Guest and professional legal recruiter Tracey Perkins says in 2025 every paralegal professional should know the importance of technology, especially AI. But she stresses the best paralegals always manage the tech and never let the tech manage them. AI is a tool that can spur efficiency, but it will never replace the mind and analytical skills of a skilled paralegal professional. In the rapidly advancing world of legal tech, grit matters. You’ve got to keep up. Pushing yourself through even the t...
Jul 10, 2025•45 min•Season 1Ep. 182
AI is coming, and it may be coming for your job. Guest Dan Lear, vice president of partnerships at the digital case management company InfoTrack, shares how paralegal professionals can adapt and remain vital. Spoiler, you can’t ignore the AI revolution, but you can learn, evolve, and deliver insights and human skills that AI simply can’t match. File, case, and data management has come a long way, from physically moving boxes of paper filings to electronic management, and Lear has done it all, fr...
Jun 12, 2025•37 min•Season 1Ep. 182
Guest Linda McGrath-Cruz worked as a paralegal professional in private practice and in-house (including Royal Caribbean) for 28 years, and she’s a leader for the Paralegal Navigating Perilous Waters cruise, a CLE paralegal conference that takes place on a cruise ship (how cool is that?). She is currently the program coordinator and a full-time faculty member in the paralegal program at St. Johns River State College in Florida, a hands-on, real-life program that helps students get jobs and then g...
May 08, 2025•50 min•Season 1Ep. 181
Guest Huascar Matos is a paralegal professional and the new president of the International Practice Management Association (IPMA). He has a varied background including a degree in Spanish and time in the fashion and art industry. After an unusual and unexpected path, he has found himself as a director of paralegals at the firm of Foley & Lardner. It’s an exciting time for the IPMA as members consider international expansion, the “elephant in the room” of artificial intelligence, and the evol...
Apr 24, 2025•30 min•Season 1Ep. 180
What’s new for NALA in 2025? Get the scoop from guest Vanessa “Vinnie” Finley, the CEO of NALA since 2019. There’s plenty of news about the upcoming NALA conference and new initiatives to help you be your best professional self. 2025 is no ordinary year for NALA as the paralegal association celebrates 50 years. Start with the latest on the 2025 NALA Conference & Expo , July 10-12 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Earn continuing education credits, network, learn new skills, and hear about NALA’s...
Apr 10, 2025•40 min•Season 1Ep. 179
In this powerful, and deeply emotional and inspirational episode, acclaimed author and speaker Jesse Leon tackles sensitive issues including human trafficking and substance abuse and how he rose above the challenges on his path to success. Leon grew up homeless, addicted, and sexually trafficked. But he survived and is here to remind all of us that we all matter, and we can grow and rise above. None of us are alone. Leon shares his struggles and ultimate triumph as motivation and inspiration. No...
Mar 27, 2025•31 min•Season 1Ep. 178
Guest Natalie Athas is an experienced international paralegal for a Southern California law firm. She set out to become a nurse but wound up getting into the legal profession and found her place. She worked her way up through a number of positions, starting at the ground floor. Funny how things work out. Hear about the typical day of a busy paralegal serving a litigation team. She travels extensively as part of her job, mentoring new paralegal groups for her firm around the country. “My day is l...
Mar 13, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 177
Today’s legal evidence, more than ever, is digital. We’re not digging through boxes of paperwork and memos anymore. In its own way, paper evidence was easy – if time consuming – to request, sift through, organize, present, and protect. But today, evidence lives in the digital universe. We find evidence in emails, tablets, mobile devices, computers, the cloud, cell phones, even digital doorbells and devices connected through the Internet of Things (IoT). Guest John Sammons is an author and profes...
Feb 27, 2025•44 min•Season 1Ep. 176
Ever wonder what it takes to pass the NALA Certified Paralegal (CP®) certification exam? Let’s break it down and set you apart in your field. You can do this. Guest Lori Young is a full-time faculty member at the College of the Canyons in California and a part-time instructor at the University of California Santa Barbara. She has been a paralegal professional for more than 25 years and specializes in legal tech, contract law, estate planning, and helping students just like you prepare for and pa...
Feb 13, 2025•36 min•Season 1Ep. 175
Life is an opportunity to learn, and learning never stops. Guest Jonathan Dang served in the military, then earned a bachelor’s degree, and then earned his master’s degree. He’s a big believer in lifelong learning, there’s never a bad time to take a course, boost your career, and learn something new. Hear how Dang started out looking for direction, found his way, learned from mentors, and finally became a leader in his field. If you’re new to the field and want to take on a leadership role, star...
