practice management

AI for Data Management (and How it Can Help Cull the Data for eDiscovery) – and Understanding AI Models

Given the complex nature of AI and the fact that these models are not transparent, the speaker shared best tips on what do you need to know about your AI model, who built it and what is it based on?
Questions the moderator asked the speaker:1) What is and what is not AI?2) What are AI models?3) If you are using a pre-generated AI model what are some questions to ask:
- what is it based on?- do you know how the model was trained?- is there any data in the model that may cause the model to provide you with unexpected results?
etc4) How can AI help with managing your data?
IE: it can be a tool to help move redundant copies of docs from your data universe; it can summarize info in a document and know where to ‘file’ it or categorize it (info gov idea here)5) Is generative AI useful in a legal document review setting? Discuss6) Is this technology going to be similar to how blockchain never really caught on in legal?7) Can natural language processing help uncover information in your data set that would be missed by pure keyword searches?  (which some lawyers believe is the gold standard of search)8) What about emotional intelligence / sentiment analysis?
Moderator:
@Monique Sever - Litigation Support and eDiscovery Supervisor, Harper Grey LLP
Speaker:
@Jay Leib - Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer, Reveal Brainspace
Recorded on 08-10-2023
#LitigationSupportoreDiscovery#PracticeManagementandPracticeSupport#FutureandEmergingTechnologies

Revolutionizing Document Intake and Processing at Law Firms with AI-Powered Solutions

In this session, the speaker delved into the transformative power of AI technology in the legal industry. They explored the game-changing solutions that are revolutionizing document intake and processing at law firms, replacing the traditional manual, labor-intensive, and error-prone methods. In addition, they uncovered how AI-powered solutions are unifying document input sources, streamlining categorization and classification, identifying time-sensitive and urgent documents, and seamlessly integrating them into downstream case management systems. They also shared compelling real-world examples that demonstrate the remarkable efficiency gains that firms can achieve through the adoption of this technology. Listeners will discover how these AI solutions are reshaping the way law firms operate, saving valuable time, reducing costs, and optimizing the allocation of staff resources.Moderator:@Harriet Joubert-Vaklyes - Senior Project Manager - Legal Operations, CBRE GroupSpeaker:@Vivek Rao - CEO, Foundation AIRecorded on 07-20-2023

5 Tips for Recognizing, Planning for and Handling Moments of Friction for Learners

Identifying "Moments of Friction" -- workers' pain points with technology, processes and adoption is critical. In this session, the speaker discussed how to identify whether a MOF is a result of technology or psychology; highlight pain points; adoption; needs analysis; dig into the why and learning how to get to the root/core of the issue and user frustration.
Questions the moderator will ask the speaker: -Why don’t you tell us a bit about the framework you like to use when thinking about the needs around training, and how those give way to the moments of friction that arise?-This question is why I refer to change management as equal parts comms and therapy: how can we make sure users feel as though their needs were taken into account?-We’re all aware that most people don’t exactly love change. What are some ways to tell whether workers’ friction with new tech or processes is due to that, or if there’s something bigger at play?-I think most people overlook frequent and useful communication as a tool to help along adoption: what are some ways you’ve best decreased friction in the past?-Final (tricky) question: what do you do when people bring you in after things have already gone off the rails?
Moderator:@Harriet Joubert-Vaklyes - Senior Project Manager - Legal Operations, CBRE Group
Speaker:@Carolyn Humpherys - Learning & Change Management Consultant, Traveling Coaches
Recorded on 07-19-2023

The Rise of the ”Non-Lawyer” – Threat or Opportunity

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

Applying Design Thinking to Lit Support

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

eDiscovery for the Rest of Us – Considering Less Expensive But Fully Functional Tools for Small and Mid-Size Law Firms

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

Helping Attorneys Overcome Mindset that Technology is Just a Support Function

How can we articulate the value of technology in helping meeting client expectations and improving the bottom line? In this session, the speakers discussed this and more.Questions Glenn will ask the speakers: 
-There is a  perception by some attorneys that technology is a cost of business and, specifically, only a support function. Where do you think this stems from?
-Based on this perception, each of you have likely identified strategies to convince attorney and leaders that technology is more than simply a cost of doing business. What strategies have you employed or seen others employed to convince attorneys of the benefit of technology?
-The best made plans, particularly for a junior leader, may look great on paper but suddenly become challenging when put to practice.  Throughout your career, what obstacles have you faced when employing these strategies?  Are there any risks?  Have any backfired?
-For new C-suite or director level leaders, what would you encourage them to do to advocate for technology projects particular in light of the current economy? How do you  recommend they approach business value/ROI when proposing technology?
-To help with your persuasion, do you engage with client teams such as their legal department) to better understand their business needs?
- We’ve touched on a few of the key stakeholders but there are certainly more.  Do you find that you need to approach stakeholders in different ways when convincing them of a technology’s value?
- Can you share any examples of where technology clearly helped the bottom line?
-Any final thoughts?
Moderator:@Glenn Hoxie -Senior Project Manager, Practice Innovation, Paul Hastings LLP
Speakers:@Leslie Brown - Director of Client Value, Blank Rome LLP@Paul Unger -  Partner, Affinity Consulting@Jacqueline Schafer - CEO, Clearbrief@Brendan Miller - Legal Innovation Professional and Attorney” (previously Director of Practice Systems & Innovation for AmLaw 100 firmRecorded on 05-11-2023

Breaking the Code – Effortless Efficiency with No Code/Low Code?

Traditional approaches to software development can be time-consuming, resource-intensive, and complex, requiring specialized skills and expertise. However, the emergence of no-code/low-code platforms promises that law firms can streamline practice management workflows with minimal coding knowledge or experience.
This session was designed for practice management and technology professionals at law firms interested in exploring the benefits and challenges of no code/low code platforms by learning from their peers’ experience.
Questions Bill asked the speakers:
-What does the landscape of no/low code tools look like, and who is best suited to use them?-What’s the learning curve like? -What are the use cases where you see the best ROI? -How does this solution fit into the rest of a firm’s technology landscape?
Moderator:@Bill Bice - CEO, nQ ZebraworksSpeakers:
@Andrew Terrett  - National Director of Legal Technology and Service Delivery, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
@Al Hounsell - Director - Strategic Innovation and Legal Design, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada
#PracticeManagementandPracticeSupport
#Firm#Podcast#ProfessionalDevelopment

The Scourge of the ”Non-Attorney” Heading

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

Legal Tech: What’s Next?

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

How Add-On Services Are Changing the Legal Landscape

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