Law Practice Today

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Oct 2026

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This podcast is brought to you by the Law Practice Division of the American Bar Association.

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November 2, 2026Episode 616 min

Unreasonable Hospitality: How Lawyers Build Stronger Client Relationships

On the Law Practice Today podcast, host Terrell speaks with Marguerita Dolatly, Director of Business Development at Katten and a former corporate/M&A and private equity lawyer, about business development and strengthening client relationships through “unreasonable hospitality.” Delatly explains how personalized, memorable touches can elevate standard service, deepen trust, and differentiate firms—especially in high-stress matters like deals and cases. She describes mapping a deal’s trajectory to identify moments to infuse optimal client service, including clearer communication, setting expectations, and providing roadmaps that reduce client anxiety. She also shares interpersonal examples of paying attention to client interests to create thoughtful touchpoints, while emphasizing the need to be strategic and selective. Delatly notes that as AI improves access to market insights, the personal touch and trusted judgment will become even more important. 00:00 Hospitality Turns to Color 00:26 Podcast Welcome and Disclaimer 01:04 Meet Marguerita Dolatly 02:36 Keeping the Personal Touch After Acquisition 04:42 AI and Trust in Client Service 05:33 From Lawyer to Business Development 06:42 Why Unreasonable Hospitality Works 09:12 Practical Examples for Lawyers 12:45 Predictability Calms Clients 14:49 Where to Find Margarita 15:15 Final Thanks and Sign Off

October 26, 2026Episode 522 min

Making Your Law Firm More Efficient with AI and Automation

In this episode of the Law Practice Podcast, Terrell sits down with Chris Fortier, author of “The Lawyer’s Guide to Office Automation,” to discuss why the legal profession is slow to adopt automation and AI despite significant opportunities. Fortier shares his background building practical tools like Google Forms and shared drives to reduce friction in bar association workflows, then explains how intake forms, client orientation videos, and automated status emails can improve client experience and reduce unnecessary work. He notes increased access to practice software for small firms, highlights concerns about generative AI accuracy and hallucinations, and argues that success depends on documenting workflows and decision trees. Fortier distinguishes rule-based automation from AI’s predictive and expanded search capabilities and emphasizes designing processes, prompts, and human fallback points for responsible AI use. 00:00 Lawyers And AI Fears 00:26 Podcast Welcome And Guest 01:11 Chris Fortier Background 01:47 Early Automation Wins 03:56 Online Intake Forms 04:49 Client Experience Benefits 07:20 Simple Automations Examples 08:40 Tools And Time Tracking 09:44 Adoption And Horror Stories 10:58 Workflow Decision Trees 13:30 Automation Versus AI 15:11 AI Search Use Case 17:55 Book Feedback And Buying 20:00 Designing AI Processes 21:10 Wrap Up And Book Title

October 13, 2026Episode 419 min

Developing Lawyers in the Age of AI

On the ABA Law Practice Today podcast, host Terrell Turner talks with Daya Naef, a law firm consultant and small-firm practitioner focused on legal AI and efficiency, about how firms can still train and develop lawyers as AI automates repetitive junior-level work. Daya describes using technology, outsourcing, and automation to free time for more relational client service and more consistent client updates. They discuss how law schools and firms are split between restricting AI (blue books, no laptops) and embracing it with policies, and how generational shifts create new expectations from AI-native lawyers. They also address clients increasingly using free AI tools to challenge legal strategy, raising the importance of judgment training, potential new training models, and the disconnect of firms banning AI while trying to recruit associates, plus resources including an upcoming ABA CLE and related Law Practice Today articles. 00:00 AI Replaces Junior Work 00:32 Podcast Welcome Disclaimer 01:11 Meet Daya Naef 03:06 AI As Opportunity 05:06 Automation For Client Care 07:20 Training Gap In Firms 10:46 Law Schools React To AI 12:38 AI Native Generations 14:02 Clients Using AI Too 15:57 Rethinking Skills Training 16:57 Firms Banning AI 17:46 Where To Find Daya 18:19 CLE And Articles 18:55 Final Thanks Wrap-up

September 21, 2026Episode 315 min

Exploring Animal Law: Opportunities and Challenges

In this Law Practice Today podcast episode, the host discusses careers in animal law with professor and author Yolanda Eisenstein, who explains that modern animal law is largely animal protection law and has expanded significantly through increased legal education, clinics, and new legislation such as pet trusts. Eisenstein describes her path into the field, her teaching experience at SMU and the University of New Mexico, and how animal law spans companion animals, wildlife, farmed animals, federal and local practice, and even international work. She notes that companion animals generally receive the greatest legal protection and emphasizes that practitioners can integrate animal issues into many legal specialties. Eisenstein previews her updated second edition of Careers in Animal Law, advising prospective students to assess whether they truly want to be lawyers and can handle topics like cruelty and compassion fatigue, and predicts the field will keep growing amid biodiversity loss, climate change, and illegal wildlife trafficking. 00:00 Wildlife Trafficking Stakes 00:28 Podcast Intro and Disclaimer 01:07 Why Animal Law Careers 01:53 Origins and Expansion 04:37 Teaching and Practice Paths 06:01 Species and Legal Protections 08:15 Career Options and Locations 09:15 Staying Current in the Field 10:23 Book Advice and Self Fit 12:55 Future of Animal Law 13:54 Where to Find Yolanda 14:36 Closing Remarks

