Lawyerist Podcast

AI has made it easier for lawyers to build their own software. It has also made it easier to underestimate what comes next. In episode 641 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Zack Glaser talks with Nick Coleman, founder and CEO of LexMed, about when law firms should build their own AI tools and when buying an existing platform makes more sense.

Nick shares how frustrations in his Social Security disability practice led him to create tools that connect medical evidence with complex legal requirements. They explore how AI can make more thorough advocacy possible when time and case economics limit what lawyers can realistically do.

The conversation also examines the responsibilities behind custom software, including security, maintenance, regulatory updates, and ongoing support. Nick explains why customer feedback and shared expertise remain valuable even when code is easier to create. For lawyers considering a DIY solution, this episode offers a practical look at the work behind a tool they can trust.

Listen to the previous episodes on Legal AI and Smarter Law Firm Technology Decisions

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

#590 – Innovating Without Overwhelm: Practical AI Tips for Lawyers, with Graydon Trusler Apple | Spotify | LTN

#601– Beyond Chatbots: Using Agentic AI in Law Firm Intake, with Matt Spiegel from Lawmatics Apple | Spotify | LTN

#611 – Choosing the Right Legal Tech in the Age of AI, with Scott Clasen Apple | Spotify | LTN

#619 – What Claude Means for Law Firms: AI Skills, Connectors, and Workflow Strategy, with Sam Harden Apple | Spotify | LTN

Links from the episode:

https://lexmed.ai

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 – Introduction01:00 – Why You Shouldn’t Change Speed Going Uphill04:35 – Meet Nick Coleman05:35 – Building AI Around Real Practice Problems07:20 – Using AI to Find What Lawyers Miss09:50 – When Case Economics Limit Client Advocacy13:05 – Giving Every Client the Attention They Deserve14:05 – Turning an Internal Tool into a Business16:15 – Connecting Medical Evidence to Legal Standards18:35 – When to Build and When to Buy20:30 – Why a Working Prototype Is Just the Beginning23:35 – The Hidden Costs of DIY Legal Tech25:30 – What Software Vendors Offer Beyond Code28:20 – Building Better AI Through Customer Feedback31:00 – Learning to Listen as a Founder32:30 – Is SaaS Really Dead?33:20 – Closing Thoughts

Your firm has AI tools. Your team has questions. In episode 640 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Zack Glaser talks with Ben Schorr about helping lawyers and staff get comfortable using AI through practical, collaborative workshops called prompt-a-thons.

Ben shares what happens when people have time to work through common office tasks with AI, including prioritizing email, preparing reports, and gathering client contact information. As participants improve their prompts and compare ideas, they begin connecting what they are learning to problems they already face at work.

They explore how to organize a prompt-a-thon, why gathering people in the same room can make a difference, and how to keep the experience useful without making it a competition. The conversation also examines how colleagues can become an ongoing source of support as teams discover new ways to use AI.

If your team understands the possibilities but hesitates to try the tools, this episode offers a manageable way to move from watching demonstrations to building practical skills.

Listen to the previous episodes on AI Adoption and Team Confidence.

#624: Building Better Lawyers in the Age of AI, with April Dawson Apple | Spotify | LTN

#598: From Hype to Practice: Using Microsoft Copilot in Your Law Firm, with Ben Schorr Apple | Spotify | LTN

#597: What Lawyers Get Wrong About Teaching Clients and Teams, with Danielle Hall Apple | Spotify | LTN

#590: Innovating Without Overwhelm: Practical AI Tips for Lawyers, with Graydon Trusler 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

00:32 – How Practice Builds AI Confidence

04:11 – Meet Ben Schorr05:56 – What a Prompt-a-thon Actually Is07:30 – Choosing Everyday Tasks for AI Practice09:36 – Why AI Training Needs a Practice Session12:37 – Building a Community Around AI Use14:13 – Getting Your Inbox Under Control with Copilot15:25 – Refining Prompts for More Useful Results18:18 – Moving from Prompts to Scheduled Tasks and Agents19:44 – Connecting AI to Your Firm’s Information22:00 – Why Documented Procedures Make AI More Useful25:55 – Using AI to Simplify Monthly Reporting27:59 – Extracting Client Contact Information from Email31:35 – In Person, Hybrid, or RemotPrompt-a-thonons37:56 – Measuring Success Through Learning and Confidence39:56 – How to RuPrompt-a-thonthon in Your Firm41:52 – Closing Thoughts

AI can create a law firm website in minutes. Building a useful marketing strategy takes more thought. In episode 639 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Zack Glaser talks with legal marketing consultant Karin Conroy about why easier content creation is leaving so many lawyers overwhelmed and what to do before asking AI for another post.

Karin shares a five-step approach to putting your marketing in order: evaluate your current state, set your strategy, repair the foundation, map your channels, and build a content engine. She explains how understanding your ideal clients and the ways they already find you can help you decide where AI belongs.

Together, they explore why viral posts can generate attention without advancing your business goals, how a polished website can still miss the mark, and why your website, intake process, and referral systems need to support whatever you publish. They also discuss how online marketing and personal relationships can work together to make your firm more memorable.

If every new AI tool makes you feel further behind, this episode offers a practical way to identify what needs attention first and move forward with a clearer plan.

Listen to the previous episodes of our AI, Branding & Law Firm Marketing.

