Legal Management Talk Podcasts
-
Embracing Neurodiversity in Legal with Casey Dixon and Krista Larson
Neurodiversity — especially ADHD — is quite prevalent in the legal industry, but few know how to address it. Casey Dixon of Dixon Life Coaching and Krista Larson of Stinson LLP joined Legal Management Talk to discuss Stinson’s new program to promote well-being among attorneys and staff with ADHD, as well as what firms can do to help make life easier for employees with executive function disorders.
Speaker Bios
Casey Dixon is a Professional, Board and Senior Certified Life Coach. She is the founder of Dixon Life Coaching.
Krista Larson is the Director of Well-Being at Stinson LLP.
-
Mental Health: Shifting the Conversation from Stigma to Support with James Cornell
So many of us struggle with mental health challenges, and admitting it isn’t cause for shame. The fact is, conversations about mental health need to continue in order to dismantle the stigma attached to it. We do just that in this episode with ALA Past President James Cornell, Director of Office Administration at Shook, Hardy & Bacon. James opens up about his own recent mental health struggles and shares his thoughts on why burnout is so prevalent in the legal industry. Plus, we discuss what you can do if you suspect a colleague is struggling.
Resources mentioned in the podcast:
Speaker Bio
James Cornell is the Director of Office Administration for Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP. He served as ALA President from 2019–2020.
-
Can AI Make Your Firm More Efficient? with Hamid Kohan
If you haven’t yet thought about how to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into your firm’s operations, now’s the time before you get left behind. Hamid Kohan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Legal Soft, joins the show to talk about how AI can make your firm more efficient from the intake process through litigation, as well as the risks that AI still poses. We also discuss virtual support staffing and other ways to take advantage of the technology available today.
Speaker Bio
Hamid Kohan is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Legal Soft, spearheading the revolution of the legal industry and virtual legal staffing. Kohan is also the Founder of Magic Law Group, a national law firm specializing in personal injury, lemon law, employment law and workers' compensation. Kohan has authored several books, including How to Scale Your Stupid Law Firm, How to Scale Your Stupid AI Law Firm and the upcoming How to Tune-Up Your Practice.
-
Don't Let Cybercriminals Disrupt Your Firm with Jeremy King
Today, we’re talking about insurance. Wait, don’t click away yet! Cyber insurance is one of the key ways you can protect your firm if and when you’re hit with a cyberattack. Jeremy King, Partner at Olshan Frome Wolosky and Chair of the firm’s Insurance Coverage Law Practice, walks us through what to look for when choosing or changing your cyber insurance coverage and how policies have changed to accommodate cloud servers and remote work. Plus, find out how your or your clients’ cyber reporting requirements may have changed thanks to a new Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rule for public companies.
Speaker Bio
Jeremy M. King is a Partner at Olshan Frome Wolosky in New York. As the firm’s Chair of Insurance Coverage Law Practice, King concentrates his legal practice on insurance coverage actions and other civil litigation matters.
-
A Peek Around the Corner with PDAC: Imposter Syndrome in Legal (and Life)
Imposter syndrome — we all experience it in our daily lives. Talking about it is one way to get through it. We did just that with Roberta Bauer, Regional Office Administrator of Ogletree Deakins and 2023-2024 Chair of ALA’s Professional Development Advisory Committee. Plus, find out the solid advice The Berenstain Bears offer for working through feelings of insecurity.
Check out the PDAC roundtable on imposter syndrome here. (Note: You must be logged in to view.)
Speaker Bio
Roberta Bauer is the Regional Office Manager of Ogletree Deakins and is the current Chair of ALA’s Professional Development Advisory Committee.
-
Understanding Legal Ops with Tom Stephenson
Legal operations shares many similarities with firm administration, and thinking with a legal ops mindset can help make your firm more efficient. Tom Stephenson, Vice President of Community and Legal Ops at Legal.io, joins us to talk about the six key elements of legal ops and how using those principles allows your firm to streamline processes ranging from billing to client management to e-discovery.
Speaker Bio
Tom Stephenson is Vice President of Community & Legal Operations at Legal.io where he devises and executes community & operational strategies for the fastest-growing legal talent & community marketplace. Previously, Stephenson served as Director of Legal Operations at Credit Karma and as Teladoc Health’s first legal operations executive amid the pandemic while supporting the largest merger and acquisition (M&A) transaction in virtual care history. Stephenson is also the co-founder of the Dear Legal Ops podcast, which shares valuable insights and empowers listeners across the corporate in-house and legal operations profession.
