The Lawyer's Edge

Hosted by Elise Holtzman

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208

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Jun 2026

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On The Lawyer's Edge podcast, attorney and professional business coach Elise Holtzman sits down with successful lawyers, legal marketing specialists, business leaders and authors to talk about how lawyers and law firms can grow and sustain healthy, profitable businesses.

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June 16, 2026Episode 21541 min

Ryan Lockman | How One Managing Partner Is Rethinking Attorney Training From the Ground Up

Ryan Lockman is the managing partner of Horn Williamson & Collins, a mid-sized construction and commercial litigation law firm in Philadelphia and Delaware. A trial lawyer representing homeowners in residential construction defect and consumer protection disputes throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Ryan has secured more than $20 million in verdicts and arbitration awards, including a $3.2 million jury verdict for homeowners in a construction defect trial. He earned his MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, which informs his approach to law firm management, operational efficiency, and long-term strategic growth. Most recently, Ryan developed Construction Defect University, an AI-assisted internal training platform built using Claude Code to provide more structured onboarding and practice-specific training for attorneys and paralegals. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT ATTORNEY TRAINING Law firms have long relied on observation-based training, with younger lawyers learning by sitting in meetings, listening to experienced attorneys talk through cases, and gradually figuring out how the work gets done. But as Ryan Lockman explains, that kind of ad hoc training only goes so far when new attorneys and paralegals need to understand the terminology, client communication expectations, and litigation process before the work starts to make sense. At Horn Williamson & Collins, Ryan started addressing that gap by creating more structure inside the firm, including team leaders, internal CLEs, and clearer benchmarks for how attorneys and paralegals should stay on top of cases and communicate with clients. From there, he built Construction Defect University, an AI-assisted internal training platform designed to give new attorneys and paralegals more practice-specific training. In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge, Elise Holtzman talks with Ryan Lockman about why the old expectation that lawyers should "just figure it out" is breaking down, how structured training supports client service and talent retention, what Construction Defect University actually includes, and how he built it using Claude Code in less than 30 hours. 3:16 - Ryan's path from civil rights law to construction defect litigation 7:00 - How business school changed Ryan's approach to running a law firm 11:15 - Recognizing when an ad hoc training approach no longer works 14:37 - Why "hit the ground running" was never a reasonable expectation 16:23 - The connection between attorney training and talent retention 20:28 - Using incentives to help lawyers understand expectations 23:20 - Training team leaders to manage, mentor, and communicate 27:17 - How Ryan built an AI-assisted internal training platform 29:27 - Internal response to the platform and involving associates in the process 30:46 - What Construction Defect University includes for attorneys and paralegals 36:24 - Using AI as a substitute for hands, not brains 39:21 - Why leaders forget what new lawyers do not know Mentioned In How One Managing Partner Is Rethinking Attorney Training From the Ground Up Horn Williamson & Collins | LinkedIn Ryan Lockman on LinkedIn Claude Code Microsoft Copilot Get connected with the coaching team: hello@thelawyersedge.com The Lawyer's Edge SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE This episode is brought to you by the coaching team at The Lawyer's Edge, a training and coaching firm that has been focused exclusively on lawyers and law firms since 2008. Each member of the team is a trained, certified, and experienced professional coach—and either a former practicing attorney or a former law firm marketing and business development professional. Whatever your professional objectives, our coaches can help you achieve your goals more quickly, more easily, and with significantly less stress. To get connected with your coach, fill out our contact form.

