000

Perennially embattled Cooley Law School once again called out by the ABA over sagging bar passage rates. The school has been out of compliance with ABA standards since 2020, and now finds itself on probation with its accreditor. The last time something like this happened, Cooley sued the ABA into relenting. History is a flat circle. After learning that Paul Weiss and Kirkland were providing free legal services to the Commerce Department, presumably in an effort to satisfy their pro bono payola obligations, we wondered how this could possibly be legal in light of 31 U.S.C. 1342. Apparently, lawmakers wondered the same thing. And James Comey finds himself indicted after a whirlwind that involved removing the existing top federal prosecutor for refusing to file a sham case and replacing him with an in-over-her-head Florida insurance lawyer.

Lawyer 2 Lawyer Celebrates 20 Years of Podcasting

Ally Kvidt — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 11:00:55 +0000

In this very special episode, Lawyer 2 Lawyer celebrates 20 years of podcasting on the Legal Talk Network.

Host J. Craig Williams joins former Lawyer 2 Lawyer co-host and host of LawNext, Bob Ambrogi, and producer of Lawyer 2 Lawyer, Kate Kenney Nutting, to chat about some of the exciting discussions we’ve had over the past 20 years. Take a walk with us down memory lane!

The Shifting Sands of Immigration Law and AI: What to Know Now

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 11:00:07 +0000

We’re at an interesting and dynamic point in time for immigration law, with Supreme Court rulings and presidential executive orders reshaping the field and challenging the system’s status quo.

The administrative area of immigration law is especially difficult for legal professionals. In an immigration hearing, the judge is essentially on the same “team” as the prosecutor, and because immigration policies are largely under the federal executive branch, the rules seem to shift every four years with a new presidential term.

Guest Nikki Mehrpoo is a former judge, a scholar, and the first and only California dual certified legal specialist in immigration and Workers’ Compensation law. She is a lawyer as well as a professor of law at West Los Angeles College. She recently created the MedLegal Professor, a project dedicated to the ethical use of AI technologies in the field of law and medicine.

In this timely episode of Paralegal Voice, Mehrpoo unpacks recent Supreme Court rulings, executive orders, and even the use of AI facial recognition that are reshaping the field of immigration law. As a legal professional, what we think we know may be subject to change day by day, ruling by ruling.

TYLA’s Young Gunners’ SCOTX Series | Episode 1: A Conversation with Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 11:00:44 +0000

Order in the court!

Introducing a new series of TYLA’s Young Gunners podcast, spotlighting all nine justices of the Supreme Court of Texas! In these special episodes, TYLA President Hisham Masri, TYLA Immediate Past President Laura Pratt, and TYLA President-Elect Alyson Martinez speak with the SCOTX bench about their respective path to the high court, judicial philosophy, and advice for young attorneys navigating the legal profession.

We kick off this series with an interview with Justice Jimmy Blacklock, who was elevated to chief justice on January 6, 2025. In this episode, Chief Justice Blacklock shares how the principles of fatherhood and his deep-rooted faith have influenced not only his path to the judiciary but also the way he approaches leadership, decision-making, and the responsibilities of public office. Tune in for a thoughtful exploration of character, calling, and the intersection of personal conviction with professional duty.

And tune in soon for our second episode where we speak with Senior Justice Debra Lehrmann, the longest-serving member on the court!

You can access this episode and our other episodes here: https://tyla.org/resource/young-gunners-podcast/

#tyla #younggunners #scotx #legalpodcast

Nothin’ Says Lovin’ Like A Benchslap

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 11:00:12 +0000

Perkins Coie cut ties with an attorney over Charlie Kirk comments on social media. The remarks were measured and reasonable, but the firm is still fighting the Trump administration in court and — seemingly — does not want any distractions or mere appearance of bias. But is that a worthy excuse? A Pillsbury partner received a benchslapping over what the judge considered unchecked entitlement. A Biglaw partner? Entitled? No! Also, a law school responds to the new federal loan caps with guaranteed scholarships to cover the gap. Is this the start of a trend?

r/LHLM: Reddit Feeds the AI MACHINE

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 08:00:08 +0000

Reddit has major SEO power, and you should definitely be using it for your firm! But, dear lawyers, for good karma, avoid megaspammer agencies who attach your name to every annoying post. It’s a bad look.