#610: Beyond Copycat Marketing: Building a Law Firm Brand That Actually Converts, with Karin Conroy Apple | Spotify | LTN

#603: Turn Expertise into Clients: Building Authority That AI Recognizes, with Karin Conroy Apple | Spotify | LTN

#584: How to Stay Human in the Age of AI-driven Law Firm Marketing, with Creative Conroy Apple | Spotify | LTN

#580: Smarter Law Firm Marketing: AI Tools That Actually Work, with FirmPilot Apple | Spotify | LTN

Links from the episode:

https://conroycreativecounsel.com/

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

01:06 – Meet Karin Conroy and the AI Website Question

04:39 – Why Law Firms Skip the Marketing Fundamentals

06:28 – Why AI Creates More Marketing Overwhelm

11:33 – Putting Strategy Before Marketing Tactics

13:56 – Defining Your Strategy and Ideal Client

14:52 – Why Going Viral Doesn’t Mean Getting Clients

16:34 – Why Copying Competitors’ Marketing Doesn’t Work

18:32 – Making Sure Your Website Can Support Your Marketing

21:02 – Choosing Channels Based on How Clients Find You

22:40 – Repairing Your Marketing Foundation Before Adding AI

24:25 – When Your Law Firm Website Needs a Refresh

29:42 – How Website Design Shapes Client Trust

32:58 – Standing Out When Everyone Uses AI

35:22 – Five Steps to Get Your Marketing on Track

36:32 – Connecting Your Online and Offline Marketing

38:09 – Why Human Relationships Still Drive Growth

39:44 – Closing Thoughts

Running two practice areas can feel like running two law firms under one roof. In episode 638 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Stephanie Everett talks with Megan Burns, managing partner at Mirador Law, about the firm’s decision to focus entirely on plaintiff personal injury after years of also handling criminal defense.

After 20 years as a criminal defense lawyer, Megan knew her trial skills could carry over. The business side required its own transition. She explains how different fee structures, marketing needs, and staffing demands led her and her partner to rethink how the firm operated. They started with a partner retreat to agree on a long term vision, then mapped out the steps needed to make it real.

Together, they discuss how to narrow a practice, support the people affected by the change, and build a firm around a shared direction. If your firm handles several practice areas and you are wondering where to focus, this episode offers a practical place to start.

Listen to the previous episodes of our Law Firm Strategy & Leading Change.

#635: Leading Forward: Why Great Ideas Aren’t Enough for Law Firm Strategy, with Debbie Foster & Stephanie Everett Apple | Spotify | LTN

#633: Leading People in Law Firms: Building Trust, Developing Talent, and Holding Standards, with Debbie Foster & Stephanie Everett Apple | Spotify | LTN

#600: Designing a Law Firm You Actually Want to Run, with Stephanie Everett Apple | Spotify | LTN

#575: From Overwhelmed Lawyer to Strategic Law Firm Owner, with Chad Fox 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 – Introduction00:47 – Why Law Firm Growth Takes a Process03:19 – Meet Megan Burns03:53 – From Public Defender to Personal Injury Lawyer05:41 – How Trial Skills Transfer Between Practice Areas07:49 – Changing Practice Areas Changes the Business Model09:11 – Flat Fees, Contingency Fees, and Financial Risk11:03 – When Two Practice Areas Became Too Much11:45 – Setting a New Vision at a Partner Retreat13:13 – Why Two Practice Areas Can Feel Like Two Firms15:27 – Getting Law Partners on the Same Page18:00 – Turning the Vision Into a Plan for the Team20:01 – How Leaders Set the Tone for Change22:27 – Building on a 50 Year Firm Legacy24:20 – Competing as a Small Personal Injury Firm26:11 – Closing Thoughts

Most lawyers know relationships lead to referrals. The challenge is keeping those relationships alive when everything else gets busy. In this episode of the Lawyerist Podcast, Stephanie Everett talks with Jay Ruane about analog marketing and the simple systems that make staying connected part of running a firm.

Jay explains why offline marketing often falls apart after the first month and how a repeatable approach can help lawyers follow through. They explore using AI to identify forgotten connections in your inbox, making time for short coffee meetings, and becoming the person others trust to make a useful introduction.

The conversation also covers networking as an introvert, asking about someone else’s ideal client, and choosing thoughtful gifts that people actually want to keep. Jay shares why his firm sends clients blankets without its logo and why a manageable network of 50 referral partners can support a successful practice.

If your marketing plan depends on remembering to reach out when things slow down, this episode offers a more practical way to build relationships, generate referrals, and keep showing up.



Listen to the previous episodes of our Referral Marketing, Relationship Building & Law Firm Growth.

#636: Why Past Clients May Be Your Law Firm’s Best Growth Strategy, with EJ Stern & Katherine Wilson Apple | Spotify | LTN

#608: Business Development for Lawyers: Building Real Relationships That Lead to Clients, with Megan Senese Apple | Spotify | LTN

#606: Breaking the Copycat Cycle: Building a Law Firm with Personality, with Patrick Patino Apple | Spotify | LTN

#515: Simple Marketing Hacks Lawyers Swear By, with Gyi Tsakalakis 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

00:59 – Stephanie’s Blog and the Lawyerist Community

03:02 – Meet Jay Ruane

03:57 – Why Relationship Marketing Needs a System

07:17 – Keeping Your Systems Simple

08:46 – Why Analog Marketing Still Works

11:01 – Using AI to Rediscover Referral Connections

12:07 – Building a Network by Connecting Others

14:13 – Networking as an Introvert

17:19 – Preparing for Better Conversations

19:31 – Talking Business Without Forcing a Pitch

20:32 – Asking for Introductions

21:43 – Moving Beyond a Scarcity Mindset

22:41 – Thoughtful Gifts vs. Branded Merchandise

26:16 – Conference Giveaways People Actually Want

27:11 – Making a Book a Personal Gift

28:31 – Building a Repeatable Marketing Routine

29:49 – Why 50 Referral Partners Can Be Enough

30:46 – Closing Thoughts