Fringe Legal

Clarissa Rayward, also known as ‘The Happy Family Lawyer’, specialises in helping couples stay out of Court and work together to reach a resolution to their relationship breakdown. A practising family lawyer,she is the Director of the Brisbane Family Law Centre, a multidisciplinary practice. Clarissa is based in Brisbane, Australia is a speaker, author, and hosts the popular podcast “Happy Lawyer, Happy Life”.SUBSCRIBE AND REVIEW:  iTunes // Spotify // Pocket Casts // Stitcher Some of the items we cover in the episode include (numbers are time codes):How Clarissa went from studying marine biology, to interior design to a practicing lawyerHow to provide a delight experience to clients even (or perhaps especially) when they are going through difficult situations -> 8.04Developing a client centric practice to deliver law in a different way -> 9.14Why empathy is so powerful in the practice of law. What is the difference between sympathy and empathy, and how the latter can elevate your practice -> 10.48The origins of the “Happy Lawyer” -> 15.06How to avoid/manage burnout & stress as a lawyer or any other professional -> 18.30How to identify things in your life that cultivate happiness -> 23.28The science behind gratitude -> 25.50Failure is ok, and learning from failure; restarting -> 31.15 

In this penultimate episode of season one, I speak with the fantastic Thao Tran. Thao is the Knowledge Manager at the international firm Fried Frank. She's based in New York, and is also the Member Liaison for ILTA in NYC.Thao has a unusual route into knowledge management, and in exploring how she got there, we learn ways that can help break into a new role, crowdsource ideas and separate the signal from the noise.At the end of the episode, I was left with a few pages of notes (and Thao even suggested a job for me after I retire :p)!.SUBSCRIBE AND REVIEW:  iTunes // Spotify // Pocket Casts // Stitcher Some of the highlights include: (numbers are time codes)Thao's journey into knowledge management driven by work-life balance, and a nudge from a partner → 2.50Thinking through the expansion of the KM function from just one practice area to various → 5.00Importance of mentorship and sponsorship (and the differences between the two at a law firm) → 6.00Why casting a "wider net" when searching for mentors is so importance, and how it helped shape Thao's career → 8.00A primer on knowledge management, what does it mean to Thao and to law firms → 16.24Being that bridge between lawyers, technology and management → 19.48How to discover where the inefficiencies are, and the benefits of starting small → 25.18Separating the signal from the noise, and having a genuine desire to learn from each conversation → 31.01What's on the horizon for the remainder of 2019 → 36.30The episode is available now here (https://www.fringelegal.com/s1-e9-thao-tran-on-crowdsourcing-ideas-the-importance-of-mentorship-and-embracing-the-km-role), on iTunes, Spotify, and everywhere else you get your podcasts.

Nicola Shaver is the global Director of Knowledge Management at Paul Hastings LLP in New York. In her role, she focuses on opportunities to optimize processes and introduce tools that will improve efficiency and productivity, and on leveraging the firm's intellectual capital to better serve clients.Nicola has worked in the legal services industry for over 15 years in three different jurisdictions. Nicola is passionate about finding innovative solutions to existing problems, building a culture of innovation within law firms, and instilling an empathic approach to design.SUBSCRIBE AND REVIEW:  iTunes // Spotify // Pocket Casts // Stitcher Some of the items we cover in the episode include: How Nikki got to NYC - her story of working in three countriesNikki’s move to KM - Nikki’s view of KM, and why she thinks it’s such an exciting role to be inWhat she sees as the key components of a KM roleWhat are some of the items that will help lawyers actually want to continue to practice lawThe shift in technology, processes, and the way law is practicedWhat is design thinkingWhat components make up design thinkingWhat are the steps of design thinking  EmpathyDefineIdeatePrototypeTestExecuteWhy empathy is one of the key components of any problem solving exerciseHow Nikki was first exposed to Design ThinkingHow her firm explored the concept of design thinkingHow to promote the concept to lawyers and have them be engagedWhat is one key stage, after which, the lawyers will be hookedWhat is range of time investment required for a design thinking workshopSome amazing tips to help you out if you’re trying this out for the first timeSome key takeaways for Nikki after having put design thinking intoHow design thinking can help tap into the “big brains” of lawyers

