Professional Development

Data: The Next Great Lake

Every firm wants to leverage data for insights. But to accomplish this, there needs to be a true source of all data. The creation of data lakes have started. These are massive databases combing different firm data sources. This leads to the importance of data governance and master data management. What does it take to create and curate the data? How can such data be of use to firms?
Questions Tracey will ask Steven:1. What is a data lake?2. What are the advantages of using a data lake?3. How do data lakes differ from the tradition data warehouse?4. Why could a firm invest in a data lake?5. What would it take to build a data lake?6. What tools would need? Any best practices?Moderator:@Tracey Pardo - IS Improvement and Reporting Analyst, Cooley LLPSpeaker:@Steven Heathcock - Data Strategy Manager, Cooley LLP
Recorded on 01-06-2023​

Three Reasons to Use AI for Document Review

AI has become an integral piece of responsive/non-responsive coding for reviewing eDiscovery data. Another piece of the review, which is typically very expensive including Privilege and personal Information redactions. How can this be done with AI technology too?
Questions Andrea will ask Dan: 1. What are the pitfalls related to the way Privilege review has historically been performed?  a. What are some easy ways to improve the process using AI?2. Some companies are using AI to assist with Privilege Review.... how/when will it become the norm? 3. What hurdles are you anticipating folks will need to overcome to drive further adoption?4. What are the risks associated with using AI for privilege review?5. AI adoption: Do you believe AI will more broadly and rapidly be adopted considering current recessionary headwinds?
Moderator: @Andrea Shirey - IT Consultant, Bayer Corporation LegalSpeaker:Dan Donegan - New Business Director at Text IQ
​Recorded on 1-6-2023

Avoiding Burnout for Lit Support Professionals

In this podcast, we will address which practices and boundaries you should enforce and know how to manage pressured environments.
Questions to Tanya will ask Martin:· Is burnout a problem for litigation support professionals, and does it affect us disproportionately?· Can litigation support professionals effectively manage their workload to avoid burnout?· What are tips for working in high pressure environments?· How can we support ourselves and our colleagues?· What kind of support is out there for people who need it?
Moderator:@Tanya Pereira - Business Transformation Specialist, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP
Speaker:@Martin Nikel - Associate Managing Director, Cyber Risk, Kroll
Recorded on 01-05-2023​​

Budget: Lessons Learned

In this podcast interview, the speaker will provide tips in how to achieve excellence in budget creation, defense and control, especially for the Legal area.Questions Marcelo will ask the speaker:
What are the challenges of preparing a Budget in a legal area where we know that calculations, metrics, statistics and other data models are not part of the lawyer's daily life?
We know that communication not only in topics such as the Budget but in many others, in fact in all topics is something that must be encouraged and reinforced, drawing on this topic, how important internal and external communication is for the creation of a Budget effective?
Thinking about accuracy, is there any budget model that you think is more assertive, how do you know which is the best Budget model (opening) for my company?
So once all the assumptions have been aligned with the team, the teams in turn are safe for the defense, can you give us some tips for sustaining the numbers against the approval area? We know this is the hardest part, especially when you need more money compared to growing your business.
How can we know if we are asking enough, when we can know if we need to ask for more?
A point that I always see in the definition of Budget in several companies from the most diverse branches is the famous one: fat, that is, calculating the correct amount but leaving an extra amount for unplanned expenses, what do you think of this approach?
Leave an extra Budget or not?
What is the role of the Legal Ops team in the composition of the Legal Budget? I'll try to make myself clearer, we know that some areas tend to work in silos, that is like a black box, how do you think the Legal Ops team can help?
Moderator:@Marcelo Cardoso - Supervisor of Data Analytics, Mercado LivreSpeaker:Guillermo Calvo - Legal Ops Regional Supervisor, Mercado Livre
Recorded on 12-16-2022​​​

The Hybrid Lit Support Model

This podcast panel is a follow-up to the successful ILTACON session “Three Approaches to Workplace Flexibility” but with a more litigation support focus. Each panelist discussed the challenges they have experienced with hybrid work and how they have overcome them.Questions Tanya asked the speakers:
What are the pros/cons/challenges of a lit support team?
What are some tips you have for a successful hybrid team, particularly when it comes to managing lawyer expectations who may be in the office?
What metrics are you using to determine success? Do they differ at all from in the office?
As we are seeing more in in-person events, how are you determining team engagement and the future of team engagement?
Moderator: @Tanya Pereira - Discovery Services and Litigation Support Coordinator, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLPPanelists:@Gretel Best - Law Clerk, Manager of Litigation Support & eDiscovery, Gowling WLG@Levi Percy - Project Manager, Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.
 
Recorded on 11/3/2022

Improve Staffing with Technology: Case Study on Development of a Staffing Tool

This podcast consists of an interview with Melissa Prince on how Ballard created and implemented a staffing (“workforce allocation” or “availability projection”) tool. We also discussed the impetus for the creation of the platform, the obstacles Melissa faced, and how she has driven engagement with associates and partners.Questions Kristin asked Melissa:1. Can you provide a little background about your role at the firm and your practice management department? Who handles staffing?2. First, what did you identify as gaps in the staffing process that led to the development of your tool?3. At the outset, who were your champions and where were your obstacles?4. How did you decide to build something in-house as opposed to going to a third party vendor?5. What are the primary features of your tool and what aspects are you still looking to build out?6. Who references and utilizes the reports?7. How are you continuing to drive engagement with the tool? Any ongoing challenges?Moderator:@Kristin Rhodes - Senior Practice Manager, Paul Hastings LLP
Speaker:​@Melissa Prince - Chief Client Value and Innovation Officer, Ballard SpahrRecorded on 10-07-2022

InfoSec Risk Reduction 101 for Remote & Hybrid Document Review Operations

In this podcast interview session, the speakers discussed some challenges and solutions when implementing security in a hybrid/remote environment. In addition, they spoke about cybersecurity, regulatory issues, and ethical considerations when client data in discovery and internal investigations is accessed temporary contract attorneys working from home.Questions Jordan asked the speakers:
First, describe your roles at your respective organizations and specifically how you are involved in doc review projects
How have the information security elements of these projects, or your infosec concerns, changed over the last couple years?
What are the important items to consider when planning for a remote document review project?
Differences between “secure VPN”, SessionGuardian, other options?  What are different infosec and DLP approaches and technologies you see in the market?
What are some practical, tactical, day-to-day challenges found managing WFH doc review teams … and how does enhanced attention to infosec and careful application of good tools and protocols help?
Describe the roles, goals, and challenges of the law firm, the client, the hosting provider and the doc review staffing provider in today's remote doc review project
Moderator:@Jordan Ellington - Founder and CEO, SessionGuardian
Speakers:@Scott Bilbrey - CEO, Vigilant@Todd Mattson - Chief Practice Systems & Services, Covington & Burling LLP ​​
​Recorded on 10-04-2022

Leading Your Firms Through Today’s Legal Technology Challenges

Technology is vital to the practice of law in any modern law firm, but it can also be challenging to implement and keep updated. In this podcast, we’ll explore some of the greatest challenges to the modern law firm, explore why technology is so vital for the continued success of firms, and explore how they’re coping with technology challenges today. Listen for tips to lead your law firm through today’s legal technology challenges!Question John asked Jeff:1. What do you see as the greatest technology challenges facing law firms today?2. Why is technology so important to law firms and are they overall keeping up with technology or falling behind the curve?3. How can they improve?4. What are three key components to successfully navigating today’s legal technology challenges5. Are there non-technology challenges for technology impacting firms today, and can you give us some examples (e.g., senior management support, culture change, adoption, etc.) of the impact these challenges may be having?Moderator:@John Graves - Training Support Specialist, Winstead PC
​Speaker:@Jeffrey Brandt - Chief Information Officer, Jackson Kelly PLLC
Recorded on 09-30-2022​

Weird eDiscovery

In this podcast session, the speaker will discuss about a weird request/project/situation and what was the outcome. In addition, the speaker will provide tips or guidance on how to push back on these type of requests.Questions that Rachel will ask David:-What weird eDiscovery requests have you had to deal with?-Who do these requests come from?-How to you push back on bizarre requests, and when do you know its right to do so?
Moderator:@Rachel McAdams - Legal Technology and eDiscovery Senior Manager, A&L Goodbody LLPSpeaker:@David Greetham - Founder & Principal Investigator, PC Forensics
Recorded on 09-28-2022
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Protecting Your Custom Software-Security Scanning and Runtime

This podcast reviews the various categories of vulnerability tools that should be used against custom software web applications and describe a couple of the vendors in each space. The types of scanners that will be covered include Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST), Static Application Security Testing (SAST), Software Composition Analysis (SCA), Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST), and hiring a company to perform penetration testsQuestions that Corey will ask speaker:• What is the state of web application vulnerability testing tools today?• If you are on a tight budget, where would you consider using open source solutions over vendor offerings?• Is there a scanning category where you would not compromise, and absolutely would use a vendor solution? If so, why?• What are some of the limitations that people should be aware of when using various vendor scanning tools?• How has deploying web applications in a cloud infrastructure changed web application scanning?Moderator:@Corey Reitz - Distinguished Cyber Assurance Architect, Sandia National Laboratories
Speaker:Atahan Bozdag - Director of Information Security,MedeAnalytics Recorded on 09-23-2022

Attorney Task Management: Beyond LPM

We've seen an increasing number of requests for help around task management that go beyond traditional legal project management tools. Associates wants to see everything assigned to them, and be able to manage it without partners seeing how they're doing so. Partners want to see tasks they’ve assigned across clients and matters. The problem seems like one that should be easily solved with technology, but when you dig into the issues, you realize that no one has a good solution. What is getting in the way of delivering a task management solution that works for attorneys?Questions Holly will be asking Floor:1. Firms have tried using a lot of different technologies to help associates manage their tasks and give partners insight into status, but most of these efforts haven’t been successful. Why is this so difficult to solve?2. Oftentimes, when we hear from attorneys on this topic, the conversation starts with them saying “I want this technology”, but we know that if a technology could solve the issue we wouldn’t be having this conversation. How can we have a more productive conversation with our attorneys, not just on this topic, but generally?3. The term ‘innovation’ gets used a lot, but again, it often seems to be used when discussing technological solutions. What would be a better way of having a conversation about innovation?
Moderator: @Holly Hanna - KM Firm Solutions Manager, Perkins CoieSpeaker:@Floor Blindenbach -Founder & CEO, Organizing4Innovation
Recorded on 09-23-2022
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