Notes to My Legal Self®

4 episodes scanned.

Recent Episodes

1. Better by Design (Russ Jacobs) NTMLS Season 15 Episode 9

   Oct 26, 2026

   Russ Jacobs, who leads the intellectual property and innovation group at Starbucks Coffee Company, joins host Olga V. Mack to discuss how legal teams can use data, metrics, and continuous improvement to show business impact. He covers his career path from litigation to in-house IP, his work rethinking Starbucks' mature trademark portfolio, and an open-source approach to Starbucks' coffee plant research. The conversation also addresses stakeholder alignment, IP clearance speed versus risk, psychological safety on legal teams, and how AI can support legal data analysis.

2. Lost in Translation: Why Great Lawyers Explain, Not Impress (Matthew Lowe) NTMLS Season 15 Episode 8

   Oct 23, 2026

   Matthew Lowe, an in-house lawyer with a background in technology, cybersecurity, and privacy who is moving into an associate GC role at a government contractor, joins host Olga V. Mack to discuss how lawyers can turn complex legal issues into advice that businesses can act on. The conversation covers making legal advice accessible without legalese, treating advice as a collaboration rather than a one-way instruction, understanding a business before advising it, and communicating confidence levels. It also addresses evaluating AI-generated answers and why meaningful human review and critical thinking remain essential as AI tools improve.

3. The Human Side of Legal Transformation (Whitney Stefko) NTMLS S15E7

   Oct 15, 2026

   Whitney Stefko, a former litigator who now leads policy operations work at Ford, joins host Olga V. Mack to discuss legal transformation as a people problem rather than a technology problem. The conversation covers responsible AI adoption, mapping real workflows before implementing legal tech, psychological safety, and influencing stakeholders without formal authority. Stefko also discusses how in-house lawyers can build business relationships earlier to reduce their reputation as the "department of no."

4. Legal Ops Is No Longer Optional (Adam Becker) Notes To My Legal Self S15E6

   Oct 5, 2026

   Adam Becker, Director of Legal Operations at Cockroach Labs, discusses why legal operations has evolved from a 'nice-to-have' to an essential function in modern legal departments. The episode explores the shift from treating AI as a tool to adopting it as an advisor, the importance of knowledge management in enabling AI outcomes, and how legal ops leaders must focus on understanding how lawyers actually work to successfully implement AI-native practices.

5. From Practicing Law to Practicing Leadership (Carly Mcallister) NTMLS S15E5

   Jul 26, 2026

   Carly McAllister, Associate General Counsel at Dakota Wealth Management, discusses her transition from litigation to in-house legal leadership in financial services. She explores how technical legal excellence alone is insufficient for in-house success, emphasizing instead the importance of business partnership, personal development, and creating 'possibility' rather than merely managing risk. The conversation centers on leadership philosophy, the role of judgment in an AI-driven world, and redefining legal departments as developers of leaders.

6. The Art of the Pause and Cognitive Empathy as a Legal Superpower (Bradley Bald) Notes To My Legal Self S15E4

   Jul 20, 2026

   Bradley Bald, in-house counsel at Lifestyle Communities, discusses his 10+ year real estate career and transition from private practice to in-house counsel. He explores the decision to take a sabbatical mid-career, managing imposter syndrome during job transitions, and the power of pause and cognitive empathy as leadership tools. Bald emphasizes the importance of being proactive rather than reactive, building relationships across disciplines, and understanding that professional growth is a long-term journey.

7. The Power of the Pivot (Kemi Ijitimehin) NTMLS S15E3

   Jul 13, 2026

   Kemi Ijitimehin, an advertising and ad tech attorney based in Atlanta, discusses her nonlinear career journey from public policy to federal government to tech, emphasizing how pivoting—rooted in her family's history of adaptation and resilience—has shaped her approach to law and business. She explores the distinction between transactional legal advice and strategic business partnership, the critical role of authenticity and relationships in becoming a trusted advisor, and how lawyers can develop business acumen by engaging curiosity across functional teams.

8. The Soft Skills That Power In‑House Law (Elizabeth A. Colombo) Notes To My Legal Self S15E2

   Jul 6, 2026

   Elizabeth Colombo, Associate General Counsel at Vendavo, discusses the critical soft skills that elevate in-house lawyers from technical specialists to trusted business partners. She explores negotiation psychology, embedded humanity in legal practice, stakeholder communication across diverse teams, and the importance of moving from a referee role to architecting solutions. Colombo emphasizes that strong in-house leadership requires empathy, clarity, adaptability, and the distinctly human judgment that distinguishes lawyers from AI.

9. Raising Lawyers Who Can Think When AI Does the Thinking (Alexandra Sepulveda) Notes To My Legal Self S15E1

   Jun 29, 2026

   Alexandra Sepulveda, Associate General Counsel at Trust and Will, discusses how to develop legal judgment in an AI-assisted practice. Drawing from her career spanning patent litigation, trademark work, and in-house roles at General Mills and Kabam, she emphasizes the importance of foundational learning experiences and maintaining critical thinking skills even as AI automates routine work. The conversation explores how junior lawyers can build expertise, the limitations of AI in legal judgment, and the role of mentorship and practical deliberation in legal education and practice.

10. When AI Starts Doing Lawyers Work, What Labels Still Matter? (Dharshi Harindra) Notes To My Legal Self S14E10

    Jun 22, 2026

    Dharshi Harindra, Assistant General Counsel for APAC at FTI Consulting, discusses how AI is reshaping legal practice and the professional labels lawyers have traditionally relied upon. Rather than accepting the framing that "AI won't replace lawyers who use AI," Harindra argues this oversimplifies the real challenge: maintaining human judgment and decision-making in an age of rapid technological change. The conversation explores how legal expertise is shifting from access to information and technical precision toward judgment, ethical reasoning, and decision-making under uncertainty—traits that must be deliberately taught and codified rather than learned through osmosis.