The Legal Department

Episode

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  Speed of Trust: How a CEO and His Lawyer Got a Supreme Court Win in 10 Months Rick Woldenberg, CEO Learning Resources, Inc. and Pratik Shah, Partner Akin Gump 21.07.2026 45mnt

  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).
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  Goal Getter: How to Avoid a Career Flatline Sheila Murphy Executive Coach 07.07.2026 36mnt

  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/
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  Office Hours: Questions From Aspiring GCs With Deborah Solmor, Founder, Ready Set GC [E96] 23.06.2026 37mnt

  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 counselHow to keep your confidence up when you don't get a job you really wantHow 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.
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  Can You Pivot From Big Law To An Academic Career? Austen Parrish, Dean University Of California, Irvine School of Law [E95] 09.06.2026 31mnt

  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.
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  Will AI Kill The Billable Hour? With Jonah Perlin Professor, Georgetown Law [E94] 26.05.2026 42mnt

  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.
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  Stop Being Frustrated At Work: How To Set And Manage Expectations With Hanna Hart, Executive Coach [E93] 12.05.2026 33mnt

  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."
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  Goal Getter: The ABS Of Goal Setting: Janet Thompson Jackson, Founder Of Well Law [E92] 28.04.2026 36mnt

  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.
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  Goal Getter: Ask Big Questions To Get Big Goals: Charles Holmes, Executive Coach [E91] 07.04.2026 37mnt

  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.
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  Office Hours: Stacy Answers Your Listener Questions 25.03.2026 15mnt

  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. 
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  In-House Privilege Redux: Diana Feinstein, Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP [E89] 11.03.2026 34mnt

  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!
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  Goal Getter: Look Back To Go Forward With Michael Melcher, CEO M2 Leaders And Author Of "Your Invisible Network" [E88] 24.02.2026 36mnt

  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.
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  Ethics In The Legal Department With Ryan Little, Founder Little Legal And Former State Bar Prosecutor [E87] 10.02.2026 34mnt

  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.
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  Goal Getter: The Happiness Factor Marla Persky Executive Coach, 2x GC And Independent Board Member [E86] 27.01.2026 37mnt

  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.
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  Contracting In The #Creator Economy: Brittany Ratelle, Ratelle Law [E85] 14.01.2026 37mnt

  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.
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  Stuck At Work? Tips To Reboot Your Career With Ellen Yang 30.12.2025 40mnt

  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.
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  ACC Replay: The Influential Counsel: Mastering Personal Branding In The Corporate World [E83] 16.12.2025 52mnt

  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 MattersWhy personal brand and internal influence are strategic assetsPersonal Brand in Practice: How We Built OursTactics used to define and project their brand (internally and externally)Mistakes made and lessons learned along the wayMaking Yourself Visible Without Being Self-PromotionalStrategies for subtle self-advocacy and internal visibilityCommunicating your value to non-legal stakeholdersLeveraging internal wins to grow reputationLinkedIn, Leadership, and Leverage: Career Opportunities Through BrandingUsing LinkedIn and networking to create inbound opportunitiesHow branding helped panelists navigate job transitions or promotionsAdvice for in-house lawyers at different stages of their careers
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  Escape From Meeting Hell: Run Better Meetings With Anita Kishore, Executive Coach [E82] 23.11.2025 27mnt

  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 participationTune in to learn the skills you need to be a meeting pro.
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  Do This Before You Spend $$$ on Legal Tech With Lyndsey Cain Of LegalEng [E79] 04.11.2025 35mnt

  Attention all legal operations professionals! This episode is for you. Legal Ops consultant Lyndsey Cain of LegalEng is in The Legal Department to talk about how to make your legal tech implementation a success. From identifying a non-IT leader, knowing your goals, having a comms plan, and an ongoing governance structure, Lyndsey shares that success is more than "just the tech." She also shares tips on vendor engagement, negotiating those implementation services, and how to navigate tech updates.
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  Office Hours: How To Get Your First GC Job With Leah Huddleston And Candace Jackson [E81] 21.10.2025 38mnt

  In this Office Hours discussion, Stacy Bratcher is joined by Leah Huddleston, Chief Legal Officer/Corporate Secretary at CBIZ, and Candace Jackson, Senior Vice President/General Counsel/Corporate Secretary of Silvaco. They share their journeys from associate general counsel and deputy GC to their current chairs, highlighting the most valuable lessons they learned along the way. Leah and Candace explain why a GC must truly know the business inside out and why they sometimes need to act as ethical supervisors. They also discuss how GCs can develop an executive presence and how they must handle the leadership development of their teams.
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  Closed Mouths Don't Get Fed: Use Metrics To Tell The Story Of The Legal Department With Kathy Zhu, CEO And Co-Founder Of Streamline AI [E80] 07.10.2025 45mnt

  Feeling like you're never going to get resources to support your legal function? Kathy Zhu has been there. Facing an endless demand for her time and limited resources to meet the business need at DoorDash, Kathy as head of Commercial Contracting, built relationships with her key customers and a process to help her team manage and communicate priorities within the company. She was so successful in showing her team's value (and their resource needs), her clients actually donated their own headcount to the legal department so she could serve them better. Seeing the value of process, tools and relationships, Kathy and her co-founder built a tool (Streamline AI) to help in-house legal departments manage their workload and generate metrics to make the case for more resources. In this episode, Kathy shares how she managed "the bottomless pit of need" using Google forms as a bush fix before Streamline AI was born. She shares:Why transparency and vulnerability are a superpower for building relationships with your key clientsHow using metrics can help you "speak CFO" and tell the story of your legal departmentWhy understanding the stage of the company and what's needed can help lawyers deliver better services