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117: Onboarding as a Competitive Advantage: 7 Essential Tips for Law Firms with Lori Pulvermacher

Great Practice. Great Life. by Atticus

Release Date: 02/03/2025

141: Your Firm Gets Stronger When You Do with Lea Anne Groover show art 141: Your Firm Gets Stronger When You Do with Lea Anne Groover

Great Practice. Great Life. by Atticus

On today’s episode of Great Practice, Great Life, Steve Riley chats with attorney and athlete Lea Anne Groover as she shares her journey and the tangible habits for law firm growth that challenge what’s possible at any age, in any career, and at any stage of life. Lea Anne’s journey wasn’t about grand gestures or overnight success. It began with a small, intentional act, writing the word “move” in the habit-building section of her My Great Life Focus, a tool provided by her Atticus Advisor, Teresa Morgan. For Lea Anne, “move” meant getting on her Peloton for 20 minutes a...

info_outline 140: Reinventing Criminal Defense Training: From Classroom to Courtroom with Adam Rossen show art 140: Reinventing Criminal Defense Training: From Classroom to Courtroom with Adam Rossen

Great Practice. Great Life. by Atticus

In this episode of Great Practice, Great Life®, Steve Riley is joined by Adam Rossen, a criminal defense attorney who’s doing more than building a successful firm, he’s reinventing criminal defense training for the next generation of lawyers. Adam’s firm has quadrupled since 2020, yet his passion is mentoring future attorneys. His Florida-based internship program, once a casual drop-in setup, has evolved into a structured, immersive model for reinventing criminal defense training. In 2020, he took on 13 interns, introducing a mock law school exam project, virtual court sessions,...

info_outline 139: Too Stupid to Quit: Dre Baldwin on Resilience, Success, and Outworking the Competition show art 139: Too Stupid to Quit: Dre Baldwin on Resilience, Success, and Outworking the Competition

Great Practice. Great Life. by Atticus

On this episode of Great Practice, Great Life®, Steve Riley welcomes Dre Baldwin, former professional basketball player, prolific author, and founder of Work on Your Game Inc. Dre shares how his career was shaped not just on the court, but at home, where his parents modeled daily discipline and quiet resilience that made him “too stupid to quit.” From an early age, Dre watched his parents show up for their responsibilities, day in and day out, regardless of how they felt. That consistency became the foundation of his own mindset: showing up was non-negotiable. It’s a lesson he...

info_outline 138: Leading Lions and Prima Donnas: John Morgan’s Leadership Lessons – Part 2 show art 138: Leading Lions and Prima Donnas: John Morgan’s Leadership Lessons – Part 2

Great Practice. Great Life. by Atticus

John Morgan doesn’t lead quietly—and he doesn’t build small. In part two of his conversation with Steve Riley, he shares the systems, standards, and mindset that built a law empire. On this episode of Great Practice, Great Life®, Steve Riley welcomes back John Morgan, founder of Morgan & Morgan, for an insightful continuation of their conversation. In this episode, you’ll discover John Morgan’s leadership lessons on how to grow a law firm with integrity. He also shares how long-term vision, and well-built systems can support both business growth and personal success. John...

info_outline 137: Grow or Die: John Morgan’s Relentless Strategy for Law Firm Expansion – Part 1 show art 137: Grow or Die: John Morgan’s Relentless Strategy for Law Firm Expansion – Part 1

Great Practice. Great Life. by Atticus

In this episode of Great Practice, Great Life®, Steve Riley is joined by visionary attorney and entrepreneur John Morgan for a focused conversation on law firm expansion. As the founder of Morgan & Morgan, John built one of the largest plaintiffs’ firms in the United States. He explains how a growth-focused mindset and strong systems helped his firm scale in a fast-changing legal industry. John, now 69, continues to lead with a “grow or die” mindset. Back in 2009, he wrote a speech that shaped his entire growth strategy. He compared the future of law to the shift from...

info_outline 136: The Biggest Marketing Mistakes Lawyers Make and How to Fix Them with Robert Rose show art 136: The Biggest Marketing Mistakes Lawyers Make and How to Fix Them with Robert Rose

Great Practice. Great Life. by Atticus

In this episode of Great Practice, Great Life®, Steve Riley welcomes back content marketing guru Robert Rose for a powerful conversation tailored to attorneys and law firm owners looking to improve their marketing strategy. Robert shares how lawyers can turn their natural communication strengths, advocacy, storytelling, and clarity into a winning content marketing strategy. His tips are practical, achievable, and designed for busy professionals. Many small and solo law firms rely almost exclusively on referrals. While referrals are important, they aren’t a full marketing plan. Robert...

info_outline 135: Authentic Leadership in Law: How to Scale Without Burning Out with Ross Albers show art 135: Authentic Leadership in Law: How to Scale Without Burning Out with Ross Albers

Great Practice. Great Life. by Atticus

What does it take to shift from a struggling solo attorney to a CEO leading a thriving full-service law firm? Learn how authentic leadership transformed one law firm from solo practice to thriving law firm. In this episode of Great Practice, Great Life®, Steve sits down with Ross Albers, CEO of Albers & Associates in Timonium, Maryland. Ross shares his inspiring and raw journey—from getting fired just days before his wedding to building a successful law firm with 13 attorneys spanning multiple practice areas. His story is a powerful reminder that setbacks can become the foundation...

info_outline 134: What Surviving a Plane Crash Taught Me About Running a Law Firm with Blinn Bates show art 134: What Surviving a Plane Crash Taught Me About Running a Law Firm with Blinn Bates

Great Practice. Great Life. by Atticus

Surviving a plane crash wasn’t part of Attorney Blinn Bates’ plan, but it became a pivotal chapter in his life story. A routine flight turned into a near-tragedy and forced a year-long recovery. As a third-generation attorney, Blinn faced the unimaginable. But instead of succumbing to despair, he used the pause to transform his law practice and reevaluate his personal life. On this episode of Great Practice, Great Life®, Blinn shares his story of resilience and transformation through adversity. He turned the experience into an opportunity to innovate and modernize his family law...

info_outline 133: Escaping the 3 Time Traps That Stall Law Firm Growth: Inside the Mind of Shawn McNalis show art 133: Escaping the 3 Time Traps That Stall Law Firm Growth: Inside the Mind of Shawn McNalis

Great Practice. Great Life. by Atticus

In this episode of Great Practice, Great Life®, Steve Riley explores time management and focus strategies with Shawn McNalis, an Atticus Practice Advisor and trainer with over 30 years of experience. Together, they uncover the most common time traps that prevent attorneys from reaching their full potential. They also share proven strategies for defending strategic time blocks and establishing boundaries that support professional growth. Shawn brings her wealth of knowledge from coaching thousands of lawyers and co-authoring pivotal books on time management and performance. Steve and...

info_outline 132: Stop Hiding: The Confidence to Build the Practice You Want with Barb Betts show art 132: Stop Hiding: The Confidence to Build the Practice You Want with Barb Betts

Great Practice. Great Life. by Atticus

In this follow-up episode of Great Practice, Great Life, Steve Riley welcomes back guest Barb Betts for a deeper dive into a powerful idea: the confidence to build a thriving law practice begins with embracing your authentic self. For lawyers, authenticity isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a strategic advantage that drives client trust, firm growth, and personal satisfaction. Barb shares her powerful concept of “17 moments”—life-changing events like teenage pregnancy and severe hair loss—that taught her to stop hiding and stand in her truth. These moments are critical for...

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What if the key to reducing turnover and increasing productivity in your law firm was strategic onboarding for law firms, not just hiring more talent?

In this episode of Great Practice, Great Life®, Steve speaks with Lori Pulvermacher about the transformative impact of strategic onboarding for law firms. Often overlooked, a well-structured onboarding process can make the difference between retaining top talent and facing costly turnover. Lori shares seven essential strategies to ensure new hires feel supported and integrated from day one, ultimately strengthening firm culture and profitability.

As law firms scale, maintaining efficiency and preserving culture becomes increasingly difficult. High turnover leads to lost productivity, disrupted workflows, and low morale. This conversation highlights how these strategies provide a competitive edge by streamlining integration, minimizing inefficiencies, and improving overall firm performance. From setting clear expectations to fostering engagement, the right onboarding framework helps new employees quickly become valuable contributors.

We dive into the key components of effective onboarding, including goal setting, defining roles, and implementing a structured 90-day plan. Lori emphasizes that onboarding should begin before the employee’s first day, ensuring a smooth transition and immediate alignment with the firm’s values. Additionally, she discusses leadership development and strategic delegation, highlighting the role of communication and continuous feedback in building a resilient team.

By investing in strategic onboarding for law firms, attorneys can create a culture of excellence and long-term success. A strong onboarding process not only enhances retention but also optimizes firm operations, leading to sustainable growth and a thriving legal practice.

In this episode, you will hear:

  • Importance of strategic onboarding in law firms to reduce turnover and enhance firm culture
  • Seven essential strategies for effective onboarding
  • The role of a structured 90-day onboarding plan in integrating new hires
  • Overcoming challenges of high turnover with a well-defined onboarding process
  • Significance of leadership development and strategic delegation for law firm growth
  • Benefits of clear communication and setting key performance indicators (KPIs)
  • The impact of continuous improvement and training on firm success

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Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.