Forget about emails. In this today and age, the podcast format is providing law firms with a viable way to deliver content to clients and consumers who are constantly on the move. But to be sure, producing a successful series isn't for the faint of heart.

“Will more law firms dabble in it? Perhaps. But the message I'd like to send to anyone who is listening is it requires a lot of time and effort and commitment,” said Jonathan Schwartz, chair of the Cyber Risk Coverage subgroup at Goldberg Segalla and the host behind most of the episodes in the firm's “Timely Notice” podcast series.

At present, “Timely Notice” consists of 91 installments that have dropped weekly since the podcast's debut in May 2018. The last episode dissected a recent Illinois case on the trigger of malicious prosecution coverage, while another focused on the permissive use rule. All in some way incorporate trends, breaking news or expert analysis as related to global insurance law and the insurance marketplace.

Schwartz pitched the idea behind the podcast to firm higher-ups after realizing that as much as he might like to find a quiet place to read a piece of content from start to finish, life as a commuter in a big city didn't always afford him the option. It stood to reason that clients and other legal content consumers might feel the same way.

“For example, some clients have told us that over lunch they'll sit down and play a podcast episode and then talk about it. So it's essentially a mobile lunch and learn, and they really do appreciate it,” Schwartz said.

Still, churning out a weekly podcast is not without its demands. The amount of prep time required varies depending on Schwartz's familiarity with the given topic of an episode, but generally it takes him between 15-20 minutes to write a script. Throw in another 30 minutes to actually record the show plus an additional half-hour for editing.

But the work is never really “done.”

“Consistently you have to be thinking about: I need another episode, I need another guest, I need another topic. And you have to be very disciplined about it,” Schwartz said.

David Hashmall, chairman of Goodwin, said most of his work as the host of the firm's “Perspectives” podcast happens before recording begins. New installments of “Perspectives” are released monthly and are built around interviews with players in the legal and business communities. Topics range from pro bono work to how recruitment tactics differ across geographies.

The good news is that guests can conduct their side of the interview remotely, with all of the recording taking place over phone lines. Hashmall said he doesn't think of the podcast as a marketing tool, but rather as an opportunity to interact with interesting people from legal industry and pass those insights along to listeners. It's about providing services to clients that go beyond legal advice.

“We really think it's important to partner with our clients on topics including diversity initiatives and pro bono. The culture is important to overall success, whether you are talking about an in-house or a corporate legal department or you're talking about a law firm,” Hashmall said.

At Baker McKenzie, the watchwords for podcasts are “quick” and “punchy.” The firm invested in recording studios located throughout several of its global offices and maintains a litany of ongoing podcasts that include “The Employer Report,” and “Talking Stock.”

Susan Eandi, head of Baker McKenzie's global employment and labor law practice group, said that while topics pertaining to complex changes in the law might be better suited to webinars or written materials, podcasts are perfect for dispersing quick insights into breaking legal news. She used the example of a decision made by the California Supreme Court in April that made it harder for employers to classify their employees as independent contractors, which the firm was quickly able to address in podcast form.

“The client feedback was great because they were really appreciative of the quick reach out. … They know enough about what's happening during their commute to work that then they can sit in the meeting and say, 'Hey, we need to be aware of this,'” said Eandi.