Lawyerist Podcast

In episode 604 of Lawyerist Podcast, Stephanie Everett sits down with Andy Hays to explore the shift from solo practitioner to true business owner. After nearly two decades of firm ownership, Andy shares why he recently rebranded to remove his personal name from the firm, a strategic move designed to reduce dependency on him and strengthen the firm’s future. 

They discuss delegation, hiring before you feel fully ready, automating repetitive processes, and setting clear expectations for team performance. The conversation also dives into accountability, leadership growth, and how small operational improvements compound over time. 

If you are ready to move beyond founder dependence and build a firm designed for scalability, resilience, and long-term value, this episode offers practical frameworks and real-world insight to help you get there. 

Listen to our previous episodes on Scaling & Building a Sellable Firm. 

#306: Getting to Know & Love Your Numbers, with Bernadette Harris Apple | Spotify | LTN 

#583: From Survival to Strategy: Scaling Your Law Firm Finances, with Bernadette Harris Apple | Spotify | LTN 

#588: Practice Smarter, Not Harder: 411 Tips for Modern Lawyers, with Jordan Couch 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 

03:50 – Standards, KPIs & Hard Conversations 

07:30 – Meet Andy 

08:45 – Lessons from 18 Years in Practice 

10:15 – Removing Your Name from the Firm 

12:45 – Building a Firm You Can Sell 

15:30 – Automation & Low Hanging Fruit 

17:00 – Accountability & Team Meetings 

19:25 – The “I’ll Just Do It Myself” Trap 

21:15 – Hiring Strategically 

23:30 – Expanding the Physical Office 

25:40 – Closing Thoughts

In episode 604 of Lawyerist Podcast, discover how addressing alcohol and mental health can unlock greater clarity, confidence, and long-term success in your legal career. Stephanie Everett sits down with IP attorney and recovery coach Melissa Silverstein to talk about alcohol, achievement, and the hidden pressures inside the legal profession. 

Melissa shares her personal journey from high-achieving “functioning” lawyer to long-term sobriety, and explains why so many attorneys struggle silently while still appearing successful on the outside. Together, they explore law firm drinking culture, client expectations, stigma around asking for help, and why recovery does not have to mean labels or all-or-nothing thinking. 

If you’ve ever felt burned out, anxious, or not quite like your best self, this episode offers practical insight, reassurance, and a path toward building a healthier, more sustainable legal career without shame. 

Listen to our previous episodes on Lawyer Well Being & Recovery. 

469: Lawyers in Crisis: Navigating Addiction and Mental Healthy, with Brian Cuban Apple | Spotify | LTN 

#477 Controlling Alcohol with Annie Grace Apple | Spotify | LTN 

#506: Managing Stress & Avoiding Burnout, with Emily Nagoski Apple | Spotify | LTN 

#533 The Alcohol Experiment, with Annie Grace Apple | Spotify | LTN 

#535 Lawyer Burnout: 5 Hidden Signs You’re About to Crash, with Natasha Evans 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 – Intro & Conference Recap 

08:30 – Melissa’s Story 

10:00 – Achievement as a Mask 

12:10 – Rethinking Abstinence 

14:30 – Harm Reduction & Personal Choice 

15:50 – Warning Signs in Law Practice 

16:30 – The Role of the Bar 

17:50 – Leadership & Language 

20:00 – Rethinking Firm Events 

23:10 – Career Growth After Recovery 

26:00 – De-Stigmatizing Help 

29:00 – Closing Thoughts

In episode 603 of Lawyerist Podcast, Zack Glaser sits down with Karin Conroy to examine how AI is changing the rules of law firm marketing and what that means for lawyers who want to stand out for the right reasons.  

Karin explains why expertise, not automation, is what rises to the top in an AI filtered world. As large language models reshape how potential clients search for answers, shortcuts like keyword stuffing and mass produced content are quickly losing their impact. What stands out instead is real authority built through credibility, third party validation, media appearances, and consistent messaging across platforms. 

The conversation also challenges the idea that your website is your first impression. In today’s landscape, visibility often starts elsewhere. Zack and Karin unpack how referral systems support a larger authority strategy and what it truly means to move from building, to stabilizing, to growing your marketing in a deliberate and sustainable way. 