June 9, 2026Episode 21137 min

Ivy Slater | Why Succession Planning Is a Growth Strategy, Not a Retirement Issue

Ivy Slater is the CEO of Slater Success, a boutique coaching and consulting firm working at the intersection of strategic growth and succession planning. Before becoming a coach and advisor, she built and sold a seven-figure business in New York City and has spent nearly two decades since working with leadership teams on the strategy, structure, and leadership development required for sustainable growth, with a particular focus on the legal sector. Ivy has guided companies through the leadership and cultural dynamics that shape whether growth, transition, or acquisition actually succeeds. Ivy is a TEDx speaker, host of the Her Success Story podcast, and author of The Best of the Best: Lead Boldly, Scale Rapidly, Create Your Legacy. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT SUCCESSION PLANNING AND LAW FIRM GROWTH Law firm leaders who avoid succession planning rarely think of it as avoidance. The conversation feels like it belongs later, closer to retirement, or after the next growth milestone gets hit. So firms keep running on the assumption that the people at the top will always be there, and the planning that would actually protect the firm never quite makes it onto the agenda. Ivy Slater argues that succession planning and strategic planning are the same conversation and that separating them produces short-term thinking at best. Firms that integrate succession into their growth strategy from the start are building something solid, something that can function and grow without depending on any one person to hold it together. That shift starts with how leaders think about succession itself, not as an exit, but as the foundation of a legacy. In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge podcast, Elise Holtzman talks with Ivy Slater of Slater Success about why succession planning belongs inside the growth strategy, how to develop the next generation of leaders and rainmakers, what the numbers in your firm are actually telling you, and how to reframe succession from an end-of-career conversation into a strategy for long-term growth. 2:34 - Why firms treat strategic planning and succession planning as separate conversations 3:13 - Why separating succession from strategy produces short-term thinking 5:45 - The ego and fear that make succession planning feel threatening 9:14 - Succession planning means developing leaders, not just identifying successors 9:49 - How to know your people's strengths and develop them intentionally 13:39 - How Ivy's own business transition became a model for succession done right 17:54 - What firm leaders should actually be tracking 19:46 - Start every conversation with a success by focusing on what's working 23:43 - Reframing succession from exit planning to legacy building 27:28 - The real cost of waiting and what firms lose when they put this off 31:09 - Thinking 5 to 10 years forward and building a firm that lasts 35:58 - Why firm leaders need to read the storybook of numbers Mentioned In From Why Succession Planning Is a Growth Strategy, Not a Retirement Issue Slater Success | Her Success Story Podcast The Best of the Best: Lead Boldly, Scale Rapidly, Create Your Legacy Ivy Slater on LinkedIn Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman Get connected with the coaching team: hello@thelawyersedge.com The Lawyer's Edge SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE This episode is brought to you by the coaching team at The Lawyer's Edge, a training and coaching firm that has been focused exclusively on lawyers and law firms since 2008. Each member of the team is a trained, certified, and experienced professional coach—and either a former practicing attorney or a former law firm marketing and business development professional. Whatever your professional objectives, our coaches can help you achieve your goals more quickly, more easily, and with significantly less stress. To get connected with your coach, fill out our contact form.

