The Legal Department

Ever wonder what the board of directors wants from their legal team? Or how you can move from the legal department into a board position? In this episode, triple-threat Jeanine Wright --former GC turned tech-company founder, former COO of podcast giant Wondery , and current board member at several companies--is in The Legal Department to help lawyers how to be great in the board room. Find out the...

If this episode doesn't wake you up about what it means to be a business enabler, nothing will. Mick Ebeling, three-time award winner of Time Magazine's Best Invention of the Year, has literally changed the world. Through their "help one, help many" approach, Mick and his team of innovators at Not Impossible Labs have built technology that has changed countless lives:   Their inventions: Retu...

Lawyers are busy! In-House lawyers don't need to do "extracurriculars," right? Think again. In this episode of The Legal Department, SVP and Senior Managing Counsel Kelley Barnett shares how building a nonprofit to help women lawyers helped her become a better lawyer and leader. She also shares how making what became a viral LinkedIn post spurred a conversation about bullying women on maternity le...

Curious about compensation trends for in-house legal roles? What are the different components of private company compensation, how do private equity companies structure equity, or how to evaluate a compensation offer? John Gilmore is a veteran executive recruiter. His firm, Barker Gilmore, conducts one of the industry's most comprehensive surveys on in-house compensation. In this episode, John pul...

In this #OfficeHours episode, 3x general counsel and author Sterling Miller joins Deborah Solmor , 3x General Counsel and Founder of Ready Set GC to answer listener questions about life in #TheLegalDepartment.  Topics include: the transition from Deputy GC to General Counsel, how to advocate for budget and headcount, how to set goals, how to get board experience when you're not the GC. Debora...

Too often, legal departments are on their heels defending litigation and managing unwieldy litigation budgets. Legal departments can generate an ROI for their companies by engaging in affirmative litigation. But who has the budget for that?   At 20 years old, Eva Shang figured out how to turn litigation into investment returns and is now running a tech-enabled investment firm focused on litig...

Tricia Montalvo Timm rose to the top of her game in The Legal Department, hiding her true identity as a Latina and mother of two. For years, she led legal teams and served on the executive teams of several companies "passing" as white, but not realizing the impact this would have on her. All that changed when she interviewed for a general counsel position at data analytics company, Looker, and all...

Do you ever feel like you're speaking another language when you're talking to your sales team? Why can't they see the risks? How did they get this far into the deal without involving Legal?   In this episode, Alex Su helps us understand the sales team and how to talk the talk and improve our company's results. Alex left a career in litigation to join the sales team of a legal tech start-up an...

AI and legal tech vendors are selling a new world where lawyers' work will be streamlined, more efficient, and more productive while also cutting down on legal fees. Most tools for in-house lawyers focus on improving workflows, contract review, and other transactional tasks. In litigation, news reports highlight the latest embarrassments—or even sanctions—of lawyers who relied on AI bots to write...

Do you avoid tough conversations? Frustrated when your team doesn't deliver the work product you expected? Or did someone tell you to work on "executive presence" and you don't know how? In this episode, executive coach and Forbes contributor, Hanna Hart is in The Legal Department with a framework for giving and receiving feedback. Lawyers avoid feedback because they're busy, uncomfortable, or wan...

S is for soft skills—but what do they really mean for in-house counsel? In this episode, Inside Counsel Academy founder Joe Schohl joins Stacy Bratcher in The Legal Department to unpack executive presence—what it is, why it matters, and how to develop it for leadership success. Plus, in this special Office Hours segment, Joe tackles a tricky listener question: What should you do if your boss gives...

You've been a deputy general counsel, served at the right hand of the GC, and know the business—are you ready to take the next rung of the in-house career ladder? In this episode of The Legal Department, Candace Jackson dives into her journey from deputy general counsel to general counsel of a newly public company. She discusses how deputies can position themselves for GC roles, from optimizing Li...

The CEO is the General Counsel's most important client, but do we truly understand what they need from their lawyer? In this episode of the C-Suite Series, Evan Wong, CEO of legal tech firm Checkbox, joins The Legal Department to help lawyers understand what CEOs want. Evan shares insights on how lawyers can deliver value during "wartime" and "peacetime," how to provide advice that supports the bu...

Overwhelmed by how to organize your company’s litigation portfolio? Unsure how to strike the right balance in your board’s legal reports? Or are you a law firm lawyer struggling to craft the perfect pitch to a corporate client? In this episode of The Legal Department , veteran litigator Adwoa Ghartey-Tagoe Seymour , VP of Litigation at Albertsons Companies , shares actionable advice to tackle all...

Kick off the New Year with a bonus episode of The Legal Department! This episode features a lively discussion with Allison Freedman and Hallie Ritzu, the hosts of the popular legal podcast, Personal Jurisdiction . They interview Stacy Bratcher, Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer for Cottage Health, to get her insights on succeeding as in-house counsel. Stacy shares her unique career jou...

Defending litigation is a core function of The Legal Department, but class action cases are different. The stakes are higher, the risks are greater, and all eyes are on the General Counsel to steer the ship through what can be the highest litigation exposure a company can face. Not to worry, Chris Chorba , an expert class action defense lawyer at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher , is here to help stead...

Overwhelmed by an unexpected vacancy on your team? Struggling with how to get the work done now that you're leading your own team? Too many of us fall into a trap thinking we have to "do it ourselves" and don't ask for help. But research shows that effective leaders delegate.   In this episode, Elizabeth Smith and Michael Albino of Major, Lindsey & Africa share why delegating is critical...

“What do you think we should do?" Many in-house lawyers dread this question from business colleagues. What's the best response? Spoiler alert, it's not, "It's a business decision!" Tracey Lester-Smith, former General Counsel of NASCAR and Bellator MMA, joins The Legal Department to help lawyers confidently give opinions. Tracey argues that providing thoughtful opinions is a key differentiator betw...

Worried that the AI bots are going to make lawyers obsolete? In-house tech lawyer and AI-thought leader Laura Jeffords Greenberg is in The Legal Department this week to help alleviate those big feelings. She shares practical AI use cases for in-house legal departments, offers advice for how to approach this new (and sometimes scary technology) and shares tips for scoping AI solutions. If you've be...

Starting a new job or joining a new company is exciting—but too often, leaders fail to plan. In this episode, Michael D. Watkins , author of the international bestselling book " The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting up to Speed Faster and Smarter ," shares his advice on how lawyers can successfully navigate job transitions. We talk about how to "negotiate success" with your boss, why it...

Feeling overwhelmed by the endless legal tech solutions? Bombarded by vendors offering the latest shiny tools? In this episode, Legal tech analyst and writer Ari Kaplan, with over 18 years of expertise, shares practical advice on evaluating legal tech solutions for your department. Ari discusses how to work effectively with vendors, streamline legal operations, and assess your department’s needs t...

Sterling Miller, a seasoned expert in in-house counsel, shares actionable tips, hacks, and systems to boost legal productivity. From taming the email monster to avoiding time-wasting meetings and mastering your calendar, Sterling offers practical strategies that will help you get more done every day. By implementing a "not-to-do list" and focusing on the "little things," you’ll elevate your produc...

In this episode, Anne Jacoby, CEO of Spring Street and author of Born to Create, dives into the importance of Creativity Legal. Together with host Stacy, they explore how creativity can help lawyers rethink traditional practices, overcome common creativity blockers, and handle crises with fresh perspectives. Anne also shares her journey in the legal field, from starting at Axiom to now guiding leg...

Are you stuck on the “broken rung” of the in-house career ladder, unsure how to make the jump from deputy GC to the GC role? In this behind-the-scenes episode, executive legal recruiter  Brittney McDonoug h shares how to position yourself for GC opportunities. She shares resume tips–how to highlight executive presence and other soft skills, how to present yourself in interviews, including how...

Struggling with managing or developing a legal team? Unsure how to set effective goals and keep your team motivated? Feeling drained? Fear not! Kate Dugan, General Counsel of Energizer, joins The Legal Department to energize your approach to legal team management. In this episode, Kate shares her strategies for creating impactful Individual Development Plans (IDPs), coaching soft skills, and foste...