In Seclusion

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Jason Barnwell, Assistant General Counsel of Modern Legal at Microsoft, does not like it when his outside legal counsel comes to him with traditional offerings during a crisis. If there is ever a time to package legal services in a way that helps in-house attorneys manage their limited resources, that time is now. Don't ask the client to define what services you can provide them, come to the client with the knowledge you've learned from all your other clients' needs, and provide insights, and options on how to address current and potential issues. Bring options to the client. The options do not have to be perfect, or unassailable. But they start that conversation to find what the client needs, and how the firms can be creative in helping with that need. 

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we’re in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Patrick DiDomenico, the Chief Innovation Officer at Jackson Lewis, says that while Necessity may be the Mother of Invention, Crisis may be the Father of Innovation. And this year is definitely filled with crisis events. While the remote nature of work is a challenge, it has also been a bit of a blessing in disguise. The need to be responsive also enables us to be proactive, and that has helped pull teams together to be innovative and do some really great things. Sometimes the need to respond to a crisis can break the paralysis that plagues some law firms who are looking to be perfect before applying changes to existing processes.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we’re in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Joshua Lenon, Lawyer in Residence at CLIO, works in a cloud-based environment where the idea is to operate consistently, regardless of physical location. And that’s exactly what they have done over the past three-plus months. For others in the legal field to follow this lead, he says that we need to invest more in technology for our staff, as well as shift more operations away from the physical office and more toward cloud systems. Having successful operations like that makes it a lot easier to continue remaining safe and productive remotely until it is safer for all of us to return to an office. 

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we’re in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Colin Levy, Legal Technology, and Legal Innovation Thought Leader says that there are a lot of people in the legal industry who are truly trying to innovate, but that innovation does not equal technology, and technology does not equal innovation. There’s a holistic approach that needs to be taken, especially in the middle of a crisis like we have now, and the processes as well as the technology need to be evaluated in order to truly create an innovative environment that is built to last.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we’re in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Craig Levinson is President & Chief Client Developer at Levity Partners and the author of the recent articles “Top 20 Virtual Client Development Tactics Lawyers Can Begin Implementing Immediately,” and “What All Attorneys Can Learn From Female Rainmakers: Panel Recap.” The practice of establishing virtual tactics around client and business development should not be a brand new idea to rainmakers in the legal industry just because we’re in a pandemic. Craig discusses the great rainmakers who have already established virtual tactics around the business by design, and those who are finding themselves establishing virtual tactics by necessity.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we’re in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

As many of us were rushing to work from home at the beginning of the pandemic, law firm security teams were scrambling to ensure that the networks and hardware were protected from possible attacks. Joel Lytle, Director of Information Security at Jackson Walker in Dallas, joins me to talk about the process he went through during the initial phase of remote work, how he handled the challenges of so many remote workers, and what the goals are for how we adjust to a hybrid of office and remote work going forward. Maintaining security protocols and updating software and hardware are part of the job, but a potential new part of the job may be making sure that the remote workplace doesn’t become an easy target for security breaches.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we’re in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

David Kamien, CEO, and co-founder of Mind Alliance discusses how when COVID-19 began shutting down the economy, law firms opened up a firehose of thought leadership for their clients. While the clients’ inboxes were overflowing with information, and firms were establishing COVID-19 resource pages, the ability for the client to easily search and filter that information was very limited. David thinks that firms are honestly trying to help their clients through the distribution of relevant information, but the way the information is distributed, accessed and indexed is creating barriers for the client that needs to be corrected. The information has to be more consumable by the client and that means organizing it, placing metadata into the information, and giving the user better filtering ability. There needs to be a shared situation awareness between law firms and clients, and not just during a crisis.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we’re in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Danny Norris, Attorney at Law and Trustee at the Harris County Texas Department of Education, discusses his experiences over the past few months of changing jobs, being busy with a full-time Intellectual Property law practice, and elected official. While businesses in Texas are reopening, it is the school system that has continued to find ways of helping students by continuing programs, including providing meals. Danny thinks that as we get closer to August, we will need to determine how we protect the most vulnerable in our society. Whether that is the students as we assess the risk in which we are willing to place them or those who may be subject to eviction as courts lift stay orders over the next couple of months. 

Note: The last episode of In Seclusion will be on June 28th. I have had a fantastic experience bringing these daily episodes to you, and have enjoyed listening to the stories and experiences of others in the legal field as we adjusted to our work routines during a pandemic. I'll still have daily episodes for the next two weeks, so reach out to me if you have ideas, or want to be on the show before it ends. - GL

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we’re in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Casandra Laskowski Technology & Research Services Librarian at Duke Law School has the responsibility of assisting law school students, staff, and faculty through some of the teaching and technology challenges of a remote classroom. In addition, she also chairs the Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the American Association of Law Libraries. With the murder of George Floyd and the civil unrest to protest Police brutality and systemic racism, Cas says that people need the space to step back, access their personal situation, and to have time to think, speak, and hopefully heal.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we’re in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Mike Whelan, author of “Lawyer Forward: Finding Your Place in the Future of Law” is a lawyer, author, legal innovator, and recently an Above the Law podcast host. As we begin to make our way back to our respective office or identify our more permanent workplaces, will we go back to the old habits and schedules, or will we take what we’ve learned over the past few months and apply it to create a new model of working going forward?

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Alycia Sutor, Managing Director at GrowthPlay, coaches lawyers, law firms, and other legal organizations on the need to get out of their comfort zones, and quickly embrace the changes as a new way of being. Those are just not skills that many in the legal industry are used to using. But those who find ways of quickly deploying these skills will be the ones who recover the fastest. For your colleagues who are struggling right now, especially with the issues of racial discrimination, she notes that it is important for you to acknowledge what is going on, be present, and be silent and listen.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

For Cornell H. Winston, Law Librarian at United States Attorney's Office in Southern California, there have been a number of small and large changes affecting his law library and records departments. While he is generally an optimist, he knows that change will happen. People who were never allowed to work from home will not accept that limitation any longer. Workers who once made hours-long commutes to and from work haven’t missed a beat while working from home. They will not be coming back to work the way they did pre-COVID. And while Cornell may have not experienced a global pandemic before, he is familiar with economic and racial unrest. But as he says, when you see it, you learn how to ride it.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Celeste Smith, the Director of Education for the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL), works on finding educational opportunities for those of us who consider ourselves life-long learners. While we are in an industry of very intelligent people, the current situation has taught us that we can not be tied to what we think we know based on our own history and experiences. She notes that just as we did when our physical workspaces closed, we do not have the luxury of taking our time to craft long-term strategies before we need to take action. We have to learn and do all at the same time.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Ian Nelson of Hotshot Legal believes that as we come out of the pandemic, there will be completely different expectations when it comes to how legal professionals want to train and learn. No more hour-long lectures with little to no interaction. Instead, we'll have shorter lessons with flipped classroom styles where the information is processed beforehand, and the classroom is used to discuss and relate to the information. While Hotshot developed many of these ideas over the past few years, there hasn't necessarily been the impetus within the legal industry to look at these types of short, just-in-time training programs. There's nothing like a crisis to effectuate change. 

Link: ebook: Remote Training for Associates

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Maya Markovich, Chief Growth Officer at Nextlaw Labs, thinks that the current environment within the legal industry is the perfect time to rethink the old ways of doing things. The time is ripe to try new processes as well as experiment in ways that we might not normally try because we have somewhat of a safety net to try and fail with less judgment. For those with an entrepreneurial mindset, this might be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for to put your ideas into action.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Heather Morse, the Chief Business Development Officer at McGlinchey Stafford in New Orleans reminds us of the saying that “one size fits one” and that there isn’t a single way to approach how to manage the current situation. One of the key aspects of legal marketing and business development is that we are in the people business, and especially at this time, we need to understand how to personalize our responses to our staff, our attorneys, and our clients.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Clark Hill's Director of Marketing, Roy Sexton talks with me about how law firm marketing teams have really stepped up over the past couple of months to help their attorneys find appropriate ways to engage with their clients, and with each other. As we begin the slow process of moving away from the needs of the crisis and into the long-term redevelopment of marketing strategies, Sexton thinks that we will have to completely rethink how we engage with people, because of their needs and willingness to do events and interactions changed. We’re going to have to find ways to personally and virtually engage in ways that grab more people than don’t.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Janders Dean founder, Justin North, has seen many downturns in the economy and legal industry before but he thinks that the ability for us to keep our stories alive on how we handled downturns before, has helped many navigate this particular situation. And through a bit of planning, and a little bit of luck, he finds his company accidentally ready for this pandemic. When we make our way back to the office, we'll be two meters apart, but we'll find ways to essentially be face to face.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Sherry Kappel from Litera, flew back to the US just in time to avoid the travel ban on March 11th, and then immediately began preparation and action to move employees across the world to work from home. In the more than two months since this time, she has focused on interacting with her fellow workers, customers, and the legal community through virtual conferences and even daily tv-style presentations. She sees a future that continues to stress our ability to connect to one another… it's just going to happen in a different way.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

While we may be in the middle of a crisis, there are certain processes and relationships we need to maintain in order to make sure we have those as we make our way out of the crisis. Aurelia Spivey from Digitory Legal and the host of the Pricing Matters Podcast discusses the need to maintain our community, be creative, and focus on the needs of our clients. These three C's will be determining factors on how well we perform both during and after the pandemic and economic troubles.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

One of the themes I’ve picked up on with the now 41 episodes of this series, is that the transition to remote working environments caused by the pandemic was helped immensely by the increase in cloud and communications technology, as well as our need to work between multiple offices across vast distances. Colin Lachance from vLex solidifies that theme and tells how his recent international merger didn’t seem to slow the transition at all, in fact, it may have helped make that transition even more efficient.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Mary Jenkins, Director of Research Solutions and Senior Law Librarian at Accufile, contracts with multiple law firms and corporations ranging from smaller firms companies all the way up to some of the largest national, and international law firms. Trying to navigate the individual rules of the businesses, the buildings, and the local, state, and federal governments can be quite complicated, but it gives her some insights on what is working, and where she thinks we are heading as we look to reopen offices, and how this pandemic is going to affect us long term.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

One of the things that many of us struggle with, but may not admit to others, is that we actually really miss the office environment. Whether it is the ability to duck into another worker’s office for advice, or bouncing ideas off others in breakrooms, there is definitely processes of an office setting that are very difficult to replicate. I talk with Kristin Hodgins and ask her about how she is adjusting to a remote working environment that is missing many of the things that she really enjoyed about her job, and working in an office.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

During a crisis, professional associations become a touchstone for many in the profession in order to stay in touch with our peers and to continue professional development and even potential employment opportunities. I talk with the current Legal Marketing Association (LMA) President Jill Huse and LMA Vice-President Kelly MacKinnon to see how they are reacting to the needs of their members during this crisis. 

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Yesterday I went virtually to Hawaii to see how the pandemic has affected one of the United States’ remote locations. Today I get to go to another paradise, albeit a little bit further north, and a lot cooler, to talk with Susan Falk, the State Law Librarian at Alaska Court System. While Alaska may have missed the brunt of the pandemic, it was not immune to the changes that a work from home environment has created.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

The pandemic is sparing no one, even in the tropical paradise of Hawaii. I talk with the Hawaiian State Law Librarian, Jenny Silbiger about how she lead her staff through the transition to remote work and service to the courts, the bar, and to the citizens across the multiple islands of Hawaii. As many law librarians do, she reached out to others across the country and sought best practices guidance from librarians, museum curators, and government agencies like the CDC. It shows that even those who are thousands of miles away are still not alone. 

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

The pandemic and the changes in our overall work structure can be challenging to even the most experienced of us in the legal industry. For younger lawyers, those just starting off, or those who are having to take care of younger children at home while balancing work, this can be overwhelming. I talk with Victor Flores, Assistant City Attorney at the City of Plano, who is managing all of these challenges and is leading some 27,000 of his peers through his work as the current President of the Texas Young Lawyers Association.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Lucy Curci-Gonzalez is the Executive Director, and Emily Moog is Research Librarian for the New York Law Institute (NYLI). Late last year, NYLI updated its business continuity plans to include the possibility of a pandemic shutting down access to the physical location. This helped the staff and leadership navigate through the effects of the pandemic which hit New York City especially hard. Now they have created seven guidelines to help lead them back into the eventual reopening of services for the institute's members. 

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

The State of Georgia was one of the last states to restrict movement and one of the first states to announce plans for reopening for business. I talk with DeKalb County Law Librarian, Sarah Mauldin, about her experiences over the past two months as her county went into lockdown, and is now looking to gradually reopen. 

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca (check out Jerry's new EP release on Bandcamp.)
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

One of the bright spots of this pandemic, when it comes to the legal industry, is that many of us are realizing that the important thing we provide is tied to our services rather than our physical location. Law Librarians have been saying this for well over a decade, and now other parts of the industry are realizing that we are much more than an office in a tall building. Today I talk with Amy Small, Assistant Director of the Texas State Law Library, who is coordinating efforts across the state to provide services to a public who is in need. Amy sees the future of her services as being focused on how do we create services that focus on providing help to those who are far away.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

May 1st began phase one of the reopening efforts for the State of Texas. Governor Abbott's order specifically lists libraries as one of the businesses which can open at a 25% capacity rate (and social distancing), but not all libraries are ready to open right away. I talk with Joe Lawson, Deputy Director of the Harris County Law Library about how he and the staff in Texas' largest metropolitan area are preparing to open later this month, and how they are providing vital services to the courts, the bar, and the general public.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca (check out Jerry's new EP release on Bandcamp.)
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Jennifer Mendez is the Director of KM Innovation at Fisher Phillips, and while she is new at the firm, she brings years of experience in addressing the current needs of her new firm. As the saying goes, "never let an emergency go to waste," Mendez is finding the situation is allowing her to bring in new ideas, test and implement new processes, and quickly show the value of the KM and process improvement tools. 