June 2, 2026Episode 21039 min

Michael Caplan | How a Client-Facing COO is Changing the Business of Law

Michael R. Caplan is the Chief Operating Officer of Lowenstein Sandler, where he oversees the firm's business, financial, and administrative operations. Before joining Lowenstein, Mike served as COO at an Am Law 50 firm for nearly a decade and spent years leading legal operations at Goldman Sachs and Marsh McLennan, giving him a client-side perspective most law firm COOs simply don't have. With more than 25 years of experience across accounting, financial services, and consulting, he has worked with more than 30 general counsels on data analytics, technology implementation, and law firm relationship management. His leadership has earned him recognition as one of the Financial Times North America's top five Legal Intrapreneurs, Legal Innovator of the Year from The Changing Lawyer Awards, and a spot on NJBIZ's Law Power List for two consecutive years. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT HOW A CLIENT-FACING COO IS CHANGING THE BUSINESS OF LAW Law firm COOs typically manage operations and execute on what firm leadership puts forward. They respond to partners, oversee administration, and stay behind the scenes while lawyers own every client relationship. Even when clients have their own operational counterparts who would benefit from connecting with their law firm's business professionals, those introductions rarely happen. Michael Caplan has spent the last decade building a different model. At Lowenstein Sandler, he and his Business Enterprise Solutions Team work alongside lawyers in pitches, RFP negotiations, and client meetings, bringing expertise in pricing, technology, project management, and data analytics directly into the relationship. The approach requires internal trust, a firm culture that supports it, and the right people on both sides of the conversation. But when it works, clients get a partner that understands both the practice of law and the business of law, and the firm differentiates itself in ways that go beyond the legal work. In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge, Elise Holtzman talks with Michael Caplan of Lowenstein Sandler about what it looks like when business professionals are embedded in client development, how to build internal trust so lawyers bring operations leaders into client relationships, the financial discipline that separates good revenue from bad revenue, and where private equity and AI may reshape law firm operations in the years ahead. 2:43- How Mike's client-side experience at Goldman Sachs and Marsh McLennan shaped his approach 5:53 - Building the Business Enterprise Solutions Team (BEST) at Lowenstein 7:18 - Getting lawyers on board and building internal trust 8:55 - Showing wins to bring more lawyers into the model 9:27 - The financial side of the COO role and negotiating pricing with clients 12:49 - Where emerging partners need the most help on collections and client management 15:14 - What smaller and midsize firms should think about when building an operations team 20:02 - Non-lawyer ownership, private equity, and the MSO model in law firms 22:26 - AI, legal technology, and why firms that invest in business resources will be more profitable 27:22 - Why most COOs wouldn't do this podcast and what holds firms back 33:31 - What clients actually get from a firm that embeds operations into relationships 36:19 - Getting the right people in front of the right clients Mentioned in How a Client-Facing COO is Changing the Business of Law Lowenstein Sandler | LinkedIn Michael Caplan on LinkedIn Get connected with the coaching team: hello@thelawyersedge.com The Lawyer's Edge SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE This episode is brought to you by the coaching team at The Lawyer's Edge, a training and coaching firm that has been focused exclusively on lawyers and law firms since 2008. Each member of the team is a trained, certified, and experienced professional coach—and either a former practicing attorney or a former law firm marketing and business development professional. Whatever your professional objectives, our coaches can help you achieve your goals more quickly, more easily, and with significantly less stress. To get connected with your coach, fill out our contact form.

May 26, 2026Episode 20932 min

Jim Pattillo | Scaling a Litigation Practice Without Losing What Makes It Work

Jim Pattillo is a litigation partner and litigation practice group chair at Christian & Small, a law firm based in Alabama and Mississippi. With more than 20 years of trial experience and over 70 trials to verdict, Jim represents insurers and corporate clients in high-stakes litigation and is frequently called in for complex, high-exposure matters. In addition to his practice, Jim plays a key role in the firm's growth and talent development efforts, with a strong focus on training younger lawyers, building high-performance teams, and creating a culture of accountability and excellence. He also holds a master's degree in mass communication from the University of Florida, giving him a unique perspective on how legal strategy, client communication, and business development intersect. Jim is a frequent speaker and writer on litigation strategy, trial readiness, and law firm leadership. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT SCALING A LITIGATION PRACTICE Law firms say associates are their most important resource, but many are still treating them primarily as billing units. Work gets pushed down with no relationship behind it, and younger lawyers are left figuring things out by asking another associate or a paralegal how a partner likes things done. That might keep files moving, but it doesn't build the kind of lawyers clients ask to have on their next case. Jim Pattillo's litigation group at Christian & Small went from three associates to roughly 15 in about four years, across three offices. That growth required more than hiring. It meant making partners accessible, helping associates understand not just the work but the business behind it, and being intentional about training rather than expecting people to pick it up by osmosis. From Monday morning team meetings to monthly associate lunches to a review process where associates tell the firm what they think they need, the investment is planned, tracked, and measured. In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge, Elise Holtzman talks with Jim Pattillo of Christian & Small about what real investment in younger lawyers looks like, why work product quality is the best business development tool, how to maintain consistency across a growing litigation team, and what law firm leaders miss about the connection between culture and profitability. 2:09 - The false dichotomy between culture and profitability 4:16 - Why younger lawyers need to be in the office to learn 5:42 - What drove the firm's growth from 3 associates to 15 6:51 - Being intentional about training, not just hiring 11:37 - Why work product quality is your best business development tool 13:30 - How AI changes the associate role without replacing it 15:22 - The constant pull between producing and leading 19:16 - What equity partners need to understand about profitability 20:19 - The rule of thirds and helping associates see themselves as assets 25:28 - Hiring for soft skills and letting lawyers be themselves 27:56 - What associates actually need from their firms MENTIONED IN SCALING A LITIGATION PRACTICE WITHOUT LOSING WHAT MAKES IT WORK Christian & Small, LLP | LinkedIn Jim Pattillo on LinkedIn Marcie Borgal Shunk and Sona Spencer | The Death of Apprenticeship: What it Means for Lawyers and Law Firms Get connected with the coaching team: hello@thelawyersedge.com The Lawyer's Edge SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE This episode is brought to you by the coaching team at The Lawyer's Edge, a training and coaching firm that has been focused exclusively on lawyers and law firms since 2008. Each member of the team is a trained, certified, and experienced professional coach—and either a former practicing attorney or a former law firm marketing and business development professional. Whatever your professional objectives, our coaches can help you achieve your goals more quickly, more easily, and with significantly less stress. To get connected with your coach, fill out our contact form.

