Doing Law Differently: Recent Episodes
Lucy Dickens
If you ask a law firm leader to list their firm’s top values, there’s a good chance you’ll hear words like “access to justice”, “innovation”, “excellence” and “integrity”. For Maddocks, though, the guiding value is something far more unique: “stewardship”. As David Newman, partner and CEO at Maddocks, explains to me in this interview, stewardship is […]
The post Great Work + Great Culture = A Great Australian law firm. David Newman, on how Maddocks is combining clients and culture to continue to grow (ep 98) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Fionn’s idea was simple – to have the flexibility to do the work she loved doing and to do it the way she thought it could be done. But with a background working in with big firms and big companies with traditional values, Fionn found she was not given the opportunity to explore her ideas. […]
The post Hire for now: perfect-fit contract lawyers for short-term needs with Fionn Bowd (ep 97) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
After 20 years’ experience in estate law, Bernadette Duell saw her fair share of inadequately drafted Wills and thought, ‘there must be a better way.’ After moving to Albany in the south of Western Australia, Bernadette saw her opportunity to fix the problems she’d encountered at their root cause. She decided to establish a law […]
The post Proving the critics wrong – Growing a specialist law firm in a country town with Bernadette Duell, Great Southern Wills (ep 96) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
In this episode, Jo and I talk about the benefits of working remotely, but also about boundaries, being able to “switch off” and keep home and work life separate when there is no physical office. Jo also introduces us to her 6-step ‘REMOTE’ framework to build a thriving, distributed team who work from home (at least some of the time).
The post Building a Homeforce in law and beyond with Jo Alilovic, 3D HR Legal (ep 95) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Working with founders, tech companies and the people that like to invest in those companies, Merton Lawyers bring the values and creativity from their other successful enterprise, Melbourne Christmas Trees to the legal field, even employing staff from Christmas Trees and creating opportunities for their staff and clients.
The post Oh, Christmas Tree! Embracing creativity in law with Anthony Curtin, Merton Lawyers (ep 94) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Jacqui Brauman has spent time delving into the psychology of the ‘missing middle’ and understanding the barriers that prevent upwards of 80% of people from getting professional advice. With the goal of creating a safe space for women to access legal services, Jacqui started Legally Wise Women, which she describes as an information and education […]
The post Targeting the “missing middle”: Prevention is better than cure with Jacqui Brauman, TBA Law (ep 93) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
After leaving a litigation role in London and feeling a bit disconnected from the world, Philip Evangelou signed up to a Nomad MBA, where he spent three months studying digital marketing in South Africa. Fast forward to 2020, and he then found himself at the end of an employment contract and at the beginning of […]
The post OpenLegal: Removing barriers through fixed price subscription services (ep 92) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
The covid pandemic forced the world into a whole new way of thinking and for Alistair and Shona, it marked the creation of their innovative new law firm, Tend Legal. Having the opportunity to design their firm their own way, Alistair and Shona took inspiration from creative agencies and tech companies and asked, ‘Why can’t […]
The post What if it doesn’t look like a law firm? Taking inspiration from clients, not lawyers (ep 91) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Developing her business to focus on out of court solutions, Kirsty Salvestro talks to us about her processes for taking a kinder, calmer approach to family law to help separating couples reach peaceful negotiations.
The post What are we fighting for? Out of court solutions for separating couples with Kirsty Salvestro, Flourish Family Law (ep 90) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Stipe reflects on his interpretation of what makes a good lawyer and shares his insights on the culture at Chamberlain’s around how their motto ‘We’re with you’ is more than just motto, it’s about changing people’s lives.
The post More than just a motto: Building long term client relationships with Stipe Vuleta, Chamberlains Law Firm (ep 89) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
In this episode I talk you through the five stages of law firm development - from traditional law to having a thriving product ecosystem
The post The five stages of law firm development (ep 88) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
The COVID-19 pandemic has radically changed the way people live and work, and law firms are no exception to that rule. Many of us have seen increased working from home arrangements, more flexibility, better use of technology and a more sustainable work-life balance, while others have experienced a negative impact on morale, health and well-being […]
The post Law firm welfare – assessing the impact of COVID-19 with Simon Tupman (ep 87) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Karen Finch is the CEO of Legally Yours, an Australian legal marketplace that enables everyday Australians to access quality, experienced lawyers without the bill shock. She is also a passionate ambassador of the progressive law movement and a very wise one at that. In this interview, not only do we dive deep and learn the […]
The post The progressive law movement: Reinventing the delivery of legal services with Karen Finch (ep 86) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Mel has worked in house across multiple industries and is a passionate advocate for what I call “doing law differently in house”. For Mel, this includes shining the light on in house lawyering as a legitimate career alternative to the single narrative we’re led to believe at uni.
