Legal Management Talk Podcasts

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    • Apr 27, 2023

    So You Call Yourself an Ally? with David Sarnoff, Esq., ACC, and Joy Stephens, MBA

    How are paper straws related to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) efforts? Find out in the second of two Annual Conference-themed episodes, featuring David Sarnoff, Esq., ACC, and Joy Stephens, MBA, of Loeb Leadership. They preview their presentation, “Performative vs. Authentic Allyship,” and we discuss what it means to be a DEIA ally, as well as how DEIA initiatives have faltered as we get further removed from the social justice movement of 2020.  

    Don’t miss Sarnoff’s and Stephens’ presentation at ALA’s 2023 Annual Conference & Expo in Seattle, Washington, on Tuesday, May 9, at 11:15 a.m. Pacific. There’s still time to register! Visit alanet.org/conf23 to learn more. 

    Speaker Bios 

    David B. Sarnoff, Esq., ACC, is an International Coaching Federation-certified Executive Coach and leadership trainer with Loeb Leadership. As a former attorney, experienced executive search consultant, business owner and former board of education president, Sarnoff understands the mindset, demands and challenges of attorneys, directors, corporate executives, managers and individual contributors. 

    Joy Stephens, MBA, brings a unique and varied collection of work experiences to the table. She has dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, as well as a Masters of Business Administration. Stephens spent her more than 20 years in corporate America with companies like Proctor & Gamble and Kimberly Clark. She believes that empathy and compassion are the keys to better leadership, better communication and stronger working relationships. She imbues all her workshop facilitation with the goal of recognizing the humanity in each other. 

    • Apr 24, 2023

    Tackling Difficult Conversations with Julie Holunga, MBA, PCC, and Margee Fawley

    In this episode, Leadership Trainer Julie Holunga, MBA, PCC, and Margee Fawley, Chief Talent Officer at Davis, Graham & Stubbs, LLP, sit down with Legal Management Talk to preview their presentation — “Mastering the Art of Influencing Difficult Conversations” — at ALA’s upcoming Annual Conference. Hear their take on how remote work has affected the ability to talk about serious topics with your employees and how to address the professional development gap that has taken hold among partners and associates. We also talk about recent TikTok trends, such as quiet quitting and “bare-minimum Mondays,” and what they mean for office productivity. 

    Be sure to attend Holunga’s and Fawley’s presentation at ALA’s 2023 Annual Conference & Expo in Seattle, Washington, on Wednesday, May 10, at 1:30 p.m. Pacific. If you haven’t registered for Annual Conference yet, there’s still time! Visit alanet.org/conf23 to learn more.  

    Speaker Bios 

    Julie Holunga, MBA, PCC, is a Leadership Trainer and Executive Coach with Chinook Executive Solutions, which guides professional service firm leaders to elevate their influence and authority. She is a Global Master Trainer with Emergenetics®, facilitating teams to create a more engaging culture, stronger collaboration and meaningful communication. Holunga’s work with Harvard Business School, Fortune 500 companies and top professional service firms gives her a unique perspective for the future of female leadership. 

     

    Margee Fawley is the Chief Talent Officer at Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP. She has more than 20 years of experience championing law firm attorney talent management strategies, especially as they relate to professional development and DEI initiatives. She works closely with her firm’s leadership to design and direct processes to maximize culture and collaboration. Fawley ensures alignment of the firm’s commitment fostering a more diverse, inclusive, equitable profession and community. Her efforts have helped secure Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP’s national recognition for advancing gender parity. 

    • Apr 20, 2023

    A Peek Around the Corner with PDAC: ChatGPT Meets Legal

    This is the first in our ongoing series with members of the PDAC, where we’ll take a deeper dive into what’s trending in legal.

    ChatGPT exploded into the artificial intelligence (AI) scene in November 2022 and quickly became the most downloaded app in history. We sat down with Matthew Sullivan — Chief Operating Officer at Sullivan Law & Associates, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of consulting firm Unravel Legal and a member of ALA’s Professional Development Advisory Committee (PDAC) — to discuss how this fast-moving AI is impacting legal. We talk about how ChatGPT and other forms of generative AI can improve efficiencies at firms as well as ways legal administrators can use this tech now. Sounds exciting, right? But are there downsides? For that, we pull out our crystal ball to discuss how disruptive it might be for the legal industry and whether this tech puts us in the middle of a robot uprising.

