Catch up on Attorney at Work readers’ favorite tech tips, marketing ideas and top law firm management articles of the year.
Counting Down the Top 20 of 2025
While it might seem that artificial intelligence is the only thing people want to talk about or write about these days, not every article on our list of the most popular articles published in 2025 is about AI or legal tech. (Well, OK, most of them are.) Two surprise hits from attorney and life coach Jamie Spannhake speak to how a lawyer might actually take a break from it all — and what books to read while doing so.
But never fear. Once breaktime ends, you’ll find game-changer practice tips on our 2025 list from project management pros Karen and David Skinner, plus two terrific legal writing articles from long-time favorite “Get to the Point” columnist Teddy Snyder, and advice from our intrepid Chicago humorist, Bull Garlington, to help you get your head back in the game.
It’s been 15 years since we began publishing “One Really Good Idea Every Day” for lawyers and legal professionals on this new website/blog/publication. Will AI replace us all — or inspire us? We aim to stick around, and hope you do too. For as long as we get to work alongside friends, we’re all in.
To that end, thank you to all the talented writers and marketing communications pros who contributed their time and good ideas this past year — and congratulations to our top 20 authors. You are the best.
Without further ado, here are readers’ favorite posts published in 2025.
The Countdown
20. (It’s a Tie) 5 Social Media Metrics That Actually Matter for Lawyers by Marin McCall, and Exiting Your Law Firm With Integrity: A Guide for Lawyers by Jess Jordan
19. Three Binders Every Litigator Needs by Sam Davidoff
18. Why Every Law Firm Needs a Compensation Checkup by Camille Stell
17. Lawyers on Bluesky: A Guide to the Rising Social Media Platform Attracting Legal Professionals by Lindsay Hanofsky
16. Whereas, I Keep Telling Lawyers to Stop Writing Like This by Theda C. Snyder
15. Legal Briefs and Beach Reads: 5 Reasons Lawyers Should Read for Pleasure This Summer by Jamie Spannhake
14. Want to Make Partner Someday? Start Acting Like One Now by Jay Harrington
13. How to Create a Law Firm Annual Plan that Doesn’t Die in a Drawer by Karen and David Skinner
12. Three SCOTUS Cases Where Grammar Made a Difference by Theda C. Snyder
11. My Unrequited Love for the ReMarkable Paper Pro Move by Bull Garlington
10. How Clients Find Lawyers in 2025 (What It Means for Your Firm) by Sharon Feldman
9. Selling Legal Services Is Hard: How to Get Over the Fear and Keep Going by Jay Harrington
8. Email Sign-Offs for Lawyers: Mastering the Professional Closing by Bull Garlington
7. 5 Ways to Really Take a Break from the Office by Jamie Spannhake
6. Delegation Isn’t Just a Work Hack, It’s a Life Hack: 5 Personal Tasks to Delegate Now by Karen and David Skinner
5. 25 Quick Tech Tips to Try in 2025 by Danielle DavisRoe
4. Stop Wasting Time: How to Run More Efficient Law Firm Meetings by Karen and David Skinner
3. The 2 ChatGPT Prompts to Keep Your Law Firm Visible in the AI Era by Jessica Aries
2. The Hidden Costs of Law Firm Technology: Are You Wasting Money Without Realizing It? by Danielle DavisRoe
1. 5 Essential Questions Every Lawyer Should Ask Before Using AI Tools by David Lazzara
PAST YEARS’ ARTICLE RANKINGS
The Top 20 of 2024
Opening the report that reveals the top posts of the year always reminds me of opening a box of chocolates. You have a pretty good idea of what’s in there, but there’s always a delicious surprise.This year’s batch of top articles is no exception.
It’s been 14 years since we began publishing “One Really Good Idea Every Day,” and I never stop being surprised and delighted by the writers who take the time and care to share their ideas and expertise. Here are the most popular posts published in 2024.
20. How Lawyers Can Use Code Words to Combat Client Voice Cloning and Deepfakes by Mark C. Palmer
19. New Client Onboarding: 5 Tips to Win Over New Clients by David Skinner and Karen Skinner
18. The $4.85 Million Comma by Teddy Snyder
17. To Build Your Legal Practice, Do Things That Don’t Scale by Jay Harrington
16. Top 5 Time Management Tips for Lawyers by Jamie Spannhake
15. Understanding Law Firm Bonuses: A Simpler Structure for Rewarding Associates, Paralegals and You by Brooke Lively
14. The 3 Most Common Conflicts in Law Firms and What to Do About Them by Wendy Merrill
13. Ways to Say Thank You and Follow Up With Extraordinary Style by Bull Garlington
12. Essential Lawyer Skills by Teddy Snyder
11. Top 10 Personal Productivity Apps for Lawyers
10. The Top Challenges of Being a Law Firm Managing Partner by Wendy Merrill
9. Becoming a Burnout-Proof Attorney by Gray Robinson
8. 24 Quick Tech Tips to Try This Year by Danielle DavisRoe
7. Is Achieving Work-Life Balance Possible for Lawyers? A Guide by Jamie Spannhake
6. Unlock the Full Potential of Microsoft Teams: Hacks for Lawyers by Danielle DavisRoe
5. Top Growth Industries and Legal Practice Areas for 2024 by Michael Rynowecer
4. Attorney at Work’s Law School Graduation Gift Guide
3. Tech Tips: Microsoft CoPilot for Lawyers by Danielle Davis Roe
2. Freemasonry Might Be the Cure for Gen Z Men’s Desperate Loneliness by Bull Garlington
1. The War of the eTablets: The Remarkable 2, Nomad and Onyz Boox by Bull Garlington, along with the follow-up article, The Remarkable Paper Pro Is Not the Remarkable 3.
Counting Down the Top 20 of 2023
The launch of ChatGPT in January 2023 rocked the legal tech industry, and not surprisingly, readers flocked to articles focused on using generative AI: Four of our top 20 articles cover genAI’s impact on the practice and business of law. Mark C. Palmer offered expert advice on ethical pitfalls, along with an excellent ChatGPT primer for lawyers. Ruth Carter interviewed the founder of the AI Marketing Institute for perspective outside the legal bubble, and the team from Sensei Enterprises grabbed the No. 4 spot with an update on ChatGPT features.
Personal growth and productivity are the core of Attorney at Work, thanks to columnists like Danielle DavisRoe, Bull Garlington, Sally Schmidt and Jamie Spannhake, who earned top spots with posts covering tech tips, soft skills, rainmaking habits and overcoming negativity. Our newest columnist, veteran PI attorney Susan Cohodes, cracked the top 20 as well, with a question that’s on the minds of many of our readers: “Should I Stay, Or Should I Go?”
In 2023, we focused more on law firm growth and the challenges facing law firm owners and partners. Columnists Brooke Lively and Wendy Merrill write on profitability, talent and leadership — and their most popular posts are included below.
As for the No. 1 spot … Michael Rynowecer moved up from No. 4 last year, with his annual update on top growth industries and practice areas.
The Countdown
20. Are You Dealing With Executive Functioning Disorder? by Wendy Merrill
19. Make Rain by Forming Good Habits by Sally J. Schmidt
18. Microsoft Office Tricks: 10 Easy Ways to Save 10 Minutes a Day by Danielle DavisRoe
17. Yikes! I’ve Lost My Job‚ Now What? Roy Ginsburg
16. Top Law Firm Website Design Trends for 2023 by Karin Conroy
15. Ethical Pitfalls When Using ChatGPT by Mark C. Palmer
14. AI Is Changing the Legal Industry: Interview With AI Expert Paul Roetzer by Ruth Carter
13. The Flat Law Firm: Why Collaboration Over Hierarchy Makes Sense by Leslie Howard
12. Should I Stay or Should I Go? Retiring From Full-Time Law Practice by Susan Cohodes
11. How to Quickly Redline Legal Documents With Word’s Built-In Compare Feature by Danielle DavisRoe
10. 5 Ways to Change Your Negative Thoughts by Jamie Spannhake
9. Have You Hired a Terrorist? 4 Kinds of Law Firm Employees by Brooke Lively
8. 15 Keyboard Shortcuts to Boost Your Productivity by Danielle DavisRoe
7. Harnessing ChatGPT: A Primer for Lawyers by Mark C. Palmer
6. Your Law Firm’s Employees Cost Too Much to Lose Brooke Lively
5. Soft Skills: How to Hack Your Greatest Superpowers by Bull Garlington
4. Chat GPT Is a Lot More Valuable for Lawyers Now by Michael Maschke, Sharon Nelson and John Simek
3. Flat Fee or Hourly? Pros and Cons of Lawyer Billing Options by Ruth Carter
2. The Best Compensation Plans Use the Law of Thirds by Brooke Lively
1. Top Growth Industries and Legal Practice Areas for 2023 by Michael Rynowecer
While we excluded posts written by Attorney at Work’s editors from the tally, these posts were among the most read:
- Top Legal Podcasts (based on our first annual podcast survey)
- Attorney at Work’s Ultimate Guide to Lawyer Gifts
Counting Down the Top 20 of 2022
In college, my roommates used the phrase “anxious dread” to describe that mix of nervousness and despair we felt when marching off to class to take a make-or-break final or turn in a big assignment. That’s a lot like what 2022 has felt like — but different.