The industry is moving heavily toward Reddit because of AIOs, boosts in search, etc., but how do you use it effectively? Conrad and Gyi talk through the tenets of Reddit Karma to help you build your Reddit reputation. They demystify the Reddit community’s engagement style, the upvote/downvote system, and more, to help you understand the platform’s potential for marketing your law firm.

Later, the guys share their favorite tactical tips for optimizing Reddit as a tool in your marketing mix.

And, be sure to look us up, too: r/LHLM

The News:

Suing for “business model theft”—who will win? Anyone? Two High-Profile Personal Injury Law Firms Sue… Each Other
Cringey lawyer behavior in the extreme: Prosecutor SHOCKED That Being A Lawyer Does Not Stop Cops From Arresting Her In Embarrassing Viral Video
Smith.ai launched an AI receptionist service. Might be worth a look, folks.
Always something… Google Search rank and position tracking is a mess right now.
From Joe Giovannoli: CMOs didn’t sign up to be the CTO.

Mentioned:

Suggested LHLM Episodes:

How To Do Social Media Marketing the Right Way

Connect:

Gee, thanks, Jonathan Hawkins!

Breaking Down the Amanda Knox Case: Facts vs. Frenzy

Ally Kvidt — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 11:00:50 +0000

To this day, some still believe Amanda Knox is guilty of the horrific murder of Meredith Kercher in 2007. However, this belief appears to stem entirely from the wildly sensational media coverage surrounding her supposed involvement. Thorough examination of the facts of the case have clearly shown that Amanda was wrongfully convicted of this terrible crime.

This time on For the Innocent, Michael Semanchik welcomes a panel of experts to explore how Amanda Knox’s case gained such incredible notoriety and how the truth was obscured by a series of mistakes, assumptions, and media distortion.

Michael is joined by Martina Cagossi, Justin Brooks, and Mark Olshaker to walk listeners through the facts of the case, explain the prevalence of false confessions in high-stress situations, and discuss how Amanda’s “trial by media” ultimately overshadowed clear evidence that should have set her free.

Martina Cagossi is a criminal lawyer based in Milan, Italy. She is the co-founder and Program Manager of the Italy Innocence Project.
Justin Brooks is a Professor at University of San Diego School of Law. He is a board member of The Innocence Center and co-founder of the California Innocence Project.
Mark Olshaker is a writer and Emmy-award winning filmmaker. He authored the international bestseller MINDHUNTER, the basis for the acclaimed Netflix series.

Listen Amanda’s Story on Apple, Spotify, Youtube, or your favorite podcast app.

A Teacher Injured in a School Shooting: When Is the School Responsible?

Ally Kvidt — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 11:00:13 +0000

Workers’ Compensation has traditionally been a bargain, a “deal” workers and employers agree to. Workers injured on the job are compensated quickly and in exchange they don’t sue their employers. But when it came to a Virginia school teacher shot and seriously injured by a young student, was there an exception to the rule?

Recent law graduate Katie Jean won the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers John F. Burton Jr. Law Student Writing Competition with her entry “Rethinking the Intent Exception in the Case of Teacher Violence in Our Public Schools Modifying to Include Willful and Wanton Misconduct.” In it, she examines the case of teacher Abby Zwerner, shot by a 6-year-old with a documented pattern of disciplinary issues and had been seen at school with a gun.

Jean questions whether every school shooting can be ruled an accident for the purpose of Workers’ Compensation or if a known threat, with lack of corresponding action, entitles the injured teacher to sue for damages.

It’s an interesting issue, and at least one prior case involving a teacher injured by a student the school knew about was unsuccessful. Does a teacher “assume risk” by taking a job? This is a timely discussion and a sign of our times. Listeners who would like a copy of Jean’s award-winning paper to review may email the hosts at the addresses below.

If you have thoughts on Workers’ Comp law or an idea for a topic or guest you’d like to hear, contact us at JPierce@ppnlaw.com or APierce@ppnlaw.com.

