Professional Development

#0007: (CCT) Data Debt

We all know about technical debt, but data debt is its more nefarious and more challenging sibling.    How do you break down the data silos in you firm to create a holistic view of your information? Moderator:@Bill Bice - CEO, nQ Zebraworks Speaker: @Keli Whitnell - Director of Firm Intelligence, Troutman Pepper 
Recorded on 3-11-2024.

#0003: (CCT) Incorporating Large Language Models (LLMs) in the Legal Arena

In this podcast interview, the speaker will share experiences and challenges in utilizing Large Language Models in the legal arena. 
 
Questions the moderator asked the speaker:General -What are some of the key challenges that legal departments face in adopting and integrating LLMs into their workflows?  -How can legal departments overcome the initial resistance or skepticism that may exist towards using LLMs? -How can legal departments ensure that LLMs are being used responsibly and ethically, without perpetuating biases or producing inaccurate or misleading results?  People -How can legal departments train and empower their lawyers to use LLMs effectively? -How can LLMs be used to augment and complement the skills and expertise of lawyers, rather than replace them? -What are the potential long-term benefits of using LLMs in legal departments? Technology -What are the challenges of integrating LLMs with existing legal software and systems? -Provide examples of specific use cases (e.g., information governance, contract management review and drafting, eDiscovery, and/or R&C) -How can legal departments ensure that LLMs are aligned with security and privacy and regulatory compliance? Process What are the challenges of evaluating and selecting the right LLM for a specific legal task? How can legal departments ensure that LLMs are being used in a way that is aligned with their overall legal strategy? 
 
Moderator:
@Carolyn Robinson - Senior eDiscovery Paralegal, Bosch  
 
Speaker:
@Chistine Livingston - Managing Director of AI and IOT, Protiviti

#0002: (CCT) The Role of AI Powered Chatbots as Digital Research Assistants

Every firm currently struggles with making sure all of the knowledge in their organization is written down, up to date, and searchable.
In the future, chatbots could serve as a kind of automated research assistants for firm knowledge. They’d be responsible for answering questions by sourcing information from the right person, document and they could also be used to proactively record tacit knowledge into living documents by periodically interviewing key people about their progress on company initiatives.
 
In this podcast interview, we discussed the role of AI powered chatbots as digital research assistants and more.Moderator:@Alejandro Vallellanes - Former Senior Manager, Research and Information Alerts, Baker McKenzieSpeakers:@Stephanie Goutos - Practice Innovation Attorney, Gunderson Dettmer, L.L.P.@Avi Saiger - Practice Innovation Attorney, Gunderson Dettmer, L.L.P.@John Scrudato - Legal Engineering and Data Strategy Manager, Gunderson Dettmer, L.L.P.Recorded on 02-05-2024.

Legal Career Labyrinth: Navigating Your Unique Path in Law

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

Sitting in the Hot Seat: Extreme Ligitation Support

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

No-One Talks About the F Word – Failing

Whether it is a technical implementation, a change management process or simply and idea that didn't work, we all have times when we fail but it is how we deal with it and what we learn from it that matters. In this podcast interview panel session, hear from two panelists on their worst respective experiences and how they overcame the adversity, setbacks and more.  
 
Questions the moderator will ask the speakers: 
-Tell me about your experience with the first project or process that you implemented  
-What challenges did you face? 
-What did you learn from it?
-Do you have some best practices or key takeaways that you can share?Moderator:
@Natasha Tucker - Director, Business Development Operations, Bennett Jones LLP
Speakers:
@Eric Feldman - Wiggin and Dana, Director of Innovation and Knowledge Management
@Rachel Shields Williams - Knowledge Management Enablement & Insights, Sidley Austin LLP

Pivoting: Career Transitions Within the Firm

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

Communicating Burnout to Leadership: Helpful Tips and Best Practices

In this podcast interview, the speakers had an important discussion about how to best successfully communicate a need for rest and recovery during burnout to leadership.Questions the moderator asked the speakers:-What are some best practices for legal professionals to recognize and identify burnout in themselves or their colleagues before it becomes a major issue?-Communication can be challenging when dealing with sensitive topics like burnout. Could you share some effective strategies for initiating a conversation about burnout with firm leadership?-Many legal professionals worry about the repercussions of discussing burnout.  How can they navigate their conversation without jeopardizing their professional growth?-Can you highlight some success stories or examples where effective communication about burnout led to a positive change within a law firm?-Are there any specific tools or resources that legal professionals can utilize when discussing burnout with leadership, such as data, surveys, or industry benchmarks?Moderator:@Tanya Pereira - Business Transformation Specialist, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLPSpeakers:@Adam Wehler - Director of Practice Support, Robinson Bradshaw@Julie Wilson - Legal Resources & Innovation Lawyer, Gowling WLG
 
Recorded on 10-25-2023

How eDiscovery Can Support DSARs

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

Unlocking the Power of LinkedIn for Legal Professionals

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

Doing the Right IT Projects… Then Doing IT Projects Right

“Doing the Right IT Projects” sounds simple.  It should be how you to start your project lifecycle and quality methodology: Setting criteria for how IT projects are selected, prioritized and planned, and how the appropriate level of project management, quality assurance and resources are assigned. 
There are buckets/workstreams for large/complex IT projects and for simple projects that need only project and testing checklists.  Once the right projects are in the queue, then you move on to “Doing IT Projects Right”, the initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, transition to operate and maintain, and of course, adoption.
 IT is then supporting business service demands and strategic goals across all IT projects in the organization. This podcast session provides a takeaway in the form of a framework for anyone who is responsible for how technologies are implemented or has to manage IT projects, or really manage any projects in a legal organization.
Moderator:@Mark Manoukian - IT Director, Kegler, Brown, Hill & Ritter
Speakers:@TJ Johnson - AVP, Legal Sector Strategist · Qualitest@Parita Kanevskiy - Leader of Project Management Office (PMO), Eversheds Sutherland 
Recorded on 08-17-2023