EPISODE NOTES: 

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table:

• A law firm owner finds an associate candidate who seems like a good “culture” fit and has great qualities. There’s potential, but not the experience and skills for this position. Does the firm take a chance and invest, find another role for the candidate, or look for a more polished attorney?
• What to do with an employee who doesn’t fit the office culture and struggles to communicate with coworkers? Even worse, efforts to develop communication skills fall flat. Can this ever work out? Christopher’s insights will surprise you.
• Where do you stand on the old mantra “hire slow, fire fast?” The panel challenges assumptions and adages that somehow seem to hang on.

Ask us anything for the Community Table. Leave us a question online.

Join the next Community Table live. What’s on your mind?

REFERENCES MENTIONED:

“Extraordinary Attorney Woo,” Wikipedia

Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History podcast

Clio Legal Trends Report 

Cliocon 2025

• There’s a time to take stock and reset. Understanding what you value and your internal motivations will help you guide your law firm’s growth. Think about what gets you out of bed and into the office each day. For most, it’s more than money. Know the difference between growing and truly building. Purpose and intentional goals matter more than billing.
• It’s the holiday season, and who doesn’t want to take off work for an extended period to be with friends and family. But for law firm owners and leaders, the question is how? Set the pieces in place that will allow you to turn over the business to employees, such as an established chain of command and communication expectations. Try a test period to see how things go when others have to step up and run the office.
• And finally, let’s talk about recognizing and coming to grips with “red flags” from a job candidate. Sometimes … you just know. 

Are you looking to hire or be hired? The legal job market is pretty darn hot, but what are the best ways for law firms and potential hires to connect? Jared Correia welcomes Erin Andersen to discuss the latest employment trends in the legal industry. With insights from both sides of the hiring market, Erin talks through career transitions, ways to optimize your web presence, effects of firm culture on hiring, and yes—AI impacts in job candidate searches! 

And, this time on the Rump Roast, Jared and Erin play Workin’ for a Livin’––showcasing unusual jobs for Erin to rank according to their appeal. Would she like to be a professional cuddler? An egg peeler? A reindeer minder? That’s for us to know and you to find out. 

Let’s Play(list) Ball!

• The ROI of hiring. It’s important. You may think hiring someone, say a paralegal, will cost you money. Successful firms won’t consider hiring someone if they don’t already know they’re going to make money. Firms use benchmarks to weigh the cost of a new hire against anticipated additional revenue. This is math, not “gut feeling,” and you can do it! Listen to find out how.
• Dive into the results of a legal industry “secret shopper” study by Clio. The scientific data shows law firms stink at answering calls, responding to emails, and even monitoring chatbots. The first rule of success? When a potential client knocks, open the door. Can AI help?
• How do you incentivize a high performing team? What kind of rewards are appropriate? And if your team is already firing on all cylinders, what else can you incentivize? Hear how you can help high performers earn more and grow by finding new tasks where they can take over and excel.  

Listen to discover the signs that indicate your firm is ready to expand and the importance of strategic planning. You’ll also learn about the hidden costs beyond salary, like taxes, benefits, and overhead, and why having savings or a line of credit is essential. 

Links from the episode:   

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! 

• Growing pains. As you bring on new clients, it can be hard for an overburdened team of lawyers and paralegals to manage client communications. Hear how texting can help bridge communication needs, how a virtual receptionist can fill gaps, and how a standing schedule of update calls and a task assignment system can ensure clear communications between lawyers and clients.
  
• ·What is the “rhythm/parking lot” method for managing client communications? Combined with allowing clients to schedule their own appointments online and chat functions, this system can take pressure off your staff.
• Be honest and direct with your clients. Set expectations and ask clients if your expectations and theirs align, so they know how the case will proceed. And if a client “emergency” arises, be sure your staff asks the right questions and fully understands the situation so they can provide clear details to the attorney.
  