A Tale Of Two Supreme Court Book Tours

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 14:30:54 +0000

Amy Coney Barrett and Sonia Sotomayor are both hitting the talk shows and it’s highlighting how awkward the nation’s relationship with the Supreme Court really is. Barrett went on Fox and accurately stated that the Constitution prohibits Trump running for a third term. Then the host offered a “wink wink” prompt and she started backpedaling. Meanwhile, Sotomayor went on Colbert and bent over backward to give her conservative colleagues the benefit of the doubt, requiring Colbert to step in and remind us of the fire in Sotomayor’s dissent. Two very different media hits, but a consistent reminder that the justices just aren’t willing to forge a genuine connection with the public over media. Also, Ropes & Gray maintains a single-tier partnership (for now) and Megan Thee Stallion case introduces the world to process servers taking things up a notch.

The U.S. Strike on a Venezuelan Boat: International Law, Human Rights, & Legal Authority

Ally Kvidt — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 11:00:22 +0000

On September 2nd, 2025, the U.S. Navy killed 11 civilians on a boat in the Caribbean Sea that President Trump claimed was operated by the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, who were allegedly carrying drugs bound for the United States.

The response was swift. Legal experts weighed in on whether this attack was a violation of international law and if it was considered a criminal act against civilians. So is this attack on civilians considered a war crime? And how will Venezuela respond to this attack?

On this episode of Lawyer 2 Lawyer, Craig joins guest Dr. Anthony C. Arend, Professor of Government and Foreign Service and Chair of the Department of Government at Georgetown University. Craig & Tony discuss the recent U.S. Navy attack on a Venezuelan boat in the Caribbean Sea. We will talk about the specifics and legal issues behind the strike, and whether this was a violation of international law, and a criminal act against civilians.

The Fundamental Dishonesty Of The Supreme Court

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 14:00:48 +0000

Federal judges have had to deal with more and more threats from conservatives whipped into up by the Trump administration rhetoric blasting judges blocking illegal executive orders, only to be unceremoniously overruled by the Supreme Court. Last week, multiple judges called out the Republican justices for issuing unexplained opinions refusing to challenge — indeed, passively encouraging — Trump’s attacks. So much for Chief Justice Roberts sanctimoniously declaring that the threats are just a product of the public not understanding the opinions. Law school tuition has skyrocketed in real terms for decades, but based on the last 10 years, the fever may finally have broken. Meanwhile, Amy Coney Barrett has some books to sell! And she’s going to do it by playing up her image as the tortured, yet principled conservative who strips Americans of long enshrined freedoms, but just because she has no other choice. And, as she made clear in Dobbs, women and choice just don’t mix!

Lunchtime Hors D’oeuvres || Salacious Scorpion Speculations

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 08:00:25 +0000

We’ve got more delectable nibbles of knowledge to whet your appetite for the LHLM Summit! And, Conrad’s got a Clio/Scorpion conspiracy theory you definitely don’t want to miss.

This is pure speculation on Conrad’s part… but what’s the real play behind the Scorpion and Clio union? Could there be more to this “sole preferred partnership” than they’re letting on? No spoilers here, folks. Listen in for the intrigue!

Later, more mouthwatering morsels from your upcoming LHLM Summit speakers! Gyi and Conrad offer their commentary on some great advice pertaining to LinkedIn engagement, newsletters, client experience, local influencers, and so much more.

The News:

Gyi was at 8am Kaleidoscope, the inaugural customer conference following their rebrand.
And, catch the guys here, there, and everywhere at a bunch of upcoming conferences—especially this really cool one called the Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Summit. We hear it’s gonna be a good time.
Two great legal leaders, Brett Trembly and Ryan McKeen, have partnered to launch Virtual Case Managers!
Googly googs dodged a bullet: Google avoids breakup, but has to give up exclusive search deals in antitrust trial.
Hmm… Did Google’s share of general search really fall from 73% in Feb to 66.9% in August? – ChatGPT, AI tools gain traction as Google Search slips: Survey
Reddit is on the rise, folks. What’s your strategy?

Mentioned:

Suggested LHLM Episodes:

What’s in a Brand?

Connect: