ILTA Voices

In-house legal teams are adopting technology and AI solutions at a faster pace than many law firms, creating a growing gap in innovation and efficiency. This podcast explored why this gap exists, how it impacts client expectations, and what outside counsel can learn from corporate legal departments’ approach to tech adoption. Moderator:  @Thomas Daemen - Associate General Counsel, Microsoft Corporation - Legal and Corporate Affairs Speakers: @Brad Blickstein -  CEO, The Blickstein Group  @Amy Monaghan - Senior Counsel, Director of KM and AI Enablement, Policy & Legal Ops, Ford Motor Company Justin Moon - Partner, Technology Transactions & Privacy, Perkins Coie LLP

In this episode of ILTA Voices, ILTA’s DEI Committee member, Anna Corbett, sits down with JJ Thompson and Giles Thompson of Avvoka for an open, practical, and deeply human conversation about neurodiversity in the legal profession and beyond. Together, they explore how workplace culture, technology, and leadership choices can look and feel under different approaches to inclusion. This episode offers concrete takeaways for attorneys, managers, and leaders who want to build workplaces where people can do their best work—without having to hide how their brains work. Whether you’re neurodivergent yourself, manage diverse teams, or simply care about designing better systems for everyone, this conversation will leave you with new language, new perspectives, and plenty of hope for what’s possible. Want to learn more about DEI at ILTA? Visit https://www.iltanet.org/resources/dei to explore resources or get involved. Speakers: Giles Thompson, CRO, Avvoka JJ Thompson, Account Executive, Avvoka Moderator: Anna Corbett, Practice Innovation Strategist, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Leadership development is a long game—and when it’s rushed or misaligned, the consequences ripple far beyond one role. In this episode, we explore the delicate art of growing future leaders without leaving a trail of collateral damage. - How do you spot leadership potential early—and nurture it with intention, not assumption? - What happens when a promotion doesn’t go as planned? We share a moment we missed the mark, and what we’d do differently now. - How do you model leadership culture instead of simply managing tasks? - And how do you balance mentoring others while still delivering your own results? This mid-series episode zooms out to examine the broader impact of leadership decisions—on teams, culture, and the leaders we’re shaping for tomorrow. If you’ve ever wrestled with the tension between growth and risk, this one’s for you.

What does resilience really look like in today’s rapidly evolving workplace? In this episode, Julia Montgomery, Beverley Seche, Nicole Monroe, and Doreen Kaminsky from the Women Who Lead Committee discuss the inspiration and themes behind Women Who Lead: Catalyst, and why resilience has become one of the most critical skills for the future of leadership. Haven't registered for Catalyst yet? Register now: https://www.iltanet.org/live-events/catalyst

Why do some legal tech pilots soar while others stall? This session explored what it takes to design pilots that lead to lasting change. The speakers looked at lessons from success and failure, balancing risk reduction and validation with the need to test business hypotheses - not just tools. With GenAI and other emerging technologies, the stakes are higher than ever: MIT research shows 95% of pilots fail to deliver measurable ROI, and legal tech is no exception. Listen as they discussed how sponsorship, culture, and clear outcomes can turn pilots into launchpads for adoption. Moderator:  Floor Blindenbach, CEO, Organizing4Innovation LLC Speakers: Sam Harden, Director of Litigation Support, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP Adam Licht, Legal Tech Consultant James Mosher, Chief Innovation Officer, McInnes Cooper

Kathy Harford, Senior Knowledge Lawyer focused on legal AI and practice transformation. She explains the rise of AI editors and why new review skills are essential. Topics include AI-specific errors like hallucinations, how review workflows must adapt for auditability, and when AI helps versus when it creates extra work.

The pace of technology updates can be difficult to keep up with. From security vulnerabilities that must be addressed in operating systems or specific software, to feature enhancements and critical bug fixes. While automatic updates offer convenience, they can also introduce unexpected disruptions. How does a firm stay current with constant changes while still maintaining productivity and focus on core work? In this podcast episode, we explored how organizations can strategically manage ongoing updates, minimize risk, and create processes that keep teams informed without overwhelming them. Moderator: @Shannon O'Connor - Legal Systems Manager, Squire Patton Boggs (US) LL Speakers: @Michael Buckwell - IT Security & Compliance Manager, Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP @James Kody - Senior Desktop Engineer, Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP @Jenny Shanks - User Experience Team Lead, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP @Justin Siess - Enterprise End User Technology Architect, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP Recorded on 02-27-2026.

Triona Buckley is Chief Product Officer at Actionstep, and a strategic leader with more than 20 years’ experience driving growth, innovation, and transformation across law firms and legal technology businesses in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Known for challenging conventional thinking and aligning innovation with real business outcomes, Triona is focused on delivering solutions that empower firms to embrace the thriving future of midmarket law. To learn more about Actionstep, visit: https://www.actionstep.com/ For more information about Trace, check out: https://www.actionstep.com/trace/ To book a demo, go here: https://www.actionstep.com/book-a-demo/ Find Triona Buckley, Chief Product Officer at Actionstep on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trionabuckleysaunders/

In leadership, trust isn’t a given—it’s earned, protected, and sometimes rebuilt. This episode gets practical about the quiet power of credibility and how to lead without playing politics. - How do you build trust with IT, attorneys, and senior leadership—without overplaying your hand? - What do you do when you're caught off guard, and your credibility is on the line? - What are the trade-offs between being liked and being respected—and how do you navigate them with intention? - And what happens when trust breaks down? We share a moment that didn’t go as planned, and the lessons that followed. This episode earns its place in the series by grounding listeners in the real work of influence—before we dive into heavier leadership terrain. If you’ve ever led from the middle, the margins, or the hot seat, this one’s for you.

For decades, people have been suggesting that the death of the billable hour was inevitable.  Evan Chesler said, “[t]he billable hour makes no sense, not even for lawyers” in his 2008 Forbes article "Kill the Billable Hour.” We haven't seen a lot of movement since that article, but with the explosion of GenAI in legal, there has been increased discussion and focus suggesting that AFAs will replace the billable hour. Will we be looking back on this time in 20 years and saying, “Remember when we thought the billable hour would go the way of the dodo bird?” Moderator: @Michael Ertel - Director of Practice Innovation, Crowell & Moring    Speakers: @Jared Applegate - Chief Legal Operations Officer, Barnes & Thornburg @Purvi Sanghvi - Director of Strategic Pricing, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP @Cassie Vertovec - Chief Practice Management Officer, Loeb & Loeb LLP Recorded on 02-23-26.