Effective communication for in-house lawyers

 This episode is an update to the Generative AI episode we did five months ago. To get a proper grip on what’s happening, we were lucky enough to be joined by two heavyweights.My first guest is Josh Kubicki. Josh is the  is the co-founder and design lead at Bold  Duck Studio, the Director and Professor of Legal Business Design Hub and Entrepreneurship Program at Richmond Law School and the creator of the Brainyacts - a newsletter on for legal professionals on pragmatic and practical uses of ChatGPT and other generative AI tools.Josh and I consider the volume and depth of change to date, discuss the need to get your hands dirty and debate the second order risks and downstream implications of gen AI for in-house counsel.As the second guest on this show, I was delighted to welcome back Jonny Badrock, Chief Legal Engineer at SYKE. Jonny and I discuss the the key developments in the legal tech space and share what LOD and SYKE are doing in this space.Learn moreAbout JoshThe BrainyActs newsletterAbout LODAbout SYKE

In this episode we’re diving into the world of microstress, guided by the co-author of a newly released book on this topic, Karen Dillon. In this really fascinating chat, we explore her research and findings into microstress and discuss how in-house counsel and lawyers more broadly can navigate these stresses.Karen explains why and how the top 10% of the top performers were able to manage so much more effectively than the rest. We also consider how leaders can help create work cultures to better manage these stresses and that there are no small guestures in leadership.Further information:The Microstress Effect: How Little Things Pile Up and Create Big Problems--and What to Do about It (Book Link)The Hidden Toll of Microstress (HBR)Karen Dillon is a contributing editor to Harvard Business Review and the co-author of three books NYT best-sellers.  She was also the editor and publisher for The American Lawyer in the 1990s. FInd out more about Karen here. Learn more about LOD here. 

In this episode, we explore how in-house legal leaders can show the value of their legal department. To dive a bit deeper into the topic, we speak to Sterling Miller, a luminary in the in-house world and recent author of a book on this very topic. In our wide-ranging conversation, Sterling warns against the over-reliance on metrics, the superpower of storytelling, the importance of having a plan to improve and remembering them mission of the legal team. Learn more:About LODAbout SterlingSterling's latest book: Showing the Value of the Legal Department: More Than Just a Cost CenterLOD's article on Demonstrating the value of in-house legal

In this episode, we dive into the topic of leading through times of uncertainty and change, an evergreen but particularly salient issue right now for many in-house teams and their leaders.  To explore this topic, I was thrilled to be joined by in-house legend Sterling Miller. Learn more:About LODAbout SterlingSterling's latest book: Showing the Value of the Legal Department: More Than Just a Cost Center

This episode  dives into the topic of leading and managing change for in-house counsel. To explore this topic, I was delighted to be joined by Simon Wilkes. Simon is the General Counsel at Astro, Malaysia’s leading content and entertainment company. Simon has been there and done that – across a few continents no less.In this episode, we discuss:• The need for patience and persistence• How to tackle the treacle in the machine• The importance of getting early wins in to build momentum•  Why setting your vision is so fundamental to success.• And much much more. 

This episode focuses on AI and more specifically, generative AI. Many people will have recently seen the trending discussions and thought pieces on #ChatGPT.To find out what it all means for legal professionals, I spoke with Jonny Badrock, Senior Director for Data Services at SYKE.We explore the immediate applications of generative AI for legal teams, consider its current limitations and then cast our eyes forward to discuss what it might mean in the medium and long term.Further readingOpenAI ChatGPTOn the Dangers of Stochastic Parrots: Can Language Models Be Too Big? 🦜How Generative AI Is Changing Creative Work (Harvard Business Review) Generative Legal AI + ‘The Last Human Mile’ (Artificial Lawyer) Generative AI: A Creative New World (Sequoia Capital)ChatGPT, Explained: What to Know About OpenAI's Chatbot (WSJ Explainer Video)Introducing ChatGPT! (Cassie Kozyrkov, Chief Decision Scientist, Google)

This episode is focused on the topic of well-being for legal professionals. As of publication, it's 10 October 2022 - World Mental Health Day. To explore this topic, I spoke with a leading wellness advocate, author, former lawyer and current editor of Lawyers Weekly, Jerome Doraisamy.  In this episode, we dive into why wellness is such an important topic and discuss strategies and tips for how in-house lawyers can better manage their wellness.Further reading:Stress and mental health | Previous LODcast episodeJerome's biography & LinkedIn profile Minds Count Foundation 

How can in-house lawyers communicate effectively with the business? To explore this topic, I spoke with Marnie Troeth, an experienced General Counsel and in-house legal leader. Marnie has particular expertise in managing complex stakeholder relationships. In this episode, we dive into the difference in communication styles between lawyers and business colleagues and also contains highly practical tips for both in-house leaders and junior lawyers.Resources:Article on how in-house lawyers can communicate more effectively More info on DISC profiling 

This episode is all about legal project management and the more macro discipline of portfolio management.  To get under the skin of the buzzword, we speak with Therese Linton and James Kenney. We disentangle and distil the concepts of legal project management, legal portfolio managements and legal process improvement. Therese Linton is the Founder of The BASALT Group® and head coach for The POSITIVE Lawyer®. She is a global leader in the fields of Legal Project Management, Legal Process Improvement and Legal Operations. She also has unique expertise in Legal Portfolio Management and Legal Transformation. She literally wrote the book Legal Project Management, LexisNexis 2014. As a leading global expert, she has worked with thousands of lawyers over the last decade to develop their capabilities and skills. Find out more and register your interest in The POSITIVE Lawyer® or sign up for one of the new world class CPD Units in Legal Project Management, Legal Process Improvement or Legal People Management. James Kenney is the Director of Legal Operations and Technology at LOD. He’s certified in Project Management has worked with hundreds of clients to review and optimise their operating models.  

This episode is focused on diversity and inclusion in the legal workplace. In line with this year's theme of #breakthebias for International Women's Day, we speak with Niti Nadarajah about gender equity in the legal profession. Niti is a senior in-house lawyer in Melbourne who advocates for gender and racial equity and the need for more inclusive work practices within the legal profession and more broadly. She has recently been recognised as a LinkedIn Top Voice Gender Equity in Australia.