Angela Dowd is the Director of Practice Innovation for the law firm of Burns & Levinson LLP in Boston, Massachusetts. In her current role with the firm, she is works with practice groups and administrative departments to increase efficiency and streamline business processes. She has also been active member of the International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) for many years, speaking at the annual conference. She is in her second term on the Board of Directors, currently serving as President. In addition, she has spoken at Association of Legal Administrators, Legal Marketing Association and the Law Firm Alliance conferences. SUBSCRIBE AND REVIEW:  iTunes // Spotify // Pocket Casts // Stitcher In this episode I speak to the brilliant Angela Dowd. We really focus the conversation on how to develop a innovator's mindset, and lessons learnt as Director of Practice Innovation at Burns & Levinson LLP, and as the President of the Board of Directors at ILTA.Some of the highlights include: (numbers are time codes) Angela's "organic, rambling path" into legal: going from chemical engineering, HR, training, applications and innovation → 1.20Symptomatic problem solving vs business problem solving → 4.17Instead of suggesting solutions, focus on learning about the problem the user is trying to solve → 5.40The challenges and benefits of working in a "firm of laterals" → 7.20"Cross fertilization of innovative ideas" → 10.45Make gain where you can, and tying innovation initiatives to business problems → 12.32Resistance to change vs desire to change → 13.48Reverse mentoring on as a tool to challenge your assumptions → 25.00What's on the horizon for the legal profession → 30.00The episode is available now here (https://www.fringelegal.com/s1-e7-angela-dowd-on-developing-an-innovators-mindset), on iTunes, Spotify, and everywhere else you get your podcasts. 

Paul Domnick is President of Litera Microsystems, having been President of Litéra Corp from 2014 to 2017. He brings unique insight into the utility of the Litera Microsystems’ risk management solutions having previously been CIO of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer for five years. Before taking on this role in early 2007, Paul was head of global IT sourcing for Zurich Financial Services.SUBSCRIBE AND REVIEW:  iTunes // Spotify // Pocket Casts // Stitcher Paul is such a font of knowledge, and has so many great stories which distill some of his learnings. I segmented our conversation in exploring Pauls’ past (being a CIO), his present (President at Litera Microsystems), and the future (what are some items a knowledge worker should be thinking about). Full disclosure, I work with Paul at Litera Microsystems. SHOW NOTESWe cover the following in this episode:PAST: Pauls’ move from financial services to the legal profession, and how the technology needs differ between law firms and professional service organisations.Why Freshfields deliberately hired a CIO (and others) from outside of legal – and why this might be more common in the future.Lessons learnt from being a CIO (listening, learning the law firm mechanics, and growing as a leader)The role of IT leaders as representatives of change in an organisationPRESENT: how running a different kind of procurement organisation at Freshfields led to Paul moving to LiteraGrowing a company from a customer centric view point (grow so you can better serve your client base)The formation of Litera Microsystems, and vision behind the creation of a platform companyFUTURE: true disruption comes when someone does something so drastic with current technology it changes the gameHow technology can have a meaningful impact on people’s life and what role innovation plays into thisTrends for the knowledge worker – the idea of augmentating technology to your current roleAI becoming an ubiquitous piece of technology. AI is successful when you don’t know it’s around you.Advantage of a first mover vs being a fast follower You can find out more information about at Litera Microsystems on their website. Full show notes can be found at https://www.fringelegal.com/s1-e6-paul-domnick-on-the-changing-landscape-of-the-legal-profession

Thomas Haines is a software engineer and entrepreneur . He is the CEO/Founder of Practice Insight and he currently works on the company's latest tool - WiseTime, an autonomous, privacy first timekeeping software. Tom holds a BSc, LLB (Hons), and LLM, and has qualified as a solicitor, barrister and Australian registered patent attorney.SUBSCRIBE AND REVIEW:  iTunes // Spotify // Pocket Casts // Stitcher This was an interesting conversation, speaking with someone who has had quick a varied background starting with working as part of Apple's sales team, going on to study computer science, practicing law and then founding his own company.We cover the following in this episode:Tom's winding journey into legal profession and becoming an entrepreneurWhen creating product, the importance of solving a real business problem (especially when it can also uncover principal opportunities at your firm)The importance of creating elegant software, but focusing on the small things and augmenting the users current workflowTom's rule of positioning software - show an expected 6X return on investment. This will help mitigate the risk associated with adoption, change management, and implementationHow one call from a $700M business changed Tom's lifeHow a product with $0 revenue can still have the most potential and promiseWhat is WiseTime and what does autonomous privacy focused time keeping mean?Value in automating/eliminating low level tasksThe three pillars of timekeeping software PrivacyEleganceIntegrationWhen it comes to privacy - the starting point should be that the data belongs to the individual. And why this privacy first principle has made the difference between firms adopting the technology, and not.You can find out more information about at WiseTime.io, including a quick video and more.Full show notes can be found at https://www.fringelegal.com/s1-e5-thomas-haines-on-autonomous-privacy-first-timekeeping

