I spoke with Ian Nelson, the co-founder of Hotshot, a leading provider of digital learning programs for lawyers. We discussed how short videos and interactive applications help lawyers practice, the aspects of remote learning the company emphasized during the pandemic, and how professional development will evolve in 2021.
I spoke with Grover Cleveland, the author of Swimming Lessons for Baby Sharks: The Essential Guide to Thriving as a New Lawyer, who provides practical skills webinars for associates and summer associates. We discussed how firms navigated summer associate programming in 2020 and how they will do so in 2021, his playbook for virtual summer programs, and how legal professionals can develop better habits in showcasing their talent and ability.
I spoke with Jim Leipold, the executive director of NALP, the National Association for Law Placement, which is an organization focused on career counseling and planning, recruitment and retention, and the professional development of law students, lawyers, and its members. We discussed how the organization’s mission has changed over the past half-century as it celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2021, ways that law firms have adapted their approach to recruiting and training during the pandemic, and how the next generation of lawyers can thrive.
I spoke with Lutz-Christian Wolff, the dean of the faculty of law for the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the author of the newly published book, The Art of Law Teaching. We discussed the impact of replacing face-to-face teaching with remote learning, how a teacher can incorporate their personality, humor, and energy into online classes, and how law school needs to adapt to a world where machines are performing more legal tasks.
I spoke with Doug Lusk, the founder of the National Society for Legal Technology, a training and certifying organization focused on empowering students and professionals with advanced technical skills. We discussed the skills that legal professionals need to thrive in today’s economy, how the NSLT curriculum helps participants draw connections between e-discovery, cybersecurity, and related fields to gain a competitive advantage, and the NSLT’s alliance with ACEDS.
One of the initiatives that Ari Kaplan Advisors launched in 2020 was a periodic CEO Roundtable to address trends, challenges, and objectives with market leaders. During the fifth and final conversation of the year, I discussed lessons learned, silver linings, and the road ahead with: Haresh Bhungalia, CEO, Casepoint; Kiwi Camara, CEO, DISCO; Ian Campbell, CEO, iCONECT; Craig Carpenter, CEO, X1; Dana Denis-Smith, CEO, Obelisk Support; Steve Fredette, CEO, The BARBRI Group; Keith Laska, CEO, Hanzo; Kim Massana, CEO, Neota Logic; Soumya Nettimi, CEO, ASG Legal Tech; Tim Pullan, CEO, ThoughtRiver; and, Chris Stock, CEO, PCLaw | Time Matters.
I spoke with Anjie Vichayanonda, the founder of Leg Up Legal, a mentoring program and platform for prospective law students.
We discussed the genesis of Leg Up Legal, the Virtual Legal Career Boot Camp, legal career challenges and opportunities, and whether you should enroll in law school this fall.
I spoke with Mona Datt, the founder and CEO of both Loom Analytics, a legal analytics software company, and eDecree, a legal and insurance transcription company. We discussed how she has helped her teams work from home, the biggest challenges she has faced in that effort, how she is preparing to return to a physical office, and her recommendations for other companies transitioning back to a central location.
I spoke with Lutz-Christian Wolff, Steven Gallagher, and Joyce Wong, the dean, associate dean for teaching and learning, and faculty secretary, respectively, at the Faculty of Law at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. We discussed the university’s approach to legal education, how its professors have altered their teaching styles and methods to adapt to distance learning, evaluating student performance remotely, and which elements of the new model of education will become permanent.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
