Digital Counsel

Scorpion

The legal industry has no shortage of marketing advice, but most firms still struggle to connect marketing efforts to signed cases and revenue. Hosted by Jamie Adams and Michael Bunn, this show breaks down the conversations shaping the legal industry—from Reddit threads and LinkedIn debates to case studies and industry reports. Each episode challenges common advice, explores the connection between marketing and intake, and highlights what law firms should actually focus on to drive measurable growth and stronger case outcomes.

Episodes

  1. Sep 24

    ChatGPT Ads Are Not Google Ads With a New Skin

    Jamie talks with Mick Kurian from OpenAI about what ChatGPT Ads mean for small and mid-size law firms. The episode frames ChatGPT as a new, full-funnel environment where prospective clients ask richer questions than a three-word Google search and where ads must be relevant to the whole conversation, not just a keyword. It is built for firm owners who want to understand where legal advertising is going next. You will hear why ChatGPT Ads exist, how consumer search behavior changes inside a conversation, why landing pages and creative variety matter, and why paid placement does not buy organic ChatGPT recommendations. The practical takeaway for attorneys: this is not a set-it-and-forget-it channel. Winning requires many creative variations, helpful landing pages, zip-level targeting, context hints, and a clear separation between advertising and organic answers. What you'll take away: Why ChatGPT Ads are tied to access and ad-supported AI tiers How legal search changes when the query becomes a full scenario instead of 'attorney near me' Why helpful landing pages may outperform hard 'call now' pages earlier in the journey Why Mick recommends 50-100 creative variations for scenario-level relevance Why advertising does not influence organic ChatGPT answers Sponsored by Scorpion Getting more leads isn't the goal - signed cases and revenue are. If you can't tie your marketing to signed cases, you're guessing. Scorpion gives your firm clear insight into what actually drives new cases, so you can invest smarter and grow faster. Learn more at scorpion.co Follow Scorpion on social media: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scorpion.co LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/scorpion Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/scorpion.co Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scorpiondotco

  2. Sep 10

    The Firms Spending 8–12% on Marketing Are the Ones Growing

    Some of the highest-leverage marketing moves are the ones attorneys avoid most. In this episode of Digital Counsel, hosts Jamie and Michael tackle three of them head-on: whether social media is actually worth your time, why so many firms refuse to implement technology and AI, and how the firms that grow fastest budget for marketing. It’s a practical playbook for firm owners. You’ll hear how to use social as a trust signal (without becoming an influencer), why ‘I’m not big enough for technology’ is the very thing keeping firms small, how to capture the upside of AI without changing how your team works, and the budgeting benchmark behind consistent growth: a steady 8–12% of your revenue target, spent holistically. Leads are good, cases are better — these are the habits that turn one into the other. What you’ll take away: How to make social media a trust signal — video-first, on-brand — without forcing yourself to be an influencerWhy LinkedIn is a referral engine and TikTok/Reels reward firms willing to put an expert on cameraWhy ‘I’m not big enough for technology’ is the trap that keeps small firms small — and the 20–30 minutes per case you waste without itHow to capture AI’s upside with zero behavior change by letting it run inside your marketingThe budgeting benchmark behind consistent growth: a steady 8–12% of your revenue target, spent across channels Stop dodging the unglamorous work. The firms that post consistently, let technology do the heavy lifting, and fund marketing as a steady percentage of revenue are the ones quietly pulling away from everyone else. Sponsored by Scorpion Getting more leads isn’t the goal — signed cases and revenue are. If you can’t tie your marketing to signed cases, you’re guessing. Scorpion gives your firm clear insight into what actually drives new cases, so you can invest smarter and grow faster. Learn more at scorpion.co Links Referenced: https://www.clio.com/about/press/2026-solo-small-firm-report/ Follow Scorpion on social media: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scorpion.co LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/scorpion Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/scorpion.co Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scorpiondotco

  3. Aug 27

    You Have 4 Days, and 80% of Clients Are Calling Your Competitors

    When someone decides they need a lawyer, you have about four days — and you’re not the only call they’re making. In this episode of Digital Counsel, hosts Jamie and Michael walk through new legal-industry research on how clients actually choose a firm: the roughly four-day decision window, the 80% who now contact multiple attorneys, and why the firm that answers the phone (and answers it well) usually wins the case. It’s built for firm owners who want marketing that produces signed cases, not just leads. You’ll hear why ‘dedicated intake’ is a myth at most firms, why intake is a sales job that deserves real training and technology, what the four-star review cliff does to your visibility, and how to think about emerging ad channels like Apple Maps, ChatGPT, and TikTok without chasing shiny objects. The through-line: leads are good, cases are better — and intake is where the two meet. What you’ll take away: Why the clock starts when someone decides they need an attorney — and why 80% now contact multiple firms The dedicated-intake myth: 9 in 10 firms say they have it, but ~70% of those people also juggle other jobs Why intake is a sales job — ‘you’re a sales guy with a fancy title’ — and what that means for hiring and training The review cliff: 75% won’t consider a firm under four stars, and below 4.5 you vanish from ‘best’ and ‘top’ searches How to test emerging ad channels (Apple Maps, ChatGPT, TikTok) for cheap, early-adopter leads without overspending The firms signing the most cases aren’t the loudest — they’re the ones that answer fast, treat intake like sales, and keep their reviews fresh enough to get recommended in the first place. Sponsored by Scorpion Trust is built in public, and reviews matter more than ever. Scorpion helps your firm generate consistent, high-quality reviews and showcase them everywhere, so clients choose you with confidence. Learn more at scorpion.co Follow Scorpion on social media: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scorpion.co LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/scorpion Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/scorpion.co Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scorpiondotco

