The Tech Savvy Lawyer

In the labyrinth of legal tech, attorneys often waste resources on redundant software, overlook key workflows like client onboarding, and falter in choosing the right CRM. Join Katherine Porter as she guides us through these challenges!

Katherine is the founder of The Resourceful Lawyer, and she facilitates workshops for law firm leaders so they can align with their goals and create actionable strategies for growth and profitability. Katherine blends the best of project management, human-centered design, and two decades of legal experience to tailor workshops for each of her law firm clients. She earned her law degree at UCLA, holds the Project Management Professional (PMP) credential, and is certified in Design Thinking.

Join Katherine and me as we discuss the following three questions and more!

1. What are the top three areas of tech software that attorneys are wasting their money on?
2. What are the three common workflows attorneys are not utilizing? And how do we create each one?
3. What are your top three tips when vetting a new CRM LPM?

In our conversation, we cover the following:

[01:10] Tech Setup Overview and Preferences

[07:08] Top Three Areas Where Attorneys Overpay for Tech Software

[12:37] Essential Attorney Workflows: Key Areas for Improvement and Implementation

[14:09] Tips for Creating Effective Workflows

[15:31] Top Three Tips for Vetting a New CRM or LPM System

[17:21] CRM/LPM Transition War Stories: Challenges and Solutions

Resources:

Connect with Katherine:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kporterjd/

Website: theresourcefullawyer.com/

Mentioned in the episode:

Hardware mentioned in the conversation:

• Blue Yeti Microphone: blueyetimicrophone.com/
• Logitech C920 Webcam: logitech.com/en-ch/products/webcams/c920-pro-hd-webcam
• Microsoft Surface: microsoft.com/en-us/surface ​

Software & Cloud Services mentioned in the conversation:

• ClickUp: clickup.com/
• Dubsado: dubsado.com/
• Make: make.com/
• Microsoft Bookings: microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/business/scheduling-and-booking-app
• Miro: miro.com/
• Mural: mural.co/
• PandaDoc: pandadoc.com/
• Zapier:zapier.com/

Meet Cat Moon, Co-Director of the Vanderbilt AI Law Lab, legal educator, and a leading innovator in legal tech.

Today, Cat shares strategies to encourage lawyers and students to embrace innovation, emphasizing the importance of curiosity, collaboration, and experimentation. She discusses handling resistance to technology, cultivating critical tech mindsets, and tailoring tools to individual needs. Cat highlights her favorite platforms, such as ChatGPT and Slack. She also explores emerging technologies such as generative AI and quantum computing and underscores lawyers' ethical responsibilities in using tech.

Join Cat and me as we discuss the following three questions and more!

1. What are the top three strategies that you have found most effective for encouraging lawyers and law students to embrace technological innovation?
2. Based on your experience working with both practicing attorneys and law students, what do you think are the most critical tech skills lawyers need to develop today to stay competitive in the future?
3. Given your prior and extensive experience, what are your top three emerging technologies you see having the biggest impact on legal, education, and practice in the next five years?

In our conversation, we cover the following:

[01:08] Cat's Tech Setup

[02:58] Cat's Tech Devices and Accessories

[07:35] Strategies for Encouraging Technological Innovation

[10:20] Handling Resistance to Technology

[14:26] Critical Tech Skills for Lawyers

[17:58] Favorite Tech Tools and Tips

[25:11] Emerging Technologies in Legal Education and Practice

[29:36] Ethical Obligations and Technological Reliability

[33:19] Contact Information

Resources:

Connect with Cat:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/caitlinmoon/
• BlueSky: bsky.app/profile/catmoon.bsky.social

Hardware mentioned in the conversation:

• Anker Batteries & Chargers: anker.com

Software & Cloud Services mentioned in the conversation:

• SaneBox: sanebox.com/

Emerging technologies simplify many aspects of life, but they also make it increasingly challenging to safeguard privacy in both personal and professional settings. As a lawyer, it is essential for you to stay informed about how to protect privacy by utilizing the appropriate tools and equipment. Paul Secunda joined us today to talk about protecting your privacy, building open communication between employer and employee, tech tips to focus on your work, and more.

Paul Secunda is a partner at Walcheske Luzi LLC. He leads the ERISA litigation unit, which focuses on retirement, medical, and disability class action litigation. He also serves as a consultant, testifying expert, and mediator in the fields of employee benefits and workplace law. Paul is a former labor and employment law professor with 18 years of experience at two law schools, focusing on employment law and employee benefits. Throughout his career, Paul has been engaged in litigating, teaching, and writing about workplace law, handling tasks from reviewing employee handbooks to managing complex class action lawsuits and submitting amicus briefs to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. Paul’s expertise spans employee rights and the practical application of technology in both professional and personal contexts.

Join Paul and me as we talk about the following three questions and more!

1. What are the top three tech tips you would advise any lawyer to maintain a separation from work and personal time?
2. What are the top three tech rights an employee has when it comes to utilizing a personal tech device for a BYOD firm?
3. What are your top three tech tips to ensure focus at work, to help prevent necessary work during personal time?

In our conversation, we cover:

[01.28] Tech Setup - Paul’s current tech setup.

[09.00] The Balance – Balancing technology as a small law firm.

[10.00] Tech tips – Paul shares some tech tips for separating personal and professional life.

[11.40] Clients - How to work with overbearing clients?

[13.26] Superiors – Paul explains how you can handle your superiors.

[16.38] Open Communication – The importance of open communication between employer and employee.

[20.06] Tech Rights – Paul explains how employee privacy rights differ significantly between public and private workplaces.

[25.44] Tracking Software – Paul explains why he would advise against letting your employer put tracking software in your computer.

