Ep11 The Great Lawyer Bashing Debate: Do We Deserve It?
Lawyer bashing: Do we deserve it? 💡
In this solo episode of Legal Lightbulbs, Verity White tackles a spicy topic: lawyer bashing. From unreadable advice to never‑ending negotiations, lawyers often cop the blame for slow, complex, fear‑driven contracting. But is that fair?
Fresh from a commercial and contracting conference (not a legal one!), Verity shares how lawyers became the default scapegoat for:
You’ll discover:
Overly complex contracts
Fear-based positions
Slow negotiations
Clunky, outdated templates
She steps in to defend the profession, but also admits some of the criticism is warranted. Then she flips the script: instead of blaming “the lawyers” or “the tools”, what if in‑house legal teams chose to be the change?
This episode is a call‑out and a call‑up for modern lawyers, especially small in‑house legal teams, to stop hiding behind templates, tools, and risk excuses, and start redesigning how they work. Tune in now to discover how to go from being part of the problem to leading the charge for positive change in the legal profession. Let’s turn the feedback (and yes, even the bashing) into a roadmap for growth!🎯💡✨
Listen Now on Spotify, Apple Podcast or Youtube
“Not everything is lawyers’ fault. But some of the bashing is warranted. The question is: are we willing to stop blaming our tools and start being the change we want to see in how law is practiced?”
— Verity White
In Episode 11 of Legal Lightbulbs, Verity unpacks the big question: lawyer bashing - do we deserve it?
At [00:01:00], she describes a commercial contracting conference where lawyers were blamed for complex contracts, fear‑based positions, and slow negotiations. Verity steps in to defend lawyers, noting that they often work from commercial instructions, not in isolation.
By [00:02:00], she shares the story of an M&A lawyer who dismissed contract simplification because he “doesn’t want to get sued.” Verity challenges this thinking, reminding us the real purpose of contracts is to make deals work and create value for clients, not just protect the drafter.
At [00:03:00], Verity explores why lawyer bashing exists: unreadable, unusable advice, outdated templates, and slow, opaque service. She acknowledges that some criticism is fair—but frames it as a chance for small in‑house teams to lead change.
From [00:04:00], she calls out the habit of blaming tools (“we don’t have matter management”, “our templates are old”) and shows how you can improve intake, guidance, and clarity using simple checklists, internal guides, and Word - no fancy tech required.
At [00:05:00], Verity focuses on better briefing. Whether you’re instructing external counsel, juniors, or AI, clearer context and specific format requests (plain language, dot points, exec‑ready email with a TL;DR) lead to advice you can actually use and forward.
By [00:06:00], she turns to self‑audit: checking the readability of your own emails and clauses, looking at turnaround times, and asking how easy you are to work with. Small improvements here help you become a change agent inside your team.
The episode closes at [00:09:00] with Verity recognising that while not all lawyer bashing is fair, it can be a useful wake‑up call. Her challenge to small in‑house teams: stop blaming tools, improve how you communicate and deliver value, and actively reshape the reputation of your legal function.
Key Takeaways
Let’s recap the highlights from this episode on Fast Track Contracts:
1. Some lawyer bashing is fair, use it as feedback
Unreadable, unusable advice and outdated, complex contracts do frustrate people. Instead of getting defensive, treat this as a prompt to do better.
2. Stop blaming your tools
You don’t need a full tech stack to improve. Start with what you have: Word, checklists, simple intake forms, internal guides. Contracts are not set in stone. your project.
3. Brief better to get better
Whether you’re briefing external counsel, juniors, or AI tools, clear context + clear format requests = usable advice. Ask explicitly for plain language and exec‑ready formats.
4. Audit your own work
Check the readability, length, and tone of your own emails, clauses, and advice. Track your own turnaround times. Make yourself easier to work with.
5. Be the change agent in your small legal team
Model simple, structured, user‑friendly advice. Once execs love it, you’ll have the mandate to roll that style out across your team and reshape how legal is perceived.
💡Legal Lightbulb Moment:
“All feedback is a gift. Sometimes it’s wrapped more nicely than others. But if we stop blaming our tools and start redesigning the way we work, we can actually shift the reputation of our legal teams from blockers to enablers.”
— Verity White
Links & Resources
Listen Now on Spotify, Apple Podcast or Youtube
Connect with Verity
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/verityw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/checklistlegal
📚 Want clearer contracts and better comms? Checklist Legal – We create contracts clients love
Happy listening, legal legends! 💥