The post High tech, no tech, and everything in between – why it matters for in house lawyers with Mel Scott (ep 85) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Doing law differently is about new business models, pricing, customer centricity and so many more things we often talk about, but it is just as much about authentic leadership, stepping out from behind the title and showing our authentic, human selves.
The post Stepping out from behind the title: leading through authenticity and vulnerability with Niti Nadarajah (ep 84) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Joshua Baron is an Attorney at SB Legal, a criminal defense practice, based in Utah. I connected with Josh on LinkedIn a few months ago and two things instantly stood out about him. First, his friendliness and genuine interest in the people he connects with (try it for yourself and see!), and second, how upfront and honest he is […]
The post How to build a practice you and your clients will love with Joshua Baron (ep 83) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
In today’s interview, I’m joined by James d’Apice who you may know better as “the guy who does Coffee and A Case Note”. James’ simple but unique way of marketing his practice is to record short case summaries from his local café while he enjoys a nice cup of coffee. Then he uploads them to social media […]
The post Coffee and a Coach Note with James d’Apice (ep 82) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Lisanne is a conflict resolution specialist and mediator who believes that there’s a lot of unnecessary suffering when it comes to conflict resolution and her mission is to reduce that.
The post Reducing the unnecessary suffering in conflict resolution with Lisanne Iriks, Life Mediation (ep 81) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
If you have any interest in business leadership or deliberately designing workplace culture, you won’t want to miss this episode! Nick Humphrey is the Managing Partner of Hamilton Locke, a corporate and commercial law firm that is one of Australia’s fastest growing law firms. They focus on aligning the interests of their people with their […]
The post An evolved approach to BigLaw – with values, culture, innovation and collaboration at the core with Nick Humphrey, Hamilton Locke (ep 80) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
After over a decade leading law firm transformation, I’ve created a six-step blueprint to take law firms from traditional law to a thriving product ecosystem. It’s called Productise and Profit. In today’s episode, I talk you through those six-steps.
The post The six-step blueprint to reshape your firm and regain your life (ep 79) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Michael Bradley, today’s guest, gave me an unusual answer to a standard question. I wanted to know how his law firm goes about charging clients on value as opposed to time. I asked, “How does this work in practice?” And he said, “Really well, actually!” So, either Michael had a really good sleep that night […]
The post The trailblazers: A law firm that’s banned metrics – Michael Bradley, Marque Lawyers (ep 78) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
About 18 months ago, Perpetua Kish and her business partner Jono packed their bags and left a traditional law firm to start Balance Family Law, a firm that they call an ‘evolving micro-practice’. The lovely Pepe joins me today for a frank discussion about fixed fees, the benefits of starting a micro-practice and taking a collaborative approach to family […]
The post Separation through the collaborative lens of an evolving micro-practice with Perpetua Kish, Balance Family Law (ep 77) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Justine Lamond leaves no stone unturned, no term unexplained and no room for doubt when it comes to what she means about company culture. We talk about the importance of defining values and building a culture in terms of creating a supportive internal environment for staff and what that looks like and Justine makes a very compelling business case that would satisfy even the most mercenary of CEOs.
The post Why does company culture matter? Practical tips and a compelling business case (ep 76) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
As we automate repetitive, low-risk tasks, we free ourselves up to focus on high-risk matters or maybe even the stuff we enjoy most. But have we lost anything? What mindset do lawyers need to adopt in a technologically-driven, innovative business environment? And, importantly, what is the mental impact of increased automation?
The post Innovation, automation and mindset: What do we need to do to prepare for the future? with Anna Lozynski (ep 75) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Have you ever stopped to ask yourself what it takes to run a successful law firm? In this episode, I share the four essential elements to law firm success.
