In-House Outliers

On this episode, John Bennett (CEO and Founder of Melius Law) joined Alex Kelly for a discussion about the growth of legal technology, and how embracing legal tech can help in-house teams level up their capabilities while improving organizational leadership's perception of the legal function as a whole. John also shared his observations about the differences between working for a law firm and working in-house, and how his ongoing passion for helping others become the best versions of themselves inspired him to start Melius Law.

Katrina Gowans (CLOC Australian Chapter Co-Chair) joined Alex Kelly on the show this week to discuss some of the key challenges she faced when transitioning to legal ops from her previous role as a Senior Corporate Lawyer. Katrina also provided insights on how best to illustrate the value of legal operations to legal leaders who are on the fence about implementing a legal ops function.

On this week's episode, Cat Casey (Chief Growth Officer at Reveal-Brainspace) joined Alex Kelly for a conversation about her 18 years working in the e-discovery space, and how staying current on the ever-evolving technology landscape is pivotal to getting an edge in your career development. Cat also shared her insights into the future role of A.I. in the legal space, and how emerging technologies like ChatGPT are transforming professional roles.

On this week's episode, Jonathan Polk (General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Melio) joined Alex Kelly for a fascinating conversation about Jonathan's career journey, which led him from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to American Express and, ultimately, to his current role at Melio. Jonathan discussed the challenges he overcame in transitioning to each respective role, and also shared his thoughts on the keys to professional success and the importance of finding gratification in the work that you do.

On this week's episode, Brooks Hall, Legal Operations Manager at Human Interest, joined Alex Kelly for an in-depth conversation about the career path that led her to the field of legal operations after previously holding Senior Paralegal roles. Brooks also shared insights into the importance of embracing legal tech, and the transformative power of having true clarity into legal spend.

On this episode Michael Theise, Senior Manager of Legal & Compliance Operations at Biogen, joined Alex Kelly for a conversation about how the skills he developed working as a programmer, data analyst, and customer success manager ultimately set him up for success in the field of legal operations. Michael also shared some of the biggest lessons he's learned to this point in his career, and discussed some of his observations about working in the legal ops space.

Electra Japonas, CEO and Founder of TLB, joins Alex Kelly on the podcast this week to discuss her incredible career journey, the differences between working for a firm and working in-house, and the proper way to approach legal technology to ensure you're getting the most out of your investment. Electra also shared insights into the growth she has seen in the legal operations space, and how organizations can work to align the legal function with their own unique goals.

Recorded live at the 2023 CLOC Global Institute in Las Vegas, this episode features conversations with Stacy Lettie (Chief of Staff to the General Counsel, Organon) and Ryan Buoscio (Manager of Legal Operations, Ventas, Inc.) about the important role that collaboration and teamwork play in the legal ops function. Stacy also dove into how to develop a strong relationship with your General Counsel, and Ryan discussed how CGI has helped him keep tabs on new innovations in the legal ops space.

Recording live in Las Vegas during CLOC Global Institute, Alex Kelly was joined by Liz Lugones (COO & Senior Advisor at UpLevel Ops) and Mary Zolene Agbovi (Director of Legal Operations at CoverMyMeds) for this episode. Liz discussed her thoughts on the importance of building a business case for investments in legal ops, and Mary detailed her experience building out her professional network from the ground up. Both this week's guests also shared their biggest takeaways from the sessions they attended during CGI.

In the latest episode of the In-House Outliers "Live from CLOG Global Institute" series, Alex Kelly spoke with Lara Trope (Legal Operations Consultant at InnoLaw Group, PLLC) and Laurie David-Henric (Global Head of Operations & Strategy at Manulife) about their insights into the legal ops trends that caught their attention during CGI. Lara also shared what triggered her initial interest in legal operations, and Laurie discussed her thoughts on the role of A.I. in the industry (with a surprise guest appearance from the great Jenn McCarron).