Perhaps the year’s mood is best described as “anxious optimism.” Despite the onslaught of “unprecedented” events, we picked our jaws off the table and kept plunging back into activities considered normal and sought new ways to navigate the familiar and unfamiliar. This year’s list of the most popular articles on Attorney at Work reflects that mood, with a mix of practical advice for avoiding missteps and tips for improving your business. But the most-read articles also offer information to help you view your practice differently — and consider new ways of doing things.
In keeping with Jamie Spannhake’s terrific article below (No. 7), the difference between anxious dread and anxious optimism may be a shift in perspective.
The Countdown
20. How to Prepare Your Law Practice for the Coming Recession by Brooke Lively
19. How to Handle a Mistake as a Young Lawyer by Meyling “Mey” Ly Ortiz
18. Top Digital Marketing Trends for Law Firms in 2022 by Annette Choti
17. Leaving Your Firm? Aim for a Joint Notice to Clients – Ask the Experts at 2Civility.org by Mark Palmer
16. Redefining What It Means to Be ‘Responsive’ to Clients by Jay Harrington
15. Attorney Compensation: Taking Your Firm From Good to Great by Camille Stell
14. Lawyer Tech Tips: Productivity and Connectivity Tools edited by Joy White and Joan Feldman
13. The Legal Job Market Is on Fire! (It Won’t Always Be) by Anna Sanders
12. Analog Attorney: The Best Undated Planners by Bull Garlington
11. The Flat Law Firm: Why Collaboration Over Hierarchy Makes Sense by Leslie Howard
10. Four Ideas to Keep Associates from Leaving Your Law Firm by Wendy Merrill
9. Ten Marketing and Business Development Activities Any Attorney Can Complete in ONE Weekend by Walter McCorkle
8. Where Should You Put Your Tech Dollars This Year? edited by Joy White and Joan Feldman
7. Five Ways to Shift Your Perspective by Jamie Spannhake
6. Lawyer Billing | Flat Fee or Hourly? The Pros and Cons by Ruth Carter
5. Cybersecurity Trends | 25% of Law Firms Have Been Breached by Michael Maschke, Sharon Nelson and John Simek
4. 8 Legal Practice Areas Growing in 2022 and Beyond and Top Growth Industries and Legal Practice Areas by Michael Rynowecer
3. Project Management Tools for Lawyers by Nicole Clark
2. Using Outlook Rules to Process Email Like a Pro by Danielle DavisRoe
1. Protect Your Electronic Contact Lists from Prying Eyes by Michael Maschke, Sharon Nelson and John Simek
Attorney at Work’s Top 20 Law Firm Management Articles of 2021
When 2020 finally ended, we searched for a word to encapsulate the year. “Unprecedented” and “pandemic” topped the list at dictionary sites, beating out personal favorite “hellscape,” and those themes dominated Attorney at Work’s content.
