Lawyers Who Lead

In this week's episode, Sigalle interviews Chelsey Parrott-Sheffer, the Director of Professional Development at Saul Ewing. Chelsey shares her unique journey into legal professional development, starting from being a history major and a paralegal to becoming a certified executive coach with 14 years of experience in the legal field. She discusses the importance of continuous learning and development within law firms, highlighting...

In this week’s episode, Sigalle interviews Tiffany Jordan, Director of Coaching and Planning at Troutman Pepper, recorded live at the NALP's 2024 Annual Education Conference in Boston, Massachusetts. Tiffany shares her unique journey within the legal profession, from deciding to become a lawyer at a young age to transitioning into roles beyond traditional legal practice by leveraging her education in social work and her intrinsic ...

In this week’s episode, Sigalle interviews Jennifer Lucas-Ross, the Director of Attorney Recruiting and Professional Development at Morris James, recorded live at the NALP's 2024 Annual Education Conference in Boston, Massachusetts. Jennifer shares insights into her journey from pharmaceutical marketing to leading professional development within the firm. Jennifer highlights the collaborative culture at Morris James and her role ...

In this week’s episode, Sigalle interviews Alain Mathieu, Associate Attorney at Mintz, a full service AmLaw 100 law firm employing approximately 600+ attorneys serving clients worldwide. Alain shares how his grandfather's political stance in Haiti inspired his legal career, highlighting the sacrifices and dedication needed for success while underscoring the importance of personal boundaries. He delves into navigating the complexi...

In this week’s episode, Sigalle interviews Puja Bhatia, Senior National Attorney at For The People, an organization that supports prosecutors to look back at past sentences, and safely bring people home from prison. Puja discusses how her work enables prosecutors to reflect on their previous recommendations and bring safe early releases for convicts who might have reformed or unnecessarily received lengthy sentences. She emphasiz...

In this week long series, Lawyers Who Lead covers insights from 2024 ABA Tech Show in Chicago, Illinois. In episode four, we interview Mathew Kerbis, founder of Subscription Attorney, a law firm offering limited scope legal services through a monthly subscription model. Having spent nine years in private practice, Mathew started the Subscription Attorney in a bid to abandon the traditional billable hour. Inspired by companies l...

In this week long series, Lawyers Who Lead covers insights from 2024 ABA Tech Show in Chicago, Illinois. In episode three, we interview Gyi Tsakalakis, the president of Attorney Sync, a digital marketing company that helps law firms grow their businesses. Gyi's discusses the importance of online visibility for lawyers and how his company leverages Google Business Profiles. He also emphasizes the rising role of AI in the legal w...

In this week long series, Lawyers Who Lead covers insights from 2024 ABA Tech Show in Chicago, Illinois. In episode two, we interview Greg Siskind, co-founder of Siskind Susser, P.C. one of the leading immigration law firms in North America. Greg, a renowned legal professional with over three decades of experience, shares his thoughts on integrating technology into legal practices and how it impacts the economics of law practice....

In this week long series, Lawyers Who Lead covers insights from 2024 ABA Tech Show in Chicago, Illinois. In episode one, we interview Stephanie Everett, the CEO of Lawyerist. Stephanie, a pioneer in the legal tech space and a recognized contributor to legal tech and innovation, delves into her journey from owning a law firm to becoming a business coach for lawyers. She discusses the challenges lawyers face in running a business...

In this week’s episode, Sigalle interviews Amol Sinha, Executive Director of ACLU of New Jersey (ACLU-NJ). Amol discusses his experience advocating to advance civil liberties and to address critical issues like the racial justice implications of cannabis legalization, reducing incarceration during COVID-19, and disrupting elitism in the law industry. He also emphasizes the importance of integrated advocacy, which includes using...

In this episode of Lawyers Who Lead, host Sigalle Barness speaks with Ashley Herd, the founder of Manager Method. Ashley shares her unique journey from working as a lawyer and in-house HR leader to starting her own platform to address the human element in the legal industry. They discuss the importance of open and proactive communication in managing employee expectations, building a positive work environment, and averting litigat...

In this week’s episode, Sigalle interviews Erin Gerner, Founder of Powerhouse Lawyers, a community empowering women in law through community and connection. Erin shares how, after seven years practicing, she shifted her focus towards empowering women in the profession and dismantling the toxic narratives keeping women overwhelmed and stuck trying to do it all. Erin's episodes illuminates the importance of investing in one's self,...

In this episode of Lawyers Who Lead, guest host and Lawline's VP of Learning, Angelica Cesario, interviews Kathryn Marquez, the Global Director of Learning and Development at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner. Kathryn shares her journey from being a legal personnel assistant to leading a team focusing on professional skills and legal skills training. She discusses the importance of professional development conferences like NALP's PDI, h...

In this episode of Lawyers who Lead, host Sigalle Barness interviews Meredith Zadnichek, the Director of Attorney Professional Development and Integration at Smith, Gambrell and Russell. They discuss Meredith's career shift from PR to law, the importance of relationship building in her role, and the impacts of incoming Generation Z lawyers on law firms. Meredith shares her personal experiences of transitioning between firms, her ...

In this episode, host Sigalle Barness is live with leaders from NALP's 2023 PDI conference in Washington, DC. She interviews Isaiah Weedn, Sheppard Mullins' Director of Litigation Training. Isaiah discusses his journey from a young lawyer thrown into the deep end to becoming a Director of Litigation Training for Sheppard Mullin. He shares about his experience at NALP's conferences, his strategy for implementing an effective skill...

This interview focuses on the experiences of Suzanne Thomas, Director of Talent and Learning at Dentons, hosted by guest host and program attorney of the Lawline, Cali Franks, at NALP's 2023 PDI conference. Suzanne discusses her transition from practicing law to mentoring legal professionals, highlighting the importance of education and the benefits of professional development conferences in smaller markets. Suzanne also shares h...

In this week’s episode, Sigalle interviews Stephanie Felder, Director of Professional Development and Diversity at the Groom Law Group at NALP's 2023 PDI Conference in Washington, D.C. With a rich 18-year history in the legal field, Stephanie delves into her journey, emphasizing her dedication to attorney development and diversity. A key focus of the discussion revolves around the transformative power of 'micro leadership moves' fo...

In this week’s episode, host Sigalle Barness speaks with Colin Levy, Director of Legal at Malbek, a contract lifecycle management program that provides lifecycle AI functionality to improve an organization's contracting process. Colin shares his lawyer origin story of struggling to find work after law school in 2010 and piecing together temporary roles, as well as the lack of technology use he noticed in law. A failed attempt at i...

On this week's episode: Sigalle dives deep with Ben Grimes, the multi-faceted former U.S. Army helicopter pilot turned military attorney, and now the visionary founder of BKG Leadership. BKG's mission is to transform legal realms by fostering leadership rooted in trust, transparency, empathy, and fervor. Journey with us as we trace Ben's unanticipated journey from West Point, through the Army, and into the corridors of law school....