In the News...
CLI Advisory Board Members 2024-25 Announced
The Centre for Legal Innovation today announced its incoming Advisory Board for 2024-25.
The incoming Board is comprised of 15 representatives from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and USA, working in law firms, in-house in legal departments, law schools, consultancies and legaltech/law companies. Warrick McLean, Non-Executive Director and Caryn Sandler, Partner and Chief Knowledge & Innovation Officer, Gilbert + Tobin extend their term as Advisory Board Co-chairs.
Sustaining legal transformation - is it possible?
In this session, Alison Laird, Director, Laird Innovations Pty Ltd facilitated a discussion with Caroline Ferguson, Business Transformation and Innovation Director, Simpson Grierson; Jan Hards, Director of Legal Innovation and Special Counsel, Johnson Winter & Slattery; and Tila Hoffman, Special Counsel & Business Transformation Manager, MinterEllisonRuddWatts on whether advances made in innovation, tech use and adoption in law firms during the COVID-19 pandemic can, will or need to be sustained in 2021 and beyond!
This session was part of the CLI-ALPMA Innovation and Legaltech Week 2021 On Demand program published on 1 February 2021.
If you would prefer to listen rather than watch, the session is also available as a podcast in CLI’s The Legalpreneurs Sandbox podcast series.
NewLaw Careers: The role of a consultant
What do consultants, consult about? It’s a great question and the answer isn’t what it used to be! Sharing expertise and knowledge is no longer confined to LEGAL expertise and knowledge in law firms, legal departments, CLCs, or ALSPs. These organisations are increasingly required to solve problems holistically, use the expertise of “all” their specialists for the benefits of clients in a growing number of areas like technology, risk management, innovation/ transformation, ESG and many more – “consultancy” is being redefined and reinvented in the legal world!
In this session, Alison Laird, Senior Director, Legal Business Advisory, Morae Global and CLI Advisory Board member explored the role of a consultant with these gurus:
- Joel Kennedy, Head of Client Projects, Lander & Rogers
- Beth Patterson, Director, ESPconnect
- Emma Peters, Special Counsel, Cowell Clarke
- Mick Sheehy, Partner, NewLaw, PwC Australia
This session was part of the COL-CLI NewLaw Careers Summit 2022 program on 17 May 2022.
If you would prefer to listen rather than watch this episode, you’ll find the podcast in our The Legalpreneurs Sandbox podcast series here.
CLI Advisory Board Members 2022-23 Announced
The Centre for Legal Innovation today announced its incoming Advisory Board for 2022-23.
Roundtable discussion: What do transformational leaders really do differently??
Change is hard. Most people are more comfortable resisting change than making it happen. So, in organisations that have embraced different, new, and continuous improvement, how did they do it? What’s the “secret leadership sauce” that inspires teams and motivates change? Is one leadership style better than others? What do these leaders do when they hit a brick wall? How do they approach failure? What are the characteristics of these great transformational leaders?
In this session, Alison Laird, Director, Laird Innovations Pty Ltd and CLI Advisory Board member, facilitated a roundtable discussion with legal leaders who have transformed their legal businesses:
- Kate Fazio, Head of Innovation and Engagement, Justice Connect
- Caryn Sandler, Partner + Chief Knowledge and Innovation Officer, Gilbert + Tobin and Co-chair of the CLI Advisory Board
- Laura Vickers, Principal, Nest Legal
This session was part of the CLI-ALPMA Innovation and Legaltech Week 2021 Live program on 8 February 2021.
If you would prefer to listen rather than watch, the session is also available as a podcast in CLI’s The Legalpreneurs Sandbox podcast series.
What does the #FutureofLaw have in store?
