ILTA Voices
Episodes
Thursday Jan 25, 2024
Legal Career Labyrinth: Navigating Your Unique Path in Law
Thursday Jan 25, 2024
Thursday Jan 25, 2024
In legal operations and other knowledge or practice management roles, there's often a lot less structure and clarity on the types of roles and career progression available in the industry.
In this podcast session, we'll talk through some ways to first figure out what your options are, then how to get started down the path you want to be on, and where to turn for help when it's not available within your org.
Questions the moderator asked the panelists - Tell us a bit about your professional journey and when you were able to steer your own ship with regards to your roles within a law firm. - What steps did you take and research did you have to do to clarify your vision for your next role? - What were some ways that you were able to communicate with management/leaders to get them aligned with your goals and vision for your next career moves? - Did you run into any unexpected obstacles and how did you overcome them? Do you have any advice for others that may be seeking a change in their current role?
Moderator:Harriet Joubert-Vaklyes- Senior Project Manager, Legal Operations, CBRE
Panelists: Danette Shaifer - Facilitator, Relationship Intelligence Coach, Learning Strategist, Florishion ConsultingAmy Wegener- Executive Coach and Consultant, AB Wegener LLC Esther Bowers - Chief Practice Innovation Officer, Honigman LLP
Recorded on 1-25-2024
Monday Dec 18, 2023
Sitting in the Hot Seat: Extreme Ligitation Support
Monday Dec 18, 2023
Monday Dec 18, 2023
Trial Support is often not just for trials. It comprises of arbitrations, mediations, business development proposals, hearings on dispositive motions and/or an in-depth presentation to name a few.In this podcast panel interview, the panelists discussed the various types of presentations, tools, considerations, setup and tips and trick they use when sitting on the "hot seat."
Questions that Jill asked the panelists:
1. How did you get here (brief background of lit experience that led to wanting to be ‘in the hot seat’)?
2. How do you ‘market’ your skillset within the firm?
3. What are the presentation types/tools most used by you/your firm?
4. What are the most important considerations when determining which presentation type will be the best choice for the forum?
5. What to do when technology fails?
6. What are some tips and tricks you’ve learned through your years sitting in the hot seat?Moderator:
@Jill Okerlund Pigeon- Legal Process Coordinator, Robinson BradshawPanelists:
@Timothy Piganelli - CEO, The Piganelli Consulting Group, Inc.@Stephanie Mills - Manager, Discovery Services, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP
@David Gomez - Practice Support Project Manager, Robinson BradshawRecorded 12-18-2023
Thursday Oct 26, 2023
Pivoting: Career Transitions Within the Firm
Thursday Oct 26, 2023
Thursday Oct 26, 2023
In this podcast interview, the moderator talked with speakers who have both recently transitioned careers within the same firm. They will discuss how has their experience prepared them, why did they chose to stay within firm, what has been the overall key differences in the new role, challenges and successes experienced and more. Questions the moderator asked the speakers:-Tell us a little about your previous role(s) and what you do now-What are some of the key differences between your previous role(s) and current role?-What have been some of the biggest challenges that you have faced in making the transition?-What are some of the biggest factors in your success?-Do you have any advice for others looking to pivot?Moderator: @Harriet Joubert-Vaklyes - Senior Project Manager, Legal Operations, CBRESpeakers: @Tanya Pereira - Business Transformation Specialist, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP @Martina Udovicic - Account Manager, Legal Operations, Borden Ladner Gervais LLPRecorded on 10-26-2023
Thursday Oct 19, 2023
How eDiscovery Can Support DSARs
Thursday Oct 19, 2023
Thursday Oct 19, 2023
In this session, the speaker discussed what are the differences between lit support and DSARs, the priorities for which DSAR work. In addition, they covered suggested processes, tips and tricks.
Questions the moderator asked the speaker:
• What is it about DSARs that makes them so tricky to respond to?
• What sort of approaches to the DSAR problem approaches have you seen organizations try to take? Do these work? (For example, printing and redacting hard copy, hiring dedicated teams)
• Why is eDiscovery technology is good solution for DSAR responses? (for example, searching, redacting, auditing, collaboration across teams)
• Is there a difference between using this technology for discovery and for DSARs? (For example, the way the review is structured, how the vendor needs to be instructed, use of different types of tools in the platform)
• Can you share some case studies about using eDiscovery technology to complete a DSAR / specific tasks within a DSAR response which wouldn’t have been possible otherwise?
Moderator: @Rachel McAdams - Senior Consultant, Sky Discovery
Speaker:
@Laura Herangi - Partner, Commercial Litigation, Mason Hayes & Curran LLP
Recorded on 10-19-2023
Thursday Oct 05, 2023
Unlocking the Power of LinkedIn for Legal Professionals
Thursday Oct 05, 2023
Thursday Oct 05, 2023
For many, the past few years since the pandemic brought lots of continual change in the legal marketplace. In order to stay relevant with like-minded individuals and keep up with emerging trends in industry, many paid more attention and time to social media to stay connected.One social media platform which has remained very popular within Legal and other key industries is LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a very effective professional development tool if utilized correctly and one that can help people achieve and/or grow their leadership skills.In this session, we will obtain important tips and tricks for unlocking the true potential of LinkedIn for legal professionals. Specifically, we will focus on how you can best share your own unique perspectives into the open for awareness, create a compelling profile, how you can easily identify networking and career opportunities and what you need to do to become a recognized 'thought leader' in the field and more.
Questions the moderator asked the speaker:
-What are 2-3 top tips for creating a compelling profile on LinkedIn? Any unique aspects to consider for legal
-Establishing yourself as a “thought leader” can feel daunting. What approaches do you recommend to someone wanting to leverage LinkedIn to enhance their persona as a thought leader? Any unique aspects to consider for legal?
-What advice do you have for a “newbie” wanting to start engaging or posting more regularly on LinkedIn? Any unique aspects to consider for legal?
-What are some proven strategies for successful networking on LinkedIn? What are the no-no’s to avoid in LinkedIn networking? Any unique aspects to consider for legal?Moderator:@Brendan Miller - Legal Innovation Consultant Speaker:@Stefanie Marrone - Fractional Marketing Director/Social Media, Marketing and Business Development Strategist, Stefanie Marrone Consulting/The Social Media Butterfly
Recorded on 10-5-2023
Wednesday Aug 16, 2023
Risk Management: Data Analytics & Intelligence > AI Adoption
Wednesday Aug 16, 2023
Wednesday Aug 16, 2023
How are firms adopting Artificial Intelligence in the Risk Management space? Given the fast-paced and highly publicized technology trends involving AI, what are the biggest challenges organizations face today with adopting AI technologies and in particular maintaining security and compliance around client, firm, and personnel data.Questions the moderator will ask the speakers:
Where do AI capabilities exist in the Risk Space? Reporting, Terms of Engagement, Conflicts Searching, Data Analytics, Records, etc.
Data captured at client/matter inception is used throughout an organization, would you tell me what key factors join teams together and how organizations maintain consistency especially with AI “running in the background”?
How do firms control the information and the learning?
How or when does an organization begin to trust its AI?
What are the fears/blocks an organization will address prior to deciding to implement AI technology?
As the industry patterns dictate and pressure increases, how can organizations assess security concerns in a timely and thorough manner?
How do an organizations’ client(s) fit into the mix? If an organization’s client(s) oppose the use of AI technologies with their data, how does the firm comply?
What are the specific steps an organization can take to ensure a successful adoption of AI technologies?Confirmed Moderator:
Elizabeth Suehr, Director of Legal Risk Systems and Strategy, Jenner & Block Confirmed Speakers:-Aaron Rangel, Director of Product Management, iManage
-Bennett Borden, Partner, DLA Piper
Recorded on 08-16-2023
Tuesday Jul 18, 2023
The Rise of the ”Non-Lawyer” – Threat or Opportunity
Tuesday Jul 18, 2023
Tuesday Jul 18, 2023
Some people predict that by 2025 half of legal teams will be staffed by non-lawyers. Will that be perceived as a threat or an opportunity? Do lawyers need to learn legal tech, or can they just hire people who specialize in it but are not lawyers? Do you need to be a lawyer to effectively use legal tech?Questions moderator will ask speakers: - The term “non lawyer” is sometimes perceived as quite controversial. Many people who support the business of law feel it is used to marginalize expertise. With the development of legal technologies being a lawyer is not always a needed qualification to plan, implement and use the tools. In your experience how does it help to be a lawyer or not, when using legal technologies?- Where do you see non lawyers working cases, supporting transactions, being part of case teams, etc. today?- With more and more demand on expertise to “drive” legal technologies, or perform data analysis, do you think layers need to learn these skills? Or can they just hire non-lawyers to work side by side with lawyers? Or both?- Do you think the balance could even tip that within law firms more non-lawyers are leveraged to work and manage cases and lawyers solely focus on the parts that require analysis and practice of the law?- What does all this mean for the legal profession, will the job description of lawyers change over time? Why or why not?
Moderator:@Christiane Matuch - Legal Innovation Manager, Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Speakers:@Alyssa Cowley - Associate Director, Knowledge Management, Shearman & Sterling LLP@Harriet Joubert-Vaklyes - Senior Project Manager, Legal Operations, CBRE @Josh Lazar - Founder and Chief Everything Officer, TechThinkTank
Recorded on 07-18-2023
Friday Jun 30, 2023
Applying Design Thinking to Lit Support
Friday Jun 30, 2023
Friday Jun 30, 2023
Innovation in the legal industry is big news, but its often hard to know where to start. Changing the way we think about our work can help find new ways to approach challenges, and the framework of design thinking has proven success in the legal industry for finding innovative solutions to problems. But what is design thinking, and how can we use its principles and ideas to transform our work in litigation support?