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

On April 6, 2020, most of us were just hitting our third week of working remotely. For Maribel Nash, she was starting a new job at Cooley, LLP. While the timing may have complicated things like getting computer equipment from the new employer and orientation, Nash actually found that there were actually many opportunities in transitioning at this time. Whether it was getting more "face" time with her fellow employees, or getting to know others at the firm on a more personal level, it wasn't as much of a challenge as many of us might think. While this type of change isn't optimal by any stretch of the imagination, she found the experience to be pretty positive.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

This week I am focusing on the employment opportunities for lawyers during this pandemic crisis. I hit up my alma mater yesterday, and today I go even closer to home by interviewing two incoming Fall Associates at my law firm, Jackson Walker. Tori Coates is graduating from Baylor Law School in Waco and will join us in our Austin office. Daniel Maldonado is about to graduate from St. Mary's Law School in San Antonio. He will start in that same city's office this fall. Obviously a lot has happened between the time they left as Summer Associates last July and they have some wisdom and experiences to share with those going into Summer Associate positions this year. 

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Last week I talked with a number of law students about their adjustments during the pandemic for school, graduation, the bar, and employment. This week I wanted to focus more on getting, and keeping these students employed. I reached out to my alma mater and talked with the Director of Career Development, Alicia Currin-Moore, to see how the University of Oklahoma College of Law is keeping the pipeline of students to employers flowing.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

While most of us haven't been in a physical office for more than a month, that doesn't mean that people aren't changing jobs. The legal industry's lateral movement was white-hot before the pandemic, and there while things have definitely slowed down according to today's guest, Richard Hsu, it hasn't stopped. Richard is a former BigLaw Partner and is currently the Managing Director for Major, Lindsey, & Africa in San Francisco. In addition to his day job, Richard also runs a fantastic podcast called, Hsu Untied, where he talks with legal and other business leaders (including people like Steve Wozniak, Mark Cuban, Angela Duckworth, and more) about entrepreneurship, leadership, and business strategies. 

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

In the final installment on how law students are coping with the changes in remote learning, I talk with Michael Anderson, 3L from Emory University School of Law. Michael discusses how he finished his semester at his family's home in Maryland rather than returning to Atlanta, and how he is planning to study and take the Georgia Bar Exam and plan for the start of his legal career.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

In part four of our week-long series on how law students are coping with the changes in remote learning, I talk with second-year law student Kanza Khan. Kanza's story is a bit different than the previous episodes in that MSU's grading is not entirely pass/fail, and her classes continued to follow a fairly strict schedule to mimic the normal class lecture process. In addition, there's been a twist to her plans for her summer work. It just proves that this pandemic effects law students in many different ways.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

In part three of our week-long series on how law students are coping with the changes in remote learning, I talk with third-year law student Rachel Sodee. Rachel discusses her experience with Vanderbilt's transition to online courses and her preparation for finals. We also discuss how the state of Tennessee is still planning for a July Bar Exam with an October option as well. And finally, we discuss how she is communicating with her Nashville law firm she is scheduled to begin working at in September. There are a lot of issues that 3Ls have to think about in a normal year. There's a lot more on the plate of law grads in 2020.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

My first guest is Stephanie Nweke from the University of Houston Law Center. Stephanie is a 2L who is scheduled to go to California to work for a large law firm as a Summer Associate. She is also the co-founder of Blademy, an online learning tool for black millennials. 

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Today's guests bring home this podcast's catchphrase that "we're in this together." Christine Sellers Sullivan and Jeremy Sullivan are both legal information professionals, and a married couple working at home. While there are many married couples who planned their lives around working together, the pandemic has tossed many married couples into a togetherness that no one really expected. For some, this would be tough, but for the Sullivans, they seem to know each other's strengths, weaknesses, as well as good and bad habits. Throw in moving houses, and bringing their adorable Scottish Fold cat, Fred, and you have the makings for some pretty good stories. 