     

    Speaker Bio 

    Matthew Sullivan is the Chief Operating Officer of Sullivan Law & Associates and the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of legal consulting firm Unravel. He currently serves as a member of ALA’s Professional Development Advisory Committee. 

    • Apr 6, 2023

    Managing Your Mindset with Laura Terrell

    If you’re feeling stressed amid the transition to hybrid work, you’re not alone. Fortunately, executive coach Laura Terrell joined Legal Management Talk to discuss ways to adjust your mindset so that you can be prepared to take on the challenges ahead. Learn about how best to communicate with your employees to ensure everyone is on the same page and how to balance in-person events with remote work so the whole office stays included and connected.  

    Check out the Harvard Business Review article mentioned in this episode, “When Your Feelings Conflict with Your Leadership Role.” 

    Speaker Bio 

    Laura Terrell is an executive coach with over 25 years of experience as a legal and business leader. She offers an insider’s perspective for business, legal and corporate professionals, working to help her clients to improve and achieve success in their work lives. Prior to coaching, she was a Special Assistant to the President at the White House, a senior level appointee at the U.S. Department of Justice, an equity partner in two large, global law firms, and in-house counsel at a publicly traded company. Laura has also led and managed teams of people across multiple countries, serving as a top advisor to many Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 companies. Partnering with her clients, she enjoys helping them reach their goals and build confidence in their careers. Learn more about Laura and follow her blog at www.lauraterrell.com.

    • Mar 21, 2023

    Successfully Navigating Client Guidelines with Andre Wouansi

    Client demands are always changing, which means you and your firm have to keep up. In this episode, Andre Wouansi of Accurate Legal Billing, Inc. discusses how client guidelines have changed in recent years and how it behooves your firm to comply with them. Plus, learn about how new technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI), can help you manage complex billing and timekeeping requirements, along with what factors you should be tracking to ensure your firm is providing the best possible service. 

    Speaker Bio 

    Andre Wouansi is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Accurate Legal Billing, Inc. He is a serial entrepreneur with expertise in legal spend management, enterprise legal management, legal invoice auditing, building applications using Machine Learning (ML) and Natural Language Processing (NLP), accounting, and international taxation. 

    Wouansi spent nearly two decades auditing legal invoices from law firms across 55 countries. Using each client’s outside counsel billing guidelines, Wouansi reduced legal invoices by $1.5 billion dollars. In 2018, he switched sides and devoted his time to building legal billing software applications that help law firms comply with their client’s billing guidelines and drastically reduce legal e-billing reductions while saving firms time formerly spent on the legal invoice appeal process. 

    • Feb 14, 2023

    Conquering Business Development with David Freeman, JD

    Business development is often overlooked amid the day-to-day bustle of law firm management. In this episode, David Freeman, JD, Founder of Lawyer BookBuilder, talks about how important business development is to the success of your firm and why now — during economic uncertainty — is the best time to ramp up those efforts. Plus, don’t miss Freeman’s advice on how to best measure your and your lawyers’ progress in growing your firm’s reach and profitability. 

     

    To read Freeman’s February 2023 Legal Management cover story, “5 Essentials for Your Business Development Toolkit,” click here.  

     

    Speaker Bio 

    David H. Freeman, JD, is a member of the National Law Journal Hall of Fame for being voted the top law firm business development coach and consultant in the United States for several consecutive years. He is a two-time best-selling author who has written and co-authored 14 books on law firm leadership and business development and has trained and coached over 10,000 lawyers and leaders in hundreds of firms worldwide. Additionally, he is the creator of Lawyer BookBuilder®, an online, self-study program that shows lawyers how to transform themselves into major rainmakers.   

