Professional Development

Risk Management: Data Analytics & Intelligence ＞ AI Adoption

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

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

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

Aligning Taxonomies for Marketing and KM

Common vocabularies are a core requirement if firms want to fully utilize the knowledge created by their attorneys. Organizing those vocabularies into a taxonomy makes it easier to share knowledge across tools and practices. However, many firms don’t create or maintain common taxonomies, resulting in knowledge gaps and a lack of findability.
A common vocabulary, whether it’s something that’s specific to your firm or leveraging existing taxonomies like SALI, is an investment of both time and money, but putting in the effort allows attorneys to quickly find colleagues who have specific skills, experience, or backgrounds.
 
Questions the moderator asked the speaker:
1.Is there one thing in particular that made you realize that this was a problem, and one that needed to be solved?
2.Talking about taxonomies tends to make people tune out. How did you get buy in from other groups?
3.How do you maintain your taxonomies? Is it a group effort? If so, which groups should be involved?
4.What would be your recommendations for firms that are just starting to engage with this issue?
Moderator:
@Holly Hanna - KM Firm Solutions Manager, Perkins Coie
Speaker:
@Rachel Shields Williams -  Director, Knowledge Management, Sidley Austin LLP
 
Recorded on 07-13-2023

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

Keeping Up with Hands-Off Communication with Hands Off Teams

In this podcast session, the moderator will discuss with an attorney the best communications strategies and practices they have encountered with Litigation Support and Legal Staff.
Questions the moderator will ask the speaker:
-What are some steps you take to keep communication consistent in your remote team?-What are some pitfalls about purely remote work that some managers or team members might not consider?-Do you find that your communication style changes between individual team members or is it more consistent due to remote work?-How often do you think you need to stay in contact with team members to maintain consistent communication?-Do you have any advice for remote managers to follow for best practices?Moderator:@Ryan Gerlach - Legal Analyst, State of California Office of the Attorney General, DOJSpeaker:@Ann Halkett - Director, SOLVED eDiscovery Services, a division of AHBL MLPRecorded on 06-29-2023

Why Them? How Corporate Legal Departments Choose Law Firms

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

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

Do You Want to Build a Podcast? Unraveling the Magic Behind ”Entertaining” Content

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

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

Continuously Monitoring Controls in a Cloud Environment

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