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Did you ever think the ALA could bring you some of your best friends? This week, we welcome Jessica Daughtery, the Director of Administration at Wesierski & Zurek. Jessica opens up to Rob and Amanda about how the ALA is not just a place to swap business cards, but rather a place that, if you allow it, can provide you with deep and special friendships. A large impact is due to ALA members understanding what you are going through on a day-to-day basis. Listen to this week’s episode to learn you can always find your tribe!
Jessica Daugherty is an officer, with 20 years of experience managing, leading, developing and executing projects. As the Director of Administration at Wesierski & Zurek LLP and as a Past President of the Orange County Chapter of ALA, Jessica pairs her exceptional skills with the ability to interact with partners at all levels to achieve measurable impact in law firm management.
Most people start their careers with the dream of changing people and the world.
This week’s guests, Julie Logan (Director of Strategic Workforce Planning & Development, Thompson Coburn LLP) and Karen Griggs (Executive Director, Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice, LLC), have discovered that you can’t necessarily change people, but you can give them the tools they need to succeed.
Join us for this discussion on learning to be adaptable in the ever-changing legal administration landscape. Julie and Karen both have unique perspectives to share on mentorship and hiring a new generation of talent.
These two Association of Legal Administrators (ALA) dignitaries met through the organization 20 years ago at a Punt, Pass, and Kick Contest and since then it’s been a whirlwind of events, career growth, and a lot of fun along the way.
So, pour yourself that second cup of coffee and prepare yourself for an hour of laughs and interesting legal insights. Your mindset will be forever changed after hearing what these two have to say.
Julie Logan is the Director of Strategic Workforce Planning & Development at Thompson Coburn LLP in St. Louis.
With more than 30 years of experience in the legal industry, Logan is a strategic and influential human resource professional with proven achievements in leading organizational initiatives, process improvement, and comprehensive human resource programs. She has experience leading workforce realignment projects and executing team structures in law firms. Logan has been a member of ALA since 1998 and has served in numerous leadership positions on the local, regional and international levels, including a three-year term as At-Large Director on the ALA Board of Directors and Chair of ALA’s inaugural Human Resources Conference for Legal Professionals. She has served as President of the Kansas City and Gateway Chapters, and is currently the immediate Past President of the Gateway Chapter and volunteering as an ALA Membership Ambassador. Logan acquired Bachelor's degrees in Psychology and Sociology and holds two human resource professional certifications.
Karen D. Griggs, CLM, is the Executive Director of Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice, L.L.C. (BSCR) in Kansas City, Missouri. BSCR has been recognized by Ingram’s Magazine as one of Kansas City’s Best Places to Work. The firm is a member of The Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, an organization of corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners dedicated to creating a truly diverse legal profession.
Karen is a Past President of the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA), an international association that supports approximately 9,000 professionals involved in the management of law firms, corporate legal departments, and government legal agencies. She served on the Board of Directors for ALA from 2006 to 2012. Karen has also served in numerous leadership positions at the local, regional and international levels of ALA. In 2006, she was presented with ALA’s Outstanding Association Volunteer Award and in 2014 was presented with The Spirit of ALA Award. She is also a former President and member of the Greater Kansas City Association of Legal Administrators where she received the Chapter’s first Legacy Award in 2008.
Karen was honored in the Inaugural Group of Kansas City’s Top Ten Legal Leaders in 2004, the only non-lawyer to receive this prestigious award. She has also served on the ABA’s Law Practice Division Education Board and was Vice-Chair of the Division’s Sponsorship Committee. Karen earned the Certified Legal Manager designation in 1999. Karen is a frequent speaker on leadership and employment issues and has published several articles.
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Thanks for tuning in! Join us back here next week for episode 9 with Amylyn Riedling!
In this episode, we are taking a turn to explore the business of law from the legal technology side of things. Melissa Chambers (Vice President of Enterprise Solutions, LawPay/Affinipay) and Mike West (Vice President of SMB Sales, NetDocuments) unveil the real truth behind the uniqueness of law firms and the real pain points that they have. The legal industry is notorious for being slow adopters, but Mike and Melissa have found strategies to overcome the hesitation. And if that isn't enough to intrigue you, imagine yourself with only 2 minutes to make your pitch to a firm. What is the first thing you lead with? You’re going to have to listen to find out because Mike and Melissa said it best.
Vice President Enterprise Solution, LawPay
Melissa Chambers is Vice President of Enterprise Solutions at LawPay, an electronic payment platform developed specifically for the legal industry.
Melissa joined the LawPay team in 2009, bringing more than a decade of experience to the organization. After graduating from the University of Mississippi with a degree in Accounting, Melissa took a job in public accounting—an industry she worked in for a year before making a career change and moving into commercial real estate.
For the next eight years, Melissa worked at Equitable Real Estate, during which time she was promoted to Vice President. During her tenure at Equitable, she primarily managed large REITS and 501(c) (2) corporations.
After eight years, Melissa left Equitable Real Estate to focus on raising her three children. While doing so, she started her own financial consulting company for small businesses. She ran this business for three years before deciding to focus her time exclusively on her family. In 2009, Melissa joined the team at LawPay and, since then, has been helping clients and potential clients see how LawPay can help legal professionals manage payments and grow revenue in their firms. Additionally, in 2019, she was appointed as a member of the PDAC committee for the Association of Legal Administrators.
Vice President of Small, Medium Law, Sales, NetDocuments
Mike West is Vice President of SML (Small, Medium Law) Sales at NetDocuments, a cloud-based document management platform developed specifically for law firms. Mike joined NetDocuments in 2019 and brought over 20 years of sales and sales management experience to the organization. After graduating from Brigham Young University in 1997, he took a job in sales and never looked back. His primary focus has been providing technology solutions to companies within the IT, financial services, medical, and now legal markets. He has always prided himself on adding value to prospective clients, partners, coworkers, and organizations that he has worked for. Mike has loved his time at NetDocuments and is excited to be working in the legal industry. There is nothing better than helping a law firm adopt technology that helps them be more efficient, service their clients better and increase their bottom line!
Mike has been married for 5 years, has 6 kids (they are the Brady Bunch), and he's about to be a grandfather!!!!
His hobbies include fly fishing, skiing, mountain biking, traveling, and playing "really bad golf."
Mike's Resources:
Melissa's Resources:
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Thanks for tuning in! Join us back here next week for episode 9 with Gail Fredrickson and Katya Adams!
