Podcast

Most lawyers talk about technology, efficiency, AI, and the future of legal practice.

Very few talk about what we’ve lost.

In this conversation, Neal Goldstein sits down with Michelle Stern, Executive Director of the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers, to discuss a problem that affects lawyers at every stage of their careers: connection.

Michelle never planned to practice law in the traditional sense. She went to law school with a nonprofit and advocacy background, never wanted clients, and ultimately built one of the largest trial lawyer organizations in New York. Today she serves more than 6,000 members and has spent over two decades watching the legal profession evolve from a unique vantage point.

That perspective gives her a front-row seat to changes many lawyers feel but rarely discuss.

The profession has become more efficient. Lawyers can attend court from their desks. CLEs can be completed from home. Meetings, conferences, and networking events can happen through a screen.

But convenience comes with a cost.

Michelle explains how many lawyers, especially younger lawyers, are developing their careers without the relationships that previous generations built naturally through courthouse interactions, bar associations, mediations, conferences, and face-to-face conversations.

The result is more than isolation.

It affects mentorship.

It affects referrals.

It affects professional development.

It affects confidence.

And ultimately it affects the ability to build a meaningful legal career.

Neal and Michelle discuss why networking is often misunderstood, why soft skills matter more than many lawyers realize, and why being technically competent is no longer enough.

They also explore:

• Why Michelle never wanted clients in the first place

• How a nonprofit-minded law student found the perfect legal career

• The surprising story behind the growth of the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers

• How COVID permanently changed the legal profession

• The hidden downside of Zoom-based practice

• Why younger lawyers struggle with relationship-building

• The role bar associations still play in a lawyer’s success

• How referral networks are built

• The importance of listening to clients

• Why communication often matters more than legal knowledge

• The difference between being a good lawyer and being someone clients trust

• The future of legal education and professional development

• Lawyer wellness, connection, and community

• What makes lawyers stand out in today’s profession

One of the most powerful moments in the conversation comes when Michelle describes lawyers as being “trapped in our boxes.”

It is a simple observation, but one that captures a reality many attorneys experience every day.

Technology has solved countless logistical problems. It has also quietly removed many of the human interactions that helped lawyers learn, grow, and build careers.

Whether you’re a solo practitioner, a young associate, a trial lawyer, or someone considering a legal career, this episode offers an honest conversation about what professional success really requires.

Because legal knowledge alone is rarely enough.

Relationships still matter.

Community still matters.

People still matter.

If you enjoy conversations about law, career development, professional growth, client relationships, trial practice, and the human side of being a lawyer, subscribe and turn on notifications for future episodes.

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Source: Academy of Trial Lawyers