Dear Legal Ops

This week we're getting anonymously comfy, but with a twofold twist! Join us as we welcome Tommie Tavares-Ferreira, our new co-host. We're turning the page to a chapter brimming with authenticity, diverse voices, and invaluable insights. As we dig deeper into our letter with Katniss, we’re reminded that our strength lies in unity and our shared passion for growth. So, let’s embrace this new horizo...

In Season 2 of Dear Legal Ops we bridge the gap between the voices behind the letters and the vibrant community surrounding us. This season introduces dynamic co-host Tommie Tavares-Ferreira and together with Tom Stephenson they chat with seasoned professionals, change-makers, and community champions to explore the diverse legal ops ecosystem like never before This podcast is made possible by our...

This week, we’re strapping on our Barbie stilettos to take bold steps towards transformative career tracks and getting comfy with Stacy Lettie, Chief of Staff to the General Counsel & Director of Strategic Planning at Organon. As we open our anonymous letter from Moneypenny, we dive into our covert spy’s desire to venture beyond their comfort zone and morph into a Chief of Staff role. So here's to...

This week we’re getting comfy with Angela Mendenhall, Senior Legal Operations Manager at Convoy, as we open an anonymous letter from Doubtful Dory. We’re diving deeper into our fin-tastic friend's fears by addressing the turbulent waters of career transitions, the impact of individual contributions, and the transformational power of legal operations in any size organization. By embracing new oppor...

This week we’re getting comfy with Kyle Kelly, Founder & CEO of preDiscovered, and chatting all things artificial intelligence within the in-house landscape. As we open our anonymous letter from M3GAN, an enthusiastic AI evangelist, we’ll dive deeper into the concept of Generative AI, uncovering its implications for the legal industry, and how we’ve seen this before with eDiscovery. But hold onto...

This week we’re getting comfy with the dynamic Tommie Tavares-Ferreira, Head of Legal Ops at Cedar, as we navigate the bustling landscape of Alternative Legal Service Providers (ALSPs). As we open our anonymous letter from the Cowardly “Outsource-Oh-My!” Lion, we plunge into the depths of this multi-billion dollar industry, challenging the notion of 'alternative' and reimagining ALSPs as an integr...

This week we chatted with Pieter Gunst, CEO of Legal.io, about unexpected career paths, the importance of advocating for your professional worth, and what it truly means to form a community. As we open our anonymous letter from Tracy Turnblad, we’ll dive deeper into career success for today’s in-house legal landscape and what it means to find fulfillment and purpose with passion. So sit back you f...

This week we’re getting anonymously comfy with our beloved bestie, Jenny from the “Budgeting Blues” Block as we bust out our bargain-basement, budget-friendly bottle of bubbles. As we dive deeper into financial forecasts and elastic budgets, we’re scratching our heads, wondering why we’re back at the intersection of “do more with less” and “looks like I’ve ruined my next two weeks.” When deciding...

This week we’re pulling back the anonymous curtains and popping some prosecco with our favorite legal ops leaders, Akshay Verma, LaTrece Johnson, and Léo Murgel, courtesy of our sponsor Litify. On this special episode, we'll share first-hand experiences on the evolution of the legal ops function, how the community has evolved to support new initiatives and explore how matter management tools and t...

This week we’re getting anonymously comfy with Andy “Can You Spell Gabbana” Sachs while sipping on an executive elixir during our first-ever international bar crawl. As we dive into our people operations playbook, we’ll guide you through navigating muddy international waters to ensure success for your global team as you build their presence from the ground up. As we strive to level up our executiv...

This week we’re getting anonymously comfy bustin’ out the bubbly at the bar and celebrating new career conversations as we play “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” one last time on the corporate jukebox. We’ll dig deeper into what a legal chief of staff career framework could look like and tackle the uncomfortable reality that your boss & mentor is leaving your company and not taking you along for the ri...

This week we’re getting anonymously comfy, pour ourselves a dirty Martini, and marvel over metrics that make the most out of our March Madness bracket. We’ll dive deeper into business intelligence techniques and setting boundaries that don’t align with your values as a powerful tool for self-care. Like basketball teams need time to rest and recover between games, legal professionals must prioritiz...

This week we’re getting anonymously comfy at the bar with Manti Te'o's girlfriend, order a generative AI gimlet, and gab about the art of negotiation. We’ll dig deeper into ChatGPT and talk shop about storytelling, so you don’t end up with a harmful hangover of inaccurate information. It’s often easier to avoid taking risks because we get caught up in fear of failing, but it's important to remembe...

