ILTA Voices

In this Voices episode, the speakers dove into a critical workplace question: Does your employer value your output more than your well-being? They explored the balance (or imbalance) between productivity and employee care, shared insights on company culture, mental health, and what truly drives sustainable success.
Moderator:Shannon Stevens, Legal Tech Enthusiast & Experienced Litigation Paralegal
Speakers:Donna Medrek, Senior Director, BluestarJonathan Sabin, Litigation Partner, Kane Kessler, P.C.Adam Wehler, Director of eDiscovery and Litigation Technology, Smith Anderson

Ambition can be a powerful force—but when myths and missteps fuel it, the climb to the top can feel more like a trap than a triumph. In this episode, we pull back the curtain on executive leadership and ask: What’s really behind the chase for the title?
- Why would anyone actively pursue C-Suite roles?
- What are the wrong reasons to chase the C-suite—and how can you spot them before they derail your path?
- What did we think mattered in landing the role, only to discover it didn’t?
- And when the pressure peaks, have we ever considered walking away? What made us stay?
This episode hooks aspiring leaders early with honest reflections and hard-earned wisdom. If you’ve ever wondered whether the title is worth the trade-offs, this conversation is for you.

In this podcast, the speakers focused on the strategies and best practices for adopting new technologies within Corporate Legal Departments (CLD). The group explored the dynamics between leadership roles and operational roles, provided insights on managing change, overcoming resistance, and ensuring the successful implementation of new tech solutions. They also touched on project management best practices through the CLD lens.
Moderators: Tom Daemen, Associate General Counsel, Microsoft Corporation - Legal and Corporate AffairsReid Cram, Product Marketing Manager, NetDocuments
Speakers:Jaime Emerson, Executive Director within Legal Operations, Wells Fargo  Debbie Foster, Chief Executive Officer, Affinity Consulting   

In this ILTA Just-in-Time podcast, hear from a leading expert on Denmark's groundbreaking new law designed to protect individuals' images and voices from misuse by AI. The discussion also examined how the United States was addressing similar challenges—and what these developments could mean for the future of digital rights.
Moderator:@Corey Thomas - Chief Technology Officer, Lightfoot, Franklin & White, L.L.C. 
Speaker:@Jack Sharman - Partner, Lightfoot, Franklin & White, L.L.C. 
Recorded on 11-19-2025. 

In this third installment of the podcast series, the speakers explored what it takes to build an AI-ready workforce—examining emerging roles, evolving skill sets, and how existing talent is reshaping the future of work.Moderator:@Elizabeth Suehr - Director of Legal Risk Systems & Strategy, Jenner & Block LLPSpeakers:@Reggie Pool - Principal, Practical IG LLC@ Sumit Tenaja - SVP & Global Head of AI Consulting and Implementation, EXL Recorded on 11-07-2025.About the Speakers@Reggie Pool is the founder of Practical IG, where he helps law firms and corporate legal teams modernize their information governance programs for the era of Microsoft 365 and AI. With more than 25 years in legal technology and compliance, he focuses on making governance practical, defensible, and future-ready. Reggie believes AI isn’t replacing IG—it’s redefining it, and IG professionals need to evolve their skills to stay at the center of that transformation.Sumit Tenaja leads EXL’s AI Consulting practice, driving innovation by integrating AI across business operations and reimagining customer journeys to enhance experience and outcomes. With over 25 years of experience across Insurance, Healthcare, Banking, and Energy, he is recognized for thought leadership in transformation, process excellence, and delivering impactful, scalable solutions.

Erika Emrick talks with Jennifer Arnott, a research librarian at Hayes Library at the Perkins School for the Blind, about the tangible effects of accessibility in the real world. Since everyone may experience a disability at some point, whether temporary or permanent, designing inclusively benefits everyone. From glasses and hearing aids to screen readers and curb cuts, these modifications help a wide variety of people and have a broad impact on society. Whether you're new to accessibility or looking to deepen your understanding, this conversation will inspire you to see inclusion in both your work and daily life differently. Want to learn more about DEI at ILTA? Visit https://www.iltanet.org/resources/dei for more resources or to get involved.
#DEI #Accessibility #advocacy

In this episode of ILTA Voices, host Michael Foster sits down with Ben Legge, Senior Data Architecture Manager at global law firm BCLP, to explore how the firm turned fragmented, siloed data into a strategic advantage. From overcoming challenges around compliance, visibility, and speed, to implementing Denodo’s data virtualization for a unified, AI-ready data foundation, BCLP has transformed how it leverages information across multiple jurisdictions. Tune in to hear how trusted, connected data is driving faster insights, smarter decisions, and enhanced client service—and setting the stage for the next wave of legal innovation with AI and predictive analytics.To learn more about Denodo, visit: https://bit.ly/43NSQFJ

In this podcast, discover how to best navigate California's new employment AI regulations that recently went into effect on October 1st. 
 
The speaker highlighted how the usage of Automated Decision Systems, which includes AI, when making employment decisions, can directly violate California law if these tools are found to discriminate against employees or applicants, either directly or indirectly, on the basis of already protected characteristics such as race, age, gender, etc. 
 
In addition, they highlighted other recent AI regulations taking place around the world, such as the EU AI Act and more. 
 
Moderator: Adam Wehler, Director of eDiscovery and Litigation Technology, Smith Anderson
Speaker:Kassi Burns, Senior Attorney, Trial and Global Disputes, King & Spalding

Join Cecy Graf, Jim McKenna, Michael Bruckner, Skip Lohmeyer, and Adam Cain in the first episode of "So You Want to Join the C-Suite." In this episode, our panel discusses ways to lead without losing your mind.
 
Executive leadership isn’t just about navigating today—it’s about anticipating tomorrow. In this forward-looking first episode of our series, we explore the shifting landscape of the C-suite and what it takes to stay ahead of the curve.- We unpack how executive roles are evolving—and why the next wave of leadership demands more than just experience.- We examine the gap between aspiring leaders and the reality of executive life, offering candid reflections on what we’d do differently if starting today.- We challenge conventional wisdom by spotlighting the skills executives may need to unlearn to lead effectively in what’s coming next.Expect deeper insights and real-world strategies!  Listen now—and join us live to shape what’s next.

Lots of GenAI tools are starting out with "summarization" because it's an easy thing for GenAI to do, but was anyone asking for summaries in the first place? 
In this podcast, the speakers discussed the value of summarization to discovery work and trial prep (relevance summaries, chronologies, translation summaries), while also highlighting the challenges we have encountered with GenAI in achieving good quality summaries.
Moderator:Monique Sever, Litigation Support & eDiscovery Supervisor, Harper Grey LLP
Speakers:Stu Craft, Managing Director, FTI Consulting James MacGregor, Managing Director, Ethical Discovery

Gen AI tools can run skills in minutes, but is that the time savings that counts? Or should we think about the whole process from question to final work product. How much time does it really take to “verify” your results. And where should that time be spent? Tune in to this podcast to explore the answers.
Moderator:@Christiane Matuch - Legal Innovation Manager, Greenberg Traurig, LLP  
Speaker:@Tyler Alexander - Director, AI Reliability, Thomson Reuters
Recorded on 10-02-2025.