Home Podcasts The Paralegal Coach
The Paralegal Coach

The Paralegal Coach

Ann Pearson 100 Episodes Aug 11, 2026

The Paralegal Coach is hosted by Ann Pearson, a former paralegal and paralegal manager turned entrepreneur. Each episode offers actionable strategies aimed at fast-tracking your paralegal career. The show mixes informative interviews, behind-the-scenes tips from management, and solo deep dives into topics that matter most to paralegals. The goal is to give listeners tangible takeaways that add real value to their careers.

Episodes

You're Already Using AI: What Paralegals Need to Know
You're Already Using AI: What Paralegals Need to Know Aug 11, 2026 31:36 Think your firm is not using AI yet? Take a closer look at your cite-checking tool, your transcription app, and your review platform. AI is already in there. In this episode of Paralegal Real Talk, guest host Linda Odermott sits down with Kelley Chaney, RP, CEDS, a senior e-discovery paralegal at Ballard Spahr LLP. Kelley walks through the tools she uses on real matters, the two concerns clients
How to Actually Unplug on Vacation Without the Monday Dread
How to Actually Unplug on Vacation Without the Monday Dread Jul 14, 2026 20:13 Episode Summary: Do you ever come back from vacation feeling like you need another vacation?
If you've ever spent the week before your time off working late to "get ahead," only to return to an overflowing inbox and a mountain of catch-up work, this episode is for you. In this practical episode, Ann Pearson shares the exact system she used as a paralegal manager and continues to use today to trul
Is Your Paralegal Role AI-Proof? Here's How to Find Out (and What to do About it)
Is Your Paralegal Role AI-Proof? Here's How to Find Out (and What to do About it) Jun 9, 2026 17:31 Free Resource Mentioned in This Episode The AI Career Audit Coach The free tool Ann references throughout this episode. It is a custom GPT that asks you focused questions about your specific role, your practice area, and your goals, then builds you a personalized roadmap showing you exactly which tasks are at risk, which skills to develop now, and a simple one-hour-a-week plan to get there. Fre
Trial Tips Every Litigation Paralegal Should Steal From a Hot Seat Pro
Trial Tips Every Litigation Paralegal Should Steal From a Hot Seat Pro May 12, 2026 59:58 What really happens in the hot seat when everything goes wrong? In this episode, Ann sits down with Anthony "Tony" Castro, owner of Lit Trial Paralegal Services and one of South Florida's go-to trial tech specialists, to swap real trial stories and uncover the five tips every litigation paralegal needs in their back pocket. Tony's path into the legal industry is anything but traditional. He starte
Still Showing Up: One Paralegal's Story of Purpose, Passion, and ALS
Still Showing Up: One Paralegal's Story of Purpose, Passion, and ALS Apr 14, 2026 23:58 In this deeply moving and unique conversation, Ann shares the story of Tina Johnson—a career paralegal, mentor, leader, and advocate who was diagnosed with ALS in 2024. Because Tina has lost her ability to speak, every answer in this episode was written by her, by hand, and is read aloud so her voice can still be heard. Inside this episode, you'll hear: ✔️ How Tina found her calling in the paraleg
Oregon's First Cohort of Landlord/Tenant Licensed Paralegals
Oregon's First Cohort of Landlord/Tenant Licensed Paralegals Mar 17, 2026 19:07 If you've ever wondered what licensed paralegals actually do, and how they're changing access to justice, this conversation pulls back the curtain. In this episode of Paralegal Real Talk, guest host Linda Odermott sits down with Sean Ferraro, one of Oregon's first landlord-tenant licensed paralegals and the operations manager for the CLEAR Clinic in Portland. CLEAR provides free legal services to
Paralegals in Business? An Interview with Leah Miller
Paralegals in Business? An Interview with Leah Miller Mar 3, 2026 43:36 If you're a paralegal who's ever thought:  "Maybe I should start my own business…" This episode is your reality check, and maybe your inspiration. In this candid conversation, Ann sits down with Leah Miller, a former litigation paralegal who became a firm administrator, then CFO, and eventually launched her own fractional CFO company serving law firms nationwide. But this isn't a "quit your job an
Finding a Paralegal Mentor
Finding a Paralegal Mentor Feb 17, 2026 14:48 Announcement! The AI Boot Camp is open for enrollment at AI-TrainingBootCamp.com. Learn more about AI for Legal Professionals. In this final podcast episode in our Paralegal Survival Toolkit series, Ann Pearson gives strategies to the new paralegals trying to find a mentor and how to get the most out of your mentor/mentee relationship. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why mentorship is a true caree
Fast-Track Your Tech Learning
Fast-Track Your Tech Learning Feb 3, 2026 13:30 Episode Summary: Mastering Legal Tech Without the Overwhelm — Part 7 of the Paralegal Survival Toolkit In this episode of the Paralegal Coach Podcast, Ann Pearson continues the Paralegal Survival Toolkit series with a topic that causes anxiety for nearly every new paralegal: legal technology and the steep learning curve that comes with it. Aimed at both brand-new paralegals and those starting at a
How to Survive a Toxic Work Culture as a New Hire
How to Survive a Toxic Work Culture as a New Hire Jan 20, 2026 14:50 Episode Summary: How to Survive a Toxic Workplace — Part 6 of the Paralegal Survival Toolkit In this episode of the Paralegal Coach Podcast, Ann Pearson continues the Paralegal Survival Toolkit series with a topic that hits close to home for many legal professionals: how to survive a toxic workplace. Get the free companion workbook for the Paralegal Survival Toolkit. Ann acknowledges what so
How to Earn Respect Faster, Part 5 of the Paralegal Survival Series
How to Earn Respect Faster, Part 5 of the Paralegal Survival Series Jan 13, 2026 17:04 Episode Summary: How to Earn Respect Faster — Part 5 of the Paralegal Survival Toolkit In this episode of the Paralegal Coach Podcast, Ann Pearson returns to the Paralegal Survival Toolkit series with a topic that resonates deeply with paralegals at every stage of their career: earning respect in the legal workplace. Ann acknowledges a reality many paralegals experience, especially early on — feel
Why Your Job Title Matters Less Than You Think in a Law Firm, a discussion with Jacob Reeder
Why Your Job Title Matters Less Than You Think in a Law Firm, a discussion with Jacob Reeder Jan 6, 2026 50:34 Episode Summary: Prefer to watch the video interview: https://youtu.be/l99EN275AYI  In this episode of the Paralegal Coach Podcast, Ann Pearson sits down with Jacob Reeder, Director of Operations at Kalikhman and Rayz, a Philadelphia law firm. In the interview, Jacob challenges a common belief many new paralegals carry: that you need the "perfect" first job, the exact experience level, or even a p

Recommended