For 2021, “vax” and “vaccine” achieved word-of-the-year status at The Guardian and Merriam-Webster, respectively. As Merriam-Webster says, “For many, the word symbolized a possible return to the lives we led before the pandemic.” Emphasis on the word “possible,” as we spent the year in a strange, slightly unfocused limbo, doing our best to improve our personal workspaces and daily efficiency habits while waiting for definitive announcements on hybrid work and WFH policies — and vaccination requirements. “Vaccine” was also selected word of the year because it has been at the center of debates about personal choice, political affiliation, professional regulations … and so much more.
For the business word of the year, Grammarly put forward the following somewhat cringy but apt contenders: “Rethrival,” “communigreat,” “stratiskilled,” “flexpert,” “fur bomb,” “greenhousing,” “jammagabbing,” “blursday (what day is it?)” “spark-tacular” and “me-ssential,” a word that encapsulates the movement to prioritize self-care and wellness in the workplace.
Here, then, are the most popular, spark-tacular posts published by Attorney at Work in 2021, based solely on page views. Thanks to all of our contributors for sharing their expertise (flex and otherwise), creative thinking and support this year. Here’s to your rethrival in the new year.
The Countdown
20. These Are a Few of My Favorite Things (for Your Home Office) by Andrea Cannavina (@AndreaCan)
19. How to Set Yourself Up for a Productive Day: Everything in Its Place by Jay Harrington (@HarringJ75)
18. Diversity in U.S. Law Firms: ‘It’s Always Going to Be Incremental’ by Susan Kostal (@SKostal)
17. Shadow IT: A Serious Threat to Law Firms by Sharon Nelson (@SharonNelsonEsq) and John Simek (@SenseiEnt)
16. When Everything Is Urgent and Important: How to Prioritize by Jamie Spannhake (@IdealYear)
15. Top 6 Reasons to Hire a Paralegal Over a Lawyer by Roy Ginsburg
14. Scale: The Three-Step Formula to Grow a $1 Million+ Legal Practice by Jay Harrington (@HarringJ75)
13. Analog Attorney: 17 Amazing Ways a Hobinichi Techo Will Change Your Life by Bull Garlington (@AnalogAttorney)
12. Five Organizational Skills for Lawyers by Camille Stell (@CamilleStell)
11. Tricks for Reading Documents in Microsoft Word by Danielle DavisRoe (@affinitylegal)
10. 10 Habits for Successful Email Communication by Mark C. Palmer (@PalmerLaw)
9. Must-Have Apps for Running a Tech-Forward Law Firm by Catherine Tang (@AmericanAttorney)
8. Five Kinds of Rest: Avoiding Exhaustion Means More Than Getting Enough Sleep by Jamie Spannhake (@IdealYear)
7. Home Office Setups: Best Products for Comfort, Productivity and Joy by Bull Garlington (@Bull_Garlington)
6. Attorney Burnout: Four Traps to Avoid by Gray Robinson
5. Productivity Apps and Hacks for a Smoother 2021 with tech tips from Sheila Blackford, Brett Burney, Tom Lambotte, Sharon Nelson and John Simek, and Camille Stell
4. Using Outlook Rules to Process Email Like a Pro by Danielle DavisRoe (@affinitylegal)
3. 8 Legal Practice Areas Growing in 2021 and Beyond by Michael Rynowecer (@BTIconsulting)
2. The Remarkable 2, Supernote A5 X and iPad: War of the E-Tablets! by Bull Garlington (@Bull_Garlington @AnalogAttorney)
1. Solo and Small Law Firm Hourly Rates: Winners and Losers, by State and Practice Area by Susan Kostal (@SKostal)
Attorney at Work’s Top 20 Law Firm Management Articles of 2020
When asked the one word or phrase they’d use to describe 2020, Washington Post readers came back with “exhausting” and “relentless” and “surreal.” “Dumpster fire,” “heartbreaking” and “persevere” also made the list. Over at Dictionary.com, “unprecedented” and “hellacious” were up top, while the lexicographers at Oxford opted to ignore precedent and said, “umm, no” to choosing a single word of the year.
The Guardian chose “pandemic” as the most influential word of 2020 because it best describes the sheer scale of the COVID-19 crisis. It has, of course, overshadowed everything and everyone — including this year’s list of Attorney at Work’s top 20 articles.
