The 80/20 Principle
by Ernie Svenson
Latest episode
335: Best sessions to attend at the Clio Conference (live or free…
335: Best sessions to attend at the Clio Conference (live or free…
About this podcast
Tech and AI recommendations for solo and small-firm lawyers. The 20% that actually matters, not the hype and shiny objects that don't.
Hosted by Ernie Svenson — a former big-firm litigator turned solo, then coach to lawyers learning technology. He's been doing this for 20+ years.
Episodes are short and practical. Tool reviews, AI explainers, and stories from coaching lawyers — focused on what's worth your time and what isn't.
Beyond the podcast, Ernie runs a private community called the Inner Circle — a collective R&D department for solo and small-firm lawyers who can't build one alone. To learn more visit: https://ernietheattorney.net/
Episodes
The newest 50 of 335 episodes
- 335: Best sessions to attend at the Clio Conference (live or free online) · 11 min · Season 1 Episode 335ClioCon takes place October 26 and 27 in Boston. You can watch sessions online for free (see link below). If you register and miss a session you can also watch the recording, so…
- 334: Other lawyers' tech mistakes can be a powerful shortcut (using the 80/20 principle) · 22 min · Season 1 Episode 373If the 80/20 principle never worked for you, you weren't doing it wrong. You were missing a part never gets discussed. In this episode I cover that part. It has to do with…
- 333: Why AI feels more like email than the web · 46 min · Season 1 Episode 333In this episode, Ernie Svenson talks with Greg Siskind, who has practiced immigration law for 35 years and wrote a book about marketing on the internet back in 1996, when that…
- 332: The role your firm needs but can't name · 37 min · Season 1 Episode 332A few weeks ago, one of Sarah Persich's clients dropped an AI agent into their Slack workspace. Sarah gave it the criteria her client's intake team is supposed to follow on calls…
- 331: When AI Starts to Look Like Judgment (with Carolyn Elefant) · 38 min · Season 1 Episode 277Carolyn Elefant has been practicing law for thirty-five years and writing about solo practice for almost as long. In this episode she and Ernie get into how AI is changing…
- 330: Why Claude Gets Dumber—and How Lawyers Can Use AI Better · 42 min · Season 1 Episode 330In this episode, Ernie Svenson talks with Docket Drafter co-founder Tommy Eberle about what lawyers need to understand to use AI tools like Claude more effectively. They unpack…
- 329: Introduction to Claude and Its Potential · 39 min · Season 1 Episode 329Most lawyers using Claude are only scratching the surface of what it can do. In this episode, Ernie Svenson talks with former litigator and software founder Nick Chapleau about…
- 328: The Golf Lesson That Changed How I Teach AI · 10 min · Season 11 Episode 324Most AI training for lawyers is shiny-object stuff — nine prompts, the "ultimate playbook" — and that's exactly why none of it sticks. My old golf instructor figured this out…
- 327: How a Seasoned Litigator Became an AI Power User · 38 min · Season 1 Episode 327Ernie Svenson sits down with complex litigation attorney Richard Serpe to explore how he went from struggling with AI basics to becoming an advanced user in just 18 months…
- 326: Perplexity for Lawyers: AI Research With Sources · 8 min · Season 1 Episode 326In this episode, we cover Perplexity—what it is, how it works, and why it deserves attention from solo and small firm lawyers. Ernie explains how Perplexity differs from…
- 325: Copilot Doubt To Power · 28 min · Season 1 Episode 325In this episode, we talk with tax litigator Brandon Siegal about why Microsoft Copilot has gone from a disappointing experiment to a genuinely useful AI tool for legal work. We…
- 324: Why I switched from ChatGPT to Claude · 13 min · Season 1 Episode 324In this episode, we explore why a long-time ChatGPT user made the switch to Claude and what ultimately drove that decision. We break down how features like direct file access…
- 323: Revolutionize Your Law Practice with AI and Flat Fees · 17 min · Season 1 Episode 323In this episode, we explore how lawyers can adapt to rapid AI advancements by shifting from billable hours to outcome-based, flat-fee services. We'll discuss creating a better…
- 322: Scaling Smarter: EOS Strategies for Law Firm Growth · 33 min · Season 1 Episode 322In this episode, we'll examine how AI has made recording conversations effortless—and why that convenience poses legal, ethical, and moral challenges for lawyers. We'll break…
- 321: Stealth Recording -a Smart Move or Dangerous Ethics Problem? · 12 min · Season 1 Episode 321In this episode, we'll examine how AI has made recording conversations effortless—and why that convenience poses legal, ethical, and moral challenges for lawyers. We'll break…
