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Leaders do not simply enter a room. They change it. In episode 632 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Stephanie Everett talks with Debbie Foster about leading self, the first cornerstone from their new book, Be a Next Level Leader.

Debbie explains why “leaders bring the weather” and how a leader’s emotions, attention, and energy can shape an entire meeting. Together, they explore what happens when leaders make promises they cannot realistically keep, become bottlenecks for their teams, or undermine decisions by delivering them as someone else’s instructions.

They also discuss why honoring commitments is essential to building trust, how to renegotiate a deadline without hiding behind busyness, and what it means to speak as a leader even when you disagree with a decision. Debbie and Stephanie share practical scripts, exercises, and shared language law firm teams can use to make better leadership habits part of everyday work.

If you want your team to trust your word, follow your direction, and feel secure when pressure rises, better leadership starts with understanding how you show up.

Listen to our previous episodes on Law Firm Leadership, Self-Awareness & Building Stronger Teams.

#627: Building Stronger Law Firm Teams Through Better Communication, with Zeina Baydoun Apple | Spotify | LTN

#615: How to Stop Being the Bottleneck and Build Stronger Teams, with Debbie Foster and Stephanie Everett Apple | Spotify | LTN

#596: The Athlete’s Mindset for Lawyers, with Jess Sargus Apple | Spotify | LTN

#592: Client Care, Culture, and Character: A Framework for Great Leaders, with William O’Neal Apple | Spotify | LTN

#527: Casting Your Vision and Leading Your Firm, with Kevin DeShazo Apple | Spotify | LTN

Links from the episode:

https://beanextlevelleader.com/



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Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

01:19 – Why Leadership Teams Need Shared Language

03:16 – Meet Debbie Foster

03:45 – Why Leadership Starts with Leading Self

04:13 – Leaders Bring the Weather

05:27 – Showing Up Fully Present

06:17 – How Broken Commitments Erode Trust

08:15 – When the Leader Becomes the Bottleneck

09:29 – Speak as a Leader, Not a Messenger

10:11 – Disagree, Commit & Support the Decision

12:02 – How Leaders Undermine Their Own Credibility

12:57 – Turning Leadership Theory into Practical Tools

14:31 – Scripts for Renegotiating Commitments & Receiving Feedback

16:10 – How the Book and Workbook Took Shape

17:21 – Shared Language Creates Stronger Leaders

19:26 – Leading When Responsibility Exceeds Authority

21:21 – How Do You Show Up Under Stress?

22:34 – Closing Thoughts

Generative AI usage among attorneys jumped from 31% to 69% in a single year, but most law firms still haven't caught up with formal policies or training. Attorney and legal tech columnist Nicole Black, who has covered the intersection of law and technology for two decades, breaks down what's driving that gap and what it means for firms trying to keep pace. She explains why solo and small firms tend to adopt new technology faster than their mid-size and large counterparts, and why immigration attorneys in particular are using generative AI at a much higher rate than other practice areas. Black also discusses the slow erosion of the billable hour, why in-house counsel and insurance defense attorneys are among the most likely to push firms toward flat rate pricing, and what the current wave of legal tech consolidation means for the tools attorneys rely on day to day. The conversation turns to the rise of vibe coding in the legal industry, including attorneys building their own case management software from scratch, and Black shares her own experience using AI tools to navigate a New York liquor license application for a winery she and her husband are launching. She closes with her honest take on where she lands between AI optimism and AI pessimism, and why she thinks regulation may already be behind the curve.

Subscribe to The AI Sidebar: https://play.megaphone.fm/6yvcqiwqqtmrvsjkgthoiq

Shakespeare and law school might not be as far apart as you thought. Guest Len Niehoff is a professor of law at the University of Michigan Law School and the author of the recent book Meeting Shakespeare at the Bar: Reading the Bard Through the Lens of the Law, a book written for both lawyers and non-lawyers offering practical insights into how Shakespeare’s works illuminate the questions of law, ethics, and advocacy.

As an innovative professor and a lifelong fan of the Bard, Niehoff began studying, and encouraging students to study, Shakespeare’s interest in the rule of law, what puts the rule of law at risk, personal responsibility, and how law can be twisted into the unlawful. “It was kind of a natural transition to turn to Shakespeare,” he says.

Indeed, Measure for Measure and The Merchant of Venice have trials at their heart. But Niehoff and his students look at how the law works it into other plays, such as Julius Caesar, MacBeth and Hamlet.

Now imagine a group of lawyers meeting up with Shakespeare one evening at a local bar, sharing war stories, funny moments, and issues of ethics, and morality and the law. That’s the book. Niehoff’s fascinating examination of Shakespeare’s work and the law may have you thinking about the human condition differently.

Have a question, comment, or suggestion for an upcoming episode? Get in touch at MRogson@SkywardInsurance.com or JAReederJr@gmail.com.

Resources Mentioned:

“Meeting Shakespeare at the Bar: Reading the Bard Through the Lens of the Law,” by Leonard M Niehoff

“Tanner v. United States”, Justia

“Cattle: Related Cases,” AnimalLaw.info

Twombly and Iqbal, “Twiqbal,” Wikipedia

“The Crucible,” by Arthur Miller

“Shakespeare Unlimited Podcast,” Folger Shakespeare Library

“Macbeth,” Shakespeare, full play

“Titus Andronicus,” Shakespeare, full play

“Henry VI, Part 2,” Shakespeare, full play

“Othello,” Shakespeare, full play

“Hamlet,” Kenneth Branagh, full movie, free, YouTube

American Bar Association

American Bar Association Litigation Section

Subscribe to Litigation Radio: https://play.megaphone.fm/rhyxdryztyy2v3itq6sdlq

We’re long overdue for a classic Gyi and Conrad mess-around. Let’s poke fun at Scorpion’s new AI marketing guide, shall we? Later, the guys highlight your juicy LinkedIn comments about discount pricing in the personal injury market.

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While we can see some merit here and there, is too much of Scorpion’s Not All Ai is Created Equal: How to Evaluate AI for Law Firm Marketing guide just so-so? The guys talk through the elements of both its questions and recommendations to help you understand its hits and misses.

Some personal injury lawyer in Indiana is pitching discount pricing to undercut competitors, but is that actually a good idea? His LinkedIn commenters aren’t impressed—stick around to get Gyi and Conrad’s take.

The News:

Major eyeroll moment here for the Google overlords – Google: Reddit Gets No Special Preference In Google Search Rankings.

We wouldn’t recommend FirmPilot, but we have immensely enjoyed watching it fall on its face.

LinkedIn has added a “Seems like AI Slop” Button, and we’re totally here for it.



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Naturalized citizens have served as federal judges, including as Justices of our Supreme Court, for more than two centuries, many with great distinction. Recently Representative Nancy Mace introduced a joint resolution calling for an amendment to our Constitution that would require that federal judges, alongside members of Congress, be born in the United States. Previously, Representative Pete Stauber proposed legislation requiring that all American judges be “natural born citizens” and require sitting judges with dual citizenship to renounce foreign ties.

On this Lawyer 2 Lawyer episode, Craig welcomes Judge Jeremy D. Fogel, formerly of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, as they discuss these proposals that would require federal judges to be born in the United States or qualify as “natural born citizens, and the opposition by a group of bipartisan judges, Keep Our Republic's Article III Coalition, who are leading the charge against these proposals which create hateful rhetoric and go against the framers of our Constitution’s ideals.



Mentioned in this Episode:

Keep Our Republic's Article III Coalition

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