Motion to adapt: Changes in law and tech

Plus: AI isn’t just passing the bar exam; it’s writing it

Raise The Bar

01 May 2025 • 6 min read

Adapt or get left behind. That’s the message from a recent survey of court reporters—and from any lawyer watching their website’s click-through rates drop after Google’s latest changes to its search results page. This week, we’re unpacking both issues, plus looking at how lawyers can level up their careers by learning to give—and get—better feedback.

We’re also going behind the scenes of a nationally syndicated legal podcast, and sharing the legal podcast your non-lawyer friends are already hooked on.

Cheers! Enjoy Justice John Marshall Harlan’s favorite cocktail in anticipation of the Kentucky Derby. Bonus points if you play the call to post as you mix it up.

AI isn’t just passing the bar exam; it’s writing it. The State Bar of California admits that some of the questions on its most recent exam were AI-drafted.

Hey, all you cool cats and kittens! Tiger King's Joe Exotic just tied the knot with a fellow prisoner. He’s offered to move to his husband’s native Mexico if Trump springs both of them from jail. In the meantime, he’s shilling crypto to pay his legal bills.

Learn it, use it. According to @lawyersproud on Instagram, this is the universal hand signal for telling a client they’re screwed.

Out of many, one. That is the theme of Law Day 2025. How are you celebrating?

What goes into making a successful podcast?

Thinking about launching a podcast but not sure where to start?
We’ve got answers. Each week, Raise the Bar features a podcast or two that we think is worth a listen. This week, we are going behind the scenes and talking to an attorney who makes one of those podcasts. Richard Gearhart is the founder of Gearhart Law in Summit, NJ, but people across the country know him as the host of the nationally syndicated radio program and podcast “Passage to Profit Show.” Gearhart was gracious enough to give Raise the Bar readers a peek behind the podcasting curtain. -Emily Kelchen

What inspired you to launch a podcast?
I presented at an event, and afterwards, a representative from iHeartRadio approached my wife, Elizabeth Gearhart (a patent agent and entrepreneur), for the two of us to do a radio show. We agreed and have been on the air for seven years now. Our show is heard in 38 markets across the country, and a podcast version is made available after the broadcast.

What was the biggest challenge in getting your show off the ground?
Fortunately, iHeart provided a turnkey technical solution, so the biggest challenge at first was finding quality guests since our program has three guests per show.

How has the show evolved since you started?
As an intellectual property law firm, Gearhart Law works closely with startups, so we wanted to provide legal and business advice that could help them. But we felt that discussing legal topics themselves would be limiting, so we expanded the program to include our clients and others in the business community. Later, we added roundtable discussions between the guests and spotlight features to keep the show moving at a good pace. We’ve also worked to make the content search engine friendly.

What’s your workflow for producing an episode, from idea to release?
We create a calendar of taping dates, and we have a program coordinator who works with our clients and PR agents to fill the guest spots. The program coordinator prepares show copy with background on each guest. Elizabeth and I do research for the roundtable discussions and features, then rehearse the show before taping. The show is taped, then edited by our producer for broadcast and podcasting. Our program coordinator posts the podcast on the different podcast platforms and engages with social media.

What’s your advice for lawyers considering launching their own podcast?
It takes time and money to do a good job, so anyone who is launching a podcast should be prepared to invest both.

How to get and give better feedback

Whether you’re guiding associates or focused on growing your practice, this article on career feedback by Melody Wilding (the author of Managing Up) is a must-read. It identifies specific tactics you can use to get more specific and helpful suggestions for improvement, like reframing questions and tying feedback to your goals. But you can also read it from a management POV to improve the suggestions for improvement you give.

Why this matters: Too often, the feedback mid-level and senior lawyers are given is too vague or full of buzzwords to be helpful. This leaves everyone involved frustrated and can contribute to higher turnover. (Harvard Business Review)

Changes are coming to court reporting

The American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers (AAERT) released its annual report, and the message is clear: attorneys need to prepare for a shift toward digital transcription. The traditional court reporting workforce is shrinking fast. Only about 23,000 stenographers remain on the job, with more expected to leave as the workforce ages and training programs continue to close.

In a recent survey of more than 550 court reporters and legal professionals, 76 percent said the shortage of stenographers is making scheduling harder, while 55 percent said it’s driving up costs. As the pool of stenographers continues to shrink, digital reporting is emerging as the most viable alternative. The technology is improving rapidly, offering better accuracy, faster turnaround and greater accessibility.

Why this matters: The court reporting industry is undergoing significant transformation, driven by workforce dynamics and technological innovation. Attorneys need to be aware of what’s going on and should expect to transition to digital transcription services sooner rather than later. (AAERT)

Communicating complex legal topics to the masses

For attorneys looking to sharpen their communication skills, the #SistersInLaw podcast from Politicon is a must-listen. Hosted by experienced prosecutors, law professors and legal journalists Joyce Vance, Jill Wine-Banks, Barb McQuade and Kimberly Atkins Stohr, each episode dives into current legal and political developments. But the hosts don't just explain legal concepts; they explore how law intersects with politics, culture and the media—giving you a better sense of how non-lawyers understand (or misunderstand) legal developments.

Why this matters: In a time when the ability to clearly and persuasively explain the law is more valuable than ever, listening to #SistersInLaw is a smart use of time. The show is a masterclass in how to frame and discuss difficult legal issues in a way that resonates with a non-legal audience. (#SistersInLaw)

Google is changing the search game

It wasn’t long ago that the holy grail of online marketing was getting your firm’s website onto the first page of Google search results. But all of a sudden, the rules have changed. Google’s AI Overview at the top of each page of search results is stealing clicks from the pages it pilfers content from (some folks are suing over this). And firms are struggling to figure out how to get their site not just on the first page of the ranking, but featured in that AI summary, so there is a slim chance the searcher will actually click through.

Why this matters: When Google's AI grabs a snippet for its summary, that answer becomes the first—and often only—thing users read. This article from LegalRev has tips for how to make your content more likely to get pulled into that top section of search results. (LegalRev)

Thank you for reading Raise The Bar.

Every Thursday, you'll hear from our team about the most pressing issues facing legal practices today. We'll also try to include some quick-hit reads that touch on interesting cases and precedents being set worldwide.

Have anything you'd like us to cover? Send an email raisethebar@mynewsletter.co

Raise the Bar is curated and written by Emily Kelchen and edited by Bianca Prieto.