- 320: AI in Legal Decision-Making: The Dawn of a New Era · 11 min · Season 1 Episode 320In this episode, Ernie explains how the American Arbitration Association is now using AI to draft decisions, subject to human review. The discussion covers the importance of…
- 319: Gavel Exec: AI Copilot for Legal Drafting · 35 min · Season 1 Episode 319Show Notes In this podcast episode, Ernie Svenson interviews Dorna At Gavel, a former attorney turned tech entrepreneur, about her journey in creating Gavel, a legal technology…
- 318: AI is a consensus machine (and here's why that's good for some lawyers) · 7 min · Season 1 Episode 318Show Notes In this episode, Ernie discusses the impact of AI on the legal profession, emphasizing that while AI may replace surface-level tasks, the best lawyers will thrive by…
- 317: AI, ClioCon, and the Future of Law: What Lawyers Need to Know Now · 36 min · Season 1 Episode 317In this episode, California attorney Jeff Lewis and I discuss the recent Clio conference that took place in Boston, which we both attended along with 2,700 other lawyers. There…
- 316: Inside the Smartphone-Powered Law Firm (with Elise Buie) · 49 min · Season 1 Episode 316What if you could run a thriving 40-person law firm entirely from your smartphone? In this episode, attorney Elise Buie—known as "The Smartphone Lawyer"—shares how she scaled her…
- 315: Email is the Most Under-leveraged Marketing Channel for Lawyers (with Tyler Cook) · 53 min · Season 1 Episode 315Email isn't dead—it's dominating. In this episode, email marketing expert Tyler Cook explains why email remains the highest ROI marketing channel for lawyers (and just about…
- 314: Why law firm SOP manuals are now obsolete (because of AI) · 5 min · Season 1 Episode 314Law firms love their SOPs—binders full of screenshots, arrows, and step-by-step instructions. But here's the problem: they take months to build, cost thousands to produce, and go…
- 313: The New Rules of SEO for Lawyers in the Age of AI (with Megan Hargroder) · 29 min · Season 1 Episode 313AI is changing how people search for lawyers, and that means your website has to do more than just "look professional." In this episode, Megan Hargroder (of Legends Legal…
- 312: The Release of GPT-5 and How to Escape the Vortex of Bad Information · 15 min · Season 1 Episode 312When big news drops—whether it's politics, celebrity scandal, or the launch of GPT-5—the internet spins into a frenzy of hot takes, half-truths, and hype. In this episode, we…
- 311: Protecting Client Data in the Age of AI · 20 min · Season 1 Episode 311As AI tools become more prevalent in law practice, how do we keep our client data secure? In this episode, we address the biggest risks lawyers face and how to navigate them…
- 310: The Power of Direct Mail for Lawyers: Insights from Wilson Zehr · 46 min · Season 1 Episode 310Too many lawyers focus only on digital marketing and overlook one of the most effective ways to reach clients: direct mail. In this episode, you'll hear from Wilson Zehr, the…
- 309: Tech-Driven Insights from Solo Lawyer Lee Rudin · 27 min · Season 1 Episode 309How can a solo personal injury lawyer run a leaner, more profitable practice without sacrificing client service? Lee Rudin, a New Orleans-based attorney, shares the tech stack…
- 308: Mastering AI: A Lawyer's Guide to ChatGPT · 19 min · Season 1 Episode 308The best way for lawyers to master AI is to deep on just one tool: ChatGPT. In this episode, you'll learn practical tips for using it in your practice, why the paid version is…
- 307: Wisper Flow: The AI Assistant You Didn't Know You Needed · 15 min · Season 1 Episode 307Wisper Flow is a no-fuss AI-powered dictation tool that helps you put words into documents or emails three times faster than typing. Because it's powered by AI, it can pick up…
- 306: Revamping Legal Research - The AI Advantage for Solo & Small Firms · 16 min · Episode 306Discover how legal research giants like LexisNexis and Westlaw are being disrupted by low cost AI tools like ChatGPT. Smart solo lawyers are ignoring overpriced AI tools favored…
- 305: Improve Your Memory using Proven Techniques (with Anthony Metivier) · 57 min · Episode 305In a world where we rely on digital tools to remember things, the ancient art of memory training seems to have been forgotten. Which is a shame because memory training provides…
- 304: Subscription Pricing for Transactional Lawyers (with Mathew Kerbis) · 40 min · Episode 304Mathew Kerbis transitioned his billable hour practice to one that uses subscription pricing exclusively. Find out how he did this, and how subscription pricing works for…
