Blogs

Get Stuff Done: 7 Habits + 6 Tools to Master Your To-Do List

By Stephanie Carty posted 07-16-2025
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Please enjoy this infographic blog authored by Stephanie Carty, Senior Manager, Real Estate Practice Group, Goulston & Storrs, P.C. In the demanding world of legal and professional services, a disorganized to-do list isn’t just a nuisance—it’s a productivity killer. While the low-tech sticky notes and back of napkin reminders can be helpful, they are not practical for the needs of the on-the-go and fast-paced workdays of legal ops. These professionals need structure in their workload management. They need strategy and they need systems that not only manage tasks but also support how they think, prioritize, and deliver. This article outlines seven ...
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The New Young Professional – Exploring the Next Generation in Law Firms

By Erin Nicklas posted 06-25-2025
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Please enjoy this blog post authored by Erin Nicklas, Practice Management Specialist, Paul Hastings LLP. To better understand the new generation of young professionals in law firms, I invited my network of young lawyers, paralegals, and business professionals to share anonymous reflections about their career aspirations. This blog post will explore some themes that emerged from these responses, as well as my own. Although these anecdotes reflect just a small sample of experiences, I hope they can be a starting point for greater curiosity, conversation, and understanding across generations in law firms. I’ve noted some potential takeaways both for young ...
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Law Firm Morale

By Virginia Ong posted 05-12-2025
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Please enjoy this infographic blog post co-authored by Virginia Ong, Legal Innovation Manager, Greenberg Traurig and Stephanie Carty, Senior Manager, Real Estate Practice Group, Goulston & Storrs, P.C. The State of Law Firm Morale: Insights from Legal Industry Professionals Law firm morale is a complex, layered issue influenced by everything from leadership strategies to office layouts. I recently distributed an anonymous survey to the ILTA community and to my broader LinkedIn network targeting practicing lawyers, ex-lawyers, and other law firm professionals. The responses give an inside look at the key drivers of morale—and the areas in dire ...
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Challenges of Implementing AI in Small vs. Big Law Firms

By Alina Antonov posted 04-15-2025
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Please enjoy this blog post authored by Alina Antonov, Senior Information Technology Project Manager, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP. Introduction At ILTACON 2024, I spent time walking the exhibit hall and asking colleagues from other firms the same questions: “What’s your AI implementation status? What’s working well, and what challenges are you seeing with Generative AI?” Most of these conversations centered around generative AI tools - not proprietary or custom-built solutions. So, while this article focuses mainly on GenAI, many of the points and lessons shared apply just as well to other AI technologies, ...
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From Awareness to Acceptance: Neurodiversity Progress in the Legal Industry

By Stephanie Carty posted 04-08-2025
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Please enjoy this blog post authored by Stephanie Carty, Senior Manager, Real Estate Practice Group, Goulston & Storrs, P.C. Last April, I went out of my comfort zone and wrote a blog about neurodiversity in legal professions. In the year since writing this piece, I have received many emails, phone calls, and other messages thanking me for broaching this important topic and offering a view into this growing population. I’m often asked which organizations in the legal industry are leading the way in this area, and what resources are available for neurodivergent individuals in law. In this follow-up piece, I’ll highlight some of the firms and initiatives ...
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Beyond Legal Process Mapping: Streamlining Large-Scale Matter Operations

By Damian Priamurskiy posted 03-25-2025
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Please enjoy this blog post co-authored by Damian Priamurskiy, Project Management & Delivery Specialist, Lowenstein Sandler LLP and Mike Ertel, Director of Practice Innovation, Crowell & Moring. In Legal Process Mapping 101 , we explored how process mapping provides a structured approach to analyzing and improving legal workflows. By breaking down processes into discrete steps, firms can identify inefficiencies and create streamlined procedures that enhance efficiency and reduce unnecessary back-and-forth among attorneys and staff. Building on that foundation, this article focuses on applying process mapping principles to large-scale matter ...
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Navigating Law Firms: Building Consensus to Get Things Done

By Kristin Rhodes posted 03-21-2025
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Please enjoy this blog post co-authored by Kristin Rhodes, Director of Practice Management, Paul Hastings LLP and Amy Wegener, Executive Coach and Consultant — Leadership Development, Planning & Strategy—Career Advancement. No matter where you work, consensus-building will help you get things done. At law firms, however, this process may have unique challenges and advantages due to their structure and culture. In this blog, we will discuss the challenges and opportunities for building consensus at law firms. Then we will cover the critical skill of building relationships to gain alignment. By understanding the goals of your stakeholders, you can accomplish ...
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Life of a Billable Hour: Understanding the Law Firm Value Funnel

