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A real Olympian on our little podcast?! Athlete and lawyer Rich Ruohonen shows us all how excellence and commitment are good for business. And, more importantly, how standing up for what’s right as both a citizen and a representative of the law is so necessary in our current cultural climate. 

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Okay, so maybe you can’t be an Olympian, but you can grow your business by pursuing your passions, investing in your community, and showing genuine care for those around you. Gyi and Conrad are honored to welcome Rich Ruohonen, the oldest-ever American winter Olympian, to talk about his experiences with the American Curling team in the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Games. Oh, and for all you lawyers out there, Rich shares down-to-earth insights on how his personal injury law firm engages with their community. 

Later, in the wake of the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti, Rich was compelled to use the Olympic stage to speak out about ICE violence in his home state of Minnesota. He shares what that experience meant for him as both a lawyer and a citizen of our great country. Thank you to Rich for representing our country and the profession so well. 

📺 Watch: Rich's Olympic Speech

 

The News:

Guess this wasn’t a no-brainer—don’t be a dummy and talk about sensitive information with public AI chatbots. This case shows us why: United States v. HEPPNER

And, in more AI nonsense: Lawyer apologizes for fake quotes, fabricated judgments generated by AI in murder case. Yikes.

And, some lawyer skulduggery in South Carolina: Lowcountry Attorney Charged with Defrauding $1.5M from Mt. Pleasant Law Firm and Clients. Eesh.

On a lighter note, get your tickets for the LHLM Summit! Yay!

 

Listen Next:

The One Where Gyi and Conrad Rock the Boat

 

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In This Episode:

00:00 Fit Check

02:24 Starting with the News

07:50 Introducing Olympian Lawyer Rich Ruohonen

08:18 Rich's Olympic Journey in Curling

15:15 Curling, Law, and Business: The Intersection of Being an Athlete and a Trial Lawyer

29:11 Making a Stand: Rich Ruohonen's Olympic Speech on the Rule of Law in Minnesota

41:18 Closing & Final Thanks

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In this episode’s Seat at the Table, let’s dig into the bedrock of your business: Your identity. That’s what branding is, it’s defining yourself. Who are you?

 

If you’re starting a new firm, or trying to grow your existing firm, start with your brand. Do you know what it is? And is what you thought you wanted

One part of your brand is easy to express and hard to deliver. Do what you say you are going to do. If you promise something, if you pitch something, live up to that.

Build your business on results, on meeting clients where they are, and on meeting client demands and expectations. A slick website is meaningless if you are disappointing or even inconveniencing your clients.

Should you rebrand, or refresh your brand, or invest in branding? What is a brand? What’s your brand? Good intentions and hope are not a business plan. Do something tangible by defining your business and living up to your promises.

In this new Un-Billable Hour series, “Seat at the Table,” we dig into helping lawyers attract clients, build the business flow, and branding, all while turning your vision into reality, profit, and success.

New guest hosts Kristen David, Rob Leitner, and brothers Elliot Alicea and Erik Alicea are experienced pros in business development and marketing for law firms. With proven track records, they join host Christoper T. Anderson and dig into the real needs of growing firms. 

If you’re getting started, hear how creating a brand – and building trust – sets you on the right path. Are you doing the things you say you’re going to do? It’s important to deliberately help potential new clients understand who you are and what you do (and avoid the most common branding mistakes startups trip over).

 Mentioned in This Episode:

Michael Gerber “The E-Myth Revisited” 

Pragmatic Institute

Clio

ClioCon 2026, Oct. 26-27, 2026

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Texas is fortunate to be home to a diverse and impressive roster of professional sports organizations, and it should come as no surprise that the demanding world of professional athletics requires highly skilled legal counsel. Host Rocky Dhir welcomes two distinguished attorneys from the Texas professional sports scene: Eunice Nakamura, Executive Vice President, General Counsel for the Texas Rangers Major League Baseball team, and James O’Sullivan, General Counsel for the Major League Soccer team, FC Dallas. Their conversation gives an inside look at the dynamic day-to-day experiences of lawyers specializing in the business of sports. Eunice and James candidly share their professional paths, detailing the opportunities and career choices that led them to their current roles.

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For more than a decade, the Modern Law Library has been chatting with authors about their books. But there haven't been many opportunities to talk directly with our listeners, and we want that to change. We are so excited to announce that we are launching a monthly book club series, which will appear in your normal podcast feed. 

This year, we are going to be diving into The Brethren: Inside the Supreme Court, by Bob Woodward and Scott Armstrong. This book made waves when it was released in 1979, giving readers an unprecedented look into the U.S. Supreme Court chambers. Covering the 1969 to 1975 terms, The Brethren exposed the internal debates over matters like the Pentagon Papers and Roe v. Wade. 

Each month, we will be reading a section of the book and inviting on a guest to discuss the issues raised. To be ready for the first book club meeting at the end of March, read the introduction and prologue!

We are hoping to hear from you, so if you have a comment about the book or want to share your experiences with it, email us a written message, video or audio recording to [email protected]. 

You can purchase a copy here and join in the discussion in our Goodreads group athttps://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1285340-modern-law-library

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At the NCBP’s Midyear Meeting in San Antonio, Amanda Arriaga sat down with conference speaker Michael Ariens, professor at St. Mary’s School of Law, for a deeper discussion on law, democracy, and ways to engage with the challenges we see in both the legal profession and our society at large. They discuss the relevance of the Declaration of Independence as we celebrate its 250th anniversary and wrestle with the concepts of liberty and equality in the present day. Professor Ariens emphasized the vital role of legal professionals in strengthening the rule of law and fostering constructive, civil discourse when tackling difficult community issues. In addition, Amanda and NCBP President Patrick Palace recap the NCBP Midyear Meeting held in San Antonio.

 

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