• Adding a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) program for your law firm? Hear the struggles one small firm is facing as it looks to automate CRM duties. Start with knowing what you need, how you’ll keep up with clients and follow up on leads. Software is just a tool. Without a plan, it’s useless. Start with a “sequence of contact” (and no BS). 
• “Misfiring” when you hire a new associate can be a headache (and expensive). How do you make sure it’s a good fit before you hire, instead of learning you made a mistake later? Treat recruiting as marketing. Start with a clear message. Know what you want and tell people. 
• Are you offering discounts? Here’s the thing: people don’t always want discounts; they want value. A good deal isn’t about money, it’s about service. Give clients more, don’t charge less. Make them feel special. (Do you know what a lagniappe is?)

The world of legal tech offers myriad solutions. True they cost money, but that should never hold a firm back if there’s ROI on the other side. Modernizing a firm’s tech can advance a firm, create efficiencies, and push the firm ahead. But fear of the unknown, and not understanding an investment’s potential, even if that’s coming from a single person, can hold everyone else back. 

Hear how “absolute clarity” and a laser focus on what your firm needs can clear those roadblocks by helping you explain exactly what solutions you need and how new tech will meet them. Fear and uncertainty are the enemy. Start with defining a problem, then educate everyone on how a solution will solve it and how you will support the adoption process.

Questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at NewSolo@legaltalknetwork.com  

Topics:

• Today’s legal tech is getting better, and faster, and more efficient. But sometimes a “this is how we’ve always done it” from a single person – anyone from a managing partner to a bookkeeper – can block upgrades.
   
• Don’t let one person hold back an entire firm. Hear how it all starts with identifying a problem and helping your “human roadblocks” overcome their concerns and get onboard.  

Fear of the unknown is real. Fear of looking “dumb” in the face of a tech upgrade is real. Fear of overspending is real. Empathize. Educate. Elevate. Help those resisters feel empowered and excited. 

• Who should a solo attorney hire first? You’re building your firm. Who’s the next person you add to add (and you want avoid the wrong hire)? For starters, what do you need? Where are you wasting time? From there, “hiring is marketing,” it’s crucial you attract the largest pool of great candidates. 
• How do you prepare a job candidate for your hiring process? Start by being transparent. It’s that easy. “Hey, here’s our process, it may be different from what you’ve done before.” The important thing is to find what’s not only right for you, but what’s right for the new hire. And if they start by questioning your process, move on. 
• How do you introduce your “second in command” to your team? Maybe that’s the wrong question. “Second” in command suggests you still want people to report to you. You don’t. The whole idea is to offload daily decisions so you can focus on strategy and bigger things. There’s no “second in command,” there’s the “here’s the new person in charge for all of you.” Your language can sabotage your intentions. 

Links from the episode:  

Lawyerist Complete Guides  

Check out NetDocuments! 

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! 

• We start with an attorney who wants to balance hiring and firm growth. What happens when you hire “too much” team for the work or have “too much work” for the team? It’s a delicate dance. Start with a business plan and control the one thing you can, the number of cases you accept. It’s OK to say no to a new potential client. (Plus, find out what Christopher calls a “bull$#!* plan”).
  
•  What happens when you haven’t explored new ways to market and you fall behind? No use crying over spilt milk, but honestly, get on it. You start from where you are. Understand what you’re doing, what’s working, and what’s failing. A swift kick in the pants may get you motivated.
  
• And how do you help a long-standing employee establish some metrics, mainly a minimum billable hour requirement? Be straightforward, but it’s a balancing act. Sometimes you gotta be cruel to be kind (in the right measure).

After more than three decades in practice, Lawyerist Lab member and firm owner Jennifer Hawkins knew she had to make some changes to take her firm to the next level. In today’s episode, Stephanie chats with Jennifer to hear how her firm transformed when she identified core values and rethought the hiring and onboarding processes. 

Links from the episode:  

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! 

Links from the episode:  

The Second in Command by Cameron Herold  

Leadership Training Course  

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! 

Thanks to   Posh Virtual Receptionists,  NetDocuments  & LawPay. for sponsoring this episode.  

Now he’s known as “The Bike Guy” and stands out in the crowded personal injury field by specializing in an area he’s passionate about. He’s an example of specializing in something you love, and he’s sharing his story with new lawyers just starting out.

Bonnici walks us through, step by step, how he took advantage of an available incubator system, learned on the job from a mentor, and built his practice and his reputation. Hear how he got started, networked, built a brand, made himself memorable, and hired an assistant to make himself more productive. Real lessons from real life. 

Got questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at NewSolo@legaltalknetwork.com  

Topics:

• • “Follow your passion” is common advice. But in the case of guest Josua Bonnici, his passion for bicycling helped him stand out in the crowded personal injury field. 
  • Hiring your first employee. Why it’s scary and why it’s necessary.
  • How to develop a website and social media presence with a library of videos and testimonials. 

Resources:

California Lawyers Association

Thomas Jefferson School of Law

San Diego Bar Association

Joshua Bonnici previous appearance on Legal Talk Network’s “On The Road” podcast

• Interview questions to ask that help you understand an applicant’s true motivations. Questions that dig a little deeper. And how to accept those answers at face value.
• Ever had a terrible experience hiring someone? There are tools to help you avoid mistakes, but you have to learn how to use them. But there are no silver bullets. Go boldly, but tread lightly. 
• Dealing with a new hire who won’t complete required training? Can you really require someone to learn, and if they won’t, is that grounds to terminate the relationship? This question quickly drifts into some interesting territory. 
• And finally, how long can you keep a new attorney at your firm before they need to start returning a profit to the firm? Maybe while they learn the ropes, you can at least have them do something that delivers value. (You can only wait so long). 

Kelli Masters is an attorney, an NFL sports agent and Founder and President of KMM Sports, a full-service sports management company with offices in New York, Los Angeles and her hometown of Oklahoma City.

Daniel Hare is the founder and president of Varsity Search, a legal recruiting company dedicated to building great teams by bringing together lawyers and law firms.

Brian Michael Cooper is an accomplished sports executive, currently holding the positions of President & Chief Operating Officer at the American Flag Football League.

• Is hiring a temp I’ve already worked with previously a mistake?

• • “It’s not personal,” it’s personnel. I need a body, even if s/he won’t stay with me. Is this reasonable?
  • Sometimes, a contractor (even one you already know and know won’t stay with you) is the answer. Mr. Right vs. Mr. Right Now.

• How do you test the “seriousness” of a job candidate?

• • Are you dealing with a real job candidate or just a person out fishing and wasting your time? Or is this 007 work from a competitor checking you out?

• Should I be overlapping an exiting employee with their replacement? 

• • Trying to squeeze out a bad employee while simultaneously onboarding a good employee – can this be done? And will keeping a less-than-perfect employee onboard, while offboarding and bringing in a new person, help?

• How can I minimize the damage of an upcoming employee resignation?
• How do I decide which size cases my firm should pursue?
• How do I handle two employees that need to be hired/transferred?

If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free!

Thanks to Albatross Legal Workspaces, Postali, and Posh Virtual Receptionists for sponsoring this episode.

• How do I decide which candidate to hire for the office manager position?
• How do I attract quality candidates to my small firm when we’re competing against larger law firms?
• How do I hold people accountable in a way that doesn’t create a lot of extra work for me?

• How do I promote an employee to a part-time position without upsetting the current full-time coworker?
• Did I make a mistake hiring a friend?
• How do I overcome my reluctance to hand over the drag-in duties to a new hire?

Special thanks to our sponsors LawClerk, Alert Communications, LawYaw, and Scorpion.

Seeber reflects on what went right and what went wrong when assembling teams. At his company, Level Legal, he focuses on culture and fit by identifying core values and living by them: “Give a damn. Get it done right. Show respect.” Everything starts with the interview, asking important questions that align with the organization’s values instead of checking boxes.

What interview questions are you asking? Do they connect to your values? Before you seek a new team member, do you understand what makes your organization work? Hear how Seeber focuses on indicators of success and learned the difference between a “job description” and a “role description.” As he says, “look beyond the resume.”

Special thanks to our sponsors LawClerk, Alert Communications, LawYaw, and Scorpion.

If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free!

Thanks to LawPay, MyCase, and POSH Virtual Receptionists, for sponsoring this episode.

Robert Half is not a law firm and does not provide legal representation. Robert Half project attorneys do not constitute a law firm among themselves.