The post The Four Essential Elements to Law Firm Success (ep 74) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
As I am often preaching on this podcast, lawyers of the future and successful lawyers of today will need to be more business-minded. A question that often comes up is what does that mean in practice? What are the key skills that modern lawyers should be equipped with? Today’s guest, Peter Connor, has the answer. […]
The post The T-shaped lawyer: Developing people, not just technology (ep 73) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Lucy Percy joins me to talk about about the intricacies of working with families and having sensitive conversations, the challenges of marketing to that audience and the politics behind generously sharing expert information – something that Lucy wholeheartedly embraces.
The post Estate Planning Reimagined: How to attract clients when your legal work is proactive? (ep 72) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Jordan Furlong spends his life talking to law firms and institutions around the world, delivering speeches, consulting and sharing his insights into ‘lawyer formation’ and the future of law at large. In this episode, I had the privilege of talking to him for forty minutes about his thoughts on the impact of Covid-19, tangible ways to improve the business of law and - the headline story – the process of preparing young lawyers for practice and how we might be able to do more to mitigate the ever-lurking imposter syndrome.
The post Is ‘Faster, Better, Cheaper’ Really What Clients Want? A Conversation About Lawyer Formation and the Future of Law With Jordan Furlong (ep 71) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Laura Keily is a barrister, an entrepreneur and the founder and managing director of Immediation, a tech startup that’s not dissimilar to Netflix... for lawyers. In this episode, we talk about innovation, automation and the wider battle for access to justice which sits firmly at the top of Laura’s priority list.
The post ‘Netflix for Lawyers’: A Story of Overcoming Fear To Tackle Access To Justice with Laura Keily, Founder of Immediation (ep 70) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
For the first episode of 2021, I'm encouraging you to consider where the opportunity lies for you to Do Law Differently. I share three tips for planning for the year ahead.
The post Are You Ready For Another Year Doing Law Differently? (ep 69) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Today’s guest is Jennie Pakula, Manager of Innovation and Consumer Engagement at the Victorian Legal Services Board + Commissioner. Jennie describes The Victorian Legal Services Board + Commissioner as a modern regulator who is trying to perform their role in a risk-based, innovative and consumer-focused way. Jennie’s unique role sees her spending her time understanding […]
The post Regulatory Barrier Busting with Jennie Pakula (ep 68) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Are you running a law firm and wondering how to approach value-pricing? Have you already started to value-price and struggled to get to grips with it? Or, are you simply interested in exploring what value-pricing even means? If so, this episode is for you.
The post Pricing with Stanislav Roth is Atypical, Value-Based and Client Centric (ep 67) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Last week was the official launch of my new book, It’s Time To Do Law Differently: How to Reshape Your Firm and Regain Your Life! One week on and the book has already hit #1 best seller status on Amazon and I’ve received dozens of messages and emails of thanks from some of you who […]
The post It’s Time To Do Law Differently – book launch (ep 66) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Rather than using ruthlessness to build his business, Michael has adopted a much more wholesome approach: curiosity. More than a word, it’s an attitude that’s embedded in everything he does: curiosity in building relationships, a team with diverse backgrounds that wants to be kind, figuring out how to create a safe environment and in dissolving hierarchies. I’m extra happy about his 50/50 male-female managing director team.
The post Fostering Curiosity in a 21st Century Workplace with Michael Morrissey (ep 65) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
How does legal innovation in a 15-person law firm compare with that in a 400+ person law firm? Well, as I discover in today’s interview, it’s not all that different! Kim Trajer is the Chief Operating Officer at McCullough Robertson and she joins me today to talk about what doing law differently looks like at her 400+ […]
The post Innovation Isn’t Just About the ‘Big Ideas’, It Also Requires Discipline (ep 64) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Whenever I walk down the corridor to ask our software developer to build me a new feature in our practice management system, I always think of his work as some kind of magic. I might have the ideas, but I have no idea what goes on behind the scenes to bring those ideas to life. […]
The post Magic or Data? Robyna May Helps Me Figure it Out (ep 63) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
My new book It's Time to Do Law Differently: How to Reshape Your Firm and Regain Your Life is now available for pre-order in Australia!
