What if the biggest opportunity in your law practice isn’t about getting more clients, but doing more with the ones you already have?

In this episode, guest host Mike Smith—estate planning attorney and co-founder of Smith Barrett LLC—dives into a powerful conversation with Leah Del Percio, a former Big Law attorney turned tech founder.

With experience at DLA Piper, Goldman Sachs, and JP Morgan, Leah shares how the pain points of trust and estate work led her to launch Trustate, a platform designed to help law firms future-proof plans, streamline workflows, and elevate client service.

This isn’t just a conversation—it’s a blueprint for staying relevant, efficient, and indispensable in the modern legal landscape.

Free Training for Law Firm Owners

Don’t miss The AI-First Law Firm Blueprint — a live masterclass showing how to automate intake, client updates, and operations without hiring more staff.

📅 Happening June 24 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET

🎯 Save your seat here → https://link.mylegalacademy.com/4e0dLsY

Key Takeaways from Mike and Leah:

1. Cut Admin Time with Systematized Form Handling

Cut out hours spent chasing down bank forms or sitting on hold by creating a centralized, up-to-date library and standardizing your intake process.

Delegate form population so your team can move faster with less friction.

2. Treat Estate Planning Like Ongoing Care, Not a One-Time Prescription

Treat estate planning as a living process, not a one-off transaction.

Use flexible tools like trustee powers and schedule regular reviews to keep plans aligned with life and law changes.

3. Don’t Let Hidden Assets Derail an Estate

Integrate asset searches into your process to uncover accounts that clients may have overlooked or forgotten.

This reduces risk and helps avoid major surprises during administration.

4. Strengthen Document Drafting by Combining Quality with Consistency

Move beyond copy-paste methods to structured drafting systems that reduce errors and improve clarity.

Ensure your documents are consistent, logical, and tailored, not bloated templates.

5. Deliver Concierge-Level Service Without a Big Team

Break your processes into clear, repeatable workflows your team can follow without direct attorney input.

This lets you serve clients at a higher level while protecting your time and scaling more sustainably.

"Lawyers these days, if they just focus on the transactional aspect of planning—where it's just, you fill out your intake form... I design a plan based on that... and I produce a document—they're doing their clients a horrible disservice." — Leah Del Percio

Get in touch with Leah Del Percio:

Website: https://www.trustate.com/

Email: leah@trustate.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahdelpercio/

Free Workshop with Leah:

https://www.skool.com/mylegalacademy/classroom/ec6b644d?md=c18190deaa764aff8e2aa6f4b125e0fc

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If you’ve ever felt stuck toggling between being an excellent lawyer and a true business leader, this episode is your wake-up call.

In the final installment of the "Built to Lead" series, host Brigit Norris sits down with Catherine O’Connell, a powerhouse legal entrepreneur, to unpack what it takes to step into the role of visionary CEO. This isn’t about tips for better time management—it’s a blueprint for reclaiming your authority, redesigning your career, and rewriting your firm’s future.

Catherine’s hard-won wisdom will push you to rethink your identity, your leadership, and your legacy. If you’re ready to lead instead of just serve, don’t miss this.



Free Training for Law Firm Owners

Don’t miss The AI-First Law Firm Blueprint — a live masterclass showing how to automate intake, client updates, and operations without hiring more staff.

📅 Happening June 24 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET

🎯 Save your seat here → https://link.mylegalacademy.com/4e0dLsY

Key Takeaways from Bridgit and Catherine:

1. From Technician to Visionary

Shifting from legal technician to strategic leader requires letting go of perfectionism and trusting others to carry the load.

The real transformation starts when you stop identifying solely with your technical role and start envisioning your firm as a scalable enterprise.

2. Delegation is Non-Negotiable

Delegation isn't a sign of weakness—it's the gateway to growth.

When you delegate with trust and process, you create capacity to lead and think strategically rather than stay buried in daily tasks.

3. Leadership Begins with You

You cannot lead a high-performing team if you're not actively leading yourself.

Creating time for self-reflection, CEO-level thinking, and intentionality is what shifts you from overwhelmed operator to empowered leader.

4. The Power of Presence and Visibility

Visibility isn't vanity—it’s strategy.

Building relationships, showing up, and making your leadership known both within and beyond the firm establishes authority and attracts opportunity.

5. Redefining Success for Women in Law

The path to sustainable success as a woman in law involves redefining legacy and income through innovation, not just legal excellence.

Choosing to lead from purpose and design a business aligned with your life is the ultimate power move.

"If you want loyalty, I think you have to lead with trust, not tasks. So, building that strong team I mentioned before starts with trust — and that begins even before hiring." — Catherine O’Connell

Get in touch with Catherine O'Connell:

Website: https://www.catherineoconnelllaw.com/

Show: Lawyer on Air: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lawyer-on-air/id1553526783

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oconnellcatherine/

🚀 Want to SCALE your law firm? Go here: https://bit.ly/3z7R5qM

⭐️ Want to join our FREE lawyer community? Go here:

You're not just a lawyer — you're a visionary rewriting the rules.

In this powerful episode of our Build to Lead series, Bridgit Norris sits down with estate planning attorney and trailblazing founder Laura Cowan, who went from Wall Street accountant to building a thriving law firm that works for her.

Laura is the mind behind the 2-Hour Lifestyle Lawyer™ and author of Lifestyle Lawyer Revolution, featured in Forbes and Entrepreneur, and she's living proof that success in law doesn't have to come at the cost of your freedom, health, or happiness.

This episode is packed with real talk, strategy, and encouragement for women lawyers who are ready to define success on their terms — and be bold enough to speak up about it.

If you're done measuring yourself by billable hours and want a model that supports the life you want, this one’s for you.



Key Takeaways from Bridgit and Laura:

1. Profit Over Posturing

Scaling revenue means nothing if it costs your health, time, or peace of mind.

Success in law must prioritize profit, sustainability, and freedom, not vanity metrics like 2x or 3x growth.

2. Delegate What Doesn’t Require a Law Degree

Building a lean, effective firm starts with outsourcing admin work, document drafting, and marketing, even with limited resources.

Focus your time on the few key actions that generate revenue and truly require your expertise.

3. Redefine Success with Intention

Success isn’t one-size-fits-all.

Whether that means working part-time, serving only select clients, or shifting your role entirely, fulfillment comes from designing a practice that aligns with your values, not the legal industry’s outdated playbook.

4. Scaling Comes with Tradeoffs

Growth doesn’t just mean more revenue — it means more clients, more hiring, more systems.

Before chasing scale, define exactly what you want more of, and ensure your team and infrastructure are built to handle it.

5. Bold Voices Shift the Profession

Too many women in law are quietly struggling with outdated norms and expectations.

Speaking openly about freedom, flexibility, and alternative success models doesn’t just serve you — it lights the path for the next generation.

"There's no point in having a million dollars in revenue if you're working until 10 o’clock at night and you've got to spend the vast majority of it just to support the business." — Laura Cowan

Get in touch with Laura Cowan:

Website: https://www.2hourlifestylelawyer.com/

Book: Lifestyle Lawyer Revolution: https://www.amazon.com/Lifestyle-Lawyer-Revolution-Without-Leaving-ebook/dp/B0F3FNZMQN/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thelauracowan/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/2hourlifestylelawyer/

Are you a high-achieving woman in law ready to become a powerhouse CEO?

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