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Are you a law firm owner who is thinking about integrating automation into your workflows? In this episode of the Maximum Lawyer Podcast, Ali Zahid, CEO of LegalMate, delves into the transformative impact of legal tech on law firms.
Ali shares the concept of LegalMate and what it tries to solve for law firms and lawyers alike. LegalMate is an automation platform that is integrated with CRM’s like Clio to streamline processes that would otherwise be done using traditional paper based methods. What makes LegalMate so efficient is it takes away the manual labor and gives time back to lawyers. Tasks like intake can be time consuming and using a paper based system is prone to error and can get lost if not filed properly. LegalMate does all the work for law firms and helps with keeping everything in order.
When it comes to integrating automation with workflows, Ali recommends it is best to start small. This is more so for law firms that do not have an automation system in place at all. It can be tough for teams to adapt to a new system if too many things are being implemented at once. It will take time for teams to learn a new automation system and let go of the old way of working. For firms that have a process mapped out already or currently work with some kind of automation, it is still best to start small but aggressively expand to move things along quicker.
Take a listen to learn more about automation in the legal space!
1:42 How Legal Mate helps law firms streamline processes
8:43 The process of assessing law firms' workflows
11:02 The approach for law firms to start small with automations
29:43 Discussion on injecting AI into workflows
Connect with Ali:
Watch the YouTube version of this episode HERE
Are you a lawyer that would like to work on their public speaking skills? In this episode of the Maximum Lawyer Podcast, Jim and Tyson are joined by Kerry Barrett, an expert in on-camera media training for Fortune 500 companies. Kerry shares her insights on public speaking and offers tips for lawyers to improve their on-camera skills and connect with potential clients.
Public speaking can be a very intimidating thing to overcome. For lawyers, public speaking is something that needs to be mastered as there are instances like tv work or in person court hearings and trials that provide the space to speak in front of people. Carrie provides some tips for lawyers to get over this hurdle. One way is to step outside of your comfort zone and find ways to make yourself and your name known to people. Apply to be on a podcast about the legal field or research media opportunities to network and let others know who you are. It is all about getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Communicating to people as a lawyer can be a tricky task, especially if someone is not well versed in speaking with clients. One issue Kerry identifies for lawyers is that most speak to clients using legal terms. Clients do not know any legal jargon, so it is important to break down what is being said in simple terms. This also applies to lawyers who are speaking on camera. In this setting, lawyers are performing and not simply delivering information in a courtroom. What is being provided in terms of content needs to be laid out in a way that can be understood easily.
Listen in to learn more from Kerry on public speaking!
Jim's Hack: If you find yourself with a few minutes to spare, just pull out your phone and record a TikTok to see what happens. Get the content out there and then deal with graphics later on.
Kerry’s Tip: When you are on stage or you're in front of a camera, there are two things you always need to have. One is a plan and one is presence. The plan is that you understand your delivery and the presence is what comes into play when all that other stuff goes sideways.
Tyson's Tip: Ted Talk called the 100 Days of Rejection, where this guy puts himself through 100 days of possible moments of rejection from people. It is a great watch for those that struggle talking to people, being on stage or doing videos.
4:19 Advice on teaching public speaking skills
7:09 Discussion on common mistakes lawyers make on television
17:14 How lawyers can build connections with potential clients
20:06 How to use simple language for effective communication
Tune in to today’s episode and checkout the full show notes here.
Connect with Kerry:
Watch the YouTube version of this episode HERE
Are you a law firm owner who is finding it difficult to manage finances? In this episode of the Maximum Lawyer Podcast, Jim and Tyson delve into financial management within law firms.
Many law firm owners struggle with financial management, especially when it comes to paying themselves a salary. Jim and Tyson share the importance of paying yourself as a law firm owner. There is discipline involved when establishing how much money you receive as an owner. Many law firm owners feel they can take however much they want because they are in charge and bring in clients. But, this mentality is how lawyers end up with a struggling business, so it is important to determine and maintain a balance.
Jim and Tyson discuss the emotional and psychological challenges law firm owners face when it comes to handling finances. It is so easy to get lost in the amount of money that starts to come in when things get busy and more staff are hired. It is important to maintain good financial habits to ensure not only you as the owner are given a decent wage, but your employees and all necessary expenses are paid. Hiring a good accountant or bookkeeper for a firm is key to ensuring nothing is out of the ordinary.
Take a listen to learn more about responsible financial management!
Jim's Hack: Download the ChatGPT Apple iPhone app and just talk to it. You can ask it all types of questions and it gets better each day.
Tyson's Tip: Challenge people to not drink for 30 days and see how it makes you feel.