May 19, 2026Episode 20830 min

Katya Jestin | Leading with Authenticity in High-Stakes Legal Environments

Katya Jestin is a partner at Jenner & Block and co-chair of the firm's investigations, compliance, and defense practice. A former federal prosecutor, Katya represents companies, universities, executives, and boards in high-stakes criminal, regulatory, congressional, and internal investigations, particularly in sensitive and crisis-driven matters. From 2020 to 2024, she served as Jenner & Block's co-managing partner, helping lead the firm during a period of significant change and uncertainty for the legal profession and the broader business world. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT VALUES-DRIVEN LEADERSHIP IN BIG LAW Lawyers who step into leadership roles quickly discover that technical excellence isn't enough. Whether they're managing a practice group, leading a firm, or navigating a high-stakes investigation, the pressure to protect what's already working can push decision-making toward fear and self-preservation. That instinct feels safe, but it tends to produce the worst outcomes. The alternative takes more nerve. It means grounding decisions in values even when the short-term economics are uncertain, building culture around teams instead of individual credit, and being willing to model vulnerability in environments that have traditionally rewarded the opposite. It also means treating mentorship as something you do, not something you talk about, by creating real opportunities for the people coming up behind you. In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge, Elise Holtzman talks with Katya Jestin of Jenner & Block about making values-based decisions under real pressure, why team-based culture outperforms individualism in law firms, how being underestimated can become a strategic advantage, and what effective mentorship looks like beyond words. 2:49 - Taking over as co-managing partner on January 1, 2020 3:35 - Making difficult decisions through values, not fear 6:10 - Why the worst decisions come from a place of fear 7:27 - Shifting from individualism to teamwork and why "teams crush individuals every time" 11:06 - The vulnerability panel at the partners retreat 12:43 - Growing up underestimated and the power of kindness and grit 14:25 - Why being underestimated is disarming and how it produces better outcomes 17:11 - Mentoring through vulnerable, closed-door conversations 19:00 - Mentoring through action, not just words 22:09 - Why fear-based thinking leads to terrible decisions at every level 24:46 - Instilling institutional values in the next generation without sacrificing standards 28:37 - The curse of knowledge: never be afraid to ask questions Mentioned In Katya Jestin | Why Values-Driven Decisions Pay Off in Law Firm Leadership Jenner & Block | LinkedIn Katya Jestin on LinkedIn Get connected with the coaching team: hello@thelawyersedge.com The Lawyer's Edge SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE This episode is brought to you by the coaching team at The Lawyer's Edge, a training and coaching firm that has been focused exclusively on lawyers and law firms since 2008. Each member of the team is a trained, certified, and experienced professional coach—and either a former practicing attorney or a former law firm marketing and business development professional. Whatever your professional objectives, our coaches can help you achieve your goals more quickly, more easily, and with significantly less stress. To get connected with your coach, fill out our contact form.

