Stellar Women

Stellar Women caught up with Stephanie Clerkin, director of litigation support at Koerin Tilley, and the 2019 Stellar Women Innovation Award winner. We chatted about how she is maintaining and growing her network within the legal tech community during this uncertain time.

For this episode of Stellar Women, we mixed things up. I was joined by Relativity superstars from across the globe. Guest co-host JC Steinbrunner and I had the pleasure of chatting with Karimah Campbell, Relativity’s manager of EMEA in customer success. Karimah chats with our customers daily, so she was able to share her insight into the types of conversations and adaptations being made in the int...

For this special edition episode of Stellar Women, we explored the theme of allyship with MT>3. Relativity Brand Director and Stellar Women guest co-host JC Steinbrunner and I chatted with Susan Wortzman, head of MT>3, a division of McCarthy Tetrault, and Michael Lalande, e-discovery counsel at the firm. The pair talked about their mentor-mentee relationship and the importance of finding a m...

When life gives you lemons, as the saying goes, make lemonade. Here at Stellar Women, when Aer Lingus gives you a six-hour layover in Dublin, see if Inés Rubio wouldn’t like to sit for a podcast. Based in Dublin but hailing from all over, Inés is the award-winning head of information management and incident response at the consultancy BSI, where she works with clients on data concerns, from securi...

For this episode, Mary and I got to chat to the 2019 Stellar Women Innovation Award winner, Stephanie Clerkin. Stephanie is well known for her vivacious social media presence, as well as her deep industry knowledge and experience. We loved chatting to her and we left feeling inspired by, and excited to see what she will do in 2020. Nominate a stellar woman in the field to be a part of this podcast...

We kicked off 2020 and the third season of Stellar Women by mixing things up. We brought together a group of Relativity women who we believe are “stellar.” During the episode, we hit on a variety of topics that are the crux of this podcast, including mentorship and being a successful leader. We even perfected our improv skills. You can expect to see us headlining the upcoming show at Second City....

Stellar Women co-hosts Mila Taylor and Mary Rechtoris interviewed Amanda Fennell, chief security officer at Relativity, following her recent win of the ISE North America's People's Choice award . Together, the trio discussed Amanda's unique career path to her current role, what makes for a successful remote employee and people leader, and how bringing your whole self to the work is the most valuab...

At Relativity Fest 2019, Relativity Women of the Workplace and Women in e-Discovery sponsored a luncheon. The event included a panel comprised of this year's Stellar Women finalists: Stephanie Clerkin, Director of Litigation Support, Korein Tillery; Debora Motya-Jones, VP of Service Delivery, Lighthouse; and Lisa Waldin, Project Manager, Ryley Carlock & Applewhite. Joy Murao, the 2018 Stellar...

Stellar Women co-hosts Mila Taylor and Mary Rechtoris had the opportunity to interview Kelly Friedman, our first-ever guest from Canada, for the podcast this month. As the national counsel of discovery services at BLG, Kelly has learned a tremendous amount about being an effective manager, taking one day at a time, and successfully juggling the balancing act of wearing many hats. So, with her expe...

Every Stellar Women in e-Discovery nomination evokes a sense of inspiration. Many have nominated the mentors, colleagues, and industry friends who have made an impact on the careers of others. This episode of Stellar Women is unique in that our guest was nominated by her daughter, Desiree. When Mary Rechtoris met Desiree at the Women in e-Discovery conference, she told her about our podcast and it...

The e-discovery community is a global force for innovation and creativity—and our latest Stellar Women in e-Discovery nominee proves it. We took this episode of Stellar Women international—back to our co-host, Mila Taylor's, very special home town of Sydney, Australia. Mila and her Relativity colleague, Mary Rechtoris, had the opportunity to chat with the incredible Joanne Chua-Robertson from Delo...

Thinking about the women and men who have most impacted our lives and careers, several faces come to mind. Some we have explicitly thanked, while others may be unaware of how they played a part in shaping our professional and personal paths. Recognizing those who have done wonderful things to better the industry and careers of others is crucial. For this episode of Stellar Women in e-Discovery, Re...

This month, we added another stellar woman to the mix. She’s an Aussie, she specializes in social media, and you might have spotted her around the Relativity Community site. Plot twist—it’s our new cohost. Mila Taylor escorted Mary Rechtoris to the Women in e-Discovery conference in Austin. While there, the pair quickly discovered a shared interest in mentorship, empowerment, and exploring all the...

In May 2019, Women in e-Discovery hosted their first annual conference. Eager to put faces to email signatures, Relativity's Mary Rechtoris attended the conference and brought the Stellar Women in e-Discovery podcast “on the road” from Chicago to Austin. Despite torrential downpours, spirits were high as female leaders throughout the industry caught up with colleagues and soaked in a wealth of inf...

No matter the industry or zip code, Tricia Johnson, director of marketing at QDiscovery, has found value in being part of a community. She has found a community in many facets of her life—through work, Women in e-Discovery, and her local dance studio. For Stellar Women in e-Discovery, Relativity's Mary Rechtoris chatted with Tricia, a Chicagoan and marketer, about finding a community within e-disc...

Jariya Laoriendee moved to London ready to make connections and participate in a one-year internship program. Little did she know, she would fall in love with the city, earn a master’s degree from the University of Westminster, and establish herself as a leader in e-discovery nearly 10 years later. Currently serving as associate director at Exiger, Jariya Laoriendee is our latest Stellar Women in...

Today marks International Women’s Day, which celebrates the achievements of women throughout the world. The day also highlights what more society must do to truly achieve gender equality. In honor of today, we interviewed a female leader who is renowned for both her e-discovery expertise and her leadership skills: Mary Mack. As the executive director of the Association of Certified E-Discovery Spe...

When it comes to being stellar, our latest Stellar Women in e-Discovery candidate, Chris Chalstrom, says it comes down to having a fabulous team. As president and CEO of Shepherd Data Services and CEO of Sadie Blue Software, Chris has armed herself with a dedicated team that strives to tackle issues impacting the e-discovery space—and make professionals’ lives easier as a result. Relativity's Mary...

Early in 2018, Stellar Women in e-Discovery began as a grassroots campaign to highlight and celebrate women in the e-discovery. We aimed to connect with individuals making their mark in the field through their career accomplishments as well as dedication to mentorship. We interviewed several women in 2018, including Mimi Singh, Joy Murao, Terra Ickes, Caitlin Grzymala, Judy Torres, and Peg Gianuca...

So many admirable e-discovery professionals will tell you they stumbled into this field, and Rebecca Grant—founder and CEO of icourts in Australia—is one of them. This corner of the legal world is lucky to have her. Brendan Ryan of Relativity had the good fortune to meet with Rebecca—as well as several other Stellar Women in e-Discovery nominees—during Relativity Fest for a special in-person editi...

Consensus can be helpful, but you don’t want people to always agree with you—especially your teammates. According to Judy Torres, vice president of information technology for Advanced Discovery, diversity of opinion is crucial when building successful teams. Relativity's Mary Rechtoris chatted with Judy for this Stellar Women in e-Discovery podcast about the rise of automation in e-discovery, the...

An e-discovery practitioner by day, educator by night, Peg Gianuca recently moved from a law firm environment—and East Coast to West Coast—to join The Walt Disney Company as an in-house technical solutions manager. On this month's podcast, Peg chats with Relativity's April Runft to share what surprised her about moving in-house, why it’s vital that litigation support pros can “bridge the gap,” and...

Fresh out of college and eager to make her mark, Caitlin Grzymala started her career at the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division and worked on some of the department’s largest cases. Nearly 11 years later, as a legal administrative officer at the DOJ, Caitlin continues to be inspired by the work that brings her unique projects day-in and day-out. After she was nominated by her co...

Described by her colleague as a “trailblazing pioneer,” Esquify’s Director of Operations Terra Ickes is a leader in the industry whose innovative spirit and dedication to customer success undoubtedly make her stellar. During an interview for Stellar Women in e-Discovery, Terra spoke with Mary Rechtoris of Relativity about the current state of artificial intelligence in the e-discovery field and wh...

When Joy Murao began her career in litigation support in 1994, the world of discovery looked vastly different. The days of poring over paper documents have since been replaced by sharing files electronically; however, according to Joy, the more things change, the more they stay the same. What has held true throughout the years has been the importance of mentorship and empowering young professional...