Advertise on podcast: Legal Management Talk

In this episode, ALA Executive Director Eryn Carter, CAE, chats with her long-time friend Darwin Conner, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Eversheds Sutherland, about where DEIA stands now in the legal industry. Don't miss their discussion on how law firms are responding to the current DEIA environment and how administrators can support DEIA efforts at their firms.

In this episode, recorded live at ALA's Association Leadership Institute, ALA President Travis Armstrong, President-Elect Elyssa Goldstein and Future Readiness Advisory Council Vice Chair Laurence Winters discuss some of the biggest takeaways from the Advisory Council's 2025 membership survey. Learn more about issues like staff succession planning, DEIA and mental wellness, along with what ALA is doing to help our members with each one.

In this episode, Alex Tring, Director of Operations, Resource Management at BigHand joins us to talk about his company's 2025 Resource Management report. We discuss the latest hiring trends, staff attrition statistics and how firms can use data and technology to better allocate their employees' time. We also dive into some alarming stats on client attrition and what firms can do stem that tide.

Law firm leaders are no strangers to the many inefficiencies that come with legal work. Many policies and procedures are over-complicated, time-consuming and require staff energy that could be used elsewhere. Now with AI, there's hope that some of those pain points can be alleviated. Renee Jackson, Professor of Law at the University of New Hampshire and Founder of Dyspute.AI, joins the show to discuss the dispute mediation tool she developed along with what innovations firms should be looking forward to — and what clients are looking for from their firms.

Managing change at a law firm is never easy, especially when people have different comfort levels with change. Dave Collins, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Oak and Reeds, joins the show (in-person!) to discuss how to meet people where they're at when introducing change so you can maximize buy-in. We also talk about the latest innovations in workplace communication, including how AI is being used. Catch Dave's session at ALA's 2025 Level Up: Legal Management Fundamentals on Friday, September 12 at 12:15 p.m.  Register now for Dave's ALA webinar — Difficult Conversations: Collaborative Conflict — on September 24 at 2 p.m. Central. Visit alanet.org/webinars.

As the legal industry continues to evolve, it's important to always manage a law firm with an eye toward the future. In this episode, Laura Richardson, General Counsel at Agiloft, gives her perspective on what clients are looking for from the firms they work with, such as their approaches to talent management, AI adoption and creative thinking. She also discusses the need for "radical acceptance" among firm leaders. This episode is brought to you by NetDocuments. NetDocuments enables legal professionals to do their best work with an intelligent document management system (DMS) that goes beyond getting organized and brings to life seamless AI, powerful workflows and smarter experiences. The #1 trusted cloud-native DMS for 25+ years, NetDocuments delivers tools to make work easier throughout the document lifecycle — from award-winning automation and AI to email management, search, collaboration, document bundling, advanced security and more. Learn more at netdocuments.com.

As legal organizations continue to assess if, how and when to implement AI tools, Hunter Steele, Chief Executive Officer of Smokeball, joins the show to give an update on the tools that exist right now, what their capabilities are and what to look forward to in the coming months. We also dive into AI products that are being developed to help with specific practice areas, such as personal injury and family law. This episode is brought to you by NetDocuments. NetDocuments enables legal professionals to do their best work with an intelligent document management system (DMS) that goes beyond getting organized and brings to life seamless AI, powerful workflows and smarter experiences. The #1 trusted cloud-native DMS for 25+ years, NetDocuments delivers tools to make work easier throughout the document lifecycle — from award-winning automation and AI to email management, search, collaboration, document bundling, advanced security and more. Learn more at netdocuments.com.

As we navigate our professional lives, we can sometimes put on a public face that betrays what's really going on, even if it affects our work. Nikki Korson, Practice Manager of Complex Litigation and Arbitration at Paul Hastings, joined the show to offer her thoughts on the importance of authenticity and honesty at work, including during the hiring process. She also discusses hybrid work and getting the most out of the experience of working at a modern law firm. This episode is brought to you by NetDocuments. NetDocuments enables legal professionals to do their best work with an intelligent document management system (DMS) that goes beyond getting organized and brings to life seamless AI, powerful workflows and smarter experiences. The #1 trusted cloud-native DMS for 25+ years, NetDocuments delivers tools to make work easier throughout the document lifecycle — from award-winning automation and AI to email management, search, collaboration, document bundling, advanced security and more. Learn more at netdocuments.com.