1:38 The importance of paying yourself a salary
15:20 The psychological barriers associated with financial management
18:13 The importance of reflecting on financial matters
Tune in to today’s episode and checkout the full show notes here.
Watch the YouTube version of this episode HERE
In this podcast episode, Tyson tackles the sensitive topic of employee termination. His tips include: acting promptly, communicating directly and respectfully, and having a termination plan, particularly for remote workers.
Some of the points Tyson dive deeper in this episode is to avoid prolonging discussions during the termination meeting, being objective, and not disparaging the employee post-termination. You could also offer support for the employee's transition and being transparent with the team are also highlighted.
It’s the leader's responsibility to make tough decisions for the firm's health which includes the tasks of parting with employees. But hopefully, these shared tips will make things a little easier. Listen in!
01:31 Making the decision to part with an employee
03:41 The preferred method of being direct and respectful when parting with an employee
06:38 The importance of being open with the team about a termination
07:33 Considering offering help to the terminated employee
10:05 The necessity of seeking legal counsel and support
Tune in to today’s episode and checkout the full show notes here.
Watch the YouTube version of this episode HERE
Are you thinking about becoming your own boss and starting a law practice? In this podcast episode, Jim and Tyson interview Margeaux Thomas, a seasoned lawyer who specializes in business divorces. Margeaux shares her transition from working in a large firm to establishing her own practice.
Margeaux provides some insights on establishing her own practice and some things she had to consider beforehand. One thing was connecting with other lawyers in her circle who provided some tips and tricks to getting started on her own and what was needed to become her own boss. Another thing was understanding that as a lawyer, you can always pivot and work at another firm if starting your own doesn't work out. This mentality helped Margeaux in becoming more confident in her ability to succeed.
Margeaux shares her thoughts on how to partner up in a law firm and what to focus on. Looking at a business partnership like a marriage is something Margeaux tells people that come to her for advice. It is important to communicate to a potential business partner about the roles each person will have, finances and each other’s risk tolerance to decide if it is something to move forward with. It is also crucial to get a prenup or operating agreement to ensure both individuals are on the same page.
Listen in to learn more!
Jim's Hack: Read the book “Already Free” by Benjamin Hardy. It is about the intersection of psychotherapy and Buddhism and talks about the value of therapy.
Margeaux Tip: Read the book “Domestic Assistant Advantage’' by Steve Riley. She learned to hire a personal assistant to help with personal tasks to expand her reach. https://amzn.to/3TmuDS8
Tyson's Tip: Use TEMU to order office supplies.
2:17 Discussion of learning curves
9:24 Insights on partnering in a law firm
14:26 The importance of building a team earlier when starting a business
Tune in to today’s episode and checkout the full show notes here.
Connect with Margeaux:
Watch the YouTube version of this episode HERE
In this podcast episode, Tyson shares insights into his firm and the recently revised office hours. The firm shifted from team-specific hours to a more unified approach, introducing one mandatory 15-minute office hour from 12:45 pm to 1:00 pm, and two optional slots at 8:45 am and 3:45 pm, all in central time.
This office hour change, aims to simplify scheduling, foster better communication, and improve productivity.
01:12 Tyson explains the new approach with mandatory and optional office hours
03:09 Tyson details the new office hours structure, providing flexibility and opportunities for communication within the firm
05:17 The positive impact of the changes to office hours and encourages feedback from the listeners
Tune in to today’s episode and checkout the full show notes here.
Watch the YouTube version of this episode HERE
Are you a law firm owner who needs a tool to visualize the work of your team? In this podcast episode, Jim and Tyson interview John Grant about implementing the Kanban methodology in legal practices.
John provides some insight on what the Kanban methodology is and why it is such a great thing to add to law firms. Kanban boards are used in the project management space and can be used as a tool to outline work. It is often used in scrum meetings among teams to break down goals. For example, if a team is working on a project to streamline the intake process, a Kanban board can be used to visualize how that process can go using columns and cards. They are meant to allow users to see workflows and identify areas where there is a roadblock. It can be customized to the likeness of any team!
John shares some of the templates he has created that can help law firms succeed. One is a litigation workflow, which can be used to help outline a case. There is a column for intake and research, one for strategy, one for mediation/negotiation and then one for the trial process. This lays out the whole case in front of you which when visualized can help see the whole picture. The transactional template is similar but might not include a trial phase.
John provides a few examples of different types of Kanban boards. One of them is BusinessMap, which is great for large firms due to the amount of users that can utilize it at once. KanbanZone is another tool that is great for lawyers as there are functionalities that work well for the type of work lawyers do. Choose a Kanban board that works for your firm to maximize its great benefits!
Listen in to learn more from John Grant!