September 15, 2026Episode 232 min

Empower Your Legal Mind: Traits and Tactics for Lawyers

On the Law Practice Today podcast, host Terrell sits down with psychologists Larry and D'Arcy, authors of Thin Skinned, to discuss research on how lawyers differ from the general public and how those differences affect both practice and personal life. Larry describes decades of data collection—first via a nationwide Myers-Briggs study of 3,000+ lawyers and later through 30 years using the Caliper Profile, now totaling nearly 10,000 lawyer assessments—showing seven atypical trait outliers, including high skepticism and notably low resilience and empathy. They explain that some traits are present before law school, while skepticism, resilience, and empathy are largely learned and can shift with time in law-office environments. The episode highlights practical, research-backed ways to build resilience, including reducing cognitive distortions, increasing positive emotions, and strengthening relationships, plus leadership strategies for creating resilience-friendly firm cultures. 00:00 Lawyers Get Thin Skinned 00:20 Podcast Intro Disclaimer 00:58 Meet the Authors 01:44 Larry's Path to Psychology 02:28 D'Arcy Joins the Project 04:15 30 Years of Lawyer Data 06:36 Seven Traits That Stand Out 09:29 Why Lawyers Differ 10:30 Skepticism Lowers Resilience 18:19 Nature, Nurture, and Selection 19:56 Four Buckets of Solutions 20:47 Bucket One Fix Negative Thinking 24:38 Bucket Two Build Positive Emotions 30:01 Bucket Three Relationships Matter 34:17 Where to Learn More 35:05 Final Thanks and Wrap Up

September 8, 2026Episode 118 min

AI Tools for Smarter Law Firms

In this Law Practice Today podcast episode, Greg Siskind discusses an ABA book he co-wrote with Jason Susser and Josh Waddell, focused on practical ways lawyers can adopt generative AI in their firms, including how to prioritize projects, find “low-hanging fruit,” decide what to DIY versus hire out, and avoid ethical or operational trouble. Siskind draws parallels to the early days of law firm websites, recounting building one of the first lawyer websites in 1994 and the skepticism and compliance questions that followed. He describes his firm’s earlier AI work starting in 2015 with no-code expert systems and a later pivot in 2022 after an early look at OpenAI through Casetext’s CoCounsel, leading to an immigration-focused generative AI research prototype. The conversation highlights strong use cases like summarization, translation, inbox workflows, marketing tasks, and prompt “recipes,” emphasizing prompts as effective delegation. 00:00 Why Invest in AI 00:31 Podcast Intro and Disclaimer 01:09 Meet Greg Siskind 01:52 Writing a Practical AI Book 03:44 Lessons From 1994 Websites 07:06 Early Web Marketing Advantage 08:50 Law Firm AI Experiments 2015 11:11 First Look at Generative AI 13:55 Practical Use Cases and Prompts 16:09 Prompting Is Delegation 17:16 Where to Find Greg 17:48 Final Thanks and Outro

August 24, 2026Episode 4315 min

First Half of 2026 Highlights: Law Firm Strategy and Operations

This special roundup episode of the Law Practice Today podcast brings together three conversations from the first half of 2026 focused on helping law firms build stronger, more resilient, and better-run practices. First, Stephanie Everett joins Terrell A. Turner in "Building a Healthy and Profitable Law Firm.” She explains why law firm leaders need to understand their numbers, create systems that allow the business to operate without depending on the owner at every moment, and revisit strategy regularly through quarterly planning, annual reviews, and longer-term vision setting. Next, Shawn Holahan discusses "Disaster Planning for Law Firms.” She emphasizes that professional and ethical responsibilities do not stop during an emergency. From natural disasters and cyber incidents to technology failures and employee disruptions, firms need a clear plan for maintaining operations and communicating with clients when something goes wrong. Finally, Alexander Paykin joins Terrell for "Picking the Right Legal Tech Tools.” He encourages law firms to look beyond polished demos and technology hype by evaluating tools against their actual workflows, practice-specific needs, security requirements, and expected return on investment. The goal is not simply to adopt more technology, but to choose tools that genuinely save time, improve operations, and support the firm. Together, these conversations highlight three important parts of running a stronger law firm: building a sustainable business, preparing for disruption, and making smarter operational and technology decisions. Listen to the Full Conversations: Building a Healthy and Profitable Law Firm — Stephanie Everett Disaster Planning for Law Firms — Shawn Holahan Picking the Right Legal Tech Tools — Alexander Paykin Episode Chapters 00:00 Special Episode Preview 00:46 Podcast Intro & Disclaimer 01:22 Building a More Resilient Law Firm 02:20 Stephanie Everett: Building a Healthy and Profitable Practice 03:24 Numbers, Systems & Strategy 05:53 Shawn Holahan: Why Disaster Planning Matters 07:07 Ethics and Professional Responsibilities During Disasters 09:07 Building a Reliable Client Communication Plan 10:23 Alexander Paykin: Cutting Through Legal Tech Hype 11:54 How to Stress-Test AI & Technology Tools 13:27 Evaluating the Real ROI of Automation 14:19 Wrap-Up & Full Episode Links

