ILTA Voices

By ILTA - International Legal Technology AssociationTechnology

ILTA Voices episodes

December 18, 2023 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 Bradshaw

Panelists:
@Timothy Piganelli - CEO, The Piganelli Consulting Group, Inc.
@Stephanie Mills - Manager, Discovery Services, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP
@David Gomez - Practice Support Project Manager, Robinson Bradshaw

Recorded 12-18-2023
31 min
December 04, 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
23 min
December 01, 2023 The Metaverse—A Conversation with a Law Firm with a Digital Asset Practice
Interested in learning more about the Metaverse and Digital Asset Practices and how they can affect your legal practice, stay tuned for an in-depth conversation with Nikki Shaver and partners from Falcon, Rappaport & Berkman LLP
Questions the moderator will ask the speakers:
-Falcon Rappaport opened an "office" in the metaverse. Can you explain to listeners what the metaverse is and why the firm decided to engage with it in this way?-Did you find it beneficial? Is it something you'd do again?-What is the crypto-economy and why would firms want to engage with it?
-Your firm accepts cryptocurrency. Can you discuss the benefit of doing so?
-There has been a misperception around crypto, for example that it's used for illegitimate transactions. Can you explain to listeners why legitimate law firm clients want to use it to pay their legal fees?-How do they even do that? (PayPal, Venmo, ATMs etc.)-Do you think it's short-sighted of firms NOT to offer cryptocurrency as a payment option (some firms still can't even offer credit card payments!)?
-Why did the firm decide to create this practice and what were the benefits of doing so?-Overall, do you two think the fact that your firm is open to doing things in new ways has opened new pathways for you and brought in clients you might not otherwise have had?-Is your firm also already exploring generative AI?
Moderator:
Nikki Shaver, CEO and Co-Founder, LegalTech HUB

Speakers:
Ken Falcon, Managing Partner, Falcon Rappaport & Berkman LLP
Moish Peltz, Partner, Falcon Rappaport & Berkman LLP
Recorded on 12-1-2023.
25 min
November 03, 2023 “Doing IT Projects Right” Part 2 of the Project Equation
In Part 2 of this podcast series, the leader of a PMO and a QA Manager will take us on the journey from where we left off in Part 1, with the right projects in the queue. They will show us how project management and quality assurance provide the roadmap to successful project implementation and adoption. They will share their tips for success throughout the project journey, from initiation and requirements gathering, through purchase and configuration or development, testing, change and release, implementation and training, and finally adoption. They will focus on the importance of collaboration and communication through the project lifecycle.
Moderator:
@Mark Manoukian - IT Director, Kegler, Brown, Hill & Ritter
Speakers:
@TJ Johnson - Thought Leader
@Parita Kanevskiy - Leader of Project Management Office (PMO), Eversheds Sutherland
@Alan Reeson - Quality Assurance Manager, McGuire Woods
Recorded on 11-01-2023.
25 min
November 01, 2023 Between Two Firms with Josh Moore
This podcast panel showcases the two experts in the field of legal technologies. This thought-leadership piece will showcase an epic conversation highlighting the state of legal technology, future innovation, and getting into the brass tacks of what makes a legal technology the best.
Questions the moderator will ask the speakers:
-With so many different legal technologies out there, it can be difficult to know what is right for your firm. Do you have any guiding principles that you follow when selecting a legal technology to adopt?
-AI is the buzzword right now. Rightfully so with the impact we are seeing. If you were to go into the future 5 years and look back, how do you hope AI will be developed to better serve the firm and your clients?
-Without naming names, of all the different legal tech companies that you have worked with, are there any characteristics or traits that other firms can look for when deciding who to partner or not partner with?

Moderator:
@Josh Moore - Lead Solutions Expert, NetDocuments

Speakers:
@Joe Raczynski - Technologist & Futurist, Founder, Joe Technologist Consulting & Media
@Julie Strachan Haiber - Global Client Director, Thomson Reuters

Recorded on 11-01-2023.
23 min
November 01, 2023 The Partnership Paradigm: Why Law Firms Need a Different Approach to Change
There has been a great deal written on change management in a corporate setting. Law firm management structures (as opposed to traditional corporate pyramid structures) add additional challenges to implementing change. How can change management strategies be adopted to suit the management structure of law firms?
Moderator:
@Sachin Gupta - Knowledge Management Attorney, Latham & Watkins LLP
Speakers:
@Erika Barber - Learning Strategist, Traveling Coaches
@Kathleen Hogan - Senior Director, Knowledge and Data Insights, McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Questions the moderator will ask the speakers:
-What are some common change management frameworks that apply to organizations in general?
-What are some challenges unique to a law firm environment that can make those approaches more difficult to implement?
-Among law firms themselves, what are some aspects of law firm culture that can impact the ability to implement change, either positively or negatively?
-What role, if any, do clients play in impacting the drive for change within a law firm?
-Are the certain periods that are more ripe for change to take place, such as when billables are lower or a time of technological advancement?
-Can you each leave us with a micro strategy (that an individual can implement) and a macro strategy?
Recorded on 11-01-2023.
25 min
October 26, 2023 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, CBRE

Speakers:
@Tanya Pereira - Business Transformation Specialist, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP
@Martina Udovicic - Account Manager, Legal Operations, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

Recorded on 10-26-2023
18 min
October 25, 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 LLP

Speakers:
@Adam Wehler - Director of Practice Support, Robinson Bradshaw
@Julie Wilson - Legal Resources & Innovation Lawyer, Gowling WLG

Recorded on 10-25-2023
21 min
October 25, 2023 Too Many Updates!
In this podcast panel session, the speakers will discuss the challenges of the continuous and increasingly more frequent update cycles of 3rd party software. How can IT keep up with all the changes across the environment and what strategies can be employed to better manage this crucial aspect of living in the cloud.
Questions the moderator will ask the speakers:
-How do you balance the need for security patches with the potential disruption that updates can cause to ongoing operations?
-How do you ensure compliance with industry regulations when 3rd party software is continuously updating?
-What role do DevOps and CI/CD pipelines play in managing the frequent update cycles of 3rd party software in a cloud environment?
-How do you prioritize which 3rd party software updates to implement immediately versus those that can wait, especially when dealing with a large and complex IT environment?
-Can you discuss any real-world cases where a failure to update 3rd party software led to significant issues, and how those could have been avoided?
Moderator:
@Christopher Hockey, IGP - Information Governance & Records Management Expert
Speakers:
@Kathy Elsbey - Applications Manager, Bond, Schoeneck and King
@Ben Radcliff, Senior Director of Manager Services, Optiv
Recorded on 10-25-2023.
18 min
October 24, 2023 Law and Order: The Importance of Practice Management in a Law Firm Startup
We often think of Practice Management in the context of managing a large legal practice. But how does it actually apply to a startup? What principles apply to the first days and years of a firm with just a few partners? Where do they start? And/or what do they wish they would have paid attention to first if things didn't go smoothly?
Questions the moderator will ask the speaker:
-Tell us a little about you and your firm.
-What made you decide to leave your prior job and when did you know it was time to break out on your own?
-What resources did you take for granted at your prior firm?
-What has been the most eye-opening part of the transition from practicing attorney to manager of your own firm?
-What technology are you using for case management software?
-How are you structuring the firm to meet your management needs and how is that integrating?
-What advice would you give someone contemplating making the same change?
Moderator:
@Kristin Rhodes - Senior Practice Manager, Paul Hastings LLP
Speaker:
@Philip Andonian - Member, CalebAndonian PLLC
Recorded on 10-24-2023.
12 min