The Legal Department

We've all heard about AI's power to scale many "routine" business functions, but the lawyers are skeptical. In this episode, Kiteworks Chief Legal Officer Camilo Artiga-Purcell describes how his team has used AI to in-source most legal work, including M&A and some litigation. Working with a lean legal team across the globe, Camilo has embraced technology as an essential partner to help his company grow. We talk about how his close and transparent relationships with the board and company leadership gave him the confidence to handle a trial in-house. An unimaginable feat for most in-house departments.

Not sure what you should be doing with your life? Are you where you're supposed to be? Have you hit a career speedbump and not sure what's next? In this episode, executive coach and former CHRO and military pilot Jim Reid is in The Legal Department to help you chart your next move. Jim contributed to Jim Collins new bestselling book, " What to Make of a Life ." He advises that to move forward past a career cliff, we should get clear about what we are "genetically encoded to do." By anchoring to what's important to you and what you deeply enjoy, you can have the life (and career) you really want.

Feeling unsettled at work? Things are "good enough" but not quite right... You have a nagging feeling that there's something different out there for you, but you're not sure what it is or how to find it. Or maybe, you know what you want to do, but you feel like you can't make a change. You've invested years working towards the career you have, can you pivot into something else? In this #GoalGetter episode, executive coach Shayna Bergman shares her story of how she pivoted from an executive career at a major consulting firm to start her coaching practice. She knows first hand what it takes to shift away from a job that seems to "check all the boxes" into something new and unknown. Shayna shares key questions to help you figure out if you're ready to make a career pivot. We also talk about the unique challenges of working parents and how Shayna supports this special group of professionals. Thanks to StreamlineAi for sponsoring the Goal Getters series.

Tariffs have been front page news since the 2024 presidential campaign. In February 2025 (and again in April 2025), President Donald Trump issued executive orders levying tariffs that threatened small and large businesses alike. But only one CEO of a small family business stepped forward...with only one major law firm. In this episode, Rick Woldenberg, CEO of Learning Resources, Inc. and Hand2Mind, and his counsel, Pratik Shah, Head of the Supreme Court and Appellate Practice at Akin Gump tell the impossible story of how they overturned the Trump tariffs in less than a year. Woldenberg and Shah met on Good Friday in April 2025 and by Tuesday after Easter weekend, filed a complaint in District Court challenging the tariffs, having never met each other in person. This is a story about how aligning on goals, committing to clear and honest feedback, and being engaged and open to other opinions can be rocket fuel for a successful client relationship (and result).

Ever feel like you’re stuck in place? You have excellent technical skills, get the job done and do excellent work. So why aren’t you progressing? In this Goal Getter episode, executive coach and former GC Sheila Murphy is in The Legal Department to show you how to get noticed as “high potential.” Spoiler alert: no one hands you a promotion, you have to raise your hand. Sheila shares how stepping forward, seeking out feedback and adopting clear, business-focused communication style can help you level up. Thanks to StreamlineAi for supporting Goal Getters! Join the Goal Getter community and subscribe to the companion newsletter on Substack to receive actionable career frameworks, diagnostic templates, and professional development tools directly in your inbox. Destination: http://legaldepartmentpod.com/

In this Office Hours episode, Deborah Solmor , founder of GC development program " Ready Set GC " is in The Legal Department to answer questions from aspiring general counsel. Tough questions include: How to show that you're a "strategic advisor" How your organizational skills change when you become general counsel How to keep your confidence up when you don't get a job you really want How and why you need to dedicate time to "extracurriculars" Stacy and Deborah also chat about the Ready Set GC Ascend program, which helps deputy GCs and other aspiring legal leaders get ready for their next big role.

Have you ever thought about a career in academics? You've learned a lot from practicing law in the "real world," but do these skills translate into the classroom? And without an academic pedigree, can a practicing lawyer even break into the ivory tower? Dean Parrish believes that lawyers (especially in-house counsel) can be great teachers. Parrish says that legal skills are academic skills--writing, public speaking and the ability to distill complex topics make lawyers the best teachers. In this episode, Parrish shares how he pivoted from a career in Big Law into academics, eventually landing leadership positions in top law schools including serving as dean of three different law schools. He says that teaching can be a natural progression for practicing lawyers. He believes this so strongly that he invited Stacy and other in-house lawyers to develop a certificate program for aspiring general counsel at UCI School of Law. Learn more about the program called, "From Lawyer to Leader, the Road to the General Counsel Seat," in this episode.

Are the bots coming for our jobs? Will law firms crate when AI erodes the leverage model? Law professor Jonah Perlin advises us to keep calm and bill hours: AI is but another technology to add to the legal toolbox. In this episode, Perlin explains that time is but one element of the billing ecosystem. In this episode, we talk about the value of legal services and how lawyers and law firms can demonstrate value (and adjust fee models) in the AI age. Perlin also hosts the incredibly popular How I Lawyer podcast and supports law students and early career lawyers to find career fulfillment.

Ever wonder why people aren't performing the way you want them to, why your team hasn't gelled, why the project is delayed, or why or your boss never seems to be happy? There's a way to avoid all this frustration; start with expectations. Rarely do we take the time to think about what we really expect from others at work or communicate those expectations. Stop suffering in silence! Executive coach Hanna Hart is back in The Legal Department with specific tips on how to talk about expectations. She explains the three different kinds of expectations we need to address and shares tips for communicating them to our teams and our bosses. From on-boarding to performance management, expectations are key to harmony at work. Bonus: we talk about how to bridge generational differences about work. This is a great companion episode to Hanna's debut on the show, Episode 63: "The 'F' Word: Feedback in The Legal Department ."

