The Geek in Review Ep. 46: Anusia Gillespie on the New Big Law’s Innovation Confusion Disorder

On this episode of The Geek in Review, Anusia Gillespie, the US Head of Innovation at Eversheds Sutherland, sits down with us this week to discuss what she refers to as the “New Big Law” market’s inverted approach to innovation. In a market filled with problem solvers, sometimes the innovation we create solves a problem first, and then sets out to find the problem for this solution. Gillespie finds that innovation is disciplined and structured in its approach, but broad and creative in its thinking. Innovation definitely doesn’t live in any one discipline. Innovative solutions might require technology expertise, but it could just as well only require professional development expertise or strict legal expertise. She’s convinced that we need to move away from this type of anchoring bias to ensure that, in this time of rebuilding law into New Big Law, legal innovators finally design and implement correct and smart solutions. With the various professionals needed to identify problems, and create solutions, you need leadership, structure, a bit of fun mixed in, and a champion-forward approach. We dive into issues ranging from an overview of how Eversheds defines innovation to case studies of Gillespie’s publication on smart solutions for lateral recruitment and lateral onboarding.

There are five very good podcast recordings from Legal Talk Networks “On the Road” series from the American Association of Law LIbraries (AALL) conference in Washington, DC. Interviews include a number of AALL members, such as, DIana Koppang, Jean O’Grady, Steve Lastres, and Catherine Monte, and other innovators like Dean Sonderegger, Gabe Teninbaum, and others. Check it out! Subscribe to it (and to The Geek in Review whle you’re at it!!)

Finnemore Craig’s managing partner, James Goodnow, writes that his kids don’t want to be lawyers! It’s not surprising, but is it really all that bad? Maybe. Even law students aren’t all that excited about becoming an equity partner after they graduate. We discuss that with Anusia.

Our fellow 3 Geek’s writer, Ryan McClead, was interviewed by the ACC’s Rachel Zahorsky about all those innovation subsidiaries that have been all over the news lately. McClead thinks there may be more sizzle than steak, saying that he doesn’t think that anyone is doing it very well, and that the innovation created on the outside, doesn’t seem to be making it back inside those firms.

Cat Moon’s #FailureCamp was a success. Marlene was excited about all of the Twitter traffic and information that came out of the workshop, and she hinted, pretty loudly, that she’d love one of the cool t-shirts the attendees were issued.

Bonus Nerdy Info Inspo’s: Marlene goes full nerd and dives into archaeoludology, the study of ancient games. Not to be outdone, Greg nerds up and points to a recent episode of The Nod which discusses Jerry Lawson, and his invention of the gaming console cartridge.

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As always, the great music you hear on the podcast is from Jerry David DeCicca, thanks Jerry!