Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

Still on the fence about AI? You might not have a choice if you want your firm to succeed. Guest Craig Ball is a lawyer, law professor, special master, author, and above all a tireless student of all things electronic. AI, he says, may be the most transformative legal tool to hit the profession ever. Bigger than word processing, online research, even the internet.

Ball explains how AI is emerging from hype and headlines to real world applications such as drafting documents and sifting through gigabytes of e-discovery. Learning the art of AI prompting and developing the skepticism to evaluate AI powered product isn’t an option. This is the future of the practice of law, Ball says.

But AI isn’t a free pass and it’s not magic. If you want quality legal work through AI, it’s going to cost you. “Free” AI platforms probably won’t cut it. Be prepared to spend not just the time, but also the money to incorporate your own voice and the particular expertise of your firm into pay-to-play AI programs.

If you’ve been reading the headlines and wondering how AI applies to your practice, this episode will fill in a lot of the gaps. And here’s the thing, you’re not “too old” to dive in and resistance can hurt you. As Ball says, “It’s an AI enabled world.”

Questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at NewSolo@legaltalknetwork.com

Topics:

If you thought you could ignore AI, continue your practice without it, and scoff at lawyers who use it, you may be wrong. AI is here to stay and it’s transforming the legal profession. Guest Craig Ball – a lawyer and law professor – shares how AI is already performing real tasks and making real, experienced lawyers better. You’re not “too old” or too set in your ways to plug AI into your practice (and to understand how opposing counsel is already using it).

Mastering AI isn’t free and it won’t come without effort. But if you invest the time and money, it can return exponential rewards in productivity and efficiency. Get excited about AI today.



Resources:

Microsoft Copilot AI

Claude AI

Harvey AI

Microsoft Word

ABA Techshow 2026

CraigBall.com

“Leery Lawyer’s Guide to AI,” by Craig Ball

Ball in Your Court blog

“Forensic Tells: The Litigator’s Guide to Detecting Deep Fakes,” by Craig Ball

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Summer is upon us and the Supreme Court of the United States is set to rule on a number of landmark cases including birthright citizenship, transgender athletes, campaign finance limits, and mail-in ballots.

On this Lawyer 2 Lawyer episode, Craig welcomes Steven D. Schwinn, professor of law at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, as they spotlight the summer of  SCOTUS. Craig & Steve discuss the major SCOTUS decisions happening this summer and the potential impact of these rulings.

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Can paralegal professionals really strike out on their own and set up a paralegal business outside the confines of a law firm or government agency? Guest Rashida Forbes did just that. She’s a veteran paralegal professional who turned her early boots-on-the-ground early experiences into her own firm wrangling the legal process in the high-stakes world of foreclosure and eviction.

Forbes was working in a traditional law firm framework when she grew frustrated with the status quo and struck out on her own, forming the Atlanta-based freelance paralegal firm RF Legal Support. Her inspirational journey is proof that “the way it’s always been” doesn’t have to be the only way. 

Being a business owner isn’t easy, she explains. It can gobble up your day, take time away from family and friends, and through it all, it’s your money at risk and your commitment that will be tested. 

Hear how Forbes made the leap and learned to incorporate the legal tools her firm needed to prosper and grow. Plus, how owning her own business allows her and her team to shake up the world of legal fashion, experiencing the freedom to dress for success with a little extra flair (and host a fashion show).

Mentioned in This Episode:

Stylish Paralegal Fashion Show

NALA, The Paralegal Association

NALA Conference & Expo 2026

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Supreme Court ignores Judge Newman's rights.

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All the news that's fit to print agrees that Todd Blanche isn't fit to head the Department of Justice. Something about the whole transforming the DOJ into a weaponized arm of Donald Trump's political grievances thing. The Supreme Court dodged the ongoing Judge Pauline Newman debacle in the Federal Circuit. Her fellow judges have performed an end run around the Constitution, and the rest of the judiciary seems content to just look the other way. And as more folks use AI to brush up their resumes, its biases keep coming out. But does it really produce different legal resumes for men and women?

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You just received $100,000 from the Marketing Fairy. Now, how do you turn that into clients? With a smart marketing budget guided by Gyi and Conrad’s keen-witted tactics, of course! And later, the guys explain how to invest in community events and grow your brand affinity.

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To continue to gain more clients and profits, you need to spend your marketing budget wisely. Now, while we know the size of your firm will affect the size of your budget, let’s take a careful look at how Gyi and Conrad would advise you to deploy a $100K marketing spend over the course of 12 months. From direct response to networking to SEO to content creation and more, the guys talk about what’s important, what’s not, and how to prioritize your magical marketing dollars over the course of a year.

Later, a listener asked a question about sponsoring a rodeo! Gyi and Conrad have plenty of insights into how investing in events and sharing your passions helps your law firm become a well-known, appreciated business in the community. Yee haw!

The News:


Well, Conrad sure is surprised—Reddit continues to be a major search choice for the masses: Google May 2026 Core Update: Reddit Up, YouTube Down. 


This just dropped: Legal Client Experience Report 2026 | Case Status, and while lots of folks are satisfied with their legal outcomes, far less would actually recommend their lawyer. What gives?


CX Summit 2026, we applaud you for not accepting pay-to-pitch speakers at your conference. Keep on keeping it classy. 


In contrast to the meager AI search data from Google, Bing appears to be offering a much more robust set of insights: New AI Visibility Insights in Bing Webmaster Tools: Intents, Topics, Citation Share, Compare.

Make Summer More Fun: 


Come see us in Nashville 8/11-8/13 at the LHLM Super Summit!

Listen Next:


 How Much Marketing is Enough?

 

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