Questions the moderator will ask the speaker:
What is Design Thinking? Where are we seeing its application the most?
How can we apply design thinking to legal and how can it help us practice law more effectively?
Can you give an example of where design thinking has helped solve a legal workflow problem?
How can we identify areas in our litigation support work where design thinking might be helpful?
Moderator:@Rachel McAdams - Senior Consultant, Sky Discovery
Speaker:@Ginevra Saylor - Director, Innovation and Knowledge Programs, Gowling WLG
Recorded on 06-30-2023
Thursday Jun 29, 2023
Why Them? How Corporate Legal Departments Choose Law Firms
Thursday Jun 29, 2023
Thursday Jun 29, 2023
This session explored the ever-evolving factors which influence how corporate legal departments evaluate and select law firms, including a spotlight on how mature departments engage in the process. Specific factors covered will include the performance, spend, and DEI metrics used by data-driven departments, as well as a focus on the growing adoption of advanced tools to facilitate the firm selection process.
Questions the moderator asked the speaker:
Given current concerns over the broader economy, what impact is that having on how law departments select outside counsel? Are they spending less? Choosing different firms? How are the behaviors changing?
What factors are driving the buying decision of which law firms these clients want to use?
Have we seen any noticeable changes in these decision drivers as the economy has shifted?
What has been the biggest surprise to you in terms of how law firm favorability has changed?
Moderator:@Carolyn Robinson - eDiscovery Coordinator for the Americas - Office of the Regional General Counsel for Robert Bosch, LLC
Speaker:@William Josten - Senior Manager, Enterprise Legal Market Content, Thomson Reuters Institute
Recorded on 06-29-2023
Wednesday Jun 28, 2023
Wednesday Jun 28, 2023
Just because you’re not a large law firm doesn’t mean you don’t do e-discovery! You have litigation matters that are just as important, and that means you need to know the proper tools to use for collecting, reviewing, and producing relevant data. In this session, we’ll have a attorney and paralegal from not-so-huge law firms discussing the tools and workflows they use to successfully navigate the e-discovery world in which they practice.Questions the moderator will ask the speaker: · First let's define small firm. Why do small/mid-size firms need to be smart about eDiscovery? What challenges do they face which big firms may not?· How should a small/mid-size firm address eDiscovery technology – should they invest and manage their own, or look for external partners?· What are some good tools for eDiscovery for these firms?· How can a small/mid-size firm upskill in eDiscovery?What’s your one action point/next step for small/mid-size firms listening to this podcast?Moderator:@Rachel McAdams, Senior Consultant, Sky DiscoverySpeaker:@Tom O’Connor, Director, Gulf Coast Legal Technology CenterRecorded on 06-28-2023
Wednesday Jun 28, 2023
Do You Want to Build a Podcast? Unraveling the Magic Behind ”Entertaining” Content
Wednesday Jun 28, 2023
Wednesday Jun 28, 2023
Your average end user now spends more time consuming and sharing educational entertainment than ever before.
From podcasts to film documentaries, there is a formula that keeps us coming back for more, and ensures the audience retains that information well enough to talk about it with everyone they know. How do we capture that spark in professional learning? As trainers and developers, how do we bring entertainment to education? What looks easier than it actually is, and what is far easier than it looks?
What kind of talent can help you create and execute that vision? In this session, learners will identify the educational fundamentals we see in this genre of entertainment, and then brainstorm opportunities to blend entertainment tactics into our learning strategy to make exciting podcasts.
Questions the moderator asked the speaker:
We’d love to hear your origin story. [Insert what we know about them to show engagement with the panel.] What inspired you to create your current podcast series?
Is there anything that surprised you along your journey?
Many of our listeners work for legal organizations which have contemplated or actually implemented podcasts. What are some things to watch out for when building your first podcast?
My guess is a newbie podcaster may see a decent level of interest in their early podcasts perhaps because of its’ novelty. However, the newbie may see some drop-off over time. What have you found to be successful ways to maintain audience engagement? Related, any tips on building your audience?
Many law firms and other legal organizations have created their own podcasts. What have you found that makes your podcast a differentiator?
I’ve heard of many podcasts bubbling up from within a law firm. As an example, BD has a podcast, Knowledge Management has one, and multiple partners have created one perhaps even in conjunction with partners at other law firms. Assuming there is value in coordinated efforts at a firm, do you have any recommendations for combining forces?
I’ve heard of edutainment – the combination of education and entertainment. What have you learned from other podcasters or your own experience on blending the best of those worlds?
Any practical tips generally – for example, have you found the best duration for a podcast (e.g., 20 minutes, 60 minutes)? Audio quality tips? Upside/downsides to inviting guests? Stick to only audio or sometimes include video?
Moderator:@Alejandro Vallellanes - Former Global Senior Manager of Research, Baker McKenzie
Speaker:@Greg Lambert - Chief Knowledge Services Officer, Jackson Walker L.L.P
Recorded on 06-28-2023