In 1958, one article changed how lawyers got paid. We’re here for the next change.
The 1958 Lawyer Podcast
The 1958 Lawyer is a podcast about the business of law — how solo and small firms actually grow, market, hire, and run a practice. Real attorneys, real numbers, honest conversation. Hosted by Ron Bockstahler, founder of Amata Law Office Suites.
“The 1958 Lawyer and His 1938 Dollar.”The American Bar Association pamphlet that gave this show its name — and helped launch the billable hour.
The last time the business of law really changed.
Before 1960, most legal work was billed by the project. Then the ABA published a now-famous pamphlet arguing that lawyers were falling behind — and the billable hour was born. It reshaped how every firm in America made money.
That was the last major change to the business of law. More than 60 years ago. We think it’s past time for the next one — and this show is where we work it out, one honest conversation at a time.
What is The 1958 Lawyer? It’s a podcast about the business of law for solo and small firms — growth, marketing, staffing, and the realities of running a practice — hosted by Ron Bockstahler, founder of Amata Law Office Suites and a Chicago Bar Association partner.
The latest episode
Episodes worth your commute.
Jared Reynolds: The Quiet Power of Being Fully Yourself
Jared Reynolds talks about what changed when he stopped hiding parts of himself — including coming out as bisexual — and started practicing law…
Listen now → ▶ July 15, 2026Atty. Pat Cotter: Justice, Fairness, and the Human Side of Law
Pat Cotter's career spans both sides of the courtroom — decades as a criminal prosecutor, including a role in the John Gotti prosecution, before…
Listen now → ▶ July 15, 2026Ricardo Santiago: Profitable Practice, Purposeful Impact
Nine months into his own firm, Ricardo Santiago made a deliberate choice most new solo attorneys wouldn't: focus on family law clients from underserved…
Listen now → ▶ July 15, 2026Clint Ind: Smarter Lawyering in the Age of AI
AI tools are moving fast, and attorneys are right to wonder what happens to client documents once they're uploaded into one. Ron and Clint…
Listen now → ▶ July 15, 2026Gary Savine: The Hidden Risks of Growing a Law Firm
Many firms that use a PEO assume it washes their hands of employment law liability the moment an employee becomes the PEO's W-2 hire…
Listen now → ▶ July 15, 2026Richie Marrero: Rethinking Benefits for Law Firms
Richie Marrero's path into insurance and benefits is anything but typical — he came up through a social work background, not a sales or…
Listen now → ▶ July 15, 2026Katy Mickelson: Family Law, Mediation, And The Business Of Divorce
Most attorneys' careers follow one obvious lane — this guest didn't. She spent seven years in public relations, studied EU law in Italy, worked…
Listen now → ▶ July 15, 2026Ron & Rebecca: From Overwhelm To Leverage – Building A Strategic Executive Assistant Partnership
Most solo and small firm attorneys try to do everything themselves — client work, scheduling, follow-up, admin — until it quietly caps how much…
Listen now →Doing law differently? Come talk about it.
We’re always looking for attorneys and legal professionals with a real story about the business of law — what worked, what didn’t, and what you’d tell someone starting out.
Or call us — 312.924.0200