[29.52] Focusing on work – Paul shares three tech tips you can use to focus on your work and prevent working on your personal time.

Resources:

Connect with Paul

• LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/paul-secunda-a17228/
• Website - walcheskeluzi.com/

Equipment Mentioned in the Podcast

• Fujitsu Scanners - thescannershop.com/fujitsu-scanners/
• HP Printers - hp.com/us-en/shop/mdp/printers/laserjet-pro
• iPhone 15 Pro - apple.com/iphone-15-pro/
• MacBook Air - apple.com/macbook-air/

Software & Services Mentioned in the Podcast

• Adobe Acrobat Reader - get.adobe.com/reader/
• Clio - clio.com/
• Sanebox - sanebox.com/
• TurboScan - play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.piksoft.turboscan
• WordPerfect - wordperfect.com/en/

Transcript

00:00:00] Michael D.J. Eisenberg: Episode 90, Balancing Your Use of Technology Between Your Work and Home with Labor and Employment Lawyer, Paul Secunda.

[00:00:19] Michael D.J. Eisenberg: Paul is a former Labor and Employment Law professor with 18 years of experience at two different law schools specializing in ERISA and Employee Benefits Law. He is now an attorney with Woltersky Luzzi, LLC. Paul's legal career has been devoted to litigating, teaching, and writing about workplace law issues, handling all aspects of the employment relationship, from reviewing employee handbooks and summary plan descriptions, to litigating complex class action cases, and submitting amicus briefs to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.

[00:00:46] Michael D.J. Eisenberg: Paul caught my attention with his law journal article, The Employee Right to Disconnect, after I come across California's rece...

Andrea Sager, Founder and CEO of Legalpreneur, is revolutionizing legal services for small business owners and attorneys. With experience as a BigLaw attorney, small business owner, and small business attorney, Andrea combines her passion for empowerment with expertise, ranking 27th among 40,000 trademark attorneys in the U.S., driving accessible, innovative legal solutions.

Throughout our conversation, Andrea explains why lawyers should trademark their work. Also, she provides essential podcasting tech tips and discusses strategies to stay compliant with State Bar rules and avoid UPL.

Join Andrea and me as we discuss the following three questions and more!

1. What are the top three reasons a lawyer needs to trademark their business, blog, or podcast?
2. What are your top three tech tips (hardware and software) to make your podcast stand out?
3. What are your top three tips for ensuring a lawyer does not encroach on State Bar scrutiny with UPL (Unauthorized Practice of Law), etc.?

In our conversation, we cover the following:

[00:08] Andrea's Current Tech Setup

[07:08] Top 3 Reasons Lawyers Should Trademark Their Business, Blog, or Podcast

[10:53] Tech Tips for Podcasting

[14:46] Ensuring Compliance with State Bar Rules

[19:53] Connect with Andrea

Resources:

Connect with Andrea:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/andrea-sager
• Website: andreasager.com/
• Website: thelegalpreneur.com/

Software & Cloud Services mentioned in the conversation:

• MyCase: mycase.com/
• Marketcircle Daylite: marketcircle.com/
• Riverside: riverside.fm/
• WooCommerce: woocommerce.com/

Discover how modern tools and strategic approaches can revolutionize your law firm's efficiency and accuracy. Join my next guest, Debbie Foster of Affinity Consulting Group, as we explore innovative solutions and receive expert insights from industry leader Debbie Foster to help you stay ahead in the ever-evolving legal landscape!

Debbie is a seasoned expert with 23 years at Affinity, where she excels in strategic project management, team leadership, and client relations. Her career began in 1994, revolutionizing efficiency in a fine-dining Italian restaurant and managing cultural change in a chain of dry-cleaning stores. With a background as an emergency medical technician, Debbie's exceptional triage skills and her superpower of building relationships with challenging personalities make her an invaluable asset. She thrives on working with her team to achieve strategic goals, ensuring remarkable client experiences and a positive workplace culture.

Join Debbie and me as we discuss the following three questions and more.

1. What are the top three areas where attorneys are underprepared with their firm software needs?
2. What are the top three software utility programs that lawyers should use?
3. What are the top three areas of legal practice that need more innovation, and what should an average attorney do?

In our conversation, we cover the following:

[00:51] A Peek into Debbie's Tech Setup

[03:27] Three Key Software Areas Where Attorneys Often Fall Short

[12:13] Top Three Software Utility Programs Every Lawyer Should Use

[20:22] Top Three Areas of Legal Practice Needing Innovation and How Attorneys Can Address Them

Resources:

Connect with Debbie:

• Email: 📧 [email protected]
• LinkedIn: 🔗 linkedin.com/in/debbiefoster/
• Website: 🌐 affinityconsulting.com

Hardware mentioned in the conversation:

• Focusrite audio interface: focusrite.com/categories/audio-interfaces
• Logitech Brio 4K webcam:logitech.com/en-us/products/webcams/brio-4k-hdr-webcam
• Shure MV7 microphone:shure.com/en-US/products/microphones/mv7

Software & Cloud Services mentioned in the conversation:

• Actionstep: actionstep.com/
• Calendly: calendly.com/
• Carpe Diem:carpediemparalegals.com/
• Centerbase: centerbase.com/
• Cleo: cleo.com/
• Daylite (by Marketcircle): marketcircle.com/
• DocuSign: docusign.com/
• Doodle:doodle.com/en/
• HubSpot: hubspot.com/
• Lawmatics: lawmatics.com/
• PandaDoc: pandadoc.com/
• SaneBox: sanebox.com/
• Scribe: scribehow.com/ (This appears to be a web-based program so your operating system should not matter – I should be trying this out and report in the future).