  4. Aug 13

    Google Says Stop Buying ‘AI Website’ Snake Oil

    Minutes before recording, Google published an article that said the quiet part out loud: good SEO is good GEO. In this episode of Digital Counsel, a fired-up Jamie and Michael break down that article point by point for law firms — and use it to dismantle the ‘AI optimization’ snake oil being sold to firms right now. This is the episode to send any attorney who’s been pitched a special ‘AI website,’ an llms.txt file, or bot-written content. You’ll get a plain-English read of Google’s five points: the new acronyms are just SEO, you optimize for people (not bots), your unique perspective beats generic content, your website is still your sales brochure, and noisy third-party metrics should never outrank signed cases. The through-line — get back to the fundamentals of great marketing and be completely obsessed with your ideal client. What you’ll take away: Why GEO, AEO, and ‘LLM SEO’ are just SEO — and why a $100M firm almost paid for fake ‘AI websites’ it never neededGoogle’s own line on bots: skip the llms.txt files and special schema, because search is smarter than thatCommodity vs non-commodity content — why ‘first-time DUI penalties’ is worthless now and war stories winWhy ‘websites are dead’ is false: your homepage is a sales brochure, and AI surfaces send clients who are ready to hireWhy noisy third-party metrics (like domain authority) should never outrank signed cases and revenueIn the AI era, the firms that get recommended won’t be the loudest — they’ll be the most trusted. Skip the snake oil, get back to fundamentals, and obsess over your ideal client. Sponsored by ScorpionGetting more leads isn’t the goal — signed cases and revenue are. If you can’t tie your marketing to signed cases, you’re guessing. Scorpion gives your firm clear insight into what actually drives new cases, so you can invest smarter and grow faster. Learn more at scorpion.co Article Referenced: https://business.google.com/ca-en/think/search-and-video/ai-search-era-brand-authority-strategy/ Follow Scorpion on social media: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scorpion.co LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/scorpion Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/scorpion.co Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scorpiondotco

  5. Jul 30

    78% of Legal Searches Now Get an AI Answer First

    Google has had a very busy year — and for law firms, the ground under local search has shifted. In this episode of Digital Counsel, hosts Jamie and Michael break down what actually changed: back-to-back core algorithm updates, the rise of AI Overviews on legal queries, the snake-oil ‘AI optimization’ being sold to attorneys, and why your first-party data and your LSA response time now decide who gets the case. It’s built for firm owners who want signed cases, not vanity metrics. You’ll hear why 78% of legal searches now trigger an AI answer (and why that doesn’t have to cost you leads), how to become the brand AI recommends through reviews and non-commodity content, which ‘AI SEO’ tactics to ignore entirely, and how feeding clean first-party data back to Google turns every signed case into better targeting. The through-line: be a genuinely great firm, say something only you can say, and answer the phone. What you’ll take away: Why 78% of legal queries now trigger AI Overviews — and why your organic traffic can drop while your leads hold steadyThe thesis that reframes everything: Google ranks websites, but AI recommends brandsCommodity vs non-commodity content — why ‘DUI penalties’ pages won’t rank you and case results and point of view willThe ‘AI SEO’ snake oil to ignore — AI-specific websites, special schema, llms.txt, and content chunkingWhy first-party data (which clicks became cases) is your unfair advantage, and why LSA response time can swing impressions by 50% The firms that win in AI search aren’t buying tricks — they’re building a real brand, feeding Google what only they know, and answering fast enough to turn an AI-educated searcher into a signed case. Sponsored by ScorpionGetting more leads isn’t the goal — signed cases and revenue are. If you can’t tie your marketing to signed cases, you’re guessing. Scorpion gives your firm clear insight into what actually drives new cases, so you can invest smarter and grow faster. Learn more at scorpion.co Links Discussed: https://www.scorpion.co/articles/news/industry-trends-news/-still-seo-doesn-t-mean-stand-still-what-google-/ https://www.scorpion.co/articles/news/industry-trends-news/google-had-a-massive-week-here-s-what-it-means-f/ https://www.scorpion.co/articles/topics/digital-advertising/what-google-changed-about-lsas-and-why-your-lead/

