ILTA Voices
Episodes
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
Friday May 12, 2023
Friday May 12, 2023
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
Wednesday Apr 26, 2023
Continuously Monitoring Controls in a Cloud Environment
Wednesday Apr 26, 2023
Wednesday Apr 26, 2023
This session will focus on how companies can continuously monitor and assess their security posture by looking at drift from their control baselines in the cloud. Questions Corey asked the speaker:1) What is continuous monitoring generally and why is it important?
2) What are some of the benefits of implementing continuous monitoring in a cloud environment?
3) What are some of the different cloud security control sources that should be considered when determining what to monitor?
4) At a high level, how do you begin to implement continuous monitoring in one or more of the major cloud providers (i.e. Amazon, Microsoft, Google)?
5) What are some best practices when implementing continuous monitoring in the cloud?Moderator:@Corey Reitz - Distinguished Cyber Assurance Architect, Sandia National LaboratoriesSpeaker:Sarah Luiz - Cyber Security ConsultantRecorded on 04-26-2023
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 14, 2023
Breaking the Code – Effortless Efficiency with No Code/Low Code?
Friday Apr 14, 2023
Friday Apr 14, 2023
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
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
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