April 21, 2026Episode 20747 min

Marcie Borgal Shunk and Sona Spencer | The Death of Apprenticeship: What it Means for Lawyers and Law Firms

Marcie Borgal Shunk is the founder and president of The Tilt Institute and creator of Leadership Foundations, a high-impact virtual program designed to give law firms essential leadership skills and practical solutions. For nearly three decades, she has worked with more than 3,000 law firm leaders on talent, culture, and leadership, helping dozens of AmLaw firms anticipate and prepare for the future of law. A Harvard graduate, Marcie holds two fellowships, four certifications in culture and coaching, and several board advisory positions. She is a frequent contributor to the American Lawyer, Thomson Reuters, and Bloomberg Law. Sona Spencer is the Chief Legal Talent Officer at Troutman Pepper Locke, where she leads the firm's legal recruiting, professional development, inclusion, and career coaching functions. Drawing from more than 15 years of experience in AmLaw 50 firms, she collaborates closely with firm stakeholders to implement training, compensation frameworks, and inclusion and retention strategies that ensure the firm can attract and retain talent at all levels to exceed client service goals. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT THE DEATH OF APPRENTICESHIP IN LAW FIRMS The apprenticeship model built generations of lawyers, and for a long time it worked. Junior associates learned by proximity, absorbing how to think and practice by working alongside more experienced attorneys over the course of years. Hybrid work, lateral mobility, and generational shifts in how people learn have quietly dismantled that model, and many firms are still operating as though it's intact. Addressing the problem requires more than plugging holes. Firms need to rethink how they signal investment in their people, build structured pathways that make expectations explicit, and develop the human and leadership skills that AI cannot replicate. The firms getting this right have moved beyond standalone training programs and created systems where talent can see the path, understand what's expected, and take an active role in their own development. In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge, Elise Holtzman talks with Marcie Borgal Shunk of The Tilt Institute and Sona Spencer of Troutman Pepper Locke about why the apprenticeship model is failing, what the most forward-thinking firms are doing differently, how AI is reshaping the skills lawyers need to develop, and where firm leaders should start if they want to make a real change. 2:38 - The origin of "The Death of Apprenticeship" article 4:08 - Why hybrid work and generational differences are breaking down the model 7:08 - Why what made senior lawyers successful may not work for the next generation 8:07 - Lateral mobility and compensation wars as added pressure on retention 10:45 - Making the business case for talent development 13:27 - Breaking down the true cost of replacing an associate 15:13 - AI and the risk of outsourcing junior associate learning 19:08 - The human skills firms need to be building deliberately 22:13 - Executive presence and how lawyers show up on camera and in rooms 27:07 - Why leaders have to model what they teach 29:34 - How Troutman Pepper Locke's YOUniversity achieved 75% participation in year one 32:02 - Benchmarks, Learning Management System (LMS) integration, and self-directed development paths 34:48 - Takeaways for smaller firms without large Learning & Development resources 38:44 - Starting small with pilots and building intentionally 41:26 - Don't assume your path is everyone's path 43:36 - Clear communication and moments of kindness Mentioned In The Death of Apprenticeship: What it Means for Lawyers and Law Firms Marcie Borgal Shunk on LinkedIn | The Tilt Institute Sona Spencer on LinkedIn | Troutman Pepper Locke The Death of Apprenticeship: Reimagining Law Firm Talent Strategy for a New Era Get connected with the coaching team: hello@thelawyersedge.com The Lawyer's Edge