The post It’s Time to Do Law Differently – Pre-order now available! appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Of all the things that separate Foundd Legal from typical firms, perhaps the most important is Riz’s mindset:
“Don’t think like a lawyer, think like a business person!”
The post Systems, Social Media and Subscription Pricing with Foundd Legal’s Riz McDonald (ep 62) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
I give a broad overview of what my book is about, why I wrote it and how I dealt with the overwhelm of writing 40,000 words. It’s a big undertaking – getting all the stuff in my head into one place – so it has truly been a journey.
The post The Behind-The-Scenes Action of my New Book (ep 61) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Today’s guest on DLD is Mitch Kowalski: a globally acclaimed author, innovation consultant and a Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management in Toronto, Canada. I came across Mitch when he came to do a talk in Perth a few years ago and since then I’ve gobbled up everything he’s written. I love it, everything he says starts with “Let’s blow it up and start fresh.” We talk about inertia in the legal industry, the coulda-shoulda-wouldas of Covid-19 and the many possible futures of education.
The post World-Renowned Mitch Kowalski has One Thing to Say: Let’s Blow it All Up and Start Fresh (ep 60) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Today I’m joined by a very special guest, my friend and mentor, Clarissa Rayward in a refreshingly unfiltered conversation about her law firm, her ‘side hustle’ and the world’s best legal conference that she runs annually.
Clarissa has been in family law since forever and has been running her own law firm, the Brisbane Family Law Centre, since 2008. Clarissa is also something of a guardian angel for 130-odd lawyers, businesses owners and professionals around Australia (of which I am one) who all hang out in the online space that she created: Happy Lawyer Happy Life.
The post ‘It Does What It Says on The Tin’: A Lesson in Simplicity for Business and Life with Clarissa Rayward (ep 59) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Welcome to this week’s episode of DLD where I am proud to introduce today’s guest, founder and director of Proximity, Sean King. I first found out about Sean - and subsequently asked him to feature on DLD - when Proximity’s name was listed as a finalist in 6 categories in the recent Lawyer’s Weekly Australian Law Awards. They clearly had something to share. We spend most of the episode talking about the history, business strategy and systems that got Proximity, and Sean, to where they are now. As usual, this article is only a summary - if you want to learn the ins and outs of Sean’s practice, you’ll have to listen to the podcast!
The post The Anti-Artisanal Approach that Makes Sean King More Than a Lawyer (ep 58) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Today’s episode is all about surrogacy, finding your niche and running YOUR business the way YOU like it. To crack down on the topic I’m joined by Australia’s best surrogacy lawyer, podcaster and author: Sarah Jefford. Sarah works exclusively with surrogacy teams - made up of parents and a surrogate - to manage and nurture the human side of their relationship just as much as, if not more than, she handles the legal stuff.
The post Sarah Jefford on Building Her Niche Legal Practice Around Her Passion (ep 57) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
My conversation with Matthew Karakoulakis runs the full gamut of law - from technological innovations to how Matthew applies his brown belt in Jiu Jitsu to the practice of law.
The post A Brown Belt in Social Purpose: Matthew Karakoulakis of AMK Law (ep 56) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Today’s guest, Anne-Marie Cade, is a knight in shining armour for thousands of couples going through what might be the most stressful time in their lives. I am, of course, talking about divorce: Anne-Marie is a mediator, divorce coach and self-proclaimed nerd for conflict resolution. Get ready for a comprehensive discussion of modern divorce, new ways of practising law and how to deal with human emotion.
The post The Narrative-Altering Power of Mediation and Divorce Coaching: Anne-Marie Cade (ep 55) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Today’s guest, Sheetal Deo, wears many hats (it’s over-said, but true). She is the co-founder and President of Ethnic+, a not-for-profit that provides access to justice for the ethnically and linguistically-diverse Rainbow community and its allies. In the day time she works with Law students at QLS and in February of 2020 she became the fabulous, multi-faceted […]
The post Combining personal satisfaction with business acumen to boldly go where few lawyers dare (ep 54) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Today’s guest is Lazar Krstic, a commercial lawyer in an award-winning NewLaw Firm, Hitch Advisory. Lazar’s energy is infectious and his ideas, hand-in-hand with his firm, are bold. No wonder he got picked by Lawyers Weekly’s 30 under 30! Listen for a conversation about what it means to be a NewLaw firm and what it’s like to work for one.