Listen to our previous episodes with Karin:  

#559: The Imitation Trap: Lessons from 15 Years of Top Law Firm Websites , with Conroy Creative Counsel (Sponsored) Apple | Spotify | LTN  

#546: Unlock Law Firm Growth: AI marketing Secrets 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 

 

 

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 – Meet Karin Conroy02:30 – AI, Agents & The Content Explosion04:15 – The M Dash as a Trust Tell07:00 – Why Google Isn’t the Front Door Anymore09:00 – Knowledge Panels & Online Authority12:30 – You Can’t Fake Expertise15:00 – Stop Chasing SEO Tricks17:30 – Authority Through Media & PR21:00 – Who Needs a Media Kit23:00 – Referrals Are a Marketing Strategy25:00 – Build Before You Scale28:00 – AI Rewards Real Experts32:30 – Closing Thoughts

Lawyers have always relied on tools—but AI is different. It doesn’t just assist with tasks; it makes decisions, applies judgment, and shapes outcomes. In episode #602 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Stephanie Everett talks with Damien Riehl about what ethical responsibility looks like when AI starts doing legal work on its own. 

Their conversation examines how AI systems embed values, why verification matters more than transparency, and how lawyers can responsibly use tools they don’t fully understand. They also explore what legal expertise looks like in an AI-powered future—and why intuition, trust, and integrity may matter more than ever as machines take over the “widgets” of legal work. 

Listen to our other episodes on Ethics and Responsibility in AI. 

EP. 582 Deepfakes, Data, and Duty: Navigating AI Ethics in Law, with Merisa Bowers Apple | Spotify | LTN 

EP. 543 What Lawyers Need to Know About the Ethics of Using AI, with Hilary Gerzhoy 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 

05:55 – Meet Damien Riehl 

08:10 – Why AI Is a Different Kind of Legal Tool 

11:05 – When AI Starts Doing Legal Work 

14:30 – Ethics, Values, and AI Judgment 

18:45 – Foundation Models vs. Legal-Specific AI 

21:15 – The “Duck Test” and Trusting AI Output 

24:45 – Trust but Verify: Reviewing AI Work 

28:40 – What Lawyers Are Underestimating About AI 

31:10 – What Still Requires Human Judgment 

34:30 – Intuition, Trust, and Integrity in Law 

37:40 – What This Means for Billing and the Future 

40:40 – Closing Thoughts

Lawyers are understandably cautious about AI—but the real risk may be using it the wrong way. In episode 601 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Zack Glaser sits down with Matt Spiegel of Lawmatics to explore how agentic AI is changing the way law firms handle intake and evaluate potential clients. 

Matt breaks down why surface-level AI tools fall short, how agentic AI can make informed recommendations instead of opaque scores, and what it takes to build trust in automated decision-making. They also discuss how better intake systems can reduce wasted time, improve lead quality, and support more intentional firm growth. 

Listen to our other episodes on Artificial Intelligence in Legal Practice. 

#497: Real Talk About Artificial Intelligence in Your Office, with Ben Apple | Spotify | LTN 

#543: What Lawyers Need to Know About the Ethics of Using AI, with Hilary Gerzhoy Apple | Spotify | LTN 

#546: Unlock Law Firm Growth: AI marketing Secrets with Karin Conroy Apple | Spotify | LTN 

Links from the episode: 

https://www.lawmatics.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 

01:28 – Meet Matt Spiegel 

03:55 – From the Cloud to AI in Legal Tech 

05:38 – Why Lawyers Are Cautious About AI 

06:50 – Moving Beyond Surface-Level AI 

08:51 – Why Lead Scoring Misses the Point 

11:14 – What Makes Agentic AI Different 

14:10 – Generative AI vs. Agentic AI 

15:57 – Teaching Software to Make Decisions 

17:17 – Automating Outcomes, Not Steps 

20:10 – Why Lawmatics Was Already Agentic 

21:47 – Trust, Guardrails, and Client Data 

24:20 – What Qualify AI Does Differently 

25:33 – Closing Thoughts