The Law Firm Owner Podcast

13 episodes scanned. 86% of ad slots promote the show's own products.

Recent Episodes

1. #386: Employees Will Leave Your Firm: How You Handle It Matters

   Nov 3, 2026

   Melissa, a coach who works with law firm owners through Velocity Work, discusses why employee departures are an inevitable part of owning a firm and how an owner's mindset shapes the response. She describes a spectrum of reactions, from panic and resentment to a measured, solution-focused approach, and suggests processing emotions within a set time, possibly with a therapist, before moving to logistics. The episode also covers how a departure can be used to improve hiring, onboarding, and expectations for the next person in the role.

2. #385: Stop Undercharging: How to Raise Your Law Firm's Rates

   Oct 27, 2026

   Melissa, host of the Law Firm Owner Podcast, argues that experienced attorneys, especially owner-operators in small cities and towns, are systematically undercharging based on untested assumptions about their local market. She walks through how to model a rate increase in revenue scenarios, test new rates with prospective clients, raise rates for existing clients, and present a rate with confidence. She recommends raising hourly rates by at least $50 rather than in small increments, and gives a client example of a move from $350 to $425 per hour.

3. #384: Building Better Systems for Your Law Firm with Jason Ebbens

   Oct 20, 2026

   Jason Ebbens, operations leader at Jeff Lewis Law and a former paralegal of about 15 years, discusses building automated systems for the firm. He covers how he vetted AI tools like Claude for privacy and encryption, his use of "black box" design to map processes backward from a desired outcome, and an automated Slack report that shows each producer's performance against hourly billing goals. The conversation also touches on setting clear expectations and accountability for the team.

4. #383: How Law Firms Are Adapting to AI with Jeff Lewis

   Oct 13, 2026

   Jeff Lewis, an appellate and First Amendment law firm owner and long-time Velocity Work client, discusses how his firm uses AI tools such as Claude, CoCounsel, and Clear Brief in research, brief drafting, and proofreading. He describes firm-wide prompt skills, guidelines for which tasks can use general versus secure legal platforms, and a recent fee motion in which a judge cited AI efficiency to reduce his requested fees. The conversation also covers capacity, niche practice decisions, and preparation for an upcoming firm retreat.

5. #382: Heads Down, Grinding It Out: When Working Harder Isn't the Answer

   Oct 6, 2026

   Melissa explores how law firm owners can become trapped in unsustainable work patterns, using a detailed case study of a firm owner and spouse working 12-14 hours daily while handling both legal and administrative tasks. Through financial modeling, she demonstrates that hiring an experienced administrative assistant would generate $20,000 in monthly opportunity cost recovery while enabling the owner to take meaningful time off—revealing how the math often contradicts the instinct to 'stabilize first, then hire.' The episode examines how owners justify deferring growth decisions as discipline when those deferrals actually perpetuate the grind.

6. #381: Lost at Sea: When Your Firm No Longer Needs You the Same Way

   Sep 29, 2026

   Melissa explores the identity crisis that occurs when law firm owners successfully delegate and systematize their firms to the point where they are no longer needed in day-to-day operations. She uses a detailed client example to illustrate how this transition—while representing success—creates disorientation, anxiety, and a loss of purpose. The episode addresses how owners can navigate this liminal space by resisting the urge to fill newfound time with busywork, instead using space intentionally to reset their nervous system and clarify their evolving role.

7. #380: The Truth Is Hard to See from Inside It

   Sep 22, 2026

   Melissa, founder of Velocity Work, introduces a three-part series exploring why even successful law firm owners struggle to see objective truth about their businesses. She shares two contrasting case studies from summer retreats: one highly successful firm where the owner became disoriented after achieving their goals and no longer knowing their role, and another growing firm deferring a critical hire despite losing $20,000/month in productivity. Both firms were operating on incomplete information, unable to see the truth from within their situations.

8. #379: Generosity Has to Be Engineered for a Healthy Business

   Sep 15, 2026

   Melissa explores why good intentions alone are insufficient for sustainable generosity toward law firm teams, and why generosity must be intentionally engineered into the business model. She discusses how firms often carry unsustainable people costs relative to revenue, using real examples from immigration firms and hourly practices to illustrate the consequences of unexamined generosity. The episode provides concrete metrics—net profit margin, people cost percentage (35-42% target), and producer multiple (3-5 target)—to help owners evaluate whether their current approach supports long-term business health and the ability to genuinely care for their people.

9. #378: Financial Clarity and Law Firm Profitability with Shavon Smith

   Sep 8, 2026

   Shavon Smith, a law firm owner, discusses her journey toward financial clarity and profitability with Melissa of Velocity Work. She shares how identifying and addressing excessive write-offs—which were costing her firm $10,000-$11,000 monthly—led to significant improvements in cash flow, producer multiples, and business confidence. Through intentional tracking, mindset work including therapy, and clearer team communication, she reduced write-offs to under $500 while implementing systems for capacity management, hiring decisions, and sustainable growth.

10. #377: Valuing Your Expertise and Growing Your Law Firm with Shavon Smith

    Sep 1, 2026

    Shavon Smith, a business attorney and fractional general counsel in the DC area, discusses her journey from a stagnant 10-year practice to intentional growth by implementing data-driven decision-making, raising rates significantly, delegating more effectively to her associate, and becoming more selective about clients and work. The episode covers how visibility into financial numbers, valuing expertise, setting clear team expectations, and strategic pricing changes enabled her to break through a growth ceiling without expanding her team.