The post Do What Feels Right, Even if it’s Different – Lazar Krstic of Hitch Advisory (ep 53) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
In 2014 , Tara Lucke co-founded a boutique law firm. Today, she graces the virtual floors of DLD with the story of why she quit full-time law at the age of 30 and how she went on to become the founder of The Art of Estate Planning, a part-time Nexus lawyer and a full-time mum.
The post Success Isn’t Making Partner: Tara Lucke on Passive Income (ep 52) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Today I’m joined by Caralee Fontenele, director of Collective Family Law, a Gold Coast and Brisbane-based law firm specialising in family law. As a divorcee herself, Caralee wants to help families get through the process as quickly and as easily as possible. Now she’s learning what it means to manage up-and-coming lawyers who share her […]
The post Is Letting Go the Secret to Success With Caralee Fontenele (ep 51) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Back at the start of 2020, when Corona was just a brand of beer and we all still worked in an office, I spoke to today’s guest Helen Kay about her plans to start her business, borne out of her frustrations with traditional law. Today, I’m incredibly proud of Helen who is now the owner […]
The post Understanding the Law is Expected. It’s Business Savvy That Counts (ep 50) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
First off, today’s guest and I have one thing glaringly in common: the names we’ve chosen for our respective businesses. But Shelby Timmins’ business name, Divorce Done Differently, isn’t the only reason I was desperate to get her on the show. Divorce has historically been played out in courtrooms, fuelled by anger and resentment. Shelby – […]
The post Divorce Done Differently: A Better Alternative To Fighting It Out In Court (ep 49) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Today I sit down with myself and ponder how performance review meetings can be an empowering exercise for both employer and employee. We’ve reached the end of another financial year and, whether you dread them or delight in them, performance reviews are an essential part of managing people. Many of the negative feelings that people harbor around getting together […]
The post Performance Review Time? Try this Approach Instead (Ep 48) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
In today’s episode guest Sam Burrett and I ask ourselves what we can do to create a more positive future for lawyers.
The post Building a positive future for lawyers – what does ‘success’ mean anyway? (ep 47) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
I’m joined by Rose Cocchiaro, an accredited family law specialist and the passionate driving force behind Resolve Divorce. In this interview, Rose and I talk about the approach her firm takes to family law – she calls it the Resolve Way – and it’s a refreshingly forward-thinking and very human approach. Rose encourages her clients to focus less […]
The post Turning family law on its head to create a process for self-discovery and personal growth with Rose Cocchiaro, Resolve Divorce (ep 46) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
I’m joined today by John Farren, workplace and employment lawyer and co-founder of Farren McRae Workplace Lawyers and Consultants. John left life at the bar to establish his business after finding the barristers’ rules to be too restrictive to let him help clients in the ways he saw best. Since then, John’s been #DoingLawDifferently in his completely virtual firm, offering both […]
The post How leaving life at the bar cleared the way to create an employment law firm like no other (ep 45) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Jade Briani Hopper has quite literally traded one court for another, having retired from her career as a professional tennis player to pursue her career in law. Today, Jade is an Associate at Melbourne law firm, Baker Jones where she practices in litigation and intellectual property law. In today’s episode, Jade shares how her career in tennis […]
The post From one court to another: How a career in tennis prepared me for a career in law (ep 44) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
In this interview, Rachael explains why she created her online courses, how they work and how they differ to the traditional approach. She talks about how she designed and built the courses, from mapping them out to building it into her technology platform as well as how she is adapting her products in response to her customers’ needs.
The post Helping families to help themselves after separation and divorce with Rachael Hempling, The Separation Place (ep 43) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Early May marked my 10-year anniversary at Birman & Ride. I’m quite often asked about my career journey and about what I do in my job so thought this ten-year anniversary marked a nice occasion to share some reflections about my career and how I’ve been doing law differently.