Jan 30, 2025•25 min•Season 1Ep. 174
Digital information management is a delicate balancing act, connecting the moving parts of a busy legal operation with the information technologists who manage the data. How do you pull an entire office together and manage and leverage all that information? Guest Stephanie Clerkin is the Director of Litigation Support at Korein Tillery and a 2024 recipient of the Gayle O’Connor Spirit Award, which celebrates e-discovery and legal technology leaders who make noteworthy contributions to the fields...
Jan 16, 2025•36 min•Season 1Ep. 173
Where do technology and the paralegal profession intersect? Everywhere. Guest Karen Tuschak is a legal tech pioneer with more than 30 years of experience in the legal profession. She combined her experience, knowledge, and her passion for innovative technology to form her own company, Spider Silk Innovative Solutions in Toronto, Canada. Her company helps law firms and paralegals become more productive through technology and innovation. Tuschak believes every paralegal professional can be their f...
Dec 23, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 172
Guest Cheryl Nodarse, ACP, talks about her goals as the new president of NALA. With her background as past NALA vice president and secretary, Nodarse has a clear vision for the national organization of paralegal professionals. NALA’s relationship with affiliated associations takes a spot at the top of Nodarse’s agenda, as well as developing the relationships between paralegal educators and students. Plus, 2025 marks NALA’s 50th anniversary and the first National Paralegal Day. Nodarse and hosts ...
Nov 21, 2024•47 min•Season 1Ep. 171
Guest Christina Hough dives into the topic of neurodivergence in the legal field. The subject refers to how people learn and behave. We’re all “neurodivergent” in that we are all different. The term covers everything from the autism spectrum to ADHD issues to our own individual quirks and how we interact, learn, and understand each other. When it comes to neurodivergence, the legal system has a particular interest. It has been estimated about 12.5% of lawyers report having ADHD, attention defici...
Oct 31, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 170
Legal burnout. It’s a real thing. Let’s talk about it. On the podcast “The Legal Burnouts,” guests Kate Bridal and Josey Hoff have opened up about burnout. Both worked in law, Bridal as an attorney and Hoff as a paralegal. One day they realized they’d had enough. They were burned out. They know what they’re talking about, and they know what many in the legal profession are going through. Burnout is real. It’s an emotionally grinding field with physically grueling time demands. If you’re feeling ...
Oct 03, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 169
No matter where you fit in an organization in the legal system, you’re likely to find yourself at some point involved in a case headed to alternative dispute resolution, such as mediation or arbitration. Guest Nikki Mehrpoo speaks from a lengthy career in law focusing on Workers’ Compensation and immigration law. In Workers’ Comp cases, the ability of a judge, mediator, and arbitrator to listen without bias and weigh cases solely on the facts and the law is crucial. And as a legal professional, ...
Aug 22, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 168
Guest Shelly A. Walker has enjoyed a career spanning nearly three decades of perpetual growth and advancement. Hear how she learned to move forward with every step, up to her current position as regional office administrator and paralegal manager for a large law firm. Successful careers in the paralegal profession don’t just happen. It takes work, ambition, and drive. Preparation creates opportunity. Walker took advantage of every chance to learn and advance. The paralegal profession never stand...
May 16, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 167
The return of an annual tradition: NALA CEO Vanessa Finley joins hosts Jill Francisco and Tony Sipp to talk about all things NALA, including the upcoming NALA Conference & Expo in Louisville, Kentucky July 11-13. (It’s hybrid, live or online, so if you can’t make it in person, you can still take part). Enjoy both fun and serious sessions, including keynote speaker Iliana Oris Valiente, CPA, CA, as she shares insights into the role of AI and the paralegal profession, while you earn valuable C...
May 03, 2024•45 min•Season 1Ep. 166
Let’s talk about changes in the law and legal technology in 2024 and how to make yourself more valuable to your firm and reenergize your career. Hear where the legal field is going (and how you’ll get there) with tech guru and guest Joy Murao. Maybe you’ll even find the motivation and courage to sign up for a course and learn new skills in the coming year. Technology isn’t something mystical or even unusual in the legal field. It’s as vital as a paper and pen. Make this the year you overcome any...
Feb 15, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 165
The return of Jill Francisco! She’s back after a busy autumn just in time to join co-host Tony Sipp as they wrap up 2023 and take a look at what’s ahead for 2024. There’s a lot to go through, but you can start with a moment to remember to take care of yourself this holiday season. There’s a natural tendency to put yourself last, behind career, family, and so many other things. Be good to yourself. Mental health is important. Looking ahead, make 2024 the year you get up to speed on the latest leg...