This week we’re getting anonymously comfy while discussing process initiatives to accomplish and minimize risky solutions with Wendy “Workflow Automation” Williams. And as we wrap up our analytical discourse, you won’t believe who comes through the front door like a wrecking ball? Our neighbor in the trailer down the lot, Miley “Conference Circuit” Cyrus. Oh yes, honey, she’s looking to Party in t...

This week we’re getting anonymously comfy, making margaritas with Matron Mama “Messy Matter Management” Morton, and inviting Miranda “The Devil Wears Perfectionism” Priestly over in her lumpy blue sweater. We’ll dig deeper into scoping a matter management initiative when the shit hits the fans and shed our perfectionist cerulean habits from a law firm environment selected for you….by the people in...

This week we get anonymously comfy with Lisa “Left Out of Legal Ops in a Law Firm” Eyed Lopez and warm up a saucer of milk with Eartha “Knowledge Management” Kitt. We’ll dig deeper into the disconnect between law firms and corporate in-house legal teams when it comes to legal operations and let the cat out of the bag on the 3 main categories of knowledge management often seen for in-house legal te...

This week we’re getting anonymously comfy as we pull up to the pub, pour a pint of our favorite project management ale, and request Free Falling on the Jukebox. We’ll dig deeper into how to pick yourself up after a series of failures in the workplace and dive head first into the legal project management lagoon. We must continue having courageous conversations empowering us to learn from our mistak...

This week we’re pulling back the anonymous curtains and popping some prosecco with our favorite legal ops leaders, Carl Morrison, Sheena Ferrari, and Tommie Ferreira, courtesy of our sponsor Legal.io. On this special episode, our guests share personal stories focused on pushing past uncomfortable times and silencing that syndrome named an Imposter from Idaho who often tells us we’re not smart enou...

On today’s episode, we’re bellying up to the bar with a regular, Betty from Bermuda’s cousin. As we banter about budgets and billing, we order Titos on the rocks and tackle timekeeper rate requests. We’ll dig deeper and show you how to save that money, honey as we TL/DR all things billing guidelines. And, we’ll look back at some of our favorite moments from the first 9 episodes as we get ready to...

This week we get anonymously comfy and concoct a CPRA cocktail in the confession booth with our mentor, the Prince of Privacy and Imperial Information Governance Guru. We’ll dig deeper into successful strategies in a new legal ops role and sing our favorite compliance carol courtesy of Carly Rae Compliance-Less. As we reflect on the past year and turn to the next chapter, we remember to care for o...

This week we get anonymously comfy with our favorite red-nosed reindeer while enjoying some eggnog with Grandma. On this special holi-slay episode, we’re getting cozy next to the fireplace as Santa graces us with legal ops presents from Christmas past. We’ll dig deeper into Rudolph’s letter and determine which “gifts” are worth returning without a receipt. So this holiday season, let's make a poin...

This week we get anonymously comfy and toss back a promotion pickleback at the bar while attempting to pay with our employer’s equity. As we dive into cold canals of corporate compensation, we’ll decode offer letter details to decipher what this equity jargon means. We’ll dig deeper into fulfilling the corporate checkbox of building a legal operations career path without adding additional headcoun...

This week we’re getting anonymously comfy with a caffeinated cup of CLM coffee and drowning our diversity dilemmas in a Daiquiri with Debbie…and yes, she’s from Dallas. As we dive into the lack of DE&I data, we’ll dig deeper by scratching past the hottest buzzword within corporate law departments and give ya'll the Dear Legal Ops TL/DR on the tumultuous troubles CLM has taken on our profession. As...

This week we get anonymously comfy with TL/DR Tina Turner and Annie “Grab Your Gun & Checkbook” Oakley. As we dive into our vendor treasure chest, we’ll guide you through software integrations' struggles and successes to ensure you’re not left gooped and gagged as you embark on new implementation endeavors. As we grab a notepad and pour ourselves a glass of wine, we’ll dig deeper into understandin...

This week we’re gearing up for the annual Ohio State-Michigan game, getting anonymously comfy with a swamped Sooner, and uncorking that vintage 2007 bottle of disappointment courtesy of Appalachian State. As we dive into the struggles of burnout in the legal operations workplace, we’ll guide you through developing an internal teaming agreement that sets your team up for success as winter approache...