In this session, Smokeball CEO, Hunter Steele, will share his insights into the future of the legal industry and the impact that he believes technology will have on the practice of law over the next year. Hunter will also provide a deep dive into the overarching vision behind Smokeball, and unveil a collection of brand new product features that Smokeball is set to introduce in the near future.
Niching down is not about shrinking, it is about choosing a focus that makes your firm the go-to legal provider in your chosen industry, as well as making your business easier to market and more fulfilling to work in. This session will put forward the case that specialisation improves conversion, supports stronger pricing, positions you as a trusted adviser, builds brand authority, and attracts loyal clients and staff. Learn from Jennifer Tutty, founder of Studio Legal, a leading Australian firm for creative businesses.
Key Takeaways:
- Learn how niche positioning attracts better-fit inquiries, lifts conversion rates, and supports premium pricing through clearer value
- Learn how a focused niche builds trust and relevant in your market, strengthening brand authority and opening up fun and creative marketing opportunities
- Discover how a clear niche attracts aligned team members and clients, creating stronger purpose, better retention, and a fulfilling day-to-day working environment
In this session, Join Ralph Grayden, Owner, Antelope Media, for a practical workshop on AI prompt engineering tailored for legal professionals. Leveraging legal expertise with professional prompt design, Ralph will show you how to develop a firm-specific ‘AI Writing Operating System’ that speeds up drafting, frees up billable hours, and produces legal-grade outputs, all without compromising accuracy or client confidentiality.
Key Takeaways:
- Master effective prompt design for legal drafting, including idea-ignition techniques to kill the blank page and structure legal arguments.
- Build repeatable AI workflows (AI Writing OS)with voice guardrails, verification checkpoints, and clear boundaries to preserve accuracy and client confidentiality.
- Integrate governance, ethical safeguards and risk controls to embed compliance into every day tasks.
In this session, Dr Xanthe Mallett, Associate Professor at Central Queensland University and well-known forensic criminologist, will examine not only the forensic and legal dimensions of the Erin Patterson “mushroom murder” case, but also the way in which it sparked global media fascination. Xanthe will explore how an ordinary family lunch turned fatal, the unusual method selected by the killer, the complexity of the police investigation, and how these factors combined to capture the world’s attention. She will also unpack what this means for justice processes, public perception, and the broader true-crime culture that shapes how high-profile cases are received.
Key Takeaways
- How women might express their psychopathy in different ways that are often misidentified
- How true crime shapes offenders’ behaviour as much as it influences public perception
- Listen to your gut: If body language and expression don’t match, they could be lying
This session will cut to the chase and outline four specific strategies that Australian law firms are using right now to unlock profit and cash flow in their firms. No theory, just actions. Delivered by Matt Schlyder, Australia’s leading lawyers’ accountant, you’ll leave the session with a practical action plan to implement to improve revenue and cash flow as well as a guide on how to use existing functionality already in Smokeball to deliver these outcomes.
In this session, renowned estate planning expert and author of Testamentary Trusts: Strategies and Precedents, 4th edition, Vik Sundar will provide an overview of how practitioners can think outside of the box when it comes to implementing estate plans for clients. In this session, Vik will provide a practical guide to a number of strategies including:
- Post-death testamentary trusts when there isn’t a testamentary trust will in place
- Strategies for minimising death benefit taxes on death
- Strategies for minimising the risk of family provision and notional estate provisions
- Extending the main residence CGT exemption into testamentary trusts
- Succession planning for family trusts.
Join Adele Holye, Smokeball’s Chief Product Officer, for an interactive session that will showcase Smokeball’s exciting product road map. In this session, you’ll receive a live showcase of some of Smokeball’s newest and soon to be released features, as well as insights into our long-term product vision and updates you can expect in the not-too-distant future.
Key Takeaways:
- Live demonstrations of recently released features you may not be using
- A roadmap update detailing feature releases you can expect to see soon
- Learn more about Smokeball’s longer term product vision
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Artificial intelligence has provided Australian law firms with opportunities to rapidly enhance productivity, reduce operational costs, and even promote more equitable access to justice. Equally as important, however, are the ethical duties that legal practitioners must maintain to their clients and the courts.
In this session, learn how your law firm can leverage these tools to their full potential while maintaining confidence, ensuring accuracy, and safeguarding client confidence. Plus, learn more about emerging ethical AI models and the questions you should be asking your AI providers.
Key Takeaways:
- Practical guidance on maintaining ethical duties to your clients and the court
- The ethical considerations of not using AI
- Overview of ethical AI models and the questions you should be asking your AI providers.
Tranche 2 AML regulations are reshaping compliance obligations for law firms. This panel explores practical strategies to navigate the new requirements, manage risk, and integrate effective processes across your practice. Learn how to stay ahead of regulatory changes, safeguard client relationships, and leverage technology to streamline compliance while maintaining operational efficiency and confidence.
Key Takeaways:
- Understand the new AML obligations and their impact on law firm operations
- Learn practical strategies to manage compliance risk effectively
- Discover ways to use technology to simplify AML compliance and improve efficiency
Clients today don’t just choose a law firm - they choose an experience. And while legal expertise matters, the firms winning work are the ones who understand how to market themselves effectively and move swiftly when a lead comes through. In this session, Holly Martin, Managing Director of The Marketing GP, will cut through the noise and break down the marketing fundamentals every law firm needs in place to stay competitive. She’ll also tackle one of the biggest performance gaps in the industry: how firms capture, handle and convert enquiries into real, bankable revenue. Expect a practical, no-nonsense look at what actually works and what's costing firms opportunities every single day.
Key Takeaways:
- What strong marketing foundations look like in a modern legal practice
- How to create a client journey that builds trust from first click to first conversation
- Why most firms leak leads (and how to fix it fast)
- Simple systems that turn enquiries into paid matters with less effort
Designed for family lawyers, this workshop will provide an overview of current developments shaping the practice area. The session will explore emerging trends, evolving expectations, and changes influencing how practitioners support clients in a shifting family law environment.
Speaker to be announced shortly.
In this interactive Q&A session, you’ll receive the opportunity to connect directly with our Product and Training teams, along with a client super user, to ask the questions you’ve always wanted answered. Come prepared with your questions and learn more about how Smokeball features are built, ways that you can maximise your platform usage, and real-world examples of how firms just like yours are succeeding with Smokeball. More speakers to be announced shortly.
Key Takeaways:
- Learn more about how feature updates are shipped and what may be coming soon
- Meet with our training teams to receive answers to your most pressing questions
- Connect with a Smokeball super user to discover how you can be leveraging more out of the platform
The legal profession is changing, and leaders must adapt to support increasingly diverse teams. This panel explores how small firms can embrace cultural, generational, neurodiverse, and intersectional differences to strengthen performance and client outcomes. Learn practical ways to lead with inclusion, harness diverse perspectives, and create workplaces where modern expectations and strategic advantage align.
Key Takeaways:
- Practical strategies for fostering a culture that values diverse perspectives.
- Learn how diverse teams enhance decision-making, innovation, and client outcomes.
- Insights on managing cultural, generational and neurodiverse differences with empathy and effectiveness.
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