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🎙️Ep.# 125: Transforming Your Law Practice: Allison Johs on Legal Tech Productivity, AI Ethics & Automation Strategies!

The Tech Savvy Lawyer

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My next guest is Allison Johs, former Chair of the ABA Legal Technology Resource Center and founder of Legal Ease Consulting. 🎯 Allison has spent nearly two decades helping law firms prevent "lawyer meltdown" by guiding them through digital transformation, boosting productivity, and providing practical tech solutions for modern legal professionals. With 15 years of practicing law and experience growing a firm from 15 to over 50 attorneys, Allison brings real-world expertise to the challenges lawyers face when balancing technology adoption with successful client service.

Join Allison Johs and me as we discuss the following three questions and more! 🤔

  1. What are the top three foundational mistakes lawyers make when implementing new legal technology, and how can solo and small firms avoid these pitfalls to ensure their technology investments actually improve their practice rather than just create additional complexity?
  2. What are your top three recommendations for lawyers who want to responsibly integrate AI into their practice while maintaining ethical compliance and ensuring client confidentiality?
  3. What are the top three technology-driven strategies lawyers can implement immediately to automate routine tasks and reclaim billable hours?

In our conversation, we cover the following: ⏱️

  • [00:00:00] – Episode introduction and guest welcome
  • [00:01:00] – Allison's current tech setup: Dell laptop, HP all-in-one desktop, Logitech Brio webcam, Microsoft 365
  • [00:02:00] – Discussion of portable monitors (INNOCN) and dual-screen productivity setups
  • [00:03:00] – Document scanning workflow with ScanSnap scanner and going paperless
  • [00:04:00] – OCR considerations for different practice areas, Adobe Acrobat for occasional OCR needs
  • [00:05:00] – Mistake #1: Not considering roles of all people who will use the technology in the firm
  • [00:06:00] – Including staff input during technology selection and implementation
  • [00:07:00] – Coaching resistant employees through technology adoption
  • [00:08:00] – Addressing legitimate objections vs. fear of change; demonstrating value to staff
  • [00:09:00] – Mistake #2: Not checking how new technology integrates with existing systems
  • [00:10:00] – Hidden costs of technology transitions: running parallel systems for 6-8 months
  • [00:11:00] – Budgeting for duplicate CRM/LPM subscriptions during migration
  • [00:12:00] – Mistake #3: Failing to appropriately invest in ongoing training
  • [00:13:00] – Training new hires and keeping up with subscription software updates
  • [00:14:00] – AI Recommendation #1: Thoroughly investigate how AI tools handle data, security, and training
  • [00:15:00] – AI Recommendation #2: Setting and strictly enforcing AI usage policies; mandatory human review
  • [00:16:00] – The importance of reviewing AI outputs—lawyers should know precedents in their practice area
  • [00:17:00] – AI Recommendation #3: Start with non-client-facing AI work (internal processes, marketing, financials)
  • [00:18:00] – Ethical considerations: using AI on published court decisions for legal analysis
  • [00:19:00] – Using AI to find contrary precedents and distinguishing cases
  • [00:20:00] – Duty to supervise: real-world consequences when AI use goes wrong
  • [00:21:00] – Automation Strategy #1: Appointment booking tools (Calendly, Microsoft Bookings)
  • [00:22:00] – Automation Strategy #2: Templates, document assembly, AI chatbots for client intake
  • [00:23:00] – Automation Strategy #3: Automated time tracking and AI-powered billing review
  • [00:23:30] – Text Expander discussion: saving 2-5 hours weekly on repetitive typing
  • [00:24:00] – Allison's top automation tools: Calendly, Microsoft Power Automate, Microsoft Bookings
  • [00:25:00] – Discovering hidden features in Microsoft 365 (Ben Schorr webinar reference)
  • [00:26:00] – Using AI for travel planning: Google AI for trip itineraries, Perplexity AI for route optimization
  • [00:27:00] – Maximizing productivity during travel and conference attendance
  • [00:28:00] – Where to find Allison: websites, social media, and YouTube channel

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