The post Reflections from 10 years doing law differently (ep 42) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
In this week’s episode, I’m joined by Joel Cranshaw, Director of Clearpoint Enterprises. Joel leads three businesses in the legal industry and every one of them is #doinglawdifferently. Clearpoint Enterprises is the parent company that binds together Clearpoint Legal, a general counsel services firm, Clearpoint Ventures, an R&D tax incentive advisory and Mode Law – a legal […]
The post Giving power back to clients, fixing frustrations and a whole lot of business savvy with Joel Cranshaw, Clearpoint Enterprises (ep 41) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Today’s guest is someone who is well and truly leading change in our profession. I'm joined by Priya Lele, Legal Operations Lead at Herbert Smith Freehills’ London office. She leads initiatives that drive innovation in legal service delivery, including new ways of working, process design and effective use of technology and automated solutions. You may also know Priya as Chairperson and Co-founder of She Breaks The Law – a global network for women who lead disruptive legal innovation.
The post New ways of working, process design and breaking the law with Priya Lele (ep 40) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
In today’s episode, I speak to Nick Mann, Founder and Principal of Polaris Lawyers. Polaris Lawyers was formed in 2017 with a vision to create the most client-centric personal injury firm in Australia. They were named Best Law Firm at The Australian Law Awards last year and as far as Nick is concerned, they’re just getting started! […]
The post Creating the most client-centric personal injury firm in Australia with Nick Mann, Polaris Lawyers (ep 39) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Join pricing expert, John Chisholm, and I as we tackle all things pricing.
The post How do I know what to charge? A pricing Q&A with John Chisholm (ep 38) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
In last week’s episode I shared 3 pivot points that you need to consider – your positioning, your solutions and your delivery. In this episode I delve deeper into pivoting your solutions. The best way to build a thriving business – crisis or no crisis – is to learn what your clients need and use […]
The post How to design services your customers will buy (even in a crisis!) (ep 37) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
The coronavirus crisis is providing excellent grounds for firms to do law differently. We’re all being challenged to rethink the ways we engage with our clients and the kinds of services we offer. A business pivot is about making a change to your business because your service isn’t meeting the needs of your market. Given […]
The post 3 pivot points to adapt your law firm (ep 36) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
I talk you through my 7-step process to sort your systems and share an insight into the changes I’ve implemented in our law firm over the last week.
The post 7 steps to sort your systems and streamline remote work (ep 35) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
While “doing law differently” might be more important now than ever before, I feel the need to acknowledge the pandemic that’s taking over the world and offer some words of support.
The post You’re set up for remote work. Now what? Your next steps in the coronavirus crisis (ep 34) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Today I’m joined by Carly Stebbing, Principal and Founder of Resoltion123 – an online law firm for employees. Carly is passionate about making justice accessible to the average Australian. She established Resolution123 to employment law quick, simple and affordable for employees. I approached Carly as a guest on the show because I was interested in learning […]
The post Tackling access to justice by assisting the “missing middle” with Carly Stebbing, Resolution123 (ep 33) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
There are plenty of firms who want to make the shift to fixed or value pricing, but who don’t know where to start. I’m often asked about pricing – about fixed fee in particular – and how firms can make the shift from selling time to charging for fixed prices. So today, I’m touching on […]
The post The what, why and how of fixed and value pricing (ep 32) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Change in any organisation doesn’t happen overnight. We don’t just flick a switch and suddenly arrive at the end point. Instead, transformation is a journey that needs to be approached strategically and with a plan that unfolds over time. Mick Sheehy is a recognised international leader in the field of legal innovation and transformation, having won […]
The post Understanding the legal transformation journey with Mick Sheehy (ep 31) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Ian spoke to his customers and learnt that they cared most about cost, communication and care, three basics that, surprisingly, can make for quite a progressive firm!
The post Cost, communication and care: How going back to basics makes for a progressive law firm (ep 30) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
There are plenty of lawyers who want to change the way they practice law, but by far the biggest challenge they face is getting started. A few weeks ago I shared my advice was to “just do the next right thing”, a mantra adopted from Frozen. I stand by this advice – small changes are better than no […]
The post The 3 foundation blocks for redesigning your law firm (ep 29) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Tired of the traditional law lack of flexibility, and an experimenter at heart, Tina decided to join the global #4dayweek movement. She closes her firm one day a week and lets her staff have the day off at full pay.
The post Why this law firm pays staff for a day off each week and meets their customers for free (ep 28) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
What do you do when you’ve had enough of seeing the world through the TradLaw green-coloured glasses?