    • Jan 24, 2023

    Easier Access to Medical Records with Jared Vishney

    Are your attorneys frustrated by the time it takes to access a client’s medical records? In this episode, Jared Vishney of Arctrieval discusses upcoming changes to HIPAA regulations that will make the records retrieval process easier. The new rule, scheduled to take effect later in 2023, imposes limitations on health service providers regarding how long they can take to respond and what fees they can charge. Tune in to see how your firm can take advantage of these changes. 

    Speaker Bio 

    Jared Vishney is an entrepreneur with more than 30 years’ domestic and international experience with Fortune 500 enterprises and small-to-medium sized companies. He holds a dual Economics and Business degree from UCLA. His involvement in the healthcare and legal industry began 13 years ago when he founded Arctrieval, a business providing health information management services to hospitals and doctor’s offices. Using knowledge and experience gained from delivering records, he built Arctrieval Legal to solve medical record challenges for legal professionals. 

    • Jan 6, 2023

    Becoming a Certified Legal Manager with Rita Nielsen, CLM, PHR, SHRM-CP

    In this episode, Rita Nielsen, CLM, PHR, SHRM-CP, Office Administrator at Locke Lord LLP and ALA Chicago’s CLM Director, talks about what ALA’s Certified Legal Manager (CLM)® program is, the benefits it offers and what the process is to achieve it. Nielsen also offers suggestions on how best to study for the exam, including joining chapter study groups. Tune in if you’re looking to start your CLM journey! 

    For more on the CLM, visit alanet.org/clm

    Speaker Bio: 

    Rita Nielsen, CLM, PHR, SHRM-CP, is the Office Administrator for Locke Lord’s Chicago office. Nielsen has been a member of ALA since 1997. She is an active member who has volunteered in numerous local activities, including holding ALA Chicago Board positions as the Professional Development Director, HR advisor and her current role as CLM Director. At the national level, Nielsen has served on the Certification Committee, the Annual Conference Committee, the Association Nominating Committee, has chaired Region 3's Nominating Committee and has served as co-host of HR Roundtable sessions at annual conferences.   

    • Dec 14, 2022

    Leadership and Collaboration with Heidi Gardner, PhD

    In this episode, Heidi Gardner, PhD, Distinguished Fellow at Harvard Law School, talks about what qualities make a good leader in the post-pandemic era. She also discusses how collaboration can help managers work through many of the issues law firms face today, as well as how a compassionate approach toward your employees can boost productivity. 

    Speaker Bio 

    Heidi K. Gardner, PhD, is a sought-after advisor, keynote speaker and facilitator for organizations across a wide range of industries globally. Named by Thinkers50 as a Next Generation Business Guru, she is a Distinguished Fellow at Harvard Law School and former professor at Harvard Business School. She is currently the faculty chair and instructor in multiple executive education programs at both institutions.  

    Gardner works extensively with her team at Gardner & Co., partnering with boards, executive teams and other senior leaders to boost performance by embedding the principles and practices of smarter, agile, cross-silo collaboration within those groups and across the broader organization and ecosystem —resulting in concrete, quantifiable performance improvements. Altogether, Gardner has authored (or co-authored) more than 100 books, chapters, case studies and articles, including her most recent book, Smarter Collaboration: A New Approach to Breaking Down Barriers and Transforming Work. 

    • Dec 1, 2022

    Legal and the Metaverse with Dan Atcheson

    In this episode, Dan Atcheson of Jenkins Wilson Taylor and Hunt, PA, discusses the growing use of the metaverse in the legal industry. Learn about how some firms are already renting space in the virtual world to meet with clients and how the metaverse is becoming more conducive for firm operations. Atcheson also offers his thoughts on how government regulation will be required to prevent crimes such as assault and battery from occurring in the metaverse. (Yes, it can happen there, too!) 

     

    Speaker Bio: 

    Dan Atcheson has held various roles in his 20-year legal management career and is currently the Firm Administrator at Jenkins Wilson Taylor & Hunt, P.A., a boutique intellectual property firm located in the Research Triangle Park area of North Carolina. He is currently the Chair of ALA’s Professional Development Advisory Committee and is also an active member of the Raleigh-Durham Chapter. Atcheson has a bachelor’s degree from East Carolina University and a law degree from the University of Maryland.   