In this Goal Getter episode, Janet Thompson Jackson , executive coach and founder of attorney wellness platform "Well-Law" shares a three-part strategy she calls "ABS" to help you set and achieve goals that really matter. By Anchoring in what you really want, setting Boundaries to help you stick to it, and identifying the Steps needed to get there. Janet challenges us to ask ourselves how we are defining success--what does it mean to us to be a good professional? and whether those standards are realistic (and necessary) to succeed at work. She encourages setting boundaries to hold ourselves accountable so we can make progress toward living the life we want.

In this Goal Getter episode, Stacy's executive coach, Charles Holmes , is in The Legal Department to explore how asking the right questions can lead you to the career you really want. He shares the three questions that can help you identify what you want and how to get there. Stacy and Charles also explore how "tolerable conflict" keeps us stuck between what we want and where we are today.

In this Office Hours episode, Stacy answers listener questions about: (1) how to get up to speed in your first General Counsel job – including tips for holding successful meetings with your CEO; (2) whether you can switch industries and how to do so; and (3) in-house fundamentals on how to deliver a winning board presentation. Thanks to Filejet for supporting the Office Hours series! Submit your question to hello@legaldepartmentpod.com .

Guarding the Attorney Client Privilege is an in-house fundamental, but it's also tricky. As we "level up" as in-house lawyers, taking on new functions and becoming a "strategic advisor," the lines are blurred. In this episode, veteran white collar litigator Diana Feinstein is back in The Legal Department to share step by step tips on how to maintain ACP and work product protections as an in-house attorney. We talk about the basic blocking and tackling of privilege hygiene and explore how AI is impacting this core legal protection. This is Diana's second tour of duty in The Legal Department--check her out on Episode 3!

Attention Goal Getters! Have you ever done a day-by-day review of your calendar to help you set goals for your future? Executive Coach Michael Melcher recommends using the "lookback method" to determine what's important for you in the new year. Instead of making a list of resolutions from what is top of mind, Michael recommends going through your calendar and reflecting on your wins for the prior year. Find out what gives you energy, joy and purpose and do more of it! An expert on building and cultivating relationships, Melcher also shares his suggestions for building a professional network that will transform your career.

Level-up on legal ethics for in-house lawyers on this episode with former state bar prosecutor, Ryan Little , founder of Little Legal . In this episode, we talk about some of the ethical traps in-house lawyers should watch out for, how to handle conflicts of interest, navigating who your client is, Upjohn warnings in internal investigations, and much more.

Do you feel like you're on a hamster wheel? Or climbing a career ladder that you're not sure you want to be on? In this Goal Getter episode, Executive coach and former public company GC Marla Persky joins Stacy Bratcher to share how setting career goals that align with your "happiness factor" can help us build the career we actually want. She urges lawyers to "own their careers" and set goals that align with what makes us happy. Get off the wheel of endless achievement and build the career you want.

Is your company branching out into influencer marketing? Is your Chief Marketing Officer dying to engage with the latest TikTok sensation? Put down that red pen and prepare to approach marketing deals with a different eye. Brittany Ratelle of Ratelle Law has been representing creators for more than a decade. She's in The Legal Department to share tips on how to approach creator deals in a way that benefits your company and the creator. In this episode, you'll learn the difference between User Generated Content and traditional Influencer brand deals; the allocation of intellectual property rights (Spoiler Alert: your company isn't going to own the IP); how negotiating a "Creative Brief" at the outset can ensure alignment and brand consistency in the future; and resources to find market rates/terms for #Influencer deals.

You're at a great company, with a fancy title and what seems from the outside to be exciting work. But all that glitters is not gold. No matter where you are in your career--whether you're just starting out or at the top of the career ladder, you can feel stuck. Ellen Yang shares advice for attorneys and managers alike on how to recognize that you (or your team) might be feeling stuck and how to break through that to find something more fulfilling. She has specific advice for senior level lawyers, deputy GCs and associate GCs, about how to fill out that resume to get GC ready. Ellen also did the unheard of: she returned to a law firm after more than a decade in-house. Tune in to learn about that experience and whether a return to the "dark side" is right for you. Lots of great stories and advice here to help you level-up, whatever that means to you.

In-house legal professionals are more than advisors – they’re strategic leaders. This episode of The Legal Department is a replay of a dynamic discussion about how personal branding and influence can elevate your impact, visibility, and career. Listen to the real-world strategies, lessons learned, and tools for building your brand authentically – both inside your organization and across your network. Whether you're climbing the ladder or looking to lead from where you are, this session will help you position yourself for influence and opportunity. Topics: Why Influence Matters Why personal brand and internal influence are strategic assets Personal Brand in Practice: How We Built Ours Tactics used to define and project their brand (internally and externally) Mistakes made and lessons learned along the way Making Yourself Visible Without Being Self-Promotional Strategies for subtle self-advocacy and internal visibility Communicating your value to non-legal stakeholders Leveraging internal wins to grow reputation LinkedIn, Leadership, and Leverage: Career Opportunities Through Branding Using LinkedIn and networking to create inbound opportunities How branding helped panelists navigate job transitions or promotions Advice for in-house lawyers at different stages of their careers

Former Bain consultant and executive coach Anita Kishore knows how to run a good meeting. When a CEO cancelled a standing meeting with her, Anita learned the hard way that planning ahead and communicating meeting objectives are essential for any meeting. As an executive coach, she helps executives maximize their effectiveness through good meeting hygiene. In this episode, find out the two secrets to make any meeting a hit. From project meetings, all-hands, staff meetings or 1:1s, Anita shares strategies for how to maximize effectiveness of any meeting. In this episode, you'll learn: Why setting an agenda and knowing the meeting objective is table stakes; How to know which meetings you need to attend; How to manage the clock by "calling a banana"; How to draw out the introverts by using technology to encourage participation Tune in to learn the skills you need to be a meeting pro.