April 7, 2026Episode 20634 min

Estelle Winsett | How Lawyers Build Credibility Before They Say a Word

Estelle Winsett is a former litigation attorney who now works as a style strategist for women in law. After seven years practicing law and more than a decade in legal professional development, she saw firsthand how perception, presence, and visibility influence who is trusted with leadership roles, client relationships, and partnership opportunities. Today, Estelle helps women lawyers align their outward presence with their expertise so they can show up with confidence, authority, and authenticity in courtrooms, boardrooms, and business development settings. Through speaking, consulting, and private styling, she teaches women how strategic personal style can support credibility, leadership presence, and professional growth. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT PERSONAL STYLE AND CREDIBILITY FOR LAWYERS Before a lawyer says a word in a room, others are already forming an impression. That assessment happens fast, and personal style is doing more work in that moment than most lawyers realize. It is the first nonverbal communication, and, like any form of advocacy, it can either work for you or against you. The lawyers who understand this treat style as a tool rather than an afterthought. A signature look builds the know, like, and trust factor over time. Clothes that fit and feel right reduce the mental energy that quietly drains confidence before the day even starts. And an outward presentation that reflects who a lawyer actually is today, rather than who they were earlier in their career, opens doors that strong work alone may not. In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge, Elise Holtzman talks with Estelle Winsett, a former litigation attorney and style strategist for women in law, about how personal style functions as a tool of advocacy, why the shift to business casual has created new challenges for lawyers at every level, how to develop a signature style that builds the know, like, and trust factor, and what practical steps lawyers can take to align their appearance with their authority. 2:49 - Why style transformation is about more than the clothes themselves 4:37 - Style as a tool of advocacy that works for you or against you 5:25 - How business casual has created new challenges for lawyers at every level 9:15 - What a signature style is and why it builds the know, like, and trust factor 13:17 - Why your wardrobe needs to evolve as your career does 15:38 - The halo effect and the science behind first impressions 20:41 - Defining the message you want your wardrobe to send 22:39 - Investment pieces versus trends and how to balance both 25:45 - Adding personality through accessories without overhauling your style 29:41 - The hidden mental energy cost of an unsolved wardrobe problem 32:01 - Fit is the single most important factor in how you present yourself MENTIONED IN ESTELLE WINSETT | HOW LAWYERS BUILD CREDIBILITY BEFORE THEY SAY A WORD Estelle Winsett Consulting | LinkedIn Take Estelle's Style Quiz Book a Style Discovery Call Paula Edgar | How to Boldly Be YOU in Everything You Do Get connected with the coaching team: hello@thelawyersedge.com The Lawyer's Edge SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE This episode is brought to you by the coaching team at The Lawyer's Edge, a training and coaching firm that has been focused exclusively on lawyers and law firms since 2008. Each member of the team is a trained, certified, and experienced professional coach—and either a former practicing attorney or a former law firm marketing and business development professional. Whatever your professional objectives, our coaches can help you achieve your goals more quickly, more easily, and with significantly less stress. To get connected with your coach, fill out our contact form.