  6. Jul 16

    What 3,000 Consumers Said About Choosing a Lawyer

    In this episode of Digital Counsel, Jamie Adams and Michael Bunn cover three stories that reframe what it takes to win as a law firm in 2026 — why 'personal injury' and 'family law' aren't specific enough niches anymore, how scammers built six fully operational fake law firms using ChatGPT, and what 3,000 real legal consumers revealed about how they actually choose an attorney. Backed by an article from Attorney at Law Magazine, an OpenAI threat report on Operation False Witness, and Scorpion's own Legal Consumer Insights research, Jamie and Michael connect the dots between tighter niching, brand building, and the consumer expectations that are raising the floor for every firm in the market. What you'll take away: Why 'family law' and 'personal injury' are no longer specific enough to differentiate your firm digitally — and what a real niche looks like in 2026How ChatGPT is being used to build fake law firms that pass as credible — and the one asset that still can't be fakedWhy 53% of legal consumers won't consider a firm below four stars — up from 42% the prior year — and what that trend line meansWhat happens to your reputation when AI references directory profiles, review sites, and third-party listings you've been ignoringWhy neglected social media costs you clients from Gen X and older — the demographic most likely to need PI, estate planning, and family lawDon't wait for the next research report to tell you the floor has moved again — the firms running systematic review, brand, and niche strategies today are already pulling ahead. Sponsored by Scorpion Most marketing companies stop at leads. Scorpion goes further by connecting every click, call, and campaign to actual revenue. With integrated data and clear reporting, you can see exactly what drives your best jobs and double down on what works. To learn more about our marketing services, visit: https://www.scorpion.co/ Follow Scorpion on social media: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scorpion.co LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/scorpion Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/scorpion.co Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scorpiondotco

  7. Jul 2

    Stop Billing Hourly Before AI Decides for You

    In this Episode of Digital Counsel, Jamie Adams and Michael Bunn tackle three forces hitting law firm operators at once — AI-primed clients who arrive at intake already armed with questions, a billing model quietly bleeding revenue, and a marketing playbook set by Morgan & Morgan that most firms are still trying to decode. From real stories about intake teams getting stumped by ChatGPT-educated callers, to the data showing law firm attorneys bill just 2.9 hours of every 8-hour day, to what Morgan & Morgan's advertising machine actually teaches about brand building, Jamie and Michael deliver the straight talk firm leaders need before the window closes. What you'll take away: Why AI-educated clients are actually warmer leads — and how to train your intake team to convert them instead of losing themThe 30% efficiency problem hiding in hourly billing — and why AI is about to make it significantly worseWhy flat-fee matters close 2.6x faster, and how to pilot one practice area without overhauling your billing structureWhat Morgan & Morgan's playbook actually is — and the one thing smaller firms can copy without a $350M budgetWhy brand always comes before leads in every successful legal marketing playbook — and how to start building yours at any budgetThe firms adapting their intake, pricing, and brand strategy now are the ones that will still be growing when competitors are scrambling to catch up.The firms adapting their intake, pricing, and brand strategy now are the ones that will still be growing when competitors are scrambling to catch up. Sponsored by Scorpion Most marketing companies stop at leads. Scorpion goes further by connecting every click, call, and campaign to actual revenue. With integrated data and clear reporting, you can see exactly what drives your best jobs and double down on what works. To learn more about our marketing services, visit: https://www.scorpion.co/ Follow Scorpion on social media: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scorpion.co LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/scorpion Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/scorpion.co Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scorpiondotco

  8. Jun 18

    The AI Data Every Law Firm Partner Needs to See

    In the first episode of Digital Counsel, Jamie Adams and Michael Bunn break down the three biggest forces reshaping law firm marketing right now — and why the firms that move first have a structural advantage that will be nearly impossible to close later. Drawing from Clio's 2026 Legal Trends Report, real client conversations, and years of experience across legal and home services, Jamie and Michael give firm leaders a clear, actionable picture of where the industry is going — and what to do about it before the window closes. What you'll take away: Why AI platforms don't rank websites — they recommend brands, and the signals are completely different from traditional SEOThe single most controllable thing any firm can do today to show up in AI search results (hint: your Glassdoor reviews are in there too)What Clio's 2026 data reveals about which firms are seeing direct revenue gains from AI — and what separates them from the 61% that aren'tHow AI is transforming intake from a 9-to-5 bottleneck into a 24/7 lead capture and triage machine that never gets grumpyWhat the PE/MSO model means for your firm — whether you want to grow aggressively, sell eventually, or compete as an independentDon't let your competitors figure this out first — the firms building brand, reviews, and AI visibility today will be nearly impossible to catch in 18 months. Sponsored by Scorpion Today's customers search everywhere — not just Google. Scorpion helps your business show up across search engines, AI tools, and platforms where people actually look, so you stay visible when it matters most. Learn more at scorpion.co

5
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

The legal industry has no shortage of marketing advice, but most firms still struggle to connect marketing efforts to signed cases and revenue. Hosted by Jamie Adams and Michael Bunn, this show breaks down the conversations shaping the legal industry—from Reddit threads and LinkedIn debates to case studies and industry reports. Each episode challenges common advice, explores the connection between marketing and intake, and highlights what law firms should actually focus on to drive measurable growth and stronger case outcomes.