August 17, 2026Episode 4215 min

First Half of 2026 Highlights: Marketing & Business Development

This special roundup episode of the Law Practice Today podcast revisits three conversations from the first half of 2026 focused on helping lawyers strengthen their visibility, relationships, and professional brand. First, Jason Hennessey joins Terrell A. Turner for “Mastering Law Firm SEO in the Era of AI,” exploring how AI-driven search is reshaping SEO for law firms, why traditional authority signals still matter, and how brand reputation and sentiment are becoming increasingly important as search behavior evolves. Next, Deb Feder shares a practical approach to business development in “Rethinking Business Development: Small Actions, Stronger Relationships.” She explains how lawyers can make networking and relationship-building more manageable by dedicating just a few minutes each day to simple actions, thoughtful follow-up, and staying consistently connected with the people in their network. Finally, Marianne Talbot brings a different perspective to professional branding in “Embracing the Punk Rock Principle in Law.” Her approach encourages lawyers to embrace authenticity, experiment with small acts that challenge the expected professional mold, and let go of some of the pressure to appear perfect—creating more room for individuality, energy, and enjoyment in their careers. Listen to the full conversations: Mastering Law Firm SEO in the Era of AI — Jason Hennessey Rethinking Business Development: Small Actions, Stronger Relationships — Deb Feder Embracing the Punk Rock Principle in Law — Marianne Talbot Episode Chapters 00:00 Special Roundup Preview 01:07 Podcast Intro & Disclaimer 01:43 Jason Hennessey: How AI Is Changing Search and SEO 02:32 Authority Signals, Links & Brand Sentiment 04:47 Quick SEO Strategies for Law Firms 05:26 Deb Feder: The Five-Minute Business Development Habit 07:52 Simple Daily Networking Actions 09:08 Marianne Talbot: The Punk Rock Branding Mindset 11:07 Letting Go of Perfection to Stand Out 12:42 How Small Acts of Rebellion Build Energy 13:52 Wrap-Up & Full Episode Links

August 10, 2026Episode 4130 min

How to Write and Publish a Book with the ABA (and Why It Matters)

This episode of the Law Practice Today podcast features Terrell A. Turner, CPA's interview with Carol Greenwald, chair of the Law Practice Division Publication Board, about what it really takes to write and publish a book with the ABA. Greenwald shares her background transitioning from academia to law firm consulting focused on communication, and explains that lawyers are trained in law but not always in clear communication with clients and teams. She discusses why people write books (reputation and expertise), how the division selects topics across business, finance, management, marketing, and technology, and why “evergreen” subjects differ from fast-changing topics like AI. Greenwald outlines appropriate and inappropriate uses of AI in writing, the challenges of completing a nonfiction book on deadline, and how to pitch a book idea to the Pub Board via a questionnaire process. 00:00 Writing Sounds Like You 00:34 Podcast Intro Disclaimer 01:13 Why Write With ABA 01:53 Carol Greenwald Background 04:27 Lawyer Communication Gaps 06:06 How People Remember 07:51 Why Books Build Credibility 09:06 Evergreen Versus AI Topics 09:30 Choosing ABA Book Topics 11:51 Clients Getting Tougher 14:04 AI And Copyright Limits 14:34 Using AI The Right Way 17:29 What Makes Books Valuable 20:30 Writing For Different Learners 22:11 Guiding Readers With Breadcrumbs 23:37 Publishing Goals And Deadlines 25:23 Finishing A Book Is Hard 28:32 How To Pitch The Pub Board 29:31 Wrap Up And Thanks

August 3, 2026Episode 4021 min

Mastering AI-Driven SEO for Law Firms

On the Law Practice Today podcast, Terrell A. Turner, CPA speaks with David Arato, owner of Lexicon Legal Content, about law firm marketing and SEO as AI overviews and AI platforms reshape how clients find lawyers. Arato explains that while AI is a major shift, many fundamentals still apply: clean sites, valuable content, and omnichannel presence, with today’s emphasis on frequent, fresh, conversational content, technical elements like schema markup, and building authority through libraries of content, backlinks, and third-party mentions (including sources like Reddit). He notes that AI overviews now trigger for many legal searches, devaluing traditional #1 organic rankings and making AI citations critical for traffic and leads. He also defines common acronyms (SEO, AIO, GEO, AEO) and argues “zero-effort” AI content has “zero value,” warning of amplified misinformation and compliance risks. 00:00 AI Content Ranking Reality 00:20 Podcast Welcome Disclaimer 00:59 Meet David Arato 02:00 From Law School to SEO 04:05 Is AI a Seismic Shift 06:38 Winning AI Overviews 10:27 SEO Timelines and PR Signals 13:44 New SEO Acronyms Explained 15:19 Zero Effort Content Trap 19:55 Misinformation and Compliance Risks 20:37 Where to Find David 21:06 Final Wrap Up