March 31, 2026Episode 24443 min

Niraj Chhabra | Turning Legal Success into Financial Security

Niraj Chhabra is the founder of Sidebar Advisors, a financial planning firm dedicated exclusively to serving attorneys at every stage of their careers, from rising associates to equity partners. For more than 20 years, Niraj has helped lawyers navigate the financial complexity that comes with success, including partnership compensation, tax strategy, equity, retirement planning, and the competing demands of career growth and family life. Using a Behavioral Financial Advice approach, he works with attorneys to align their financial decisions with their values, helping them build wealth intentionally, reduce unnecessary stress, and create real optionality in both their careers and personal lives. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT TURNING LEGAL SUCCESS INTO FINANCIAL SECURITY A high income does not automatically produce financial security. Attorneys who are billing at the top of their game can still find themselves financially stuck, sitting on too much uninvested cash, watching savings fall behind income, and putting off financial decisions because another billable hour always takes priority. Getting ahead of that complexity requires more than good intentions. It means building systems that grow alongside income, understanding the financial dynamics specific to each stage of a legal career, and examining the behavioral patterns that shape how people make financial decisions long before they become lawyers. In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge, Elise Holtzman talks with Niraj Chhabra of Sidebar Advisors about why some high earners still feel financially stuck, how behavioral history shapes financial decisions, what many lawyers get wrong about building wealth, and the systems that make the difference over time. 2:32 - Why some high-earning lawyers still feel financially stuck 3:12 - How reversing the savings and checking account structure changes spending behavior 4:04 - The cost of leaving millions sitting in a savings account uninvested 5:38 - What makes financial planning for lawyers uniquely complicated 7:05 - What behavioral financial advice actually means 10:02 - Unpacking cultural and family background before making financial plans together 12:23 - How equity partnership changes the financial picture for lawyers 15:05 - Why some lawyers turn down partnership because their spouse doesn't understand the compensation structure 17:34 - Financial considerations across career transitions, from associate to partner to in-house to solo 22:02 - Why the retirement number looks different depending on how accounts are structured 27:00 - Gender-specific financial dynamics for women lawyers 33:03 - Practical habits that distinguish lawyers who build long-term wealth 35:13 - What to do first if you feel financially successful but uncertain about the bigger picture 37:30 - The money stories we carry and how they show up in financial behavior MENTIONED IN TURNING LEGAL SUCCESS INTO FINANCIAL SECURITY Sidebar Advisors | LinkedIn Niraj Chhabra on LinkedIn Get connected with the coaching team: hello@thelawyersedge.com The Lawyer's Edge SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE This episode is brought to you by the coaching team at The Lawyer's Edge, a training and coaching firm that has been focused exclusively on lawyers and law firms since 2008. Each member of the team is a trained, certified, and experienced professional coach—and either a former practicing attorney or a former law firm marketing and business development professional. Whatever your professional objectives, our coaches can help you achieve your goals more quickly, more easily, and with significantly less stress. To get connected with your coach, fill out our contact form.

January 20, 2026Episode 20440 min

Dennis Meador | Conversations as Authority: How FAQ Podcasts Help Lawyers Differentiate and Attract Clients

Dennis Meador is the CEO of The Legal Podcast Network. DM has been an entrepreneur since he was a teenager, building businesses in everything from shoveling snow to SEO before finding his fit helping attorneys share their voices. A lifelong communicator from his years as a pastor to his more than 20 years in legal marketing, DM believes the best ideas don't come from selling, they come from conversations. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT HOW FAQ PODCASTS HELP LAWYERS DIFFERENTIATE Eighty-two percent of people use the internet to find their attorney. They type in a search, get hundreds of results, and every lawyer looks the same. With no way to distinguish expertise, potential clients default to asking how much it costs. The legal profession has become commoditized, turning skilled attorneys into interchangeable service providers competing on price alone. The solution isn't more traditional marketing. It's conversations. Founder-led, authentic content where lawyers answer the specific questions their ideal clients are asking. FAQ-style podcasts give attorneys the opportunity to demonstrate their expertise, show they understand client problems, and position themselves as the obvious choice before a prospect ever picks up the phone. In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge, Elise talks with Dennis Meador of The Legal Podcast Network about why expertise needs to be visible to be valuable, how podcasting creates authority through conversations instead of sales tactics, what lawyers get wrong about giving away knowledge for free, and the multiple ways podcasts generate business beyond download numbers and ad revenue. 2:06 - Why 82% of clients search online and what that means for lawyer visibility 3:34 - How commoditization has driven down hourly rates over the past decade 6:51 - Founder-led, authentic marketing is what resonates with today's clients 8:14 - Why FAQ-format podcasts are the best way for lawyers to differentiate 10:33 - The two biggest objections lawyers have about sharing expertise publicly 13:36 - Why posting too much content won't chase away the clients you actually want 16:24 - Authority podcasts are designed to inform potential clients, not brag 18:21 - How to create a year's worth of evergreen podcast content 21:25 - Using patterns in client stories instead of specific confidential details 23:23 - The nuts and bolts of podcast ROI for lawyers 26:40 - Monetization strategies beyond ad revenue and sponsorships 33:23 - Turning 30 minutes of recording into a month of marketing content 35:29 - The curse of knowledge: explaining things like you're talking to an eight-year-old 37:03 - Cumulative learning and why repeating yourself actually delivers value MENTIONED IN CONVERSATIONS AS AUTHORITY: HOW FAQ PODCASTS HELP LAWYERS DIFFERENTIATE AND ATTRACT CLIENTS The Legal Podcast Network | LinkedIn Dennis Meador on LinkedIn Get connected with the coaching team: hello@thelawyersedge.com The Lawyer's Edge SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE Today's episode is brought to you by the Ignite Women's Business Development Accelerator, a 9-month business development program created BY women lawyers for women lawyers. Ignite is a carefully designed business development program containing content, coaching, and a community of like-minded women who are committed to becoming rainmakers AND supporting the retention and advancement of other women in the profession. If you are interested in either participating in the program or sponsoring a woman in your firm to enroll, learn more about Ignite and sign up for our registration alerts by visiting www.thelawyersedge.com/ignite.

