PD Insider

The State of Legal PD: Live from PDC Summer 2022

Special Interview Compliation! To celebrate the first in-person PDC Summer Conference since 2019, PD Insider was on-site in Denver in July to record ten interviews for a special compilation episode. Each guest sat down with Craig Miller to share the best lessons they've learned from a colleague in PD, their fall and winter priorities, and how the PD community supported one another during, and after, the pandemic. This special compilation features candid insights from diverse perspectives that will be a resource to all PDs this fall and beyond.

Special thanks to our ten featured speakers: Chris Boyd (Wilson Sonsini); Larry Brown (Fisher Phillips); Lewis Check (Baker McKenzie); Mollie Farrell (Greensfelder); Aisha Greene (Cadwalader); Alicia Kappers (Frost Brown Todd); Jeanne Picht (Fried Frank); Reva Pollack (Arnold & Porter); Jessie Spressart (Optia Consulting); and Erin Walczewski (Cooley)

This podcast is produced by PLI, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit https://www.pli.edu/pdcenter

Retirement by Design: Strategies for Succession Planning | Ida Abbott

Special Guest Ida Abbott, President of Ida Abbott Consulting and a co-founder of the Professional Development Consortium (PDC), returns to PD Insider -- this time, her conversation with Craig Miller focuses on the role professional development can play in managing senior partner retirement, and the benefits of utilizing design thinking in succession planning. The industry's shift to remote and hybrid work created a new landscape for partner retirement planning, making the valuable insights shared more important than ever for PDs facing similar challenges in their firms.

This podcast is produced by PLI, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit https://www.pli.edu/pdcenter

Implementing Effective Coaching Programs | Reva Pollack

Special Guest Reva Pollack, Director of Professional Development at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, joins Craig Miller for a conversation focused on the value of coaching principles and techniques in successful professional development. They also review the evolution of coaching in the age of remote and hybrid work, and Reva's shares her own insights about becoming a certified coach and best practices pulled from her own experience.

This podcast is produced by PLI, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit https://www.pli.edu/pdcenter

Hybrid Work is Here to Stay | Ann Gomez

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, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit https://www.pli.edu/pdcenter

Exploring DEI in the Legal Industry | H. Sandra Bang & Melanie Priddy

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, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit https://www.pli.edu/pdcenter

Innovation, Design Thinking, and the Profession‘s Future in Light of the Pandemic | Jennifer Leonard

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, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit https://www.pli.edu/pdcenter

Returning to the Office | Meg Holman

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, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit https://www.pli.edu/pdcenter

Supporting and Retaining Mid-Level Associates | Jennifer Bluestein

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, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit https://www.pli.edu/pdcenter

Maintaining and Prioritizing Wellness Initiatives | Diane Costigan and Don Smith

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, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit https://www.pli.edu/pdcenter

How Law School Faculty and Legal Employers Collaborate to Produce Practice Ready Graduates | Kristen Uhl Hulse

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, for PLI's PD Center. For videos and other resources tailored to the professional development community, please visit https://www.pli.edu/pdcenter