Pioneers and Pathfinders
Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Pioneers and Pathfinders is a podcast about the people driving change in the legal industry. Interviews will focus on how their unique journeys inform their thinking about the profession, the business of law, the solutions they create, and where the industry is going next. The podcast will feature guests with multiple backgrounds and perspectives drawn from a number of areas including talent, technology, diversity and inclusion, social justice, education, training, and the business of law. The host of Pioneers and Pathfinders is J. Stephen Poor, chair emeritus of Seyfarth Shaw. During his 15 year tenure as chair and managing partner, the firm pioneered the application of Lean Six Sigma in legal service delivery. Today, he co-leads Seyfarth Labs, the firm’s technology research and development team and continues to serve as an advisor to firm leadership and as executive sponsor of strategic initiatives focused on innovation and growth. Steve brings his own experience as a legal industry pioneer to these conversations, resulting in insights that are both fascinating and instructive.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 24, 2021 • 44min
Dr. Heidi Gardner
Welcome to the premiere episode of Pioneers and Pathfinders. Today’s guest is Dr. Heidi Gardner, is a Distinguished Fellow at Harvard Law School’s Center on the Legal Profession and Faculty Chair of the school’s Accelerated Leadership Program and Sector Leadership Masterclass. She is also the best-selling author of Smart Collaboration and noted thought leader on the topics of collaboration, lateral hiring, in-house legal teams, leadership, and performance.
Dr. Gardner couldn’t be more representative of the pioneers and pathfinders this podcast will host. Her life’s work creates a roadmap for collaboration among lawyers who are by both disposition and training, highly autonomous. Dr. Gardner and Steve jump right in with a discussion of how working virtually has enhanced collaboration then move through the genesis of her scholarship, specific barriers to collaboration in legal, and the erosion of trust during the pandemic. We hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did.

Mar 12, 2021 • 2min
Trailer: Introducing Pioneers and Pathfinders
Join our host Steve Poor for a brief behind-the-scenes of our newest podcast Pioneers and Pathfinders. Subscribe today for new episodes weekly.
Highlighted guests include:
Dan Linna, Northwestern Law
Susan Hackett, Legal Executive Leadership, LLC
Jae Um, Six Parsecs
Cat Moon, Vanderbilt Law
Nicole Bradick, Theory and Principle