January 13, 2026Episode 20335 min

Adam Severson | Executive Presence: How to Turn Skill into Influence

Adam Severson is the Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Baker Donelson, a leading national firm with more than 700 lawyers and 25-plus offices in the United States, primarily in the southeastern U.S. Adam's role is unique compared to many who hold that title in that he spends a lot of his time meeting with clients and actually selling the firm's services. Adam is a past president of the Legal Marketing Association and a Hall of Fame member. He's also a Fellow in the College of Law Practice Management. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT EXECUTIVE PRESENCE Executive presence can seem hard to define. Many people think you either have it or you don't. But Adam Severson frames it differently. When you walk into a room or lead a pitch meeting, others are asking themselves whether they can take you seriously and whether you instill confidence. That assessment happens fast, and it's based on more than just what you say. The lawyers who are best at client development aren't necessarily the ones trying to be the smartest or most interesting person in the room. They're the ones who show up prepared, ask thoughtful questions about what's actually happening in a client's business, and then follow through when they promise to find an answer. Adam calls that gap between what people say they will do and what they actually do the "say-do gap." Closing it builds trust faster than almost anything else, and most people never even realize they're leaving it open. In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge, Elise Holtzman talks with Adam Severson about what executive presence actually looks like in law firms, why imposter syndrome stops people from even trying to develop it, and how lawyers can build credibility through preparation and genuine curiosity rather than trying to have all the answers. 2:09 - How Adam defines executive presence 3:16 - The three elements of executive presence 5:26 - Executive presence vs. confidence and whether you can have one without the other 6:22 - Practical behaviors to demonstrate executive presence 8:53 - Being interested in others matters more than being interesting 10:27 - Using data to build credibility with lawyers and practice groups 15:07 - How executive presence impacts business development and client retention 15:32 - The "say-do gap" and why following through on what you promise matters 21:10 - Imposter syndrome keeps people from trying to develop executive presence 22:14 - The perfectionism problem and why you don't need all the answers 25:07 - Lessons learned from Adam's own career building executive presence 28:20 - Modifying the approach by showing your work instead of just stating the conclusion 30:38 - Don't make assumptions about who you're talking to 34:06 - Why self-awareness matters more than confidence Mentioned in Executive Presence: How to Turn Skill into Influence Baker Donelson | LinkedIn Adam Severson on LinkedIn Get connected with the coaching team: hello@thelawyersedge.com The Lawyer's Edge SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE Today's episode is brought to you by the Ignite Women's Business Development Accelerator, a 9-month business development program created BY women lawyers for women lawyers. Ignite is a carefully designed business development program containing content, coaching, and a community of like-minded women who are committed to becoming rainmakers AND supporting the retention and advancement of other women in the profession. If you are interested in either participating in the program or sponsoring a woman in your firm to enroll, learn more about Ignite and sign up for our registration alerts by visiting www.thelawyersedge.com/ignite.