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

While the legal industry is adjusting to its new work from home reality (the running joke is "we are all in-house attorneys now"), today's guest manages a stable of some 2,800 lawyers who all work remotely. Kristin Tyler is the co-founder of LAWCLERK, a company that connects freelance lawyers with on-demand project-based work. She talks with me about how the legal industry may finally have a reason to move into the 21st Century and look at different technologies, and work structures that better fit today's lifestyles and work needs.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Steve Roses is a road warrior. As the Director, Sales William S. Hein & Co., Inc, and HeinOnline, he is at conferences and tradeshows constantly. While that may be put on pause for this pandemic, the need to help the customer continues as strongly as ever. Whether it is opening access to the academic community, or providing special PDF outputs for the courts, Steve Roses communicates and listens to the customers to make sure they have the resources and training they need to get through this tough time. 

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Amber McKinney is the Managing Editor for Law360 and is the host of one of my favorite legal podcasts, Law360's Pro Say. I got to see Amber's new recording studio, which also doubles as the closet of her apartment. There are a number of issues that Amber had to address as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down courthouses across the country, and began having a major effect on the legal industry as a whole. How should Law360 pivot to cover these issues, and still cover the bread-and-butter topic of all the other legal news? 

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

The speed at which the COVID-19 crisis hit the legal industry made it especially difficult for our technology staff and leadership. Now imagine that you’re the CIO and have been at your firm for less than 90 days and had to lead them through this unprecedented remote work structure. That’s exactly what today’s guest found herself doing. Andrea Markstrom, CIO at Taft, Stettinius, and Hollister's Minneapolis office joins us to share her story of finding herself leading the charge for an entirely remote law firm working environment.

Andrea is also heading up a campaign through her i.WILL (Inspiring Women Igniting Leadership & Learning) program. Check it out and contribute.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

What role does the Legal Information Publisher play in this new work from home model for the legal industry? Neil Sternthal from Thomson Reuter talks with me to explain how they are supporting the industry in creative ways.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

While law firms have been relatively well prepared for this transition to work from home, the future will have a number of challenges for legal professionals. Toby Brown is always looking at trends in the industry and understands that there are waves of challenges coming. Law firms are doing a good job of responding to needs, but they struggle with handling what comes next. Clients are going to start looking at their future needs, and firms need to do the same.

He lays out some of the issues that hit the industry in the Great Recession and sees some of the same pressures (and opportunities) in the current situation. Are law firms situated to handle the upcoming challenges? Are they equipped with the proper staffing roles to take advantage of the opportunities? Are they hiring the "next-gen" roles like pricing and project management professionals? Are we ready for Summer Associates in May? Are we ready for pass/fail grades? Are we ready for a bust in the oil and hospitality businesses? 

Are we continuing to react, or are we thinking ahead? 

Speaking of 'next-gen' roles, Toby has helped create the new Legal Value Network as a place for these roles to find and share with each other. While the timing of the new community may be poorly timed with the current situation, Toby thinks it actually might be the perfect time since pricing and other professionals are going to need a community to help each other proactively address the market as we struggle with the changes that lie ahead.

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Vani Ungapen prides herself on being a planner. So how does one plan for a future that is uncertain? By being nimble, flexible, go with the flow, and most importantly, don't panic. As the Executive Director of the American Association of Law Libraries, she is having to apply all those skills. With an annual conference scheduled in less than four months, there's a lot of uncertainty leading up to the New Orleans event. 

The Association upgraded the staff's laptops, network, document, and phone systems over the past couple of years, and those upgrades are making it a lot easier for the AALL staff to work remotely. However, there are still things which don't work very well in a remote working environment. Such as, mailing out checks to pay bills. Everyone is learning that no matter how well you prepare, there are still processes that have to be adjusted in this work from home model.

We are all being caught off-guard, but it's important to be prepared, and make sure that you are communicating with everyone involved. 

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Andrea Cannavina understands the process of remote legal work. She's been at it for nearly 20 years as the CEO of LegalTypist. Andrea gives us a checklist of tasks that those new to the remote work environment needs to be successful, and stay sane. From the physical aspects of setting up a work area in your home, to the equipment needed, to the routine you'll fall into as you become more aware of the requirements of remote work. You're not just taking your normal work routine from the office and reapplying it to an in-home situation. It's going to be different.

It's not just the workers who are going to struggle with the new work from home model. Managers will have a difficult adjusting as well. Especially those who think that if they don't have their eyes on their employees, that means they are slacking. Andrea's advice here is that managers need to understand that work at home is a process. If something isn't going well, it is the process that needs evaluating more than the people. It's especially important that managers not immediately go into "blame mode" when something doesn't quite work out. Remember to work on the process before you blame the people.

Products Mentioned

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

Remember, we may all be In Seclusion, but we're in this together.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod

The first episode drops Monday, March 23rd on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or where ever you listen.

Host: Greg Lambert (@glambert)
Producer: Janice Anderson
Artwork: Dean Lambert
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Twitter: @InSeclusionPod