You throw out the old way and start again from scratch, of course! At least that’s the path that Dugald Hamilton has taken.
The post Better value, more flexibility, greater tech know-how and unreal service the 23Legal way (ep 27) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
This week I’m introducing you to one of my favourite topics – productised services! Productised services are a hybrid between products and services. They share 3 common elements: Why productise? Productised services are about making life easier for our customers – and for us! Make yourself easier to do business with. Got a question you’d […]
The post 3 elements of a productised service (ep 26) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
How often do you think about purpose? Not just your own, but your clients’ too? Having a “purpose higher than profit” is top of the list of selection criteria for Sarah Bartholomeusz, founder of You Legal. You Legal provide top-tier corporate and commercial legal solutions for medical and allied health professionals, manufacturing, and technology. They deliver services with a commercial approach, understanding […]
The post Sharing IP for free, managing a remote workforce and “protecting purpose” with the Goddess of Governance (ep 25) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” – Leonardo Da Vinci Anyone who knows me knows that I’m all about the simple life. Not the reality TV type (who remembers Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie!?), but the type that encourages a focus on things that are important and eliminating the rest. Marianne Marchesi feels the same way about […]
The post Simplified legal services with Marianne Marchesi, Legalite (ep 24) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Happy new year! I’m kick-starting 2020 with a solo episode with my reflections from 2019 and some thoughts to start you on the right track with 2020. The two themes that come to mind when I reflect on 2019 are collaboration and customers. As for 2020, here are 3 mindset shifts to think about that […]
The post 3 skills you need to master in your law firm in 2020 (ep 23) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
An insight into legal transformation through change management, knowledge-based working and the transition from practising lawyer to legal operations professional.
The post Bringing #goodenergy to legal transformation (ep 22) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
I speak to lots of law firm owners who want to change the way they practice law, but who don’t know where to start. We’re bombarded with information about why the industry is changing, what the future of work will look like and how our clients are becoming savvy. This can lead to feelings of […]
The post Changing law firms: Making the most of what you already have with Fiona McLay (ep 21) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Nexus taps into the challenges of isolation and inability to scale faced by sole practitioners and enables lawyers to preserve independence as a mode of practice while also connecting practitioners as an integrated and collaborative collective.
The post Nexus Law Group: And now for something completely different … (ep 20) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
A new topic for us today as we take a look at education and training in the legal industry, in particular, how we can improve it for our next generation of lawyers. I’ve trained and mentored many law grads and junior lawyers so I have my own ideas about how we can change the education system so we can better prepare […]
The post Preparing the next generation of lawyers for the real world of law (ep 19) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Online document provision is becoming increasingly popular among lawyers looking to offer their services in more convenient and streamlined ways. But Dom Woolrych, CEO of Lawpath, Australia’s leading online legal platform, is quite clear that documents are not the future of law. Lawpath is Australia’s largest and fastest growing online legal platform backed by LegalZoom […]
The post A peek inside the brains behind Australia’s largest and fastest-growing online legal platform, Lawpath (ep 18) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
It's often a change in pricing model that kick-starts law firm’s journey to doing law differently. What starts with a change in the way services are priced leads to a snowball effect of all sorts of other business changes.
As Steven Brown shares with me this week, Lynn & Brown are one law firm who have experienced just this.
The post Burn the timesheets! Changing the way we lawyer with Steven Brown, Lynn & Brown (ep 17) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Do you truly understand how your customers want to do business with you? Be honest – do you deliver services in a way that suits you, or a way that suits your customers? If you think you might be able to do better on this front, this week’s interview will provide some inspiration for you. Laura Vickers describes […]
The post What does people-centric legal innovation really look like? with Laura Vickers, Nest Legal (ep 16) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
We take a look at what it means to do law differently from an in-house perspective.
The post In-house innovation – from automation to legal ops with Sheldon Renkema, Wesfarmers (ep 15) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
In this episode, I talk to Matthew Burgess about #burnthetimesheet (of course!) and also about scope, service tiers, automation and outsourcing and offshoring of legal work.