Jim's Hack: Read the book “10 X is Better than 2 X”, by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy. There is a concept in the book about how we ease ourselves out of the day to day practice of the firm by using free days.
John’s Tip: Make policies explicit. It is not just about what the policy is and what I want you to do, but getting to the why behind the policy.
Tyson's Tip: Use sticky notes to start putting stuff on the walls as a starting ground.
2:59 The Kanban methodology and its application in law firms
7:36 The benefits of using visual Kanban boards to manage tasks
12:51 Recommendations for tools like BusinessMap and Kanban Zone
15:46 Best practices for setting up a Kanban board for litigation
Connect with John:
Tune in to today’s episode and checkout the full show notes here.
Watch the YouTube version of this episode HERE
Are you a law firm owner who is overworked and needs more support? In this episode of the Maximum Lawyer Podcast, Tyson Mutrux discusses the crucial role of delegation in law firm management.
Running a successful law firm is all about delegating tasks to other employees. Delegation is all about taking things off your plate and allowing yourself as an owner to focus on other important tasks. As an owner, you need to trust your team to do well and allow them to take on the responsibility of doing certain things. If you don’t have trust with your team, there will be no growth and you as a law firm owner will become overwhelmed and burnt out.
Tyson identifies a few tasks that can be delegated to other team members. One of these are routine and repeat tasks such as scanning. Delegating this to another person can really take the stress off of an owner. You can even create a process for scanning that makes it more efficient. Legal research is another time consuming task that can be outsourced to a virtual assistant. Growth tasks such as drafting documents can be given to a junior staff member or a legal student to allow them to build that skill.
Listen in to learn more about delegation.
00:23 The importance and impact of delegation
1:17 Tips for identifying routine tasks suitable for delegation
5:57 The impact of delegation on team empowerment and growth
Tune in to today’s episode and checkout the full show notes here. https://maximumlawyer.com/tysonmutrux641
Watch the YouTube version of this episode HERE
Are you an attorney who is interested in joining a supportive group of fellow attorneys? In this podcast episode, Jim and Tyson explore the impact of their mastermind group for lawyers.
Jim and Tyson discuss the great things that have happened since beginning the quarterly mastermind sessions. One of these things is the ability to learn different ways of doing things from lawyers of all backgrounds. There are multiple ways to succeed and many people tend to not realize that. But, sharing perspective in the mastermind has created this notion for members. Working in law can be stressful and competitive, but Jim and Tyson share how participants are able to network, share ideas, overcome struggles and get validation from their fellow attorneys. The mastermind sessions are all about fostering a supportive environment for attorneys to grow and learn.
Jim and Tyson share their methods for preparing for mastermind sessions. Starting off the mastermind sessions with a few questions help set the tone for the day and get people thinking about their work habits, business decisions and how they interact with clients. Mastermind sessions are all about digging deep with members, helping them understand their problems and receive positive feedback from others.
Take a listen to learn more!
Jim’s Hack: If you find yourself in a rut doing the same thing over and over, just do one little thing differently to be disruptive.
Tyson’s Hack: If you think that you may have hired too many people, go through an exercise of picking your top 6 people that you can’t work without to narrow it down.
5:23 Exploring the benefits of running a mastermind
7:30 The dynamics and perspectives of participants in the mastermind
9:22 Planning and setting the tone for mastermind sessions
23:04 Discussion on the importance of making small changes
Tune in to today’s episode and checkout the full show notes here.
Watch the YouTube version of this episode HERE
Are you a law firm owner who needs help measuring the success of your firm? In this podcast episode, Tyson delves into the creation and implementation of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for law firms.
Establishing KPIs for law firms are important because they show how a firm is progressing and what needs to be done to further drive success. Setting up and maintaining KPIs can be difficult, but Tyson provides a few tips on how to customize KPIs and ensure they are working for the firm. It is important to ensure that KPIs are tailored to different roles. Staff within law firms have different tasks and roles and there will be different KPIs needed to measure them. For example, a KPI might be used to measure how many files a case manager reviews every week. But for a receptionist, a KPI could be an average call time or how many calls are being taken a day.
Tyson shares the importance of reviewing your KPIs and adjusting them as the firm grows. KPIs also need to be adjusted with individual performance. Job tasks will change over time as people take on more responsibility or change the way they are doing their work. KPIs will need to change alongside this as they will reflect new ways of working. Make sure to communicate these KPIs to staff and let them know when and why they are being adjusted.
Take a listen!
2:05 Tips for customizing KPIs to align with the unique objectives
4:41 Setting KPIs that are challenging and attainable for team members.
6:27 Importance of reviewing and adjusting KPIs to align with evolving needs
8:13 Tips for effectively communicating the purpose and importance of KPIs
Tune in to today’s episode and checkout the full show notes here.
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