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Less Friction | More Freedom

by Ernie Svenson

Practical, actionable advice for solo lawyers who appreciate the value of technology but struggle to fully leverage its power.

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How to practice from European coffee shops

I recently interviewed a lawyer who went from helping build a multimillion-dollar firm to practicing law from coffee shops in Europe. Sheila Wilkinson helped build a highly successful law firm from scratch. And she did this even before she went to law school. Crazy but true After law school, Sheila created her own successful practice, which she still runs... ...often from coffee shops in the country of Brussels. And more recently Sheila started helping fellow lawyers build their own...

6 months ago • 1 min read

Let's talk about a major headache for many modern lawyers: Bad investments in technology. Specifically: What this mistake looks like when it happens The reasons why it happens more often than it should How this impairs the smooth growth of a law practice And how to avoid the problem Let’s dive in. The Mistake: Bad Investments In addition to creating good systems, every modern business also needs good equipment. In knowledge work like the practice of law, "equipment" increasingly means...

8 days ago • 3 min read

Ever heard the saying, “You have to spend money to make money”? This is particularly true when it comes to investing in technology. Unfortunately, too many lawyers are overly resistant to spending money on technology. So they opt for the cheapest options. Sometimes, they delay upgrading to save costs. Perhaps counter-intuitively, this approach often leads to greater expenses down the line. For example: Unwise Investments : Cheaper tools generally lack features that enable you to make the kind...

18 days ago • 2 min read

Yesterday, I did a 50-minute crash course Zoom presentation about generative AI to a group of lawyers in South Carolina. If you have not used ChatGPT or have not used it much, this recording may be of interest. I extensively discussed the top way all lawyers can use this technology that's super helpful (and has zero risk or problems). I uploaded the recording to Loom, which creates an automatic transcript. You can scroll through it and find parts of the presentation that interest you most....

29 days ago • 1 min read

Many lawyers have discovered a book called Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell. Lawyers find it both practical and incredibly beneficial. Because it contains useful principles and actionable takeaways. Mostly, the book is a step-by-step guide on how to delegate more work to other people to free up your time... So you can do things you enjoy instead of getting mired in drudgery. 📺 YouTube Digest I recorded a short digest of one key principle that you can act on now (without even having read the...

3 months ago • 1 min read

The #1 key to improving is keeping your operations simple. But you also need to use methods and tools that maximize your ROI. 🚫 Complexity is enemy #1 It's hard to avoid complexity when dealing with technology. Here's the secret... Keep the number of tech tools you use to a minimum that creates maximum leverage. Begin by adopting these three tools: Loom: an amazing asynchronous video communication tool, and it's free to start using Calendly: the best automated scheduling tool (book a free...

5 months ago • 1 min read

Do you want to know how some of the smartest, most successful people in the world think? Specifically, some of the practical steps they take to learn better and more efficiently. Well... 🤗🎉 Good news Courtesy of Shane Parrish, I've compiled some key insights from these deep thinkers: Adam Grant (author and organizational psychology professor) Tyler Cowen (economist, professor, and best-selling author) Barbara Oakley (well-known engineering professor) Adam Robinson (author and macro-trends...

6 months ago • 2 min read

ChatGPT has faced increased scrutiny day by day. No doubt it's a result of being the most popular AI tool. With scrutiny comes overreaction. And perhaps this explains what I can only call...l... 🚫ChatGPT "censorship" This week, I experienced ChatGPT create a weird summary of a YouTube video. 😳Check it out The video was an interview of author Yuval Noah Harari, who was being asked about the Middle East conflict. As you can see in this Loom Video, I asked ChatGPT to review the transcript and...

6 months ago • 1 min read

Let’s talk about going beyond superficial, often harmful beliefs. And, to do that, let’s start with… 👩🏻🔬Chemistry Lessons Have you read this book or started watching the AppleTV series yet👇 My Takeaway At one level, the story is about a woman in the 1950s subject to mistreatment and misjudgment. But to me, it's also about this... We're often blind to our deep-rooted beliefs and biases. We sometimes believe we're acting with good intentions but, in reality, are doing terrible harm. If you look...

6 months ago • 1 min read

AudioPen is an app that uses A.I. to streamline the process of cranking out text. What does that mean, exactly? The website describes it this way: AudioPen transforms messy voice notes into publish-ready text Draft articles, memos, emails, and more. In a fraction of the time. My assessment is that this is a tool that most lawyers will love once they start using it. Here's what you need to know... Simple & Easy to Use The application stands out in its utter simplicity and user-friendly...

8 months ago • 2 min read
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