Un-Billable Hour: Business Management Strategies for the Busy Lawyer Around the Community Table

In this episode of the Un-Billable Hour’s Seat at the Table:

A law firm’s culture. What is it? Your firm has a culture even if you’ve never identified it. The problem is, if you don’t create an intentional culture, an identity, you may slip into a culture you didn’t want to be part of

Start with what you want to be, how you want to be known, who you want to work with. Understanding your culture can help your firm come together, move as a team, and even keep you from making a hire that’s doomed from the start.

“Everybody on the same train, moving in the same direction, with the same values” matters. Develop the workplace you want to work in. Communicate it. Live it everyday.

First, what is “firm culture?” The personality and backbone of the firm? Is it what happens when the boss isn’t around? Is it what people say about your firm when you’re not in the room? Every firm has a culture, whether you know it or not.

Guests Lori Brown-Simmons, Hannah Hembree Bell, and Ben Hockema are experienced professionals who share their thoughts with host Christopher T. Anderson on building a healthy firm culture.

For a lot of firms, “culture,” is an afterthought, if it’s thought about at all. But every firm develops a culture, either by accident or intentionally. (Intentionally is better). Understanding your firm’s culture, its mission, values, and goals helps everyone work together, collaborate, and even helps your firm from making a hire that may look good on paper but “wasn’t a good fit.”

Do you have the right people in the right seats? Do your clients represent you and your goals? You can be a team with a recognized reputation, or you can be an office with a bunch of lawyers chasing billable hours. An intentional culture is the difference.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Clio

ClioCon 2026, Oct. 26-27, 2026

Legal Talk Network Unbillable Hour

When it comes to your firm’s – and your clients’ – security, AI is changing the game. Cybersecurity isn’t new but how it fits in with AI is.

Guest Nick Martin is a recognized expert and leader in cybersecurity. The cloud, data portals, and connectivity all impact how we treat data and client relationships. It’s complicated. Where’s your data? Who’s backing it up? Who can access it?

Martin is the CEO of cybersecurity firm FileScience. He breaks down the evolution of cybersecurity and secure storage of data, even when there’s a power outage or an online hacking attempt. The game has changed, and both your case and your client’s security are at risk around the clock.

Is your firm living with a false sense of security? Do you understand your security measures? Are you potentially liable for a security breach. You need to know, and you can’t put it off. Don’t miss this episode!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Clio legal solutions

MyCase

Actionstep legal

NetDocuments

iManage

Microsoft SharePoint

Smokeball

Google Threat Intelligence

"Public Officials Separate Workplace and Personal Online Lives. Hackers Don't Care," Wall Street Journal

In this episode of the Un-Billable Hour’s Seat at the Table:

Hiring is hard. It’s harder if you don’t know what you want, can’t describe the position, and don’t make an effort to attract the right candidates (and reduce the number of candidates you don’t want)

Develop an intentional, consistent plan for reviewing a candidate’s credentials. That includes knowing the questions you want to ask – and don’t want to ask – candidates and uncover a candidate’s willingness to grow, learn, and adapt.

Once you know what you want, be upfront about what you offer. Sharing the compensation package is becoming a must. Younger workers may pass if you’re being too coy. Share what makes you special: Educational and travel opportunities? Paid bar dues? Bonuses? Time off? Culture? Transparency counts.

If you’ve done well with your marketing and you’ve delighted clients who are happy to refer new clients, maybe it’s time to hire some additional team members. Host Christopher T. Anderson brings in regular guest Rob Leitner along with HR and management pros Laytoamb Wiggins, Lori Brown-Simmons, and Jeff Levin for a seat at the table to discuss how to approach the hiring process, and the pitfalls to avoid.

Successful hiring starts before you post a help wanted sign. Start by understanding what you want. What does the perfect hire do? What outcomes do you need? If you don’t know what you want, you won’t get it. The best job postings attract candidates you want and weed out mediocre candidates. Don’t waste your time or theirs.

Once you’ve developed an intentional job description, make time during the interview to understand not only what the candidate already knows, but also the candidate’s capacity to learn, grow, and adapt. Developed a “score sheet” that helps you accurately compare candidates consistently. Create an interview plan before you welcome the first candidate – and stick with it.

What about signing bonuses, compensation (yes, be upfront), intangible benefits like flexible schedules and bonuses? These things matter, put them first in your posting. Hiring is tough, and failure comes with costs both financial and cultural. Hear how Christopher and the panel find ways to get the job of hiring for the job done right.

REFERENCES MENTIONED:

“10 Best Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) of 2025,” Wellness360

Clio

ClioCon 2026, Oct. 26-27, 2026

Legal Talk Network Unbillable Hour

Special thanks to our sponsors Wyzer Staffing and CallRail.

What happens when your firm grows faster than your infrastructure can support? Growing pains. It’s a good problem to have, it means your firm is prospering. But you can’t ignore the issue.

Guest Lori Brown-Simmons is a law firm operations executive and founder of Fractional Firm Advisors, offering fractional COO and CFO leadership to growing firms, helping them scale in an orderly, profitable manner.

She explains how midsize firms often experience what she calls “profit squeeze,” when a growing firm is starting to experience the same issues as bigger firms, but without the tech, the leverage or confidence to raise rates, and the human capital to maintain control, standards, efficiency, and momentum. 

Simply attracting more clients might mean your business is “growing,” but it’s not scaling sustainably. As a firm grows up, it’s easy to leak efficiencies by setting rates incorrectly, using outdated workflow, skimping on tech, missing opportunities to outsource through fractional employees and virtual assistants, and even making mistakes with real estate and office space. (And yes, AI fits in here, too. It’s not going away). 

Mentioned in This Episode:

Legal Talk Network

In this episode of the Un-Billable Hour’s Seat at the Table:

What’s the difference between sending clients out the door with their case successfully resolved and having clients walk away with a great feeling and a real human connection to you and your firm

A law firm is a service industry. Successful firms understand how personal, attentive service and communication leads to happy clients and builds repeat business and referrals. 

Clients begin to form their opinion – their gut feeling – of your firm from the second they reach out. Most have never hired an attorney, it’s scary. Being kind and supportive from start to finish pays off in client satisfaction.  

Take a “seat at the table,” with host Christopher T. Anderson and guests as they share the nuances of customer experience, client satisfaction, and going beyond achieving a desired outcome.

What is “customer satisfaction?” As attorneys, we may think that means handling a case with efficiency and competency. But clients want, maybe need, more. Empathy, guidance, and a process that makes them feel heard and that their attorney cares about their problem.

In this episode of a Seat at the Table, Christopher is joined by experienced and successful attorneys Ruby L. Powers and Amira Hasenbush and legal marketing guru, former attorney, and co-host of the Legal Talk Network’s Lunch Hour Legal Marketing podcast Gyi Tsakalakis.

Hear ideas for delivering a delightful experience. Build trust and connections (and earn repeat business and referrals). Getting a good outcome these days is table stakes, you’re expected to do your job. The A+ in experience is the client who leaves feeling appreciated, recognized, and supported.

Technology is great. AI is changing the game. But no tech replaces a human who doesn’t just pretend to care, but really does care. It doesn’t matter what you think you’re delivering. What matters is what your clients feel you’re delivering. 

Mentioned in This Episode:

AI Companion

Querious

Fireflies AI

Hona AI

Case Status AI

“Cues: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication,” by Vanessa Van Edwards

“Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect,” by Will Guidara

Clio

ClioCon 2026, Oct. 26-27, 2026

Legal Talk Network Unbillable Hour