- 303: From Russia with Passion & Drive - Miami attorney Ilona Anderson · 54 min · Episode 303In this episode you'll meet an attorney named Ilona Anderson who was originally from Russia but came to the U.S. when she was sixteen and pursued her passion for law. You'll…
- 302: Photographic Memory: A Skill You Didn't Know You Had · 34 min · Episode 302In this episode, you'll learn that you have a photographic memory without knowing it. Just like Baton Rouge attorney Tony Clayton who can remember names and faces instantly…
- 301: Stop Losing Billable Hours: How AI Simplifies Time-Keeping & Billing for Lawyers · 43 min · Episode 301Nancy Jeng, co-founder of Billables.ai, reveals how passive time-keeping is changing the game for lawyers—capturing billable hours with zero effort and tailoring entries to your…
- 300: Leveraging AI by Balancing Critical & Creative Thinking · 20 min · Episode 300Want to harness the power of AI while at the same time minimize risk? Then learn to balance critical and creative thinking as you use AI in your law practice. Listen and get…
- 299: The Future of Legal Work: What Lawyers Need to Know in 2025 · 22 min · Episode 299How can solo attorneys harness AI to stay sharp and competitive? This episode dives into Microsoft's new report on AI and how it will impact legal research, document review, and…
- 298: Thinking Like a Philosopher: Jonny Thomson on Truth, AI, and the Socratic Method · 39 min · Episode 298Oxford philosophy professor Jonny Thomson explains how philosophy sharpens critical thinking, reveals hidden biases, and helps uncover the truth in a messy, complex world. From…
- 297: A Year of Remote Lawyering: How Jeff Austin Took His Practice to Patagonia · 32 min · Episode 297In this episode, you'll hear from Jeff Austin, an estate planning attorney from Durham, North Carolina, who spent a year practicing law remotely while living in Argentina with…
- 296: Mastering Your Zoom Presence: Tips for Looking Professional Online · 17 min · Episode 296You should optimize your appearance in online meetings and presentations to appear professional, credible and authoritative. You don't need to do a lot to make that happen, and…
- 295: Deb Feder, a Business Attorney Now Helps Professionals Grow Their Businesses · 1 h 1 min · Episode 295In this episode Deb Feder shares her transition from business lawyer to a coaching business for business professionals. You'll hear about her early career trials, favorite book…
- 294: Google NotebookLM (plus AI in the Courtroom) · 18 min · Episode 294This episode discusses Google's NotebookLM, an AI research assistant designed to handle groups of complex documents. Listen and learn about its amazing features, such as…
- 293: Want to Travel the World While Practicing Law? Here's How Brian Dixon Made It Happen · 38 min · Episode 2Believe it or no, it's possible to work as "digital nomad lawyer" and spend all your time traveling the world. Our guest Brian Dixon knows this first hand. In this episode…
- 292: The Keys to AI-enhanced Legal Writing (with Ross Guberman) · 45 min · Episode 292Explore the cutting edge of legal writing with Ross Guberman, the founder of a company called Legal Writing Pro. In this episode, learn interesting ways that generative AI can…
- 291: Judge Scott Schlegel Explores the Use of AI in the Court System · 45 min · Episode 291In this episode, you'll hear Judge Scott Schlegel explain why he believes that lawyers and judges should know as much as possible about how AI tools work. And why they should…
- 290: 3 Keys to a Smooth Running Practice · 43 min · Episode 290Building a successful law practice is a lot easier when you focus on the right things. And that's exactly how attorney Elise Buie built a thriving practice that's both…
- 289: The Best AI Note-Taking App for Lawyers · 38 min · Episode 289Every lawyer should use an AI note-taking app, but now there are dozens, so which one should they use? In this episode, we examine the top two apps and compare features so you…
- 288: ABA Ethics Opinion on Lawyers use of AI · 23 min · Episode 288The ABA's new ethics opinion on lawyers' use of AI is a must-read, but this episode will give you the key takeaways you need to be aware of. We'll also discuss the provocative…
- 287: Social Media Marketing: 5 Pro Tips for Lawyers · 39 min · Episode 287Social media marketing is easy and inexpensive if you approach it right. Being authentic is one key to success, but there's another word that's even more important. And that's…
- 286: Online Workspaces for Modern Law Work · 42 min · Episode 286Modern lawyers need new workspaces optimized for remote work, virtual collaboration, and asynchronous communication. In this episode, you'll find out which two software tools are…