By Purvi Sanghvi posted 02-24-2025
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Please enjoy this blog post co-authored by Purvi Sanghvi, Managing Director, Client Management, Paul Hastings LLP and Mitch Katzer, Data Analyst, Laurel. Over the course of the next few months, Mitch Katzer and Purvi Sanghvi have teamed up to present a series of articles covering the business of law, the life of a billable hour, fee arrangements, and time hygiene. To lay the groundwork, this article centers around how firms are structured. How Hours Transform to Dollars In this edition of our Law Firm Business series, we will break down the process by which a billable hour of work is transformed into revenue paid by clients, detailing each ...
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Practice Management 101: Ready to Make the Move?

By Lauren Marsh posted 01-02-2025
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Please enjoy this blog post co-authored by Lauren Marsh, Practice Group Manager, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, L.L.P and Kristin Rhodes, Director of Practice Management, Paul Hastings LLP. So, You’re Interested in Making a Move to Practice Management? As the legal industry continues to evolve, the roles of non-legal timekeepers within law firms are also changing, creating more opportunities for individuals who may have developed a particular specialization within firms, but looking to advance their careers beyond that role. Today, many of these opportunities lie within Practice Management ...
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Understanding How Law Firms Are Structured as a Business

By Michael Ertel posted 12-10-2024
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Please enjoy this blog post co-authored by Mitch Katzer, Data Analyst, Laurel and Purvi Sanghvi, Managing Director, Client Management, Paul Hastings LLP. Over the course of the next few months, Mitch Katzer and Purvi Sanghvi have teamed up to present a series of articles covering the business of law, the life of a billable hour, fee arrangements, and time hygiene. To lay the groundwork, this article centers around how firms are structured. Article 1: Understanding How Law Firms Are Structured as a Business At their core, law firms are businesses that provide legal services to clients. However, their structure is unique compared to traditional ...
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AI Buzzwords: Understanding the Terms That Create Value and Drive Success

By Damian Priamurskiy posted 11-18-2024
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Please enjoy this blog post co-authored by Damian Priamurskiy, Project Management & Delivery Specialist, Lowenstein Sandler LLP and Stephanie Carty, Senior Manager, Real Estate Practice Group, Goulston & Storrs, P.C. Over the past couple of years, there’s been a noticeable shift in what people are searching for online. Terms like Agile, Lean, and Six Sigma used to dominate industry conversations, but now the focus has moved toward AI. This shift reflects how AI has become a driving force in innovation and efficiency across industries. But with this growing influence comes a flood of new jargon, which can feel overwhelming. In today’s AI-powered ...
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My ILTA Experience: Insights from a Volunteer

By Alina Antonov posted 09-11-2024
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Please enjoy this blog post authored by Alina Antonov, Senior Information Technology Project Manager, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP. ILTA: I'm a proud volunteer at ILTA, the International Legal Technology Association. Founded in 1980, ILTA is like the ultimate clubhouse for legal tech enthusiasts—where lawyers and tech geeks unite to make legal work less, well, work! With over 25,000 members worldwide, this non-profit is all about sharing tips, tricks, and tools to help legal pros stay ahead of the game. Run by a dedicated board and an army of volunteers, ILTA offers everything from conferences to webinars. If you want to talk shop about the latest ...
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Reviewing Your Review Process: How to Provide Meaningful and Actionable Feedback

By Kendall Smardzewski posted 08-21-2024
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Please enjoy this blog post authored by Kendall Smardzewski, Business Unit Director, Banking & Financial Services and Immigration, Clark Hill. Our review processes deserve a review! Or so we posited. We recently invited our law firm colleagues (practitioners, operations professionals, and support staff) to participate in a short survey to help answer the question: how can we improve the review process? Our top five takeaways are below. 1. REVIEWS ARE HELPFUL BUT THERE IS SIGNIFICANT ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT A majority of our participants found the review process helpful to their job performance and work environment to varying degrees, but less helpful ...
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Considering your Next Move? Legal Operations Careers for Former Legal Timekeepers

By Kristin Rhodes posted 07-22-2024
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Please enjoy this blog post co-authored by Kristin Rhodes, Director of Practice Management, Paul Hastings LLP and Mike Ertel, Practice Innovation and Knowledge Attorney, Paul Hastings LLP. Have you started your career in legal (attorney, paralegal, etc.) and don’t want to be a timekeeper forever? Keep reading to learn about the world of opportunities in Legal Operations. According to CLOC, Legal Operations (or legal ops) “describes a set of business processes, activities, and the professionals who enable legal departments to serve their clients more effectively by applying business and technical practices to the delivery of legal services. Legal ops provide ...
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Legal Process Mapping 101

By Damian Priamurskiy posted 06-13-2024
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Please enjoy this blog post co-authored by Damian Priamurskiy, Project Management & Delivery Specialist, Lowenstein Sandler LLP and Mike Ertel, Practice Innovation and Knowledge Attorney, Paul Hastings LLP. Introduction Process mapping uses visual representation to document, analyze, and improve business processes. Its roots can be traced back to the time-and-motion studies conducted by Frederick Winslow Taylor and Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, who sought to optimize industrial efficiency. One of the first studies was titled “Process Charts, First Steps in Finding the One Best Way to Do Work” published in 1921 by industrial engineer and efficiency ...
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Great Minds Don’t Always Think Alike: Neurodiversity in Legal Professions

By Stephanie Carty posted 04-26-2024
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Please enjoy this blog post by Stephanie Carty, Senior Manager, Real Estate Practice Group. "I finally figured it out", my sister sighed into the phone. "It's ADHD." As frustrations around focus, time management, overwhelm and disorganization mounted, my sister was running out of patience. She is a talented attorney who is well liked and respected, but she has one major adversary: Herself. The fast paced and demanding day of a big law associate is challenging enough, but enduring additional unexplained focus and attention struggles can make the workload feel insurmountable. At the end of her rope, my sister sat for neurological testing, and the results ...
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How to Measure if Innovation Is Helping You Make Money

By Damian Priamurskiy posted 04-02-2024
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Please enjoy this blog post co-authored by Damian Priamurskiy, Project Management & Delivery Specialist, Lowenstein Sandler LLP and Sachin Gupta, Practice Innovation Attorney, Paul Weiss Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. Innovation has become a cornerstone of success in the legal industry, driving efficiency, improving client outcomes, and reshaping traditional practices. How can law firms measure if their innovation efforts are translating into financial gains? This blog post delves into the intricacies of measuring profitability in innovation, understanding value in technology, and navigating the complexities of law firm profitability. At the ...
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Don’t Send That Email Just Yet! Pause and Read Our Blog! (Helpful Email Tips)

By Kristin Rhodes posted 03-25-2024
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Please enjoy this blog post co-authored by Kristin Rhodes, Director of Practice Management, Paul Hastings LLP and Mike Ertel, Practice Innovation and Knowledge Attorney, Paul Hastings LLP. “I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time.” Written over 350 years ago by French philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal—who surely never envisioned how e-mail would simplify instantaneous communication across oceans, yet his concept rings more true today than ever before. In business, emails significantly impact our relationships and how we get things done, yet we often take their daily usage for granted. On the positive side, emails allow ...
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Keeping Your Team on the Same Page: Harnessing the Power of OneNote

By Stephanie Carty posted 12-22-2023
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Please enjoy this blog post co-authored by Stephanie Carty, Practice Manager, Troutman Pepper and Virginia Ong, Legal Innovation Manager, Greenberg Traurig. In the fast-paced, detail-oriented world of legal practice management, effective organization and information management are not just conveniences—they are necessities. Amidst the many tools available, Microsoft's OneNote stands out as a versatile and powerful ally. This digital notebook application goes beyond simple notetaking, offering a suite of features that can revolutionize the way information is stored, shared, collaborated and utilized. While the benefits of OneNote are clear, transitioning ...
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How to Evaluate Low Code Platforms

By Bill Bice posted 07-21-2023
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Please enjoy this blog post that is co-authored by Bill Bice, CEO, nQ Zebraworks and David Schrag, Senior Director of Information Technology, Faber Daeufer & Itrato PC. The benefits of low-code platforms are garnering more attention in IT departments and innovation groups in law firms. There is a seemingly endless need for administrative, practice area-specific and client-facing applications that will improve operational efficiency and build stickier relationships with clients. • Faster Deployment : Given the right process, low-code platforms can reduce the time to develop and deploy applications due to their drag-and-drop interfaces and pre-built ...
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