Alpha Lawyer Podcast

Attorney Retirement Planning And Preparing For The Unexpected, With David Bilinsky

What happens to your law firm, your clients, and your family if retirement doesn’t happen on your timeline? In this episode of the Alpha Lawyer Podcast, Jason Marsh sits down with David Bilinsky, longtime legal practice management advisor, legal tech leader, and Fellow of the National Center for Technology and Dispute Resolution at the University of Massachusetts, to discuss how lawyers should prepare for retirement realistically, not just for the ideal scenario, but for the unexpected events that can force major life changes overnight. David shares personal experiences and hard-earned insights about disability, financial preparedness, succession planning, and the emotional realities of transitioning out of legal practice. From disability insurance and partnership agreements to custodianship planning and maintaining purpose in retirement, this conversation explores how lawyers can create stability and peace of mind for themselves and the people who depend on them. The episode also dives into the often-overlooked emotional side of retirement, including identity loss, changing family dynamics, and the importance of staying socially connected and mentally engaged after leaving practice. 🎧 Listen to learn: ✔️ Why retirement planning should include preparation for unexpected disability or illness ✔️ The financial risks lawyers face when forced to stop practicing suddenly ✔️ Why disability insurance and long-term care planning are critical considerations ✔️ How partnership agreements and buyout planning protect both firms and families ✔️ What solo attorneys should do to prepare for custodianship and client file management ✔️ Why estate planning documents should be reviewed and updated regularly ✔️ The emotional impact of losing professional identity after retirement ✔️ How social isolation can affect lawyers transitioning out of practice ✔️ Practical ways to create purpose, structure, and fulfillment during retirement ✔️ Why retirement conversations with your spouse and family are essential long before retirement arrives 🔗 Follow and Connect with David Bilinsky 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-bilinsky/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.bilinsky 🔗 Follow and Connect with Host, Jason Marsh 🌍 Website: https://www.alphalawyer.io/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marshjason/ 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoAlphaLawyer

How Lawyers Get Quoted in the Media: A Practical PR Playbook, with Denise Nix & Brenda McGann

Are you waiting for clients to find your law firm, or are you actively building credibility where journalists, industry leaders, and potential clients are already paying attention? In this episode of the Alpha Lawyer Podcast, Jason Marsh sits down with longtime PR professionals Denise Nix and Brenda McGann to break down how lawyers can become trusted media sources, get quoted in major publications, and turn earned media into a powerful reputation and business development strategy. Denise and Brenda share a practical PR playbook for lawyers who want to increase visibility and position themselves as experts in their field. From pitching story ideas and building relationships with journalists to leveraging blogs, LinkedIn, and niche publications, they explain how lawyers can create opportunities even without high-profile cases or national headlines. They also reveal what reporters actually want, why responsiveness matters, and how one media quote can create a long-term domino effect for credibility, speaking opportunities, and client growth.   🎧 Listen to learn: ✔️ Why earned media creates stronger credibility than traditional advertising ✔️ How one media quote can lead to more interviews, speaking engagements, and new business ✔️ Why journalists are constantly looking for fresh legal story ideas and expert sources ✔️ How lawyers can pitch story ideas even without high-profile cases ✔️ Why relationship-building with reporters matters more than cold pitching alone ✔️ How LinkedIn, blogs, and platforms like Substack can increase visibility ✔️ The importance of responding quickly when reporters reach out ✔️ How to simplify complex legal topics into quotable insights reporters can use ✔️ Why local and niche publications can be just as valuable as national outlets ✔️ Practical first steps lawyers can take to start building a PR strategy today   🔗 Follow and Connect with Brenda McGann 🌍 Website: http://www.zumado.com 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendamcgann/ 📧 Email: bmcgann@zumado.com 🏆 Lawdragon Limelight (Member of The Lawdragon 100 Global Leaders in Legal Strategy & Consulting)   🔗 Follow and Connect with Denise Nix 🌍 Website: http://nixstrategiccommunications.com 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisenix/ 📧 Email: denise@nixstrategiccommunications.com [denise@nixstrategiccommunications.com]   🔗 Follow and Connect with Host, Jason Marsh 🌍 Website: https://www.alphalawyer.io/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marshjason/ 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoAlphaLawyer [https://www.youtube.com/@GoAlphaLawyer]

Why Every Law Firm Needs an AI Policy Now: How to Write One That Works, with Charity Anastasio

Are your attorneys and staff already using AI inside your law firm without clear policies, oversight, or safeguards in place? In this episode of the Alpha Lawyer Podcast, Jason Marsh sits down with Charity Anastasio, attorney, ethics advisor, and leading voice on legal practice management, AI adoption, and law firm risk management, to discuss why every law firm needs an AI policy now and how firms can responsibly adopt AI while protecting client confidentiality, minimizing hallucinated citations, and reducing operational risk. Charity breaks down the growing reality of “shadow AI” inside law firms, where attorneys and staff are already using AI tools for drafting, legal research, marketing, and daily workflows without formal guidance or training. She shares practical strategies for creating an AI policy that actually works, including approved tools, verification processes, confidentiality safeguards, accountability systems, and firm-wide training. From hallucinated court citations to ethical concerns around client data, this conversation is packed with actionable insights to help law firms embrace AI responsibly instead of reacting to problems after they happen. 🎧 Listen to learn: ✔️ Why law firms can no longer afford to delay creating an AI policy ✔️ The hidden risks of “shadow AI” and unapproved AI usage inside firms ✔️ How hallucinated citations are creating real legal and ethical consequences ✔️ Why AI adoption requires both policy and hands-on training ✔️ The difference between general AI tools and legal-specific AI platforms ✔️ How to safely handle client confidentiality when using AI tools ✔️ Why verification and accountability are critical for AI-assisted legal work ✔️ How firms can create AI workflows without killing innovation ✔️ Why lawyers should embrace AI instead of avoiding it out of fear ✔️ How AI is changing the future of legal practice, staffing, and client service 🔗 Follow and Connect with Charity Anastasio 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charityanastasio/ 📄 Article: Why You Need an AI Policy Yesterday, and How to Write It https://www.americanbar.org/groups/law_practice/resources/law-practice-magazine/2026/march-april-2026/why-you-need-an-ai-policy-how-to-write-it/?login 🔗 Follow and Connect with Host, Jason Marsh 🌍 Website: https://www.alphalawyer.io/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marshjason/ 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoAlphaLawyer [https://www.youtube.com/@GoAlphaLawyer]

Mentoring Gen Z Lawyers: A Smarter Training Model For Law Firms, With Susan George Broach

Are your law firm’s mentorship and training programs actually working for today’s attorneys, or are they stuck in outdated one-to-one models that no longer fit how lawyers learn? In this episode of the Alpha Lawyer Podcast, Jason Marsh sits down with Susan George Broach, a commercial real estate and corporate attorney at Andrews Myers PC and a long-time leader in mentoring and developing young lawyers, to break down how mentorship needs to evolve for the next generation. Susan shares a practical, modern approach to training lawyers through “mini mentoring,” shadowing, and intentional knowledge sharing. She explains how firms can create more collaborative, flexible learning environments that align with how Gen Z consumes information, while also improving retention, engagement, and overall firm culture. From real-time demonstrations to building a “mentor search engine” inside your firm, this conversation is packed with actionable strategies to help law firm leaders train smarter and build stronger teams.   🎧 Listen to learn: ✔️ Why traditional one-to-one mentorship often fails in modern law firms ✔️ How Gen Z lawyers prefer to learn through real-time, visual “shadowing” experiences ✔️ The concept of “mini mentoring” and how it increases participation from senior attorneys ✔️ How to train lawyers efficiently without requiring large time commitments ✔️ Why mentorship should happen in small, on-demand learning moments ✔️ How to create a “mentor search engine” inside your firm for faster knowledge sharing ✔️ The role of collaboration in improving both training and firm culture ✔️ How mentoring benefits senior lawyers through skill sharpening and cross-selling ✔️ Why relationship-building and human connection are critical in the age of AI ✔️ How modern mentoring models can improve retention and job satisfaction   🔗 Follow and Connect with Susan George Broach 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanrgeorge/ 🌍 Website: https://www.andrewsmyers.com/ [https://www.andrewsmyers.com/]   🔗 Follow and Connect with Host, Jason Marsh 🌍 Website: https://www.alphalawyer.io/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marshjason/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/marshjason/] 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoAlphaLawyer [https://www.youtube.com/@GoAlphaLawyer]

Structuring Law Firm Financials: From Chaos To Clarity, with Lynda Artesani and Sarah Prevost

This episode of the Alpha Lawyer Podcast features experts Lynda Artesani and Sarah Prevost, co-founders of The Proper Trust and leaders in accounting for law firms. They join host Jason Marsh to discuss why so many law firms struggle with "jacked up" financial records and how to move from chaotic spreadsheets and incorrect Quickbooks setups to a clear, scalable accounting system. Lynda and Sarah break down the risks of "magic spreadsheets," the importance of integrating practice management tools like Clio or LeanLaw with your ledger, and how proper financial visibility directly impacts a firm's growth and decision-making. You’ll hear practical guidance on setting up a bulletproof chart of accounts and maintaining compliance to ensure you can sleep at night while your firm thrives. 🎧 Listen to learn: ✔️ Why relying on a "magic spreadsheet" for bookkeeping is a recipe for disaster as you grow ✔️ The "compliance hammer": How improper accounting creates major ethics and bar risks ✔️ Why you should never bucket borrowed money (loans) into sales ✔️ The critical difference between a simple spreadsheet and a true ledger system ✔️ How to structure a Chart of Accounts (COA) specifically for a law firm’s needs ✔️ Why integrating your accounting software with tools like Clio or Xero is non-negotiable for efficiency ✔️ How to identify "hidden" startup costs and equipment that often get missed in financial records ✔️ The "CFO mindset": Using numbers and graphs to tell the story of your business and plan for future hires ✔️ Why "all-in-one" software solutions might actually be a trap for your firm's data ✔️ Best practices for managing trust accounts and the dangers of automated transfers 🔗 Follow and Connect with Lynda Artesani & Sarah Prevost 💼 Sarah's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-prevost/ 💼 Lynda's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynda-artesani/ 📸 Instagram: @thepropertrust 📱 TikTok & Instagram: @accountantslawpod 🔗 Follow and Connect with Host, Jason Marsh 🌍 Website: https://www.alphalawyer.io/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marshjason/ 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoAlphaLawyer