The Practice Playbook Podcast with Susan Guthrie

AI in the legal world is often met with fear instead of curiosity, but Susan Guthrie has a different take: used with the right skepticism, it doesn't replace professional judgment, it frees practitioners to use more of it. That shift is exactly what's playing out with Descrybe, the legal research tool that's gone from a free startup product to one of Anthropic's official launch partners for Claude for Legal in just eighteen months. Susan sits down with the co-founders of Descrybe, Kara Peterson and Richard DiBona to unpack how that happened, and what it means for the future of practice.

Kara first joined Susan on the podcast back in December of 2024. Since then, Descrybe has added many new features, including a Citator to evaluate good law versus bad law, a deep research tool called Descrybe LM, and an advanced brief checker, all while earning national recognition, including being named one of the ABA's Legal Women of Tech.

Together, Susan, Kara, and Richard, explore how Descrybe evolved from startup to industry leader, why the Anthropic partnership matters, what AI-powered legal workflows look like today, and where authority-based search and option generation are already changing how practitioners and mediators work.

What You'll Learn

• Why Descrybe becoming an official Anthropic launch partner for Claude for Legal is a milestone for access to justice, not just for one company
• How Descrybe grew from a free case law search tool into a full suite that includes a Citator, a deep research tool called Descrybe LM, and an advanced brief checker
• Why healthy skepticism, not blind trust, is the right way to work with AI, and how treating hallucinations like an "Easter egg hunt" keeps you sharp instead of anxious
• How searching by authority instead of by keyword surfaces the cases practitioners actually cite, not just the ones that match the words
• Why option generation is one of the most valuable uses of AI for mediators, and how it can help polarized parties find middle ground faster
• How Descrybe's data-first approach lets the same verified legal data work across Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other platforms practitioners already use

Meet Our Guests

Kara Peterson, Co-Founder & CEO: Kara leads marketing, partnerships, and strategy. She brings a background in technology and social impact and a deep belief that access to information is a social justice issue. She was named to the ABA Women of Legal Tech 2024 list.

Richard DiBona, Co-Founder & CTO: Rich leads product and engineering. He built the structured primary-law corpus and reasoning architecture that powers DescrybeLM. He is widely recognized as a leading expert in the application of AI to legal research. Descrybe has earned multiple industry awards for the platform he built, including the American Legal Technology Awards, the Anthem Award, and recognition from the Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Awards and the Webby Awards.

Website: http://descrybe.com

Free Episode Companion Resource: The Modern Legal AI Starter Guide

A practical guide to help you start putting Claude and Descrybe into practice, with prompts and a simple workflow you can use right away. Visit susaneguthrie.com to download.

Join The Practice Accelerator 

Susan's Practice Accelerator is now open as a monthly membership subscription!  Designed for professionals who want more than just ideas, the Accelerator delivers structure, strategy, accountability, and a community of forward-thinking professionals who are serious about building sustainable, successful practices.

If you have ever wondered if you would benefit from professional coaching, this is your opportunity to test the waters with Susan at an accessible price point.  

Members receive:

One monthly live webinar with Susan in her signature practical and easily implemented insights and strategies for building your practice.

Two live monthly group Office Hours sessions with Susan.  A place to bring your questions to receive expert advice and insights from colleagues on the same journey.

Weekly Premium Resource that accompanies the latest Practice Playbook Podcast episode that supports you in implementing the golden nuggets in the episode.

And much more for only $99/month.  Use code "PPP" for $10 off your monthly subscription!

Visit https://susaneguthrie.com/accelerator to join now.

Meet Our Creator and Host: Susan Guthrie

Susan E. Guthrie is one of the most respected voices in mediation and conflict resolution today. A nationally recognized family law attorney and mediator for 35 years, she is now a top professional coach and consultant helping dispute resolution and legal professionals build thriving, modern practices.

Susan recently appeared on The Oprah Podcast, expanding her reach to an even broader audience and highlighting her role as a trusted expert in divorce, communication, and modern conflict resolution. She is also the creator and host of The Divorce & Beyond Podcast, ranked in the top 1% worldwide, with millions of listeners and a global following.

As Immediate Past Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, Susan continues to shape the future of the profession while training and mentoring practitioners around the world.

Connect with Susan E. Guthrie

Website: https://susaneguthrie.com
Books: https://susaneguthrie.com/books
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susaneguthrie
Instagram: @susaneguthrie and @practiceplaybookpodcast 

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to subscribe to The Practice Playbook Podcast on your favorite platform, leave a 5-star review, and share the episode with a colleague or professional friend who would benefit from this conversation. Your support helps us continue bringing practical insights, forward-thinking strategies, and meaningful conversations to lawyers, mediators, arbitrators, and entrepreneurial professionals looking to build stronger, smarter, and more sustainable practices.

And as always, please remember that this podcast is presented for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as legal advice, business advice, or professional advice of any kind, and listening to this podcast does not create any attorney-client or professional relationship.

There are two words that can make you excellent at your work and quietly sabotage the practice you actually want, and most professionals say them without noticing. A colleague floats an idea, and before they finish the sentence, you are already building the response that starts with "Yes, but."

Stephen Seckler calls it the yes, but reflex, and he has spent a career helping lawyers and dispute resolution professionals catch it before it costs them the relationships, the work, and the practice they keep saying they want.

Susan Guthrie sits down with Stephen Seckler, career and business development coach for lawyers, host of the Counsel to Counsel podcast, and author of Think Like a Lawyer, Act Like an Entrepreneur, published by the American Bar Association. Stephen spends his days helping skilled professionals get out of their own way. What Susan loves about his thinking is that he is not asking anyone to become someone they are not. The same instincts that make you sharp in a negotiation or precise as a neutral are the ones that can stall your growth the minute you step into building a practice.

Together they get into where that line sits, how artificial intelligence is testing it right now, and why so many professionals end up with a full calendar of work they never actually chose. It is about the small shifts that move a practice from reactive to chosen.

What You'll Learn

• Why the "yes, but" reflex makes you effective in a deal or a courtroom and quietly undermines you the moment you start building relationships
• Why you do not have to change who you are or how you think, only how you act when you are building a practice rather than practicing in it
• Why risk is not the enemy, avoiding it on reflex is, and how that same shift is exactly what our professions need around AI right now
• How to let the technology do the sorting while your judgment and critical eye stay the real value in the room
• Why most practices grow reactively, filled with whatever work shows up, and how to start choosing the work that actually energizes you
• Why marketing is not advertising or selling, and how a series of small, genuinely helpful touches is what gets you the call

Free Episode Companion Resource: The "Yes, But" Audit

A one-page reset to help you catch the reflexes that keep you reactive and start choosing the practice you actually want. Download the resource here: https://susaneguthrie.com/podcasts

Meet Our Guest

Stephen Seckler is a career and business development coach for lawyers and the host of the Counsel to Counsel podcast. He is an attorney who has dedicated his entire legal career to heaping other attorneys find greater professional satisfaction in or out of the law. Stephen is the author of Think Like a Lawyer, Act Like an Entrepreneur, published by the American Bar Association. He sits on the board of the ABA Career Center and on the editorial board of the ABA publication GPSolo.

Website: http://www.seckler.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenseckler/
Book: Think Like a Lawyer, Act Like an Entrepreneur

Join The Practice Accelerator 

Susan's Practice Accelerator is now open as a monthly membership subscription!  Designed for professionals who want more than just ideas, the Accelerator delivers structure, strategy, accountability, and a community of forward-thinking professionals who are serious about building sustainable, successful practices.

If you have ever wondered if you would benefit from professional coaching, this is your opportunity to test the waters with Susan at an accessible price point.  

Members receive:

One monthly live webinar with Susan in her signature practical and easily implemented insights and strategies for building your practice.

Two live monthly group Office Hours sessions with Susan.  A place to bring your questions to receive expert advice and insights from colleagues on the same journey.

Weekly Premium Resource that accompanies the latest Practice Playbook Podcast episode that supports you in implementing the golden nuggets in the episode.

And much more for only $99/month.  Use code "PPP" for $10 off your monthly subscription!

Visit https://susaneguthrie.com/accelerator to join now.

Meet Our Creator and Host: Susan Guthrie

Susan E. Guthrie is one of the most respected voices in mediation and conflict resolution today. A nationally recognized family law attorney and mediator for 35 years, she is now a top professional coach and consultant helping dispute resolution and legal professionals build thriving, modern practices.

Susan recently appeared on The Oprah Podcast, expanding her reach to an even broader audience and highlighting her role as a trusted expert in divorce, communication, and modern conflict resolution. She is also the creator and host of The Divorce & Beyond Podcast, ranked in the top 1% worldwide, with millions of listeners and a global following.

As Immediate Past Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, Susan continues to shape the future of the profession while training and mentoring practitioners around the world.

Connect with Susan E. Guthrie

Website: https://susaneguthrie.com
Books: https://susaneguthrie.com/books
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susaneguthrie
Instagram: @susaneguthrie and @practiceplaybookpodcast 

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to subscribe to The Practice Playbook Podcast on your favorite platform, leave a 5-star review, and share the episode with a colleague or professional friend who would benefit from this conversation. Your support helps us continue bringing practical insights, forward-thinking strategies, and meaningful conversations to lawyers, mediators, arbitrators, and entrepreneurial professionals looking to build stronger, smarter, and more sustainable practices.

And as always, please remember that this podcast is presented for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as legal advice, business advice, or professional advice of any kind, and listening to this podcast does not create any attorney-client or professional relationship.

The best business relationships have nothing to do with business. Not at the start, not in the room, not over coffee or at a conference. Phil Fornaro, attorney and podcast host, calls what he has built relationship capital, and with a client conversion rate approaching 100%, he has the results to prove that leading with the relationship instead of the business is not just a nicer approach, it is the smarter one.

Susan Guthrie sits down with Phil Fornaro, attorney, founder of Fornaro Law, and outside general counsel to founder-led businesses. He is also the host of the podcast Light Bulb Moments: It's All About The Energy. When Susan was a guest on his show, Phil said two words at the end of their conversation that made the light bulb go off: relationship capital. She knew right away it needed to be an episode of The Practice Playbook Podcast.

Together they get into what relationship capital actually is, why most professionals are not building it intentionally even though they think they are, and how the shift from transactional networking to genuine relationship investment changes everything about how a practice grows. This is not a conversation about networking tips. It is a conversation about rethinking one of the most valuable assets in your professional life.

What You'll Learn

• Why relationship capital is a compounding asset that grows in value over time, just like money in the S&P 500
• Why the moment you walk into a room thinking about business, you have already lost the relationship
• How the follow-up, done in person and in a specific way, is where relationships are built or lost
• Why trust begins with your ears, not your elevator pitch or your credential list
• How to stop waiting for connection opportunities and start creating them, from small dinners to a thirteen-year networking event
• Why authenticity is not optional, and how people can always tell when you are performing instead of engaging

Free Episode Companion Resource: The Relationship Capital Audit

A 10-question self-assessment that gives you an honest picture of where your relationship capital stands right now, plus one clear action you can take immediately.

Download the resource here: https://susaneguthrie.com/podcasts

Meet Our Guest

Philip Fornaro is the founder of Fornaro Law, where he serves as Outside General Counsel to founder-led businesses navigating complex, high-stakes decisions. For nearly three decades, he has worked at the intersection of legal strategy, business judgment, and relationship capital - helping clients create clarity and move forward with confidence.

He is also the host of Light Bulb Moments: It's All About the Energy, a podcast featuring conversations with entrepreneurs, leaders, and professionals about the moments that shape how they think, lead, and grow.

Philip believes the most valuable asset people build over time is relationship capital - the trust and alignment that compound when thoughtful people connect.

Email: philip@lbmpodcast.com
Website: http://fornarolaw.com
Podcast: http://lbmpodcast.com

Join The Practice Accelerator 

Susan's Practice Accelerator is now open as a monthly membership subscription!  Designed for professionals who want more than just ideas, the Accelerator delivers structure, strategy, accountability, and a community of forward-thinking professionals who are serious about building sustainable, successful practices.

If you have ever wondered if you would benefit from professional coaching, this is your opportunity to test the waters with Susan at an accessible price point.  

Members receive:

One monthly live webinar with Susan in her signature practical and easily implemented insights and strategies for building your practice.

Two live monthly group Office Hours sessions with Susan.  A place to bring your questions to receive expert advice and insights from colleagues on the same journey.

Weekly Premium Resource that accompanies the latest Practice Playbook Podcast episode that supports you in implementing the golden nuggets in the episode.

And much more for only $99/month.  Use code "PPP" for $10 off your monthly subscription!

Visit https://susaneguthrie.com/accelerator to join now.

Meet Our Creator and Host: Susan Guthrie

Susan E. Guthrie is one of the most respected voices in mediation and conflict resolution today. A nationally recognized family law attorney and mediator for 35 years, she is now a top professional coach and consultant helping dispute resolution and legal professionals build thriving, modern practices.

Susan recently appeared on The Oprah Podcast, expanding her reach to an even broader audience and highlighting her role as a trusted expert in divorce, communication, and modern conflict resolution. She is also the creator and host of The Divorce & Beyond Podcast, ranked in the top 1% worldwide, with millions of listeners and a global following.

As Immediate Past Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, Susan continues to shape the future of the profession while training and mentoring practitioners around the world.

Connect with Susan E. Guthrie

Website: https://susaneguthrie.com
Books: https://susaneguthrie.com/books
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susaneguthrie
Instagram: @susaneguthrie and @practiceplaybookpodcast 

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to subscribe to The Practice Playbook Podcast on your favorite platform, leave a 5-star review, and share the episode with a colleague or professional friend who would benefit from this conversation. Your support helps us continue bringing practical insights, forward-thinking strategies, and meaningful conversations to lawyers, mediators, arbitrators, and entrepreneurial professionals looking to build stronger, smarter, and more sustainable practices.

And as always, please remember that this podcast is presented for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as legal advice, business advice, or professional advice of any kind, and listening to this podcast does not create any attorney-client or professional relationship.

This episode is about what happens to legal and dispute resolution pricing when AI does in twenty minutes what used to take a full day, and why the subscription billing model may be the answer. Clients know their lawyers are using AI, and they want to know why that is not showing up in what they are charged. It is a fair question, and most practitioners do not have a good answer yet.

Here is the part that should get your attention: if you use a tool that cuts your time in half and bill as though you did not, that may not be a client relations problem. It may be an ethics one.

Susan Guthrie sits down with Mathew Kerbis, The Subscription Attorney and CEO of Practi, and what makes this one worth your time is simple. Mathew is not theorizing about subscription pricing from the sidelines. He runs a subscription law firm. He knows what these pricing conversations actually feel like, what scope management looks like day to day, and what it takes to get clients to genuinely prefer this model over the clock.

Together they get into the ethics questions clients are already raising, how a subscription practice really works from the entry-level price to the tiers to the flat-fee add-ons, why putting your pricing on your website now helps AI tools recommend you, and what the next five years look like for the practices that decide not to adapt.

Free Episode Companion Resource: Are Your Fees Keeping Up With How You Actually Work?
Download the resource here: https://susaneguthrie.com/podcasts

What You'll Learn

• Why billing by the hour while using AI is a professional responsibility question, not just a business one
• Why your clients are not paying for your time, they are paying for your judgment, your access, and your outcomes
• Why it is bad scope definitions, not bad pricing, that quietly sink subscription practices
• How just two or three clients and a 60-day evaluation let you test this model without rebuilding your practice

Meet Our Guest

Mathew Kerbis, The Subscription Attorney and CEO of Practi, is a national award winner dedicated to revolutionizing the legal profession by helping attorneys abandon the billable hour for the subscription model, and leverage automations and artificial intelligence to serve clients affordably at scale. After 10 years of practice and four years running his law firm, he co-founded Practi as the business model solution for Al-powered lawyers. He is also a frequent public speaker, host of the Law Subscribed and Legal Al Live podcasts, and instructor of highly-rated CLE courses.

• Mathew's free notebook, 276 curated resources powered by NotebookLM: https://notebook.practi.ai
• Practi: https://www.practi.ai
• The Subscription Attorney law firm: https://subscriptionattorney.com
• Law Subscribed and Legal AI Live podcasts: https://lawsubscribed.com and https://legalailive.com
• Matthew on LinkedIn: Kerbisverse

Join The Practice Accelerator 

Susan's Practice Accelerator is now open as a monthly membership subscription!  Designed for professionals who want more than just ideas, the Accelerator delivers structure, strategy, accountability, and a community of forward-thinking professionals who are serious about building sustainable, successful practices.

If you have ever wondered if you would benefit from professional coaching, this is your opportunity to test the waters with Susan at an accessible price point.  

Members receive:

One monthly live webinar with Susan in her signature practical and easily implemented insights and strategies for building your practice.

Two live monthly group Office Hours sessions with Susan.  A place to bring your questions to receive expert advice and insights from colleagues on the same journey.

Weekly Premium Resource that accompanies the latest Practice Playbook Podcast episode that supports you in implementing the golden nuggets in the episode.

And much more for only $99/month.

Visit https://susaneguthrie.com/accelerator to join now.

Meet Our Creator and Host: Susan Guthrie

Susan E. Guthrie is one of the most respected voices in mediation and conflict resolution today. A nationally recognized family law attorney and mediator for 35 years, she is now a top professional coach and consultant helping dispute resolution and legal professionals build thriving, modern practices.

Susan recently appeared on The Oprah Podcast, expanding her reach to an even broader audience and highlighting her role as a trusted expert in divorce, communication, and modern conflict resolution. She is also the creator and host of The Divorce & Beyond Podcast, ranked in the top 1% worldwide, with millions of listeners and a global following.

As Immediate Past Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, Susan continues to shape the future of the profession while training and mentoring practitioners around the world.

Connect with Susan E. Guthrie

Website: https://susaneguthrie.com
Books: https://susaneguthrie.com/books
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susaneguthrie
Instagram: @susaneguthrie and @practiceplaybookpodcast 

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to subscribe to The Practice Playbook Podcast on your favorite platform, leave a 5-star review, and share the episode with a colleague or professional friend who would benefit from this conversation. Your support helps us continue bringing practical insights, forward-thinking strategies, and meaningful conversations to lawyers, mediators, arbitrators, and entrepreneurial professionals looking to build stronger, smarter, and more sustainable practices.

And as always, please remember that this podcast is presented for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as legal advice, business advice, or professional advice of any kind, and listening to this podcast does not create any attorney-client or professional relationship.

Imagine a potential client calling your office for a consultation, and before you can even finish saying hello, they say, "I've been following your podcast for two years. You are already my professional. I just came to meet you." That is not a fantasy call. That is what it looks like to win a client before they ever call you, and how a podcast can make it happen. 

Susan Guthrie sits down with Dennis "DM" Meador, founder of the Legal Podcast Network, where he and his team produce podcasts for attorneys and legal professionals nationwide. An entrepreneur since his teenage years, DM spent decades in marketing after nearly 20 years as a pastor, and he came to the legal space with a very specific thesis: most attorneys and legal professionals were being set up to podcast the wrong way, for the wrong reasons, and with the wrong format.

DM identifies five distinct types of podcasts that legal and dispute resolution professionals can use strategically, and the type most likely to actually generate clients is probably not the one most people are building. Whether you have thought about starting a podcast, have one that is not doing what you hoped, or have been dismissing the idea entirely, this conversation offers a framework you probably have not heard before.

What You'll Learn

• Why the first question to answer is whether you are a business with a podcast or a podcaster with a business
• How an authority podcast flips the script, positioning you as the expert being interviewed on your own show
• Why a podcast designed for certain people at a certain time with a certain problem wins clients that mass consumption never will
• Why 50 targeted local listeners can be worth more than a million downloads, and which metric to track instead
• How publishing just five episodes as a real human (and not AI) puts you in the top 5% of all podcasts in existence

Free Episode Companion Resource: Which Podcast is Right for Your Practice?
Download the resource here: https://susaneguthrie.com/podcasts

Meet Our Guest

Dennis “DM" Meador has been an entrepreneur since he was a teenager, building business in everything from shoveling snow to SEO before finding his fit helping attorneys share their voices. A lifelong communicator, from his years as a pastor to his decades in marketing, DM believes the best ideas don't come from selling, they come from conversations.

Website: https://www.thelegalpodcastnetwork.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennismeador/ Website
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thelegalpodcastnetwork

Join The Practice Accelerator 

Susan's Practice Accelerator is now open as a monthly membership subscription!  Designed for professionals who want more than just ideas, the Accelerator delivers structure, strategy, accountability, and a community of forward-thinking professionals who are serious about building sustainable, successful practices.

If you have ever wondered if you would benefit from professional coaching, this is your opportunity to test the waters with Susan at an accessible price point.  

Members receive:

One monthly live webinar with Susan in her signature practical and easily implemented insights and strategies for building your practice.

Two live monthly group Office Hours sessions with Susan.  A place to bring your questions to receive expert advice and insights from colleagues on the same journey.

Weekly Premium Resource that accompanies the latest Practice Playbook Podcast episode that supports you in implementing the golden nuggets in the episode.

And much more for only $99/month.

Visit https://susaneguthrie.com/accelerator to join now.

Meet Our Creator and Host: Susan Guthrie

Susan E. Guthrie is one of the most respected voices in mediation and conflict resolution today. A nationally recognized family law attorney and mediator for 35 years, she is now a top professional coach and consultant helping dispute resolution and legal professionals build thriving, modern practices.

Susan recently appeared on The Oprah Podcast, expanding her reach to an even broader audience and highlighting her role as a trusted expert in divorce, communication, and modern conflict resolution. She is also the creator and host of The Divorce & Beyond Podcast, ranked in the top 1% worldwide, with millions of listeners and a global following.

As Immediate Past Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, Susan continues to shape the future of the profession while training and mentoring practitioners around the world.

Connect with Susan E. Guthrie

Website: https://susaneguthrie.com
Books: https://susaneguthrie.com/books
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susaneguthrie
Instagram: @susaneguthrie and @practiceplaybookpodcast 

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to subscribe to The Practice Playbook Podcast on your favorite platform, leave a 5-star review, and share the episode with a colleague or professional friend who would benefit from this conversation. Your support helps us continue bringing practical insights, forward-thinking strategies, and meaningful conversations to lawyers, mediators, arbitrators, and entrepreneurial professionals looking to build stronger, smarter, and more sustainable practices.

And as always, please remember that this podcast is presented for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as legal advice, business advice, or professional advice of any kind, and listening to this podcast does not create any attorney-client or professional relationship.

 

Artificial intelligence is becoming part of the infrastructure of modern professional practice, and it is already reshaping the competitive landscape. The question is no longer whether to use it. The question is what professionalism looks like now that it is here.

In this solo episode, Susan Guthrie shares two real conversations that capture the tension so many professionals are feeling right now. One colleague rejected a document because it "reads like AI." Another rejected a job candidate because they failed to use AI to improve a basic follow-up email. Same technology. Completely opposite conclusions. So who's right?

Susan's answer reframes the entire debate. The issue is not whether AI touched the work. The issue is whether a thoughtful professional stands behind it.

This episode is part two of a two-part conversation. If you missed last week's companion episode, start there first:  AI Just Changed Again. Here’s What Actually Matters with Susan Guthrie.

What You'll Learn

• Why AI use is not a character flaw, but poor judgment might be
• How blind rejection of AI is not a strategy, and neither is blind adoption
• What the evolving standard of professionalism actually demands from legal and ADR professionals today
• Why your judgment, not AI, is your true competitive advantage
• How to evaluate whether AI-assisted work genuinely reflects your standards before it reaches a client or colleague

Free Episode Companion Resource

Susan created the companion resource, The Professional Judgment AI Check, specifically for this episode. It is a practical framework designed to help legal and ADR professionals evaluate AI-assisted workflows before they ever reach a client, colleague, or public audience. Use it as a filter to make sure your AI-assisted work is accurate, ethical, confidential, and genuinely reflects your professional standards.

Download the resource here: https://susaneguthrie.com/podcasts

The Practice Accelerator is Open

It is the monthly membership for lawyers and mediators who are done guessing at pricing, flat fees, and the systems that make a practice run. You get the strategy, the tools, and a community building the same way you are, with new value every month.

The work we cover on the show, made practical enough to use this week.

Join The Practice Accelerator: susaneguthrie.com/accelerator

Upcoming Live Webinar with Susan Guthrie

The New Legal Frontier: AI-Driven Disputes and How You Can Lead Them | June 9th A forward-focused look at how AI is reshaping disputes, client expectations, and professional opportunities, and how you can position yourself as a leader in a rapidly changing environment.

Practice Playbook listeners save an additional 20% with code Susan20 at checkout. Register at https://susaneguthrie.com/webinars.

Meet Our Creator and Host: Susan Guthrie

Susan E. Guthrie is one of the most respected voices in mediation and conflict resolution today. A nationally recognized family law attorney and mediator for 35 years, she is now a top professional coach and consultant helping dispute resolution and legal professionals build thriving, modern practices.

Susan recently appeared on The Oprah Podcast, expanding her reach to an even broader audience and highlighting her role as a trusted expert in divorce, communication, and modern conflict resolution. She is also the creator and host of The Divorce & Beyond Podcast, ranked in the top 1% worldwide, with millions of listeners and a global following.

As Immediate Past Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, Susan continues to shape the future of the profession while training and mentoring practitioners around the world.

Connect with Susan E. Guthrie

Website: https://susaneguthrie.com
Books: https://susaneguthrie.com/books
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susaneguthrie
Instagram: @susaneguthrie and @practiceplaybookpodcast 

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to subscribe to The Practice Playbook Podcast on your favorite platform, leave a 5-star review, and share the episode with a colleague or professional friend who would benefit from this conversation. Your support helps us continue bringing practical insights, forward-thinking strategies, and meaningful conversations to lawyers, mediators, arbitrators, and entrepreneurial professionals looking to build stronger, smarter, and more sustainable practices.

And as always, please remember that this podcast is presented for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as legal advice, business advice, or professional advice of any kind, and listening to this podcast does not create any attorney-client or professional relationship.

If opening LinkedIn lately has made you feel like AI evolved while you were busy working, you are not imagining it. The changing face of AI has real implications, and things are shifting faster than most professionals realize.

We are no longer in the era of asking AI to draft an email. What professionals are navigating now is the movement from AI as a tool to AI as infrastructure, and that distinction changes everything about how competitive advantage gets built and lost.

The real question is no longer whether AI is interesting or useful. It is what happens when your competitors begin operating with a fundamentally different level of leverage?

In this solo episode, Susan Guthrie cuts through the noise and the endless parade of shiny new tools to talk about what this shift in AI actually means for professionals who are serving clients, building businesses, and trying to stay relevant. Because paralysis is not a strategy and the market is not standing still.

What You'll Learn

• Why AI has moved from optional tool to operational infrastructure and why that distinction is a strategic shift, not just a technology update
• How client experience, not AI platform choice, is where competition now lives and what that means for how you build your practice
• Why "What's the best AI tool?" is the wrong question and what to ask instead
• How the divide between strategic adopters and dabblers is widening and where the real opportunity gap is opening
• Why this moment, despite the noise and chaos, represents one of the greatest leverage opportunities entrepreneurial professionals have ever seen

Free Episode Companion Resource

Awareness is good. Diagnosis is better. Susan's free AI Competitive Readiness Scorecard is a practical self-assessment designed to help you take an honest look at whether your practice is positioned for this changing landscape. 

Download the resource here: https://susaneguthrie.com/podcasts

This Week's LinkedIn Newsletter: 7 Signs You're Already Losing Ground in the AI Era

Sometimes the signs are subtle. And sometimes they are already showing up whether you realize it or not. Susan's latest LinkedIn newsletter breaks down the seven signals that your practice may already be falling behind.

Check it out here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/practice-building-newsletter-6979857568605114368

Join The Practice Accelerator 

The Practice Accelerator is now open for monthly membership pre-registration. Designed for professionals who want more than just ideas, the Accelerator delivers structure, strategy, accountability, and a community of forward-thinking professionals who are serious about building sustainable, successful practices.

Visit https://susaneguthrie.com/accelerator to join now.

Upcoming Live Webinar with Susan Guthrie

The New Legal Frontier: AI-Driven Disputes and How You Can Lead Them | June 9th A forward-focused look at how AI is reshaping disputes, client expectations, and professional opportunities, and how you can position yourself as a leader in a rapidly changing environment.

Practice Playbook listeners save an additional 20% with code Susan20 at checkout. Register at https://susaneguthrie.com/webinars.

Meet Our Creator and Host: Susan Guthrie

Susan E. Guthrie is one of the most respected voices in mediation and conflict resolution today. A nationally recognized family law attorney and mediator for 35 years, she is now a top professional coach and consultant helping dispute resolution and legal professionals build thriving, modern practices.

Susan recently appeared on The Oprah Podcast, expanding her reach to an even broader audience and highlighting her role as a trusted expert in divorce, communication, and modern conflict resolution. She is also the creator and host of The Divorce & Beyond Podcast, ranked in the top 1% worldwide, with millions of listeners and a global following.

As Immediate Past Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, Susan continues to shape the future of the profession while training and mentoring practitioners around the world.

Connect with Susan E. Guthrie

Website: https://susaneguthrie.com
Books: https://susaneguthrie.com/books
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susaneguthrie
Instagram: @susaneguthrie and @practiceplaybookpodcast 

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to subscribe to The Practice Playbook Podcast on your favorite platform, leave a 5-star review, and share the episode with a colleague or professional friend who would benefit from this conversation. Your support helps us continue bringing practical insights, forward-thinking strategies, and meaningful conversations to lawyers, mediators, arbitrators, and entrepreneurial professionals looking to build stronger, smarter, and more sustainable practices.

And as always, please remember that this podcast is presented for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as legal advice, business advice, or professional advice of any kind, and listening to this podcast does not create any attorney-client or professional relationship.

Every assumption you have made about how clients find, evaluate, and hire legal professionals is being rewritten in real time. How they search has changed. How they evaluate trust has changed. How quickly they expect a response has changed. And if the practice you have built is still operating on assumptions from five or ten years ago, this episode is your wake-up call.

Susan Guthrie sits down with Colleen Joyce, CEO of Lawyer.com, one of the leading platforms connecting consumers with legal professionals. Colleen brings something many in the legal and dispute resolution space simply do not have enough of: a true consumer lens. Coming from the media and startup world, she has developed sharp insights into branding, growth, intake, technology, and the rapidly evolving expectations that professionals need to understand to remain competitive.

This conversation covers visibility, brand authority, AI-driven client expectations, the intake process, and what the future of practice growth actually looks like from the perspective of someone who talks to thousands of consumers and sits squarely between the professional and the client.

What You'll Learn

• Why the client has changed and what that means for practices still built on assumptions from five or ten years ago
• How brand authority works in an AI-driven search landscape and why social media presence alone is not enough
• Why your intake process may be costing you more business than any marketing gap ever could
• How AI is shifting client expectations and why the real question is whether you are adapting with it
• Why thought leadership and community are the most powerful visibility tools available right now

Free Episode Companion Resource

Download the Free Client Journey Quick Audit here! Susan created a companion resource for this episode to help you move from insight into action. The Client Journey Quick Audit is a practical tool designed to help you evaluate your practice through your client's eyes, identify friction points, and spot missed opportunities before they cost you more business. 

Download the resource here: https://susaneguthrie.com/podcasts#free-resource

Meet Our Guest

Colleen Joyce is the CEO of Lawyer.com, one of the leading platforms helping consumers connect with legal professionals, and she brings something many in our industry simply do not have enough of:

 

A true consumer lens. Colleen’s background is anything but traditional. She came into legal from the media and startup world, and that outsider perspective has given her remarkable insight into branding, growth, consumer behavior, intake, technology, and the rapidly changing expectations professionals need to understand if they want to remain competitive.

 

Website: http://Lawyer.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleenjoyce
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colleenjoyce1

Join The Practice Accelerator 

The Practice Accelerator is now open for monthly membership pre-registration. Designed for professionals who want more than just ideas, the Accelerator delivers structure, strategy, accountability, and a community of forward-thinking professionals who are serious about building sustainable, successful practices.

Visit https://susaneguthrie.com/accelerator to join now.

Upcoming Live Webinars with Susan Guthrie

AI That Actually Works | May 28th A practical, real-world session on how lawyers, mediators, and dispute resolution professionals can ethically and effectively use AI tools in their practices right now. No hype, just strategies you can put to work immediately.

The New Legal Frontier: AI-Driven Disputes and How You Can Lead Them | June 9th A forward-focused look at how AI is reshaping disputes, client expectations, and professional opportunities, and how you can position yourself as a leader in a rapidly changing environment.

Attend individually or bundle both and save $95. Practice Playbook listeners save an additional 20% with code Susan20 at checkout. Register at https://susaneguthrie.com/webinars.

Meet Our Creator and Host: Susan Guthrie

Susan E. Guthrie is one of the most respected voices in mediation and conflict resolution today. A nationally recognized family law attorney and mediator for 35 years, she is now a top professional coach and consultant helping dispute resolution and legal professionals build thriving, modern practices.

Susan recently appeared on The Oprah Podcast, expanding her reach to an even broader audience and highlighting her role as a trusted expert in divorce, communication, and modern conflict resolution. She is also the creator and host of The Divorce & Beyond Podcast, ranked in the top 1% worldwide, with millions of listeners and a global following.

As Immediate Past Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, Susan continues to shape the future of the profession while training and mentoring practitioners around the world.

Connect with Susan E. Guthrie

Website: https://susaneguthrie.com
Books: https://susaneguthrie.com/books
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susaneguthrie
Instagram: @susaneguthrie and @practiceplaybookpodcast 

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to subscribe to The Practice Playbook Podcast on your favorite platform, leave a 5-star review, and share the episode with a colleague or professional friend who would benefit from this conversation. Your support helps us continue bringing practical insights, forward-thinking strategies, and meaningful conversations to lawyers, mediators, arbitrators, and entrepreneurial professionals looking to build stronger, smarter, and more sustainable practices.

And as always, please remember that this podcast is presented for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as legal advice, business advice, or professional advice of any kind, and listening to this podcast does not create any attorney-client or professional relationship.

Most people think leadership happens because someone notices you. But real influence is built when people learn they can trust you to show up, follow through, and lead when things get hard. Susan Guthrie sits down with her friend and longtime colleague Liz Hill, Director of Communications and Development at MWI and current Chair of the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution, for a refreshingly candid conversation about what professional leadership actually looks like from the inside.

Together, Susan and Liz explore what "get involved" actually means in practice, how community, visibility, and contribution intersect, and why some of the biggest career breakthroughs come from the rooms you almost did not walk into.

Whether you are brand new to your field, looking to grow your professional network, or wondering how to step into a more visible leadership role, this conversation is packed with insights you can put to work immediately.

Inside this conversation, you'll hear:

• Why real influence is built through trust and follow-through, not visibility alone
• What "get involved" actually means in practice, and how to start
• The difference between early participation and strategic leadership
• How volunteer roles build skills that transfer directly to your professional practice
• Why your "why" matters before you say yes to any leadership role
• How consistent contribution creates a personal brand and platform others notice
• What it really means to lead when the buck stops with you
• The career opportunities that open when you commit to showing up over time

Meet Our Guest

Elizabeth "Liz" Hill is Director of Communications and Development at MWI, where she focuses on elevating the visibility and impact of organizational ombuds, mediation, and negotiation services.

She also serves as Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution for the 2025-2026 bar year, following years of leadership within the Section.

Liz brings more than 20 years of experience across higher education, corporate, government, and legal settings, and is known for her practical, systems-focused approach to conflict. She's especially passionate about building connections across the field and helping people navigate complex challenges with clarity and confidence.

Email: ehill@mwi.org
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethshill14/

Join The Practice Accelerator 

The Practice Accelerator is now open for monthly membership pre-registration. Designed for professionals who want more than just ideas, the Accelerator delivers structure, strategy, accountability, and a community of forward-thinking professionals who are serious about building sustainable, successful practices.

Visit https://susaneguthrie.com/accelerator to join now.

Upcoming Live Webinars with Susan Guthrie

AI That Actually Works | May 28th A practical, real-world session on how lawyers, mediators, and dispute resolution professionals can ethically and effectively use AI tools in their practices right now. No hype, just strategies you can put to work immediately.

The New Legal Frontier: AI-Driven Disputes and How You Can Lead Them | June 9th A forward-focused look at how AI is reshaping disputes, client expectations, and professional opportunities, and how you can position yourself as a leader in a rapidly changing environment.

Attend individually or bundle both and save $95. Practice Playbook listeners save an additional 20% with code Susan20 at checkout. Register at https://susaneguthrie.com/webinars.

Meet Our Creator and Host: Susan Guthrie

Susan E. Guthrie is one of the most respected voices in mediation and conflict resolution today. A nationally recognized family law attorney and mediator for 35 years, she is now a top professional coach and consultant helping dispute resolution and legal professionals build thriving, modern practices.

Susan recently appeared on The Oprah Podcast, expanding her reach to an even broader audience and highlighting her role as a trusted expert in divorce, communication, and modern conflict resolution. She is also the creator and host of The Divorce & Beyond Podcast, ranked in the top 1% worldwide, with millions of listeners and a global following.

As Immediate Past Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, Susan continues to shape the future of the profession while training and mentoring practitioners around the world.

Connect with Susan E. Guthrie

Website: https://susaneguthrie.com
Books: https://susaneguthrie.com/books
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susaneguthrie
Instagram: @susaneguthrie and @practiceplaybookpodcast 

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to subscribe to The Practice Playbook Podcast on your favorite platform, leave a 5-star review, and share the episode with a colleague or professional friend who would benefit from this conversation. Your support helps us continue bringing practical insights, forward-thinking strategies, and meaningful conversations to lawyers, mediators, arbitrators, and entrepreneurial professionals looking to build stronger, smarter, and more sustainable practices.

And as always, please remember that this podcast is presented for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as legal advice, business advice, or professional advice of any kind, and listening to this podcast does not create any attorney-client or professional relationship.

For the past three years, most conversations about AI in the legal and dispute resolution professions have fallen into one of two categories: fear or hype.

Either AI was coming to replace everyone, or it was being presented as a magical solution that could somehow run your practice for you overnight.

But professions are finally moving into a new phase of the conversation, one grounded in practical reality, thoughtful implementation, ethical responsibility, and strategic opportunity.

In this episode of The Practice Playbook Podcast, Susan Guthrie goes inside the upcoming AI and the Practice of Law Summit with two of the leaders helping shape that conversation: Joseph Gartner, Director of the ABA Center for Innovation and Deian McBryde, Chair of the Planning Committee for the upcoming ABA AI Summit.

Together, they explore where AI adoption in legal practice actually stands right now, what professionals are getting wrong, what is finally starting to work, and why the future of professional practice may belong to those who learn how to combine technology with the uniquely human skills clients value most.

This is not another surface-level AI conversation.

It is a candid and practical discussion about:

• Real-world AI implementation in law firms and professional practices
• The shift from AI theory to actionable workflows
• Billing and pricing challenges in an AI-driven practice environment
• Ethical guardrails and responsible technology adoption
• AI agents and what they may mean for the future of legal work
• Why solo and small firm professionals have enormous opportunities right now
• How mediators, arbitrators, and dispute resolution professionals fit into the evolving landscape
• The growing importance of judgment, creativity, strategy, and counseling in an AI-supported profession

Whether you are AI-curious, actively experimenting with tools like ChatGPT and Claude, or already integrating AI into your practice, this episode offers practical insights and a grounded perspective that cuts through the noise.

Susan and her guests also discuss the upcoming AI Summit, a virtual two-day program designed to help professionals at every level of AI adoption move from information overload to practical implementation.  

ABA's "The AI and the Practice of Law Summit", May 18th and 19th

The program is fully virtual and all sessions will be available on demand afterward, which honestly was the deciding factor for me because I cannot attend live either, but I absolutely registered so I can access all of the content afterward.

Registration is very reasonably priced at about $200 for members and $240 for non-members, and there is also a discount code available. Use code SUMMIT10 for 10% off registration.

More information and Registration

Meet our Guests:

Joseph“Joey”Gartner focuses on the skill set of the modern lawyer. As Director and Counsel at the ABA Center for Innovation and former staff counsel to the ABA Task Force on Law and Artificial Intelligence, he approaches the profession’s challenges and opportunities with a broad, practical lens. Joey believes innovation starts with the individual and grows from well-rounded capabilities—such as data fluency, an iterative mindset, and technology competence—to complement legal expertise. His experience across practice and legal operations informs a steady approach to change and skill-building. He encourages balanced adoption of technology—AI included—grounded in client value and risk awareness rather than hype. He also helps lawyers develop the mindset to work at the top of their license and think creatively about how legal services are delivered. Joey frequently speaks on innovation, change readiness, the delivery of legal services, and artificial intelligence. He holds a J.D. from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law.

Deian McBryde is a New Mexico litigator and appellate attorney, mediator and settlement facilitator, and a judge pro tempore for the Tonto Apache Tribal Court in Arizona.  Deian worked in business consulting, adult learning, technology, wellness, and the arts before pivoting to the law later in his career. He is a former chair of the State Bar’s Solo & Small Firm Section and is currently a member of the governing board of the ABA’s Center for Innovation and a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, who has presented continuing education sessions locally and nationally. Deian is online at www.mcbrydelaw.com.

Meet Our Creator and Host: Susan Guthrie

Susan E. Guthrie is one of the most respected voices in mediation and conflict resolution today. A nationally recognized family law attorney and mediator for 35 years, she is now a top professional coach and consultant helping dispute resolution and legal professionals build thriving, modern practices.

Susan recently appeared on The Oprah Podcast, expanding her reach to an even broader audience and highlighting her role as a trusted expert in divorce, communication, and modern conflict resolution. She is also the creator and host of The Divorce & Beyond Podcast, ranked in the top 1% worldwide, with millions of listeners and a global following.

As Immediate Past Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, Susan continues to shape the future of the profession while training and mentoring practitioners around the world.

Connect with Susan E. Guthrie

Website: https://susaneguthrie.com
Books: https://susaneguthrie.com/books
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susaneguthrie
Instagram: @susaneguthrie and @practiceplaybookpodcast 

 

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to subscribe to The Practice Playbook Podcast on your favorite platform, leave a 5-star review, and share the episode with a colleague or professional friend who would benefit from this conversation. Your support helps us continue bringing practical insights, forward-thinking strategies, and meaningful conversations to lawyers, mediators, arbitrators, and entrepreneurial professionals looking to build stronger, smarter, and more sustainable practices.

And as always, please remember that this podcast is presented for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as legal advice, business advice, or professional advice of any kind, and listening to this podcast does not create any attorney-client or professional relationship.