Dec 14, 2023•42 min•Season 1Ep. 164
Legal professionals are goal-oriented and driven to succeed. But as we approach a traditionally stressful time of year – the holiday season – it’s important that we remember what’s important and to balance work and life and our own health. Guest Sonya Sigler is an accomplished attorney who now devotes herself to executive coaching and consulting as well as speaking and writing. Her focus is on work/life balance, understanding your own goals and needs, and focusing on personal development and gro...
Nov 30, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 163
Guest Cheryl Garner, CEDS, walks through not only becoming a better paralegal, but pursuing higher career goals, earning credentials, and specializing in eDiscovery and litigation support. She’s a litigation manager overseeing her firm’s eDiscovery program, educating attorneys and colleagues on best practices, and staying abreast of the latest trends. Litigation paralegal professionals play a key role in law firm operations. Successful paralegals are comfortable with technology and embrace every...
Oct 19, 2023•37 min•Season 1Ep. 162
The role of experienced paralegal professionals continues to evolve in exciting new directions. Hear how driven paralegals are finding opportunities in organizational leadership as technology and artificial intelligence (AI) continue to disrupt the legal profession. The sky is the limit for today’s paralegals. Guest Tara Kim Eberhart shares how the International Practice Management Association (IPMA) is leading the way with its four pillars: people, process, profits, and progress. Paralegal prof...
Sep 28, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 161
Guest Shannon Lex Bales is the author of “The Trial Presentation Companion” and an experienced educator and consultant who helps attorneys and firms follow standards and models for presenting cases using today’s legal tech. When firms go to trial, a lot of them are just “winging it” with the software and equipment, workflow, and skills they need to present a case. Paralegal professionals will find opportunities through education and certifications to professionally prepare and present data, vide...
Aug 10, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 160
Greetings from Day One of the NALA 2023 Conference and Expo! Host Jill Francisco joins NALA past president and experienced paralegal Cassandra Oliver-Divens and paralegal student and first-time conference attendee Joey Jones to share the experience. Learn why the annual NALA conference is a must for today’s paralegal professionals. From ethics classes to the latest technology and trends, you’ll hear how paralegal professionals learn from each other and network with organizations and firms across...
Jul 20, 2023•33 min•Season 1Ep. 159
Let’s talk about bias. Not just “explicit” bias, the conscious bias for or against someone. Instead, think about “implicit” bias, those subconscious decisions we all make about hiring, capability, and value because of our own experiences. It happens every day. Guest Al De La Cruz leads the litigation department for the San Diego office of Manning & Kass, Ellrod, Ramirez, Trester LLP and examines how our own internal biases affect our daily decisions, even if we don’t realize it. When legal c...
May 25, 2023•38 min•Season 1Ep. 158
Legal technologies wait for no one, including you. Guest Joy Murao is the Founder and CEO at Practice Aligned Resources, a legal tech support firm that offers a blend of services including e-discovery consulting and advisory, case planning and implementation, vendor and software selection guidance, and trial and war room setup and management. Murao turned her background as a paralegal professional into helping legal teams incorporate technology and available resources to streamline casework, man...
Apr 27, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 157
What’s new for NALA in 2023. Start by getting excited about the 2023 NALA conference with NALA’s chief executive officer, Vanessa Finley. This time in Boston in July. You don’t want to miss it. With 30 educational sessions, CLE credits are yours to earn with three ways to attend: the full, in person experience; a hybrid in-person/virtual package; and the single-day pass in person. Early bird specials available until May 12. NALA in 2023 is also providing the CP (Certified Paralegal) exam review ...
Apr 13, 2023•47 min•Season 1Ep. 156
Let’s talk about the art, and science, of billing. We’ll go ahead and say it, billing isn’t fun, but it’s crucial to the success of your law firm. And tracking many of those billable hours often falls on paralegal professionals. Getting work done is important, getting paid for that work is crucial. You aren’t alone. Everybody hates billing. Tracking your time and entering it into your system isn’t natural, and maybe it’s not even taught. But you can get better at this, make it part of your daily...
Mar 30, 2023•47 min•Season 1Ep. 155
Our justice system is changing as demand for access to court services grows. Are specially trained paralegal professionals the answer? Across the country, states are looking for ways to grant special licenses so paralegal professionals can handle some issues that have traditionally required an attorney. New programs with names including “allied legal professionals, “limited licensing,” and “legal paraprofessionals” are opening ways to offer access to justice and, at the same time, opening pathwa...
Mar 16, 2023•51 min•Season 1Ep. 154