Although we're now five years from the start of the COVID pandemic, many firms are still trying to perfect their hybrid and remote work policies. How many days should employees be in the office? Should everyone be brought back in-person? How effective is hybrid work as a recruiting tool? Micah Remley, CEO of Robin, joined the show to help answer these questions and much more! This episode is brought to you by NetDocuments. NetDocuments enables legal professionals to do their best work with an intelligent document management system (DMS) that goes beyond getting organized and brings to life seamless AI, powerful workflows and smarter experiences. The #1 trusted cloud-native DMS for 25+ years, NetDocuments delivers tools to make work easier throughout the document lifecycle — from award-winning automation and AI to email management, search, collaboration, document bundling, advanced security and more. Learn more at netdocuments.com.

How do you give your firm a competitive edge? There are many answers, but one of the biggest is having an ability to adapt to new technology swiftly and deftly. Jacob Morvay, President and Chief Executive Officer of Morvay Consulting Group, joins the program to explain how firms can prepare for tech changes in a way that's effective, supports long-term growth and invests in the firm's people and ideas. This episode is brought to you by NetDocuments. NetDocuments enables legal professionals to do their best work with an intelligent document management system (DMS) that goes beyond getting organized and brings to life seamless AI, powerful workflows and smarter experiences. The #1 trusted cloud-native DMS for 25+ years, NetDocuments delivers tools to make work easier throughout the document lifecycle — from award-winning automation and AI to email management, search, collaboration, document bundling, advanced security and more. Learn more at netdocuments.com.

Communication is key in any workplace, but that's especially true in a high-stakes environment like legal. Sammi Sadicario, CEO of The Voice Experts, joins the show to discuss how firm leaders can use their voice most effectively to accomplish their goals and get people to listen, and get their employees to do the same. She also demonstrates a helpful exercise you can use every day to help calm your nerves before any big speech or meeting. This episode is brought to you by NetDocuments. NetDocuments enables legal professionals to do their best work with an intelligent document management system (DMS) that goes beyond getting organized and brings to life seamless AI, powerful workflows and smarter experiences. The #1 trusted cloud-native DMS for 25+ years, NetDocuments delivers tools to make work easier throughout the document lifecycle — from award-winning automation and AI to email management, search, collaboration, document bundling, advanced security and more. Learn more at netdocuments.com.

Lateral recruitment remains a key element of law firms' hiring strategy, but what do firms need to know to ensure they're in the best position to succeed in that area? Greg Hamman and Julie Henson of Decipher Intel joined the show to discuss their report from earlier this year on lateral hiring trends and what the process does and should look like in 2025. They also delve into how AI is impacting hiring and where the technology is heading.

In the latest episode of ALA's Meeting the Moment series, ALA President Amanda Koplos, CLM, CPA; President-Elect Travis Armstrong, CLM, CPA; and Immediate Past President Geoffrey Williams, CLM, MBA, M.Div. sit down for the first-ever live taping of the podcast to discuss their leadership journeys and how to become a leader in the Association. They also address some other hot topics, including DEIA and artificial intelligence.

In this episode of ALA's Meeting the Moment series, Professional Development Advisory Committee members Matthew Sullivan, JD, and Catherine Alman MacDonagh, JD, discuss one of their favorite topics: running a law firm like a business. Learn about why it's so important for firms to shift their mindset about how they operate and the resources ALA provides to help administrators do just that. To check out past podcast episodes, visit alanet.org/podcast. To read the February 2025 article about KPIs, go to alanet.org/legal-management. ALA members can visit the Online Community at ala.tradewing.com/community.

Poring over contracts with cybersecurity providers may not be the most glamorous part of an administrator's job, but it's an important (and necessary) way to ensure your firm is getting the peace of mind it needs. Rob Scott, Co-Founder and Chief Innovator of Monjur, joins the show to break down what firms should be looking for when signing with a cybersecurity service, what pitfalls to avoid and how to practice "cyber hygiene" in your contracting.