Counsel Cast

Cyber warfare is no longer a distant threat reserved for governments and billion-dollar corporations. In this eye-opening episode of Counsel Cast, host Karin Conroy sits down with Tom Kirkham, cybersecurity expert and CEO of Kirkham Iron Tech, to reveal how AI, ransomware, deepfakes, and social engineering are now actively targeting law firms of every size.

From fake text messages and phishing emails that fool even seasoned professionals, to nation-state level cyber weapons being used against small firms, Tom explains why no law firm is too small to be a target and why human behavior, not just technology, is the weakest link in every breach.

They break down the real cost of ransomware attacks, why paying the ransom is often only the beginning, how long-term backdoors are planted during “simple” attacks, and why 40–60 percent of small businesses never recover after a major cyber incident.

This episode delivers a clear message. Cybersecurity is no longer optional. It is a core leadership responsibility.

📌 You’ll learn:

• Why ransomware is now the number one cyber threat facing law firms
• How AI is being used by both hackers and defenders
• What “Human In The Loop” security really means
• Why 95 percent of major cyber breaches begin with human error
• How deepfakes and voice cloning are already disrupting trust in legal systems
• What an EDR is and why every firm must have one
• Why IT and cybersecurity are two different specialties
• How law firms become targets through LinkedIn and public data
• The true cost of a law firm being down for just one hour
• Why cybersecurity awareness training is the cheapest and most powerful defense
• How ransomware attacks often hide advanced persistent threats inside them
• What law firm leaders must stop delegating and start owning

💡 Featuring:

• Real-world case examples of ransomware attacks against small and mid-sized law firms, behind-the-scenes breakdowns of how nation-state cyber weapons trickle into everyday business attacks, and firsthand stories of long-con scams like “pig butchering” that quietly drain trust before the real breach hits. Tom shares how AI is now used to scrape LinkedIn, map law firm org charts, clone voices, and generate flawless phishing campaigns that bypass traditional spam filters. 

Karin and Tom give listeners actionable tips on:

• 0:00 Introduction and today’s cyber threat landscape
• 1:00 How cyber attacks have evolved with AI
• 5:00 Why ransomware is still the greatest threat to law firms
• 9:00 Why law firms are valuable targets, even the smallest ones
• 12:00 The danger of putting confidential information into AI tools
• 15:00 Deepfakes, voice cloning, and erosion of trust
• 19:00 Why most security breaches are caused by human behavior
• 23:00 The rise of long-con scams and “pig butchering” fraud
• 26:00 How attackers use LinkedIn and public data to target firms
• 30:00 Why firing the employee who clicked is the wrong response
• 33:00 The NIST Framework and the five pillars of cybersecurity
• 38:00 How EDR tools actually stop modern attacks
• 41:00 Business continuity, disaster recovery, and real downtime costs
• 45:00 The financial reality of cybersecurity investment
• 48:00 Why 40–60 percent of small firms never recover from breaches
• 50:00 Book recommendation and the role of culture in security
• 57:00 The first step every firm should take today
• 1:01:00 Final thoughts on leadership, responsibility, and action

Resources mentioned in this episode:

In this episode of Counsel Cast Chambers, we highlight our past conversation with Jeff Felton, an email marketing strategist, discussing the critical role of email marketing for law firms. Felton explains why nurturing segmented email lists through welcome flows and post-case follow-ups can significantly impact subscriber trust, client conversion, and long-term retention. 

He emphasizes that marketing should not stop after a client signs a contract but should continue to create loyal fans who generate referrals. The discussion also covers tactics for becoming a trusted thought leader and the effectiveness of newsletters and lead magnets in building an engaged email list.

Jeff gives listeners actionable tips on:

• 00:00 Introduction: The Hidden Cost of a Slow Website
• 00:05 Email Marketing as a Business Strategy
• 00:47 Common Mistakes in Email Marketing
• 01:37 Turning Clients into Raving Fans
• 02:26 Positioning Yourself as a Thought Leader
• 04:07 Building an Engaging Email List
• 06:33 The Value of Trust and Consistency
• 07:10 Conclusion: Establishing Yourself as a Trusted Leader

Connect with Jeff here:

In this episode of Counsel Cast, host Karin Conroy welcomes Joshua Lenon, Lawyer in Residence at Clio, for a deep dive into Legal Tech 2026 and the insights driving Clio’s newest Legal Trends Report. Joshua has spent more than a decade studying the intersection of law and technology, advising legal teams across North America, and translating lawyer needs into groundbreaking legal tech innovations.

Together, Karin and Joshua explore the changing landscape of legal services, the data behind what separates growing firms from shrinking ones, and the real world impact AI, automation, and cloud-based systems are having on the legal industry right now. They unpack Clio’s cognitive load study, the firm-level data from more than 400,000 legal professionals, and the seismic shift coming with Clio’s acquisition of vLex and Fastcase.

Joshua explains why 2026 will be a defining year for legal professionals, what firms must prioritize to compete, and why the most successful lawyers are no longer choosing between technology and the human touch. They are blending both to create a faster, smarter, client-centered practice.

