ILTA Voices
Episodes
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
Tuesday Apr 25, 2023
Tuesday Apr 25, 2023
Welcome to ILTA’s Risk Management: Data Analytics & Intelligence series.
Over the course of this program, we will provide access to experts in the legal industry to discuss challenges of adoption and the benefits of using cloud technologies and Data Analytics to enhance processes, leading to efficiency, cost-savings and secured compliance.
We will review the obstacles, challenges and successes of adoption focusing on matter intelligence. How are organizations leveraging data related to client/matter lifecycle to enhance processes, compliance, and security, build relationships (Business Development), and streamline cost saving efforts. Specific topics will include, Artificial Intelligence opportunities, adoption practices, security concerns and compliance.
Questions Elizabeth asked the speakers:
1) What is the biggest challenge your organization faces today as you begin adopting Cloud Technologies and ensuring security compliance across the board?
2) As new Cloud-Based technology is adopted by your organization, describe the security concerns your organization faced, how the organization was able to move forward given the concerns and the impact on people, processes and policy once adopted.
3) What are the specific steps an organization can take to ensure a successful adoption, both from a people and system perspective?
4) Data captured at client/matter inception is used throughout an organization. What were the key factors in joining differing areas | departments (Risk, Business Development, Finance, etc.) to develop a consistent “Master Data” foundation to leverage for reporting and intelligence organization wide? Moderator:@Elizabeth Suehr - Director of Legal Risk Systems and Strategy, Jenner & BlockSpeakers:
@Damien Riehl - VP, Litigation Workflow and Analytics Content, FastCase
@James Hannigan - Director of Legal Project Management, Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass, LLPRecorded on 04-25-2023
Tuesday Apr 18, 2023
Out of the Box Ways of Using AI
Tuesday Apr 18, 2023
Tuesday Apr 18, 2023
This podcast session highlights some creative ways AI has been used inside corporations and law firms.
Questions Ryan asked the speaker:
Are there any specific examples of you using AI outside of the box that you would use as an example for people who are not sure if AI is useful for their project?
What are the differences between AI and Machine Learning?
Large language models: what do they actually do, how can we use them, and are there compliance risks? How do we evaluate LLM output and make sure we're getting something useful back?
Specific versus general: what are the ways we can think about point (specific, non-generalized) AI solutions versus generalized (e.g., GPT-4) solutions? What are the trade-offs between these approaches?
Do you need fancy data scientists and software? (Spoiler, no, you don't)
How do you evaluate an AI services provider/partner?Moderator:@Ryan Gerlach - Legal Analyst, State of California Office of the Attorney General - DOJ
Speaker:
Andy Ward, - Vice President, Machine Learning, Laurel Inc.
Recorded on 04-18-2023
Monday Apr 17, 2023
Three Reasons to Use AI for Personal Information Identification
Monday Apr 17, 2023
Monday Apr 17, 2023
AI has become an integral piece of responsive/non-responsive coding for reviewing eDiscovery data, and in our last podcast in the series, we discussed how it is increasingly being applied to Privilege reviews. In this session, we focused on how AI is being used for Personal Information Identification.
Questions Andrea asked Dan:
-What do you see as the status quo for how teams identify and redact personal information, and what are some of the pitfalls?-What specific advantages does AI offer when compared with that status quo?-As new privacy regulations continue to expand, how are you seeing AI being applied to Personal Information identification beyond traditional legal use cases like litigation or an investigation?-What are the risks associated with using AI for Personal Information identification, and what hurdles have teams faced in adopting it?-What practical advice can you offer to the listeners who’ve been hesitant to leverage AI within their organization?
Moderator:@Andrea Shirey - IT Consultant, Bayer Corporation Legal
Speaker:Dan Donegan - New Business Director, Text IQ
Recorded on 04-17-2023
Friday Apr 07, 2023
The Scourge of the ”Non-Attorney” Heading
Friday Apr 07, 2023
Friday Apr 07, 2023
Overwhelmingly, law firms operate as though attorneys are the ""important"" parts of their business, and that business staff is... well, chopped liver. How can firms adjust/improve their language to change this attitude/perception?
Questions Harriet asked the speakers:• The landscape for hiring and recruiting within law firms has changed a lot since January 2020 (and again since the end of 2022). What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen in the industry/in convos with peers? What surprised everyone the most about how recruiting/hiring has changed in the legal field? (I’m thinking first year associate pay has got to be a big one!)• What are your predictions for how things will stay the same/change in law firm operations over the next 5-10 years? Do you think attorneys will fundamentally change their expectations around work-life balance? And how are firm resources being marketed to attorneys during their recruiting process (as part of the support package)? (i.e. research departments, LPM, etc)• Let’s talk a bit about the split in law firms between attorneys and “everyone else”… what have you seen across the industry, and do you think those divisions are breaking down, becoming more defined, or something else? I’m also interested in how you think this will play out as the market retracts again: it’s been popular to cut back on administrative staffing in times of financial concern, but that loads more work back onto attorneys—do you see anything differently happening this time around?
Moderator:
@Harriet Joubert-Vaklyes - Senior Project Manager - Legal Operations, CBRE Group
Speakers:
@Jennifer Bluestein - Chief Talent and HR Officer, Perkins Coie@Chris Boyd - Chief Operating Officer, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Recorded on 04-07-2023
Wednesday Apr 05, 2023
Legal Tech: What’s Next?
Wednesday Apr 05, 2023
Wednesday Apr 05, 2023
As more players enter the legal technology market, what trends and advances should we be keeping an eye on? What trends or tools have the potential to radically disrupt the profession? In this podcast interview, the speakers will discuss this and much more!
Questions Jennifer asked the speakers:
1. What will be the most important legal technology trend for lawyers and legal professionals to follow in 2023?2. What trends or tools have the potential to radically disrupt the profession?3. Where should law firms and law departments focus their legal tech budgets in the next year? Three years?4. How will legal technology impact client engagement?
Moderator:@Jennifer Mendez - Sr. Director of Knowledge Management Innovation, Fisher Phillips
Speakers:Joe Borstein - Chief Executive Officer, LexFusionCasey Flaherty - Chief Strategy Officer, LexFusion Recorded on 04-05-2023
Wednesday Apr 05, 2023
How Add-On Services Are Changing the Legal Landscape
Wednesday Apr 05, 2023
Wednesday Apr 05, 2023
Law firms are increasingly expanding their scope and advertising "add-on" services. How can attorneys make use of these to make themselves "stickier" to clients, and how can law firms promote these services in a way that conveys their increased importance to the overall client experience? In this podcast interview, the speakers discussed this and more.
Questions Harriet will asked the speakers:
• Tell us a bit about the evolution of NRF’s Legal Operations department: what was the intended purpose, and how does it interact with the larger business?
• How can attorneys make use of this group (or others within the firm) to make themselves "stickier" to clients?
• How is (or can) the firm promote these services in a way that conveys their increased importance to the overall client experience?Moderator:
@Harriet Joubert-Vaklyes - Senior Project Manager - Legal Operations, CBRE Group
Speakers:
@Al Hounsell - Director - Strategic Innovation and Legal Design, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada
Kathy Goodman - Practice Innovation & Knowledge Counsel, Paul Hastings (London)
Recorded on 04-05-2023