    • Nov 21, 2022

    Meet Eryn Carter, CAE, ALA's New Executive Director

    In this special episode, hear from Eryn Carter, CAE — ALA’s new Executive Director — about her impressions of ALA so far, her vision for the future of the Association and what she’s most looking forward to heading into 2023 and beyond. And just in time for the holidays, we discuss Carter’s favorite Thanksgiving food and her favorite gift she’s ever received. 

     

    Speaker Bio: 

    Eryn Carter, CAE, joined the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA) in October 2022 to serve in the role of Executive Director. Carter has more than 25 years of Association leadership experience — most recently as the Senior Director of Global Markets for the Million Dollar Roundtable, which has approximately 85,000 members in 80 countries. Carter is a graduate of Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and anthropology, and she has been a Certified Association Executive (CAE) since 2010. She is also a member of Association Forum of Chicagoland and is a founding member of Chief Chicago, which is a think tank and network for women executives. 

    • Nov 17, 2022

    Mental Health, Microaggressions and HR Trends with Michael Cohen

    In this episode, Michael Cohen of Duane Morris discusses how firms are promoting mental health awareness and how the legal industry can do more to make sure its employees are sufficiently supported. Cohen also talks about managers’ responsibilities when it comes to handling implicit bias, microaggressions and workplace harassment. Plus, if you’re a sports fan, you won’t want to miss Cohen’s description of Gritty, the mascot for his hometown Philadelphia Flyers. 

     

    To read the Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being, click here

     

    Speaker Bio: 

    Michael S. Cohen is a Partner at Duane Morris in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and concentrates his practice in the areas of employment law training and counseling. Cohen has trained and counseled employers throughout the country on subjects including harassment prevention; workplace diversity; discipline and discharge; hiring and recruiting practices; performance evaluations; FMLA, ADA and FLSA compliance; leave of absence policies; performance management; workplace privacy; sexual orientation and gender identity in the workplace; substance abuse testing; workplace violence; records retention; conducting background checks; teens in the workplace; and managing attendance problems. Cohen has also conducted investigations into claims of harassment and discrimination and has drafted employee handbooks, employment agreements, noncompete agreements and post-termination agreements.  

    • Nov 3, 2022

    Advice for New Administrators with Allison Worley

    In this episode, Allison Worley of Paule, Camazine & Blumenthal previews her upcoming presentation at ALA’s Legal Management Fundamentals Conference, where she will teach early-career administrators about legal trends and operations management. Plus, Worley reminisces about her time attending the LMF Conference and offers advice to new administrators about how to keep up with all the knowledge they need to do their jobs. 

    Speaker Bio: 

    Allison Worley, CLM, MBA, is the Executive Director at Paule, Camazine & Blumenthal in St. Louis, Missouri. She started her career in legal as a file clerk more than 20 years ago. In her leadership role, she has led her firm through construction projects, technology infrastructure re-designs and the pandemic. In 2021, she was selected for the Susan L. French Emerging Leader Fellowship through the Foundation of ALA. 

    • Sep 23, 2022

    Hybrid Work with Cynthia Thomas

    In this episode, Cynthia Thomas — owner of the legal management consulting firm PLMC & Associates — answers all your pressing questions about hybrid and remote work, including how to craft a hybrid plan that will get buy-in from your employees and how to best communicate those changes. Plus, Thomas offers her insights on how hybrid work has affected the manager-employee dynamic — such as the advent of “quiet quitting” — and urges administrators to have a plan in place since hybrid work is here to stay. 

     

    Speaker Bio: 

    Cynthia Thomas is Legal Accounts Receivable Department Manager at Frontline Managed Services, and the owner of PLMC & Associates, a law firm management consulting company. With over 30 years’ experience in law firm management, Thomas’ employment has included Firm Administrator, Law Firm Administrative Director, and Chief Financial Officer and Operations Manager. 

    • Sep 8, 2022

    Office Design and Employee Wellness with Heather Oden and Amalia Mohr

    In this episode, Heather Oden of Ball Janik LLP and Amalia Mohr of LRS Architects discuss Ball Janik’s recent decision to redesign their office space to adapt to a hybrid-work world and promote their employees’ health and wellness.  Watch Mohr and Oden describe how the elements they incorporated into the design — such as a lot of wood and glass — have impacted the firm, and don’t miss the pictures showing off some of the sleek new office! 

    Click here to read or listen to the Legal Management print issue article, “Walking the Well-Being Walk.” And click here to read the September Legal Management cover story, "Destination: Office."

    Speaker Bios: 

    Heather J. Oden is the Chief Operating Officer at Ball Janik. Her management of operations includes Ball Janik’s four offices in the Pacific Northwest and the Southeast. Heather oversees accounting and finance operations, crisis and reputation management, information technology, business development, marketing, human resources, facilities management, attorney and staff acquisitions and career succession planning for firm employees. Heather is a member of the Association of Legal Administrators in the Oregon Chapter.  

    Amalia Mohr is a Principal at LRS Architects. She has extensive industry knowledge, especially in interior design, space planning design research, civic planning, change management and sustainable design. At LRS, she delivered a process driven approach to change management while weaving sustainable design into her projects. Mohr recently received the DCJ Phenom award in recognition of her career achievements. 

     

    • Aug 15, 2022

    Alcohol and Wellness with Eric Webber

    In this episode, we talk with Eric Webber of Caron Treatment Centers about the effects of alcohol and other substances on the legal industry and what administrators and employees can do to limit alcohol dependence at their firms. Don’t miss Webber’s tips for creating an effective strategy to help employees who may be struggling and how to plan events that don’t revolve around alcohol. Spoiler alert: Childhood games such as “Duck Duck Goose” can provide nostalgia and drink-free fun.  

    Check out the Legal Management article, “An Honest Conversation About Alcohol and Legal,” to learn more about how firms are trying to reduce the prevalence of alcohol at their organizations. Click here to listen to the article or download the PDF. 

    Speaker Bio: 

    Eric Webber is Program Director for the Legal Professionals Program and Senior Clinician for Specialty Services at Caron Treatment Centers. He provides direct care through specialty lectures and counseling sessions focused on relapse, addiction interaction disorders, work/professional related issues and other targeted needs. Since 2007, Webber has been a clinician at Caron working specifically with adult men and relapse patients in both primary and extended care settings. Prior to his time at Caron, Webber worked as a counselor in an outpatient setting treating those with mental health issues, as well as substance abuse issues. Webber is a certified alcohol and drug counselor and certified clinical supervisor and holds a certificate of competency in problem gambling. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Kutztown University and a master’s degree from Alvernia University, Pennsylvania. 

    • Aug 8, 2022

    Outsourced Labor with Ben Schmidt

    In this episode, Ben Schmidt of Mattern & Associates talks about the labor challenges the legal industry is facing and how outsourced labor can help address those concerns. Tune in to learn about the innovative ways to make up for staffing shortfalls, such as by moving tasks off-site and hiring employees who can perform multiple roles.  

    Speaker Bio 

    Benjamin Schmidt is a consultant at Mattern & Associates. Schmidt received his JD from Villanova and has expertise both as a practicing law firm attorney, in-house counsel as well as on the vendor side at Canon Business Services. Schmidt leads clients in the analysis and negotiating stages of their engagements, leveraging his comprehensive and holistic understanding of the legal marketplace to gain the most strategic understanding of their needs and the most advantageous outcomes. 

    • Jun 30, 2022

    Payment Processing with Kevin Gallagher

    In this episode, Kevin Gallagher of AbacusNext discusses the newest trends in payment processing and how the legal industry is adapting to those changes. In addition, learn about how to keep client data safe and whether firms are really starting to accept cryptocurrency as payment.