-
Clearing Up the Cloud with Amy Kosey
The cloud may seem like a nebulous idea, but it could also be one of the best ways to make your firm’s operations more efficient and secure. Amy Kosey, Account Executive at Innovative Computing Systems, joins us to talk about what the cloud is, why firms should transition to the cloud if they haven’t already and what they need to do to prevent any cybersecurity risks. If you’re looking to make the switch, we also discuss how to determine which cloud service provider is best for your firm.
Speaker Bio
Amy Kosey has served as an account executive with Innovative Computing Systems since 2016 and has more than 25 years of legal technology experience.
-
A Peek Around the Corner with PDAC: Recession-Proofing Your Firm
Are we in a recession? Yes? No? Maybe so? The fact is, the threat of an economic downfall shouldn’t be what spurs you into taking action. We talked with Dan McCormack, CLM, MBA, Chief Executive Officer of Dan McCormack & Associates LLC and a member of ALA’s Professional Development Advisory Committee. He has 18 years of experience in finance, which made him the perfect guest to offer advice on what firms should be doing throughout the year to sew up their financial outlook. Speaker Bio
Dan McCormack, CLM, MBA, is the Chief Executive Officer of Dan McCormack & Associates LLC and a member of ALA’s Professional Development Advisory Committee.
-
Harnessing Data for Business Development with Ioana Good, Adrien Maines and Peter Johnson
Do you send your lawyers to conferences, but they don’t come back having generated any business? They might just be playing the wrong roles. Hear from business development experts and entrepreneurs Ioana Good, Adrien Maines and Peter Johnson about how to use data to identify your lawyers’ characteristics that will help maximize the business they bring in. Whether an attorney is a closer, a networker or an analyst, each can play a crucial part in drumming up business and reducing unnecessary legal spend.
Speaker Bios:
Peter Johnson is a former managing partner and founder of Law Practice Consultants. Johnson helps law firms with compensation structuring and business development training and coaching. He also holds two graduate degrees in counseling and psychology in addition to his law degree. Johnson was inducted as a fellow-elect in the College of Law Practice Management, an international professional, educational and honorary association dedicated to “the improvement of the law practice management and the enhancement of the professional quality of and public respect for the law.”
Ioana Good and Adrien Maines are the founders of Find A Rainmaker (FAR), an online assessment tool that provides behavioral insights to help companies generate revenue. Good and Maines spent decades working in-house before consulting. They developed FAR to help their clients gain a competitive advantage. Good is a former journalist with a master's degree in Corporate Communication and Technology. Maines has helped hundreds of companies with strategic marketing & branding initiatives in the legal and tech industries. She holds a degree in Marketing and Communications.
-
Building an Inclusive Workplace with Terry Isner
Creating a diverse and inclusive culture can put your firm ahead of your competition in both recruitment and business development. Terry Isner, Owner and Chief Executive Officer of Jaffe PR, joins us to discuss what that looks like in action and share his experience as a gay man working in the legal industry. Tune in for his insight into how to encourage your employees to bring their whole selves to work, especially in circumstances such as client pitches and meetings.
Speaker Bio:
Terry M. Isner is the Owner and Chief Executive Officer of Jaffe PR and a marketing philosopher, brand consultant and dynamic speaker for the professional services industry. Isner fulfills a niche as a business strategist with an extensive background as an award-winning creative director and artist. He helps preserve brand equity by helping firms adapt to these changing times and sharing their unique stories in creative ways across multiple channels, including print, digital and social media. He also uses his passion and expertise to empower marketers to be effective agents of change within their own organizations and help drive their firm’s sales, branding and culture.
-
Supporting the LGBTQ+ Community in June — and Beyond with Laurence Winters
What does it mean to build a meaningful Pride campaign at your firm? We sat down to discuss this topic with Laurence Winters, Chief Community Officer, SurePoint Technologies, and Chair, ALA’s Committee on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility. Through a vulnerable and honest account of his own struggles growing up as a gay man, Winters puts a face to why supporting the LGBTQ+ community in your legal organization is critical all year long. Plus, we chat about the benefits and joy of being able to bring your whole, authentic self to work.
Resources mentioned in the podcast:
-
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.
-
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.
-
A Peek Around the Corner with PDAC: ChatGPT Meets 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.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.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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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. -
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:- The larger Legal Workflow Management Report from BigHand
- BigHand webinar from December 16: Legal Workflow Management: A Turning Point for Post-Pandemic Competitiveness in Firms of 50–99 Lawyers
- ALA Gateway Chapter’s webinar with BigHand and three legal administrators
- ALA free white paper: The Changing Role of the Legal Secretary
- “Market Research Reveals That North American Law Firms Expect to Lose 58% of Their Legal Secretaries by 2025”
- BigHand case studies: DLA Piper Delivers Collaborative Administrative Resource Model and DLA Piper Moves to Remote-Working Practices in 36 Hours During COVID-19 Pandemic
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.