📌 You’ll learn:

• Why 2026 marks a major turning point in legal technology
• What Clio’s data shows about growing, stable, and shrinking law firms
• The one metric that predicts whether a firm is scaling or struggling
• How AI reduces cognitive load, increases accuracy, and decreases stress
• Why clients expect online scheduling, intake, and fast responses
• How vLex and Clio’s new global library will reshape legal research
• The difference between using AI for operations versus legal judgment
• How to build a Human In The Loop system that protects trust and ethics
• Where AI should never replace a lawyer
• What law firm tasks are ripe for automation today
• How fast moving firms will outpace slow adopters
• Why transparency with AI builds client trust
• What firms can experiment with immediately to future proof their practice

💡 Featuring:

• Real world examples from Clio’s Legal Trends Report, insights from a 63 lawyer neuroscience study on stress and productivity, a breakdown of how AI tools impact accuracy and efficiency, and a clear look at how the line between the business of law and the practice of law is dissolving. Joshua also shares how predictive workflows, automated deadlines, and real time alerts will help firms deliver stronger outcomes with less friction.

Karin and Joshua give listeners actionable tips on:

• 0:00 Intro
• 01:00 How legal tech adoption has evolved and why 2026 marks a major turning point
• 05:00 What Clio’s Legal Trends Report reveals about growing vs. shrinking law firms
• 09:30 The one metric that predicts whether a firm will scale
• 12:00 How AI reduces admin time and increases billable hours
• 15:00 Inside Clio’s neuroscience study on cognitive load and lawyer stress
• 19:00 Where AI helps and where human judgment is still essential
• 23:00 How clients feel about AI interactions and why transparency builds trust
• 26:00 Clio’s acquisition of vLex and what it means for the future of research
• 30:00 The future of intake, automation, and AI powered workflows
• 35:00 The risks and opportunities of AI adjudication
• 40:00 What firms should start doing today to prepare for Legal Tech 2026
• 47:00 Why this is the best moment in history to be a lawyer

Resources mentioned in this episode:

In this episode of Counsel Cast Chambers, marketing experts Paul Counts and Shreya Banerjee discuss strategies for driving free traffic to your law firm through Google. 

They highlight the importance of optimizing your Google business profile, posting regular updates, and managing reviews. The duo shares insights on how small, consistent actions can lead to steady, qualified leads without spending on ads. Whether you're currently investing in SEO or advertising without seeing results, this episode offers valuable tips to turn Google into your most effective referral source.

Stephanie gives listeners actionable tips on:

• 00:00 Introduction: The Power of Google Strategy
• 00:52 Optimizing Your Google Business Profile
• 01:19 Leveraging Blog Posts for Google Traffic
• 02:09 The Misconception of Social Media vs. Google
• 03:05 Why Google Offers Free Tools
• 04:10 The Importance of Regular Updates

Connect with Paul here:

In this episode of Counsel Cast, host Karin Conroy welcomes Jason Fishman, CEO of Digital Niche Agency (DNA), to explore how law firms can borrow proven marketing strategies from the world of investor acquisition. Jason shares how his team has helped raise hundreds of millions in capital by focusing on premium audiences, strong creative strategy, and data-driven funnels, and why those same principles can transform how law firms attract clients.

Through their discussion, Jason breaks down how to market like you’re raising $10 million: start with a system, not a guess. He outlines his Eight-Point Plan, a framework that blends research, competitive insight, and creative messaging to help firms attract high-value cases and scale sustainably.

Together, they dive into what separates vanity marketing from strategy, how to use social proof that actually converts, and why most firms stop short of the most profitable part of the funnel: the follow-up.

📌 You’ll learn:

• How to market your law firm like a scalable business, not a side project
• Why numbers alone don’t drive growth – creative does
• Jason’s Eight-Point Plan for building a strong marketing foundation
• How to use competitor audits to outsmart (not outspend) your competition
• The anatomy of an ad that stops the scroll and builds trust
• Why landing pages outperform websites and how to design them for conversions
• The simple funnel framework that turns one-time cases into repeat clients
• Common mistakes law firms make with digital campaigns, and how to fix them
• How to set meaningful KPIs and test your way to scalable success

💡 Featuring:

• Real-world parallels between investor marketing and law firm growth, examples of high-converting funnels, and insights on creative testing, content cadence, and building brand trust online. Jason also explains why consistent content follow-up is the secret weapon of every high-performing firm, and how to turn your marketing from chaotic to compound.

Karin and Jason give listeners actionable tips on:

00:43 Why referral-only marketing is still marketing (and why it’s not enough)

02:04 What if law firms marketed like they were raising $10M?

06:45 Understanding acquisition costs and benchmarks that make sense for firms

10:15 How creative drives conversions (and why numbers aren’t enough)

11:30 Jason’s Eight-Point Plan: from industry overview to audience personas

14:00 How to ethically research competitor campaigns

17:10 The “Test, Optimize, Scale” method for smarter marketing decisions

19:10 Building client personas that drive emotional resonance

21:00 Using visuals, numbers, and trust signals to make your ads click

23:45 The 3-1-3 Method: say more with fewer words

26:00 Why social proof matters more than ever in legal marketing

29:30 Mapping your funnel from awareness to advocacy

32:00 The follow-up sequence most firms skip (and how to automate it)

34:00 Creating meaningful weekly content that nurtures leads

36:30 Why emotions drive even the most logical client decisions

38:15 How to avoid burnout and short-term thinking in marketing

41:00 Diversifying your marketing “lanes” and traffic sources

42:00 Book Review: The E-Myth by Michael E. Gerber – why systems build freedom

46:00 How to start: creating your own “algorithmic roadmap” for firm growth

Resources mentioned in this episode: