PD Insider

Our first guest of 2022 is Ann Gomez, founder of the global training organization Clear Concept Inc. In her conversation with Craig Miller, Ann candidly explores the keys to leading successful hybrid teams ‒ building trust and connections, fostering engagement, the importance of autonomy, and meaningful work ‒ along with other useful insights. This podcast is produced by PLI, the Practising Law Institute, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit https://www.pli.edu/PDCenter.

In this episode, PLI's Craig Miller speaks with H. Sandra Bang of Shearman and Melanie Priddy of Katten, co-chairs of PLI's webcast series Empowering Professional Development 2021: DEI in the Legal Industry.  Sandra and Melanie review the wide-ranging, in-depth content covered in the four-part series and share their perspectives and lessons learned from handling diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in Big Law, and how shifting perspectives on social justice and remote work will influence future conversations. This podcast is produced by PLI, the Practising Law Institute, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit https://www.pli.edu/PDCenter.

Jennifer Leonard, Chief Innovation Officer and Executive Director, Future of the Profession Initiative at University of Pennsylvania's Carey School of Law, sits down with Craig Miller for a wide-ranging conversation. In this episode, Jen delves into her cutting edge role at Penn Law, and how design thinking and prioritizing empathy can positively impact attorneys' performance and relationships within – and outside of – the firm. Her unique perspective makes this interview one of our most distinctive and insightful yet.  This podcast is produced by PLI, the Practising Law Institute, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit https://www.pli.edu/PDCenter.

Meg Holman, Chief Talent Officer for Ogletree Deakins, sits down with Craig Miller for an in-depth conversation about the many considerations facing law firm management and other employers planning and implementing the return to office for their staff. Meg's expert professional perspective grants helpful insights on what we've learned in the last year, and how we can use those insights to improve the legal industry.  This podcast is produced by PLI, the Practising Law Institute, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit https://www.pli.edu/pdcenter

Jennifer Bluestein of Perkins Coie returns to PD Insider to discuss her strategies for maximizing mid-level associate performance, which is the focus of her latest book, Stepping It Up: A Guide for Mid-Level Law Firm Associates from PLI Press.  Jennifer helps shed light on the specific challenges mid-levels face and shares expert insights on how PDs can address these challenges to help the attorney and the firm thrive – especially as we pass the one-year anniversary of remote work for many law firm offices. This podcast is produced by PLI, the Practising Law Institute, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit pli.edu/PDCenter.

Diane Costigan of Winston & Strawn and Don Smith of Crowell & Moring, unpack their approaches to maintaining and prioritizing wellness initiatives at law firms over the last year.  This podcast is produced by PLI, the Practising Law Institute, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit pli.edu/PDCenter.

Kristen Uhl Hulse, of the Sturm College of Law, discusses the collaboration between law school faculty and legal employers to produce practice-ready graduates. Kristen also shares how her background in PD has informed her work with law students and employers, and her success in directing Sturm's innovative externship program. This podcast is produced by PLI, the Practising Law Institute, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit pli.edu/PDCenter.

Dr. Sharon Meit Abrahams, of Legal Talent Advisors LLC, discusses best strategies for supporting and coaching under-performing partners. Using her extensive industry experience, she explores the complex ways of measuring partner performance and offers candid and actionable advice based on her own success with coaching at a wide range of top law firms. This podcast is produced by PLI, the Practising Law Institute, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit pli.edu/PDCenter.

Andy Hales, Vice President of Development & Training at Venable LLP, discusses his unique position heading firm-wide training at Venable, and Venable's successful use of a centralized professional development and training model. Andy also covers support networks the firm has adopted in response to the nationwide civil rights demonstrations. This podcast is produced by PLI, the Practising Law Institute, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit pli.edu/PDCenter.

Jim Lovelace, Director of Talent Development at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, discusses maintaining consistent and compassionate leadership with a newly-displaced team. This discussion highlights the present-day challenges facing PD teams against the backdrop of COVID-19 and evergreen insights to enable successful coaching and management practices at your firm. This podcast is produced by PLI, the Practising Law Institute, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit pli.edu/PDCenter.

Jennifer Bluestein, Chief Talent Officer at Perkins Coie, visits PD Insider to address one of the leading issues facing PD teams: ensuring new associates find their footing and excel at a large law firm.  Jennifer expands on many of the concepts explored in her bestselling PLI Press title, An Associate's First Year: A Guide to Thriving at a Law Firm, sharing well-tested best practices and valuable insights for helping your new associates begin a successful career. This podcast is produced by PLI, the Practising Law Institute, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit pli.edu/PDCenter.

Tammie Garner, Director of Professional Development at Jackson Lewis, visits PD Insider to review successful strategies for designing and implementing effective training programs. Tammie sits down with Craig Miller to walk through the theory and practice behind creating level-based curriculum that is meaningful for attorneys at all stages of their careers. This podcast is produced by PLI, the Practising Law Institute, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit pli.edu/PDCenter.

H. Sandra Bang, the Chief Diversity and Talent Strategy Officer at Shearman & Sterling, returns to PD Insider for the second installment in her two-part interview. During her conversation with Craig Miller, Sandra shares her expert insights on working with firm leadership to ensure executive buy-in for professional development initiatives. This podcast is produced by PLI, the Practising Law Institute, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit pli.edu/PDCenter.

Michelle Wimes sits down with PD Insider to explore the theory behind implicit bias and the firm-wide practices which can be used to combat it. Michelle explains the unconventional methods she's implemented: mindfulness and meditation, and the data-driven support for their effectiveness. Michelle and Craig's conversation offers deep insight and the concrete tools for implementing mindfulness exercises and measuring their success at your firm. This podcast is produced by PLI, the Practising Law Institute, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit pli.edu/PDCenter.

PLI's Craig Miller sits down with Sandra Bang, of Shearman & Sterling, to address the universal question: how can I successfully manage my professional development team? Sandra shares her insights on how to lead a PD team with empathy and efficiency. This podcast is produced by PLI, the Practising Law Institute, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit pli.edu/PDCenter.

Andrea Colby, executive coach and Principal at Pro Se, LLC sits down for a frank and illuminating conversation about attorney mental health. Now a trusted advisor for legal teams, Andrea opens up about her struggle with depression early in her career as a litigator, and how her experience has informed her advocacy for mental health awareness. Andrea shares her insights and advice for professional development teams looking to make attorney wellness a priority within their firms in this essential watch for the PD community.

Ida Abbott, President of Ida Abbott Consulting, and Morgan Smith, Professional Development Director at Dykema, visit PD Insider to explore the theory and practice of successful attorney mentorship programs. With the expert perspective of the PD consultant and in-house PD director, their conversation covers the range of considerations facing any law firm developing or managing mentorship programs. This podcast is produced by PLI, the Practising Law Institute, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit pli.edu/PDCenter.

Tim Henderson of Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP shares his insights on implementing effective attorney performance evaluation systems. He discusses his innovative methods for ensuring objectivity and transparency, and making performance evaluations meaningful for every member of the firm. This podcast is produced by PLI, the Practising Law Institute, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit pli.edu/PDCenter.

Sammy Elzarka of Michelman & Robinson shares his expertise in data-driven professional development, focusing on instructional design and learning systems with measurable outcomes and meaningful results for your firm. This podcast is produced by PLI, the Practising Law Institute, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit pli.edu/PDCenter.

Matt Galando of K&L Gates reviews some of his innovative PD initiatives, including experiential programming, emphasizing cross-departmental strategic partnerships, and teaching the valuable soft skills for successful legal practice. This podcast is produced by PLI, the Practising Law Institute, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit pli.edu/PDCenter.

Don Smith of Crowell & Moring unpacks the importance of diversity for successful Professional Development. Don examines how an inclusive culture benefits team performance and retention, as well as the evolving status of diversity in PD and the legal community. This podcast is produced by PLI, the Practising Law Institute, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit pli.edu/PDCenter.

Milana Hogan of Sullivan & Cromwell shares her insights into the evolution of Professional Development in law firms, predictions for the PD community in 2019 and discusses success factors for women in large law firms, including grit and the value of a growth mindset. This podcast is produced by PLI, the Practising Law Institute, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit pli.edu/PDCenter.

On each episode of PD Insider, we bring you one-on-one conversations with leaders in the PD Community, so that you can stay current with updates in professional development and the law.  To watch PD Insider's video interviews, and to access our other PD resources, visit PLI's PD Center at pli.edu/PDCenter.