Highlights from the Centre for Legal Innovation 2018 AI in Legal Practice Summit – September 2018
Creating an agile culture in professional services organisations
On 31 August 2018, the Centre for Legal Innovation held its second annual AI in Legal Practice Summit in Sydney. In the session “Creating an Agile Culture in Professional Services Organisations,” Alison Laird, Head of Innovation and Project Delivery Asia Pacific, Pinsent Masons, set the scene with her discussion about the concepts and principles of agile management, drawing a distinction between capital A “Agile” (project management methodology) from little “a” agile (way of working, leadership, culture).
Tim Frost, Partner, PWC, built on that foundation by explaining how professional service organisations create and embed an agile culture, something that is becoming an increasingly critical focus for every organisation, especially law firms, operating in a disrupted marketplace.
Pinsents names first Asia Pac innovation head
The Lawyer Article – 3 April 2018
What do legal consultants think about ChatGPT / Generative AI?
Isn’t it great when you get to end the week inspired? That’s exactly how Terri Mottershead was feeling at the end of Centre for Legal Innovation‘s Generative AI (GAI) Roundtables with Legal Consultants on 24 March 2023 – such a fabulous conversation!
Huge thanks to Alison Laird for facilitating this for us and to our amazing contributors!
Click here for 14 big takeaways from this session.
Legal Innovation is more than just about tech, Pinsent Masons says
Australasian Lawyer article – 19 July 2018
Do Lawyers Have 'Agility Anxiety'?
Lawyers Weekly Article – 23 July 2018
Podcast Episode 1: Chief Innovation Officers Forum Steering Group Members on Legal Innovation and Industry Transformation
What happens when you get a few people passionate about law, the legal industry and legal innovation in one room and chat – this podcast happens!
The CLI launch their podcast series with an insightful, funny and engaging conversation between three amazing legalpreneurs, people who are making change happen for their clients, their people and their firms every day – hosted by Terri Mottershead:
- Alison Laird, Head of Innovation and Project Delivery Asia Pacific at Pinsent Masons and inaugural Global Chair of the CIOF Steering Group;
- Melissa Lyon, Associate Principal, Hive Legal; and
- Marcus McCarthy, Principal, Nexus Law Group.
These folks understand that some in the legal profession are “change challenged,” they have been on their own journeys in coming to the place they find themselves in today and, with thoughtful reflection, empathy and resilience, they work in their law firms and in the profession to push forward, make a difference and uncover the industry’s next best practices.
We chatted about a lot of things, there’s a lot to chat about after all. Topics covered in our conversation included exploring answers to hot button issues like:
- How you define legal innovation? Can/should you define it?
- Who should lead innovation in a law firm and in the legal industry?
- Should innovation be inside to out or outside to in or a bit of both?
- Can you measure innovation? What are the metrics or KPIs? Does measurement matter?
- How do you deal with the sceptics, naysayers and blockers to innovation?
- Does the lawyer personality type mean the legal industry is uniquely change challenged?
- Can law firms survive if they don’t innovate? Should they survive?
- Where and how do you start to innovate in the legal industry?
- What will the lawyers and legal practice look like in the next 3- 5 years?
Winner Most Popular Podcast 2020 – The Legalpreneurs Podcast Series
From big idea to global impact
When the Centre for Legal Innovation (CLI) was first pitched just over three years ago, it was a big idea – and daunting in its ambition. Its pitch: to bring lawyers and all legal business professionals together to collaborate and translate the disruption already sweeping the legal industry into practical solutions they could apply to their practice.
Published 28 June 2019
Legalpreneurs Spotlight - Alison Laird
Centre for Legal Innovation, The College of Law featured Alison in their June 2018 Legalpreneur Spotlight article.
Podcast: Embedding an innovative culture
Lawyers Weekly Podcast: Embedding an innovative culture in law firms– 25 May 2018
Geeky Gurus
The Geeky Gurus are a group of specialists who work in a number of different areas in the business of law. They are available to provide a free initial 15-minute consultation to LP Lab members, in their specialist areas. To make contact with the GGs, you just need to complete the form on the ASK CLI page, we’ll triage your enquiry and find the right GG for you.
Alison Laird Area: Legal innovation