Disruption, Diversity, And Wellness In Modern Law

As the world around us becomes more digital, more hectic, and more stressful, it is essential for leaders and lawyers alike to be mindful of the progress being made, the threats to be faced, and the further changes necessary to make our professional lives safer, more inclusive, and better for our physical and mental health. Below, I will cover three great conversations with experts in digital disruption, diversity in legal sourcing, and wellness for today’s modern lawyers. These are all topics that are essential to the field today and in the future.

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Digital Attacks And Disruption

We live in a digital day and age where it is all too common to hear about hacks and ransomware attacks. That is precisely why my conversation with Mark Sangster is so essential. Mark is an award-winning speaker and the author of “No Safe Harbor: The Inside Truth About Cybercrime and How to Protect Your Business.”

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He talks about his thought-provoking work and perspective on shifting risk trends and how they impact modern lawyers and leaders. He discusses the concept that, as humans, we bring biases to our interactions, which hinder our ability to understand the cause of problems, seek accountability, and reduce risks.

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Today’s lawyers and leaders need to unpack their biases, so that they may find a path to understanding causes without assigning blame to others. This is how we move our businesses forward. 

Diversity In Legal Sourcing

The critical conversation on how sourcing can lead to better diversity results is the discussion topic of Omar Sweiss, founder and CEO of Justice Bid. This Chicago-based technology company helps legal departments source legal services in a data-driven way.

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An outspoken advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice issues — especially in the legal and technology space — he is a proficient writer and speaker on these topics. He talks about the steps that legal departments need to take when sourcing in order to recognize the need for inclusion and to take proactive steps in moving their firms forward. These are not cookie-cutter corporate approaches; he advocates thinking outside of the box.

Wellness For In-House Lawyers

Self-care and wellness used to be taboo topics in the workplace. They no longer are.

Stacey Shaw is an experienced attorney who has held regulatory and legal roles at the Small Business Administration Office of Disaster Assistance and in legal departments for financial services companies. She talks about how to start working with wellness in mind in this conversation about stress, anxiety, work-life balance, and the need for a shift in focus on attorney wellness.

 

She recommends scheduling blocks for meditation and breathing or any other behavior that mitigates the significant mental health distress that today’s lawyers face. In a climate heavily focused on remote work, it is crucial to set boundaries. Her practical tips in the episode are simple and effective.

The above topics are critical discussions to have, identifying adjustments that must be made to both professional and personal lives. There is a solid need to accept our human limitations and biases and then to take accountability. These may not always be easy topics to discuss or embrace, especially the thought of slowing down and practicing self-care. That said, they are needed for continued success and happiness.

Olga V. Mack is the CEO of Parley Pro, a next-generation contract management company that has pioneered online negotiation technology. Olga embraces legal innovation and had dedicated her career to improving and shaping the future of law. She is convinced that the legal profession will emerge even stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive than before by embracing technology. Olga is also an award-winning general counsel, operations professional, startup advisor, public speaker, adjunct professor, and entrepreneur. She founded the Women Serve on Boards movement that advocates for women to participate on corporate boards of Fortune 500 companies. She authored Get on Board: Earning Your Ticket to a Corporate Board Seat and Fundamentals of Smart Contract Security. You can follow Olga on Twitter @olgavmack.

Topics

Diversity, Health and Wellness, In-House Counsel, Olga V. Mack