In February, after noting an uptick in interest in the topic, we published Megan Zavieh’s No. 2 post on the ethics of relocating. Little did we know that working remotely would become so common that the ABA would update its Model Rules to address it. Our contributors stepped up in early March, the crisis looming: Jared Correia predicted the shutdown would be a referendum on remote work. As confusion and chaos unfolded, Gina Rubel and Susan Kostal taught us how to communicate with both the media and clients during a crisis. Sharon Nelson and John Simek advised us on Zoom videoconferences — and the security risks of sending lawyers and legal professionals home to work, practically overnight, with few safeguards in place. Since April, remote work, videoconferencing, and what to do about marketing, tech, staffing and stress have been the themes of this relentless year.
Most of us became adept at Zoom — quickly shifting from “where’s the mute button?” to experimenting with Zoom backgrounds and flattering lighting. Why did Bull Garlington’s “Looking Good in a Tiny Square” rocket to No. 1 this year? What does it say about our collective state of mind that, even in these grim times, our default is to show up, sit up straight and try to look our best (at least up on top)? To paraphrase Roy Ginsburg’s advice to solos in his No. 4 post: Failure was never an option. It helps to have someone as smart and funny as Bull to remind us to laugh.
“Hope” is a word you won’t find on any of those 2020 word lists. We know the overwhelming problems we’re facing won’t fade with the New Year’s Eve fireworks. And yet, after a year filled with heartbreak — a surreal year, a dumpster-fire year — there is hope in sight. An inkling.
The Countdown
20. The Power of List Making by Meyling (Mey) Ly Ortiz
19. 10 Tips for a More Effective, Personable Attorney Bio by Gina Rubel (@FuriaRubel)
18. Attorney Unhappiness Hits a High: 5 Things We Can Do About It by Jamie Spannhake (@IdealYear)
17. 5 Hacks to Level Up Your Videoconferencing Without Spending a Dime by Andrea Cannavina (@AndreaCan)
16. Succeeding in the Business of Law: 5 Rules Every Lawyer Should Live by Robert Katzberg, author of “The Vanishing Trial”
15. This Is How Lawyers and Clients Look Good on Video Calls by Scott Brennan
14. Five Tips for Online Court Appearances by Joan Feldman (@AttnyatWork)
13. Five Things to Stop Doing With Business Emails in 2020 by Laura Ernde
12. Offline: The Coronavirus Outbreak Has Become a Referendum on Remote Work by Jared Correia (@RedCaveLegal)
11. Five Reasons Lawyers Avoid Retirement by Camille Stell (@CamilleStell)
10. Beware the Four Most Dangerous Outlook Features (Video) by Deborah Savadra (@LegalOfficeGuru)
9. Moving to a Virtual Law Office: How to Ethically ‘Practice in Place’ by Mark C. Palmer (@PalmerLaw)
8. Public Speaking Tips for Videoconferencing During the COVID-19 Crisis by Marsha Hunter
7. Continuity of Care: Reassuring Clients You’re Prepared for COVID-19 by Susan Kostal (@SKostal)
6. Scrub Your Document With Microsoft Word Document Inspector (Video) by Deborah Savadra (@LegalOfficeGuru)
5. 30-Day Business Development Plan for Lawyers During the COVID-19 Crisis by Jay Harrington (@HarringJ75)
4. COVID-19 Impacts for Solo and Small Firm Lawyers: Beyond Remote Work by Roy Ginsburg
3. Getting Started With Zoom and Using It Securely by Sharon Nelson (@SharonNelsonEsq) and John Simek (@SenseiEnt)
2. Can You Relocate Without Taking a New Bar Exam? by Megan Zavieh (@ZaviehLaw)
1. Zoom Backgrounds: Looking Good in a Tiny Square by Bull Garlington (@Bull_Garlington)
The Rest of the Best: Top Law Firm Management Articles
Attorney at Work’s Top 12 Practice Management Articles of 2019
Attorney at Work’s Top Legal Marketing Articles of 2019
Attorney at Work’s Top 20 Marketing Articles of 2018
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