    Speaker Bio

    Kevin Gallagher is General Manager, Payments at AbacusNext, a leading software and integrated payments solutions provider.  In this role, he drives the automated payments strategy in AbacusNext practice management platforms — including Zola Suite, AbacusLaw, Amicus Attorney and OfficeTools. Kevin brings over 25 years of experience in the payment industry to the role and is an expert in building and scaling private equity-backed payment and SaaS companies. 
    • Dec 17, 2021

    Legal Workflow Trends for Midsize Firms with Eric Wangler

    This episode features Eric Wangler of BigHand discussing his company's latest report on legal workflow trends for midsize firms. It’s based on data from a survey of hundreds of law firm operations, HR and support professionals in North America.

    You can find the report, Legal Workflow Trends for Mid-Size Firms, on BigHand’s website.
     
    Other materials mentioned during this episode:

    Speaker Bio

    Eric Wangler is President of the North American business unit for BigHand, a legal technology company specializing in products that maximize attorney and support staff efficiency in law firms. With more than 20 years of experience in the legal industry, Wangler previously served as Vice President of Ricoh’s legal vertical segment.

     

    • Nov 5, 2021

    Compensation and Benefits Trends with Phillip Perry

    In this episode, we discuss Phillip Perry's analysis of the trends found in ALA's 2021 Compensation and Benefits Survey and 2021 Large Firm Key Staff Compensation Survey.


    Speaker Bio 

    Phillip M. Perry is an award‑winning business journalist with over 20 years of experience under his belt. A three‑time recipient of the American Bar Association’s Edge Award for editorial achievement, Perry freelances out of his New York City office. His byline has appeared over 3,000 times in the nation’s business press.

    • Jul 30, 2021

    The Virtual Effect on Law Firms with Etan Mark

    In this episode, we discuss the effect of the pandemic-era virtual environment on everything from law firm culture and creative downtime to client billing and access to justice. Is the future virtual? Or will in-person activities return with a vengeance? For our guest, Etan Mark, hybrid is the best of both worlds for attorneys, staff and clients.

    Speaker Bio

    Etan Mark is a founding partner of Florida boutique litigation law firm Mark Migdal & Hayden. With more than 15 years of experience as commercial litigator, he serves clients in multiple jurisdictions involved in complex business disputes. His clients include public and private companies, real estate developers, investors and owners, tech entrepreneurs, gaming operators, family offices, hotels and banks. Etan has been ranked by Chambers & Partners USA in commercial litigation for several years. 

    Mark began his legal career working as a business and securities litigator at a top 10 American Lawyer “Big Law” firm in New York. Since leaving New York for more ... challenging sea levels, he has become a devotee of alternative value propositions focused on efficiency, collaboration and bespoke service (that are sometimes hard to come by in “Big Law”). Mark worked as a law clerk to a federal district court judge in Miami, where he gained an insider’s view on effective advocacy. Following his clerkship, he owned and was the CEO of a company that leveraged the global marketplace by outsourcing certain legal services to top attorneys and other legal service providers in India. Prior to founding MM&H, Mark was a partner at Berger Singerman’s Miami office and manager of the firm’s Dispute Resolution team.

    • Jun 25, 2021

    Building a Trans-Inclusive Workplace with Ames Simmons

    This episode discusses how legal organizations can create an inclusive workplace for transgender employees and potential recruits. The measures suggested in this episode by Ames Simmons (he/him) of the National Center for Transgender Equity will also foster a welcoming environment for clients and community members. 

    Check out resources like:

    Also, you can look forward to the following sessions this October at ALA's 2021 Annual Conference & Expo in Austin, Texas:

    • LGBTQ 101 for Legal Administrators
    • LGBTQ: Allies and Inclusivity in the Workplace
    • You Belong Here: Creating an Inclusive Environment Where Everyone Belongs
    • A Law Firm Built for 2021 and the Future: Examining Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging and Barriers to Implicit Bias

    Speaker Bio 

    Ames Simmons (he/him) is a queer white trans man serving as Policy Director at National Center for Transgender Equality. He provides vision and direction for NCTE’s policy strategies and approach, including federal and state advocacy to achieve NCTE’s mission of empathy, opportunity, and justice for transgender people. His work is grounded in community-based antiracism, antiviolence and antipoverty efforts.

    His previous roles include Policy Director at Equality North Carolina and Assistant General Counsel at a healthcare company assisting uninsured patients with Medicaid. Ames received his bachelor’s in political science and Spanish from Agnes Scott College, and he earned a Juris Doctor degree from Emory University Law School. Ames holds a senior lecturing fellowship at Duke University School of Law.

    • Mar 12, 2021

    Making Mental Health Matter with Bella Sterling, MS, MA

    The cover story of March's Legal Management is "Making Mental Health Matter," a candid account from Immediate Past President James L. Cornell III's recent struggles with mental well-being. This article also serves as a continuing education (CE) course — it's filled with information about the state of mental health in the legal industry and how legal management professionals can take care of themselves and their staff.

    This podcast episode features a source from that article, Bella Sterling, MS, MA. The mental health counselor explains why seeking therapy can be so hard and dispels a number of myths.

    If you'd like to earn a CE credit for CLM, HRCI or SHRM, simply read the article and then take a self-paced interactive course that walks you through a model scenario — the first of its kind for Legal Management!

    Speaker Bio

    Bella Sterling, MS, MA, is a graduate of Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara, California. She is a Resident Counselor in Virginia, seeing clients at the private practices of DC VA Counseling and Falls Church Wellness. Bella specializes in trauma, relationship issues and family counseling. 
    • Nov 20, 2020

    Law Firm Life After COVID-19 with Monique Mahler — Sponsored by Jelly Marketing

    This episode of Legal Management Talk is brought to you by Jelly Marketing. Jelly’s free Solutions Series webcast, What Can You Expect and What Should You Pay Your Marketing Vendors?, is happening Tuesday, December 1. Sign up here.

    Monique Mahler polled her fellow ALA members about what their firms are planning in the post-COVID-19 landscape, questioning them about everything from remote work policies to the future of their real estate footprint. Read more in the November/December Legal Management cover story, “Law Firm Life After COVID-19.” 

    Mahler’s research project is for her master’s thesis at the University of Denver Strum College of Law. A scholarship from the Foundation of the Association of Legal Administrators helped fund her studies.

    Speaker Bio

    Monique Mahler is the HR Manager for BakerHostetler’s Houston and Dallas offices. She is the first recipient of the Foundation of the Association of Legal Administrators’ Student Legal Career Scholarship. Mahler received a bachelor’s in sociology from the University of Houston – Downtown. She will obtain her master’s degree in legal administration from the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law in May 2021.

    • Oct 26, 2020

    Redefining the Markers of Success with Monica Wofford, CSP

    Monica Wofford, CSP, joined the podcast to walk us through the newest Legal Management continuing education course, “Where Are Your Markers?” She argues that re-evaluating how you mark your success can make you a more effective leader. Reading the article is enough to gain some insights, but if you complete a short assessment afterward, you can also earn a CE credit.

    Legal Management CE courses offer a quick and easy way to earn CE credits, particularly for hard-to-find topic areas like Ethics and Substance Abuse. As such, they’re particularly useful for Certified Legal Manager (CLM)® recertification. Whatever you use them for, it’s simply a matter of reading an article and completing a short assessment. Learn more here.

    Speaker Bio

    Monica Wofford is a leadership development coach, consultant and keynote speaker. As Chief Executive Officer of the training and consulting firm Contagious Companies, Inc., she and her team assist organizations and their management in developing powerful skills in leadership. She’s the author of Contagious Leadership and Make Difficult People Disappear. She has also been a frequent speaker at ALA’s national conferences and chapter events. Since March 2020, she has had the privilege of consulting as the Interim CEO of a two-county United Way nonprofit.

    • Oct 21, 2020

    Previewing ALA's Virtual Master Class with Kathy Gruver, PhD

    Speaker Kathy Gruver, PhD, is presenting two education sessions at the ALA Virtual Master Class: Critical Skills for Legal Management Success:

    • CM10: Welcome and Opening Session: Conquer Your Stress: Go from Worrier to Warrior
    • CM12: How to Get Anything Done with Anyone

    She joined the podcast to preview these sessions and discuss the importance of "soft skills," which are often devalued in favor of "hard skills." Register now for the virtual conference, happening on October 29!