 Andrea Markstrom serves as Blank Rome’s Chief Information Officer, responsible for leading Firm-wide technology and security initiatives across all of Blank Rome’s practices and geographies. Andrea also started the Women Leaders Networking Group in New York, and would welcome any questions and provide more information anyone interested. Meredith Lonner is the Administrator at Franklin, Weinrib, Rudell & Vassallo, P.C. a leading boutique law firm based in New York City specializing in entertainment law.  SUBSCRIBE AND REVIEW:  iTunes // Spotify // Pocket Casts // Stitcher  Andrea and Meredith are from very different firms, not just in the type of law they practice, but also more obviously, the size. There were plenty of contrasts between how Meredith and Andrea approach similar topics, such as looking at technology, working with the partnership, and even how they found themselves to be in legal. However, (and perhaps surprisingly) there were similarities also and I walked away from the conversation with plenty of learnings. We cover the following in this episode: Their very different journey into legal (from Target Corp vs from working in a law firm as a paralegal)How to work with internal stakeholders (listening to 700 vs 16 business owners)What does an Administrator do at a small firmWhat Andrea considers to be the role of a CIO and how it affects her outlook on innovationThe importance of securityHow Andrea & Meredith consider the purchase of technology and new initiativesHow Blockchain might be relevant for the entertainment industryThe pressures of competition across both their businessesWomen in techAndrea also started the Women Leaders Networking Group in New York, and would welcome any questions and provide more information anyone interested. Full show notes can be found at http://fringelegal.com/s1-e4-andrea-markstom-and-meredith-lonner-on-being-women-leaders 

Stevie Ghiassi is CEO of Legaler, a secure online communication and collaboration tool for lawyers, CEO of Legaler Aid, a blockchain-based legal aid service that promotes access to justice, as well as President of the Australian Legal Technology Association.SUBSCRIBE AND REVIEW:  iTunes // Spotify // Pocket Casts // Stitcher Stevie wears a number of hats, and most recently he published the viral book Blockchain for Lawyers. Rather than talking about the ins-and-outs of blockchain technology, instead we focus on what learning about matters and the impact it will have on the legal profession.We cover the following in this episode:Stevie's journey into legal technologyHow and why Legaler foundedThe issue of access to justice, and how Legaler Aid aims to create a more accountable & transparent solution to this problemWhat is the blockchain and why does it matterThe biggest change in trust, and how this will disrupt the nature of legal workThinking about the speed of transactions on the blockchain, and the upcoming public network Legaler is working onThe idea of global ID based on the blockchainAustralia as the hotbed of legal technologyFull show notes can be found at http://fringelegal.com/s1-e3-stevie-ghiassi-on-blockchain-disrupting-legal. Please subscribe, and if you enjoyed the episode help me by leaving a review. If you have questions, comments, or feedback then please tweet to me @WhoIsAbS with #FringeLegal or email me on ab@fringelegal.com ResourcesLegalerBlockchain for LawyersALTASatoshi Nakamoto white paper and walkthrough

Some of the items we cover in the episode include:Kate’s move from being a consultant to law firms, to working in a law firm.The concept of ikigai, and the venn diagram of Kate’s viewpointspeoplelawtechWhat does KM mean to Kate, and how she segments her projects into four buckets:Research & development (innovations)Precedents and playbookTrainingPractice innovation (process + pricing)Entrepreneurship and Intrepreneurship at Bennett JonesThe importance of being curious and listeningKate’s advice to embrace ambiguity, and taking calculated risksPlease subscribe, and if you enjoyed the episode help me by leaving a review. SPECIAL GUEST: KATE SIMPSONKate is responsible for developing the firm’s knowledge management strategy and initiatives, and leads a team of KM specialists in delivering practice tools and resources that leverage the firm’s intellectual capital.Prior to Bennett Jones, Kate was a consultant to many Canadian, UK and global law firms advising them in the design and implementation of useful, usable and engaging KM solutions that benefited both the lawyers and their clients.Connect with Kate on LinkedIn or Twitter. If you have questions, comments, or feedback then please tweet to me @WhoIsAbSwith #FringeLegal or email me on ab@fringelegal.com

Joy Heath Rush is the CEO of International Legal Technology Association, and a industry veteran. SUBSCRIBE AND REVIEW:  iTunes // Spotify // Pocket Casts // Stitcher In this this inaugural episode of the podcast, we speak with Joy about her views on the changing legal landscape. Amongst other items, we discuss testing assumptions she had about the ILTA community, trends she's seeing in the legal profession, and what firm leaders can put into action immediately to make a noticeable difference. SHOW NOTESSome of the items we cover in the episode include:The value of listening, and the learning about the deep love & passion for the ILTA organisationThe four key learning about the ILTA community Joy learnt about as she became CEOA need for more diversityPeople have too many ideas, and they don't know what to do with themThe need for greater transparencyThe want from the community to volunteer moreWe also cover some trends & patterns Joy observed across the wider industryInnovation is overhypedThe lack of understanding around emerging topics/technologiesHow the law firm business landscape is changingThe prevalence of "the cloud"The importance of data driven performance trackingIncreasing competition from the Big 4 How law schools are stepping up and becoming more engagedWhat action can law firm leaders take today to make an impactFull episode show notes, and relevant links can be found here. Please subscribe, and if you enjoyed the episode help me by leaving a review. If you have questions, comments, or feedback then please tweet to me @WhoIsAbS with #FringeLegal or email me on ab@fringelegal.com