Pioneers and Pathfinders

Dr. Larry Richard is the founder of LawyerBrain, a management consulting firm that helps law firms address issues related to leadership, motivation, talent management, and managing change. Dr. Richard was among the first to apply the scientific principles of human behavior to the personality traits of lawyers. His work validates what those in the legal industry already know intuitively. Lawyers are highly autonomous, skeptical, and analytical—traits that frequently pose a barrier to innovation efforts. On the flip side, his work opens the door for new ways for lawyers to build resilience, empathy, and social connection—necessary traits for dealing with the large-scale changes set in motion by the pandemic. In today’s fascinating conversation, Steve and Dr. Richard discuss how lawyers fared over the last year of lockdown, and what new ways of working and thinking we can expect to stay with us into the future.

Alex Su is a lawyer turned legal technologist whose non-traditional career path has been shaped by his talent for building community. In fact, since we recorded this interview, Alex has moved into a new role with Ironclad as their Head of Community Development. We couldn’t think of a better title for someone whose social media posts get people talking to each other. Through his transparency, humor, and vulnerability, Alex has been able to shed light on many of the “wicked problems” facing the legal ecosphere - and inspire others to join him on TikTok. Listen in as we discuss what he calls the “failed experiments” that shaped his path, the self-awareness required to leave big law, and why not being detail oriented isn’t the end of the world.

Christian Lang loved being a lawyer. But after several years of practice, he could not resist the lure of legal tech as a source of community and continuous improvement for the profession. This led to his creation of the NY Legal Tech Meetup which now has more than 1500 members. Today, Christian is Head of Strategy at Reynan Court, a marketplace for legal technology. In that role, he brings his talent for community building to the application vendors, firms, and in-house departments that use the Reynen Court platform. Join us for a wide ranging conversation that covers his early days on political campaigns, to corporate big law, and finally his current stint in legal tech. Learn how Christian brings his passion for grassroots organizing and self-described “builder personality” to everything he does.

Today’s guest is Jae Um. Jae runs a market insights company called Six Parsecs, and serves as an advisor to a number of legal tech companies as a self-described “supertemp.” Prior to unbundling her career, Jae spent many years in Big Law, including a six year stint at Seyfarth. Since launching her company, Jae has become well-known in the industry for her sharp insights, and unique approach to visual storytelling. Listen in to today’s podcast to learn how and why she picked the companies she is working with today, why she decided not to become a lawyer, and the unique advantages that insurgent providers are bringing to the legal landscape.

Like many of those changing the industry, Cat Moon has a long and multilayered CV. She’s a lawyer. She’s a lecturer at Vanderbilt. She’s a writer and speaker. She’s an organizer. But getting to know Cat in conversation reveals a unique point-of-view that no traditional CV can capture. In a wide ranging discussion that moves from how Cat navigated teaching during the pandemic, to the work she’s doing with Design Your Delta, this self-described “curious lawyer” shares her thoughts on how empathy will change the shape of the profession, and why we need to think beyond the client in the delivery of services.

After three decades of working at the intersection of law and business, today’s guest almost needs no introduction. Susan Hackett is currently the CEO of Legal Executive Leadership, LLC, and has had a wide ranging career as senior vice president and general counsel of the ACC for more than 20 years. While at the ACC, she presided over the creation of the Value Challenge to recognize the in-house teams and outside counsel who are driving value in legal spending, in addition to strategic initiatives in legal operations, pro bono, and diversity. Today, Susan is part of a number entrepreneurial pursuits focused on the improvement of the legal profession. Listen in for how this self-described “extrovert” stays stimulated and energetic, insights from her many years of navigating the unique mindset of lawyers, and the launch of a brand new learning channel for in-house leaders.

Today’s Guest is Jason Barnwell, Associate General Counsel, Modern Corporate, External, and Legal Affairs at Microsoft. In that role, he leads innovation efforts for the law department, as well as Microsoft’s law firm engagement strategy. Jason has an active and vocal thought leadership role on the evolution of the profession, bringing his experience as an engineer to his insights. In his conversation with Steve, Jason reveals the three things he brings to his work from his engineering training, the moment he understood the misalignment of big law incentives with efficiency, and the role of storytelling in change management.

Today’s guest is Dan Linna, Senior Lecturer and Director of Law and Technology Initiatives at Northwestern, a joint appointment in Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and McCormick School of Engineering. He also holds a number of roles at international law schools, and organizations that promote the integration of technology into the profession. Dan began his career as an information technology manager, developer, and consultant. His work included computerizing and automating business processes, developing dynamic, data-driven websites, and building enterprise information systems. Before moving full time into teaching, Dan was a business, contract, and bankruptcy litigation partner at an Am Law 200 law firm. Dan brings this multidisciplinary perspective to his thoughts on the industry, and how COVID will change the experience of law students, and the practice itself. Listen to this episode to learn how and why Dan moved from IT to the legal profession, how Dan brings multiple disciplines including law, engineering, and medicine together, and why he thinks quality is the next wave in legal.

For the last few years, legal technology has seen an incredible boom, as more and more companies and entrepreneurs enter the space. Today’s guest, Nicole Bradick, comes from this world. Nicole is the CEO and founder of Theory and Principle, a technology product design and development firm for the legal industry. Like many of our guests, Nicole has had a fascinating journey from former litigator to three-time legal technology entrepreneur. Listen in as Steve and Nicole discuss why and how Nicole transitioned from the courtroom to legal tech founder, get her take on the most critical skill for founders, and how small risks can reap big rewards. About Theory and Principle Theory and Principle is the premier product design and development firm for the legal industry. T&P’s designers, developers, strategists, and product managers have deep knowledge in both legal technology and the possibilities of emerging technologies. Together, they have built some of the most highly acclaimed digital products in the legal industry in recent years, and are proud to be 100% woman-owned. Theory and Principle has been engaged by clients globally to improve the delivery of legal services, the justice system, lawyer efficiency, legal education, and access to justice for all. They work with clients who are moved to innovate and build to create a better system.

Welcome to the premiere episode of Pioneers and Pathfinders. Today’s guest is Dr. Heidi Gardner, is a Distinguished Fellow at Harvard Law School’s Center on the Legal Profession and Faculty Chair of the school’s Accelerated Leadership Program and Sector Leadership Masterclass. She is also the best-selling author of Smart Collaboration and noted thought leader on the topics of collaboration, lateral hiring, in-house legal teams, leadership, and performance. Dr. Gardner couldn’t be more representative of the pioneers and pathfinders this podcast will host. Her life’s work creates a roadmap for collaboration among lawyers who are by both disposition and training, highly autonomous. Dr. Gardner and Steve jump right in with a discussion of how working virtually has enhanced collaboration then move through the genesis of her scholarship, specific barriers to collaboration in legal, and the erosion of trust during the pandemic. We hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did.