At this year’s Kaleidoscope conference, the conversations weren’t just about new product features — they were about the future of legal practice itself. From billing models to intake strategies to the ethical use of AI, panelists and practitioners alike wrestled with what it will take for solo, small, and midsize firms to thrive in the decade ahead.
Redefining Growth for Small Firms
One striking theme was how growth in solo and small firms requires new benchmarks and new mindsets. Zach Herbert shared a personal rule of thumb: “50 cases per person at a law firm means it’s time to get someone to try to help me.” That kind of metric is crude but powerful — a reminder that scaling is less about abstract strategy and more about practical thresholds.
Bob Simon highlighted another growth driver: content creation as a client engine. By publishing one to two educational reels daily on social media, he never lets what he calls “the faucet” turn off. The lesson is simple but critical: visibility and consistency create compounding returns. As Simon put it, “You gotta get out of your comfort zone to help people.”
And while starting out can be messy — Kelley Brubaker joked, “Do not watch my first podcast — it sucks!” — repetition builds confidence. Two years later, she can turn on a camera without hesitation.
Billing Models: The Cracks in the Billable Hour
If there was one recurring motif at Kaleidoscope, it was dissatisfaction with traditional billing.
The pain of billing: Herbert was blunt: “I have billed before and I hated it. I think both sides hate it — the people billing and the people receiving the bills.”
Flat fees and transparency: Brubaker admitted that moving away from hourly billing was scary, but necessary. Even with flat fees, she still tracks hours to measure profitability — a data discipline many firms overlook.
The leverage problem: Panelists like Joe Patrice, Stephanie Wilkins, and Stephen Embry debated whether the billable hour will endure. While entrenched, AI and client pressure are pushing firms to explore alternatives. Kim Bennett framed it succinctly: “When you go to a restaurant, you’re not paying for the amount of time it takes them to make the meal. Subscriptions are a flat fee on steroids.”
The conclusion wasn’t that the billable hour is disappearing tomorrow — Stephanie reminded us it’s “so entrenched” that dismantling it will take systemic change. But the cracks are widening. Predictability, trust, and outcome-based pricing are increasingly viable models.
The Role of AI: Promise, Peril, and Practical Tips
The AI conversations at Kaleidoscope cut through hype and got to the heart of what adoption will really look like.
Ethical obligation: Bob Ambrogi emphasized, “There is an ethical obligation to understand the technology you’re using. We don’t need new ethics rules to govern AI; we just need lawyers to operate within the bounds of the existing rules.”
Reality check: Joe Patrice quipped that AI often acts as “mansplaining as a service.” Stephen Embry added that what’s marketed as “agentic” AI is often just guided workflows — reminding us to be precise in what we expect.
Practical usage: Tips from the AI Speed Round included giving AI tools personas, treating them like “the dumbest associate you’ve ever worked with,” and iterating prompts rather than expecting one-and-done answers.
The broader lesson: AI is not a monolith. It’s a set of targeted assistants that require guardrails, supervision, and ongoing learning. Lawyers don’t need to become technologists, but they do need to be tech-competent.
Data, Intake, and the Business of Law
Panels on intake and firm growth pointed to another hard truth: business discipline is as essential as legal expertise.
Carolyn Elefant and others emphasized intake as the difference between growth and stagnation. Missed follow-ups or clunky processes mean lost revenue.
Kelley Brubaker put it bluntly: “The numbers don’t lie. Valid numbers.” Whether it’s intake, profitability, or staff efficiency, firms need to embrace data-driven management.
This echoes a recurring theme: firms that treat themselves as businesses — tracking metrics, optimizing processes, investing in marketing — will outpace those that rely on tradition or inertia.
Resilience Lessons from the Keynote
Olympian Gabby Thomas offered a different lens: performance psychology. Her message applied as much to law as to sport:
Success comes from small, daily habits, not one-off heroics.
Visualization, preparation, and trust in your team are what create confidence under pressure.
Failure isn’t fatal — “The only way it’s a true failure is if you stop, if you don’t learn from it.”
For lawyers navigating rapid change, that mindset may be the most important takeaway of all.
Final Thoughts
Kaleidoscope 2025 underscored that the practice of law is at an inflection point:
Growth requires new tactics — from social media visibility to data-driven hiring thresholds.
Billing is under pressure — firms must experiment with flat fees, subscriptions, and outcome-based pricing while maintaining transparency.
AI is a tool, not a savior — it amplifies, but doesn’t replace, judgment.
Resilience is non-negotiable — consistent habits and a willingness to adapt will separate firms that thrive from those that falter.
The big picture? Law firms — especially solo, small, and midsize — must evolve beyond the billable hour and beyond reactive business practices. Those that embrace data, experiment with pricing, and integrate AI responsibly will not just survive the coming decade — they’ll lead it.