The post BigLaw has all the answers (… as long as you do the opposite) with Matthew Burgess, View Legal (Ep 14) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
In this episode, I’m joined by Caryn Sandler, Partner and Chief Knowledge and Innovation Officer at Gilbert & Tobin. G+T are well recognised as being leaders in innovation in the legal profession. One thing that shines through from this interview is that at G+T, innovation isn’t about shiny objects, bells and whistles or technology in and of itself. At the […]
The post A focus on capability development as the foundation stone for innovation (ep 13) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Melissa Lyon is a Business Development and Innovation Specialist committed to ‘changing things up’ in the law. She has many years of experience in legal practice, including as partner of a law firm, and now works with Hive Legal, an innovative NewLaw firm. Melissa has become a bit of a guru in applying design thinking to legal innovation and generously shares her knowledge and experience […]
The post Understanding design thinking and the power of purpose in remaking law (ep 12) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
LOD is one of the original alternative legal services providers, so of course I wanted to have them on the podcast! But where to start with one of the world’s largest and fastest growing legal, risk & compliance services businesses? I decided to start local and stick with Australia and to focus on an aspect that […]
The post Talking tech with the original alternative legal services provider (ep 11) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Emma Heuston is the founder of the Remote Expert, Australia’s first law firm specialising in remote work law. The Remote Expert helps startups and small and medium enterprise business to get their documents, agreements, processes and policies right. Emma has established her legal business as a micro practitice, operating solo and working in a very narrow area of law. Unlike […]
The post The lean way to lawyer: virtual firm, narrow niche and micro practitioner (ep 10) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
We couldn’t possibly cover everything there is to know about Australia’s most innovative law firm in 30 minutes, so we focus on 3 things: how Law Squared put their clients at the centre of everything they do; the firm’s independent advisory board; and how Law Squared are embracing technology.
The post Forget everything you know about law firms. Australia’s most innovative law firm has found a better way (ep 9) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Zinta is the owner of Resolve Estate Law, an estates law firm that specialises in brokering peaceful resolutions to family disputes over inheritance. Zinta’s firm is the first in Australia to offer a specialist collaborative wills and estates service to provide grieving families an early stage dispute resolution option to keep their dispute out of court.
The post A poster firm for customer experience, client-centricity and collaborative practice (ep 8) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Does your firm have its own manifesto? Helix Legal does, and if you’re interested in making law better, their 5 “New Breed Rules” are worth noting.
The post New Breed Rules: The new operational rule book for law firms (ep 7) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Business first, law second. That’s the approach that Michelle Bomberger takes with her clients and also her law firm, Equinox Business Law Group. Equinox become an extension of their clients’ management team at a fixed monthly cost. They develop a true understanding of their clients’ business goals and appetite for balancing risk and reward – recognising that this is much broader than just the legal issues, involving […]
The post A new approach: business first, law second (ep 6) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Nicole Auerbach has disrupted the legal industry not just once, but twice! She is the co-founder of two of the US’ most forward-thinking firms: Valorem Law Group and ElevateNext Law. Both firms have a clear mission – Valorem, to bring alternative fees to the market and ElevateNext to sit alongside the global law company, Elevate Services, so that customers can find everything they need in one place. Once again – […]
The post The rebel with a cause. Meet the legal industry’s two-time disruptor – Nicole Auerbach (ep 5) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Katherine chose the legal business rather than the legal practice path and knows a thing or two about what it takes to thrive as a progressive law firm. She is the CEO of Free Range Lawyers, a business which matches lawyers who work remotely with law firms looking to flex their legal resource.
The post No battery hens here! Why going Free Range works for lawyers and firms (ep 4) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Aptum Legal helps clients resolve their disputes more effectively through project-based fixed pricing; systematically assessing legal and commercial risk and effectively managing a path to resolution.
The post Changing the face of litigation from the inside out (ep 3) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
Operating online, custom-built automation workflows, employing legal consultants (law grads) and using lean startup and agile methodologies are just some of the things that make sprintlaw different.
The post Transforming business legals with technology, efficiency and simplicity (ep 2) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
A short first episode to introduce you to the what, why and how of the Doing Law Differently podcast.
The post Doing Law Differently – What, Why and How (ep1) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.
New podcast launching July 2019!
Discover how the world’s most progressive law firms and legal service providers are doing law differently.
The post [PROMO] Doing Law Differently appeared first on Lucy Dickens.