    Speaker Bio

    Kathy Gruver, PhD, has graced stages on four continents — including two TEDx talks, three cruise ships and a handful of islands. She hosts a TV show based on her first book, The Alternative Medicine Cabinet, and has earned her PhD in natural health. Gruver is the 12-time award-winning author of seven books, including Conquer Your StressWorkplace WellnessConquer Your Stress at Work and Journey of Healing. She has studied at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and has spent most of her life studying psychology and human behavior. Gruver has been featured as an expert in countless publications and has appeared on over 250 radio and TV shows. For fun and stress relief, Gruver does fly trapeze.

    • Sep 25, 2020

    Authentic Diversity: Changing the Workplace for Good with Michelle Silverthorn

    Diversity and inclusion consultant Michelle Silverthorn is a former columnist for ALA's Legal Management magazine and a speaker at past conferences, including the Brezina session at the 2019 Annual Conference & Expo. Now, with her own company and a brand-new book under her belt, she rejoins ALA to discuss the current state of diversity, inclusion and equity and whether a permanent shift is coming to the workplace.

    You can read an excerpt from Michelle's book, Authentic Diversity: How to Change the Workplace for Good, in the next issue of Legal Management, which is out on October 9. Visit her website to find out how to purchase the book

    Read past Legal Management columns by Michelle here. In this episode, she mentions the Nice White Parents podcast and the Mansfield Rule. Listen to that podcast here and read more about Mansfield Rule here.

    Speaker Bio

    Michelle Silverthorn is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Inclusion Nation, a diversity consulting firm that partners with forward-thinking organizations to design authentic, inclusive workplaces built for success. A graduate of Princeton University and the University of Michigan Law School, she lives in Chicago with her husband and two daughters.

    • Sep 21, 2020

    Working Around Micromanagement with Jill Maganza-Ruiz

    In the September cover story of Legal Management, "Working Around Micromanagement," we learned how a tough employee-manager relationship can make work unbearable. Jill Maganza-Ruiz, a senior human resources and talent executive for the largest firm in the United States, joined Legal Management Talk to provide some additional advice for both managers and employees.

    Speaker Bio

    Jill Maganza-Ruiz is a senior HR/talent executive with more than 20 years' experience in the legal industry. She is currently the HR Director for Dentons US LLP and is based in the firm’s New York office. Jill has been a member of ALA since 2006. 

    • Aug 17, 2020

    Establishing and Maintaining a Wellness Program with Krista Hart

    ALA member Krista Hart discusses how and why she established a wellness program for staff and attorneys at her firm, Panitch Schwarze Belisario & Nadel. She also talks about how the program has had to adapt to the new normal of a remote workforce with many additional COVID-19-inflicted challenges.

    Look for Krista's "Tough Topics" column in the September 2020 issue of Legal Management. In the meantime, check out these existing ALA resources:

    Speaker Bio

    Krista Hart is a Firm Administrator who is dedicated to assisting the Panitch Schwarze Belisario & Nadel attorneys and staff with all their workplace needs. Motivated by the belief that employees are the No. 1 asset of a firm, Hart sees her role as crucial to maintaining Panitch Schwarze’s workplace culture. She currently serves as President-Elect of Association of Legal Administrators’ Philadelphia Chapter.

    • Aug 17, 2020

    The Value of Continuing Education with John Jakovenko, CLM, SPHR, MBA

    ALA member John Jakovenko, CLM, SPHR, MBA, chats about the importance of continuing education in the professional development of staff in a law firm or legal department. After all, the lawyers do CLE, don't they?

    Jakovenko is the instructor for ALA's HR-themed web-based courses, which delve deep over six weeks into the knowledge needed for success as a legal management professional. You can register now for HR2: Performance Management and Compensation, which begins on September 17, 2020.

    Speaker Bio

    John Jakovenko, CLM, SPHR, MBA, is the Firm Administrator at Sparks Law, LLC, in Alpharetta, Georgia. His career spans two decades and includes leadership roles in human resource departments in law firms in Los Angeles and Atlanta. He is also an adjunct professor at Kennesaw State University, teaching courses on human resources.