Notes to My Legal Self®

Recent Episodes

1. The Art of the Pause and Cognitive Empathy as a Legal Superpower (Bradley Bald) Notes To My Legal Self S15E4

   Jul 20, 2026

   Bradley Bald, in-house counsel at Lifestyle Communities, discusses his 10+ year real estate career and transition from private practice to in-house counsel. He explores the decision to take a sabbatical mid-career, managing imposter syndrome during job transitions, and the power of pause and cognitive empathy as leadership tools. Bald emphasizes the importance of being proactive rather than reactive, building relationships across disciplines, and understanding that professional growth is a long-term journey.

2. The Power of the Pivot (Kemi Ijitimehin) NTMLS S15E3

   Jul 13, 2026

   Kemi Ijitimehin, an advertising and ad tech attorney based in Atlanta, discusses her nonlinear career journey from public policy to federal government to tech, emphasizing how pivoting—rooted in her family's history of adaptation and resilience—has shaped her approach to law and business. She explores the distinction between transactional legal advice and strategic business partnership, the critical role of authenticity and relationships in becoming a trusted advisor, and how lawyers can develop business acumen by engaging curiosity across functional teams.

3. The Soft Skills That Power In‑House Law (Elizabeth A. Colombo) Notes To My Legal Self S15E2

   Jul 6, 2026

   Elizabeth Colombo, Associate General Counsel at Vendavo, discusses the critical soft skills that elevate in-house lawyers from technical specialists to trusted business partners. She explores negotiation psychology, embedded humanity in legal practice, stakeholder communication across diverse teams, and the importance of moving from a referee role to architecting solutions. Colombo emphasizes that strong in-house leadership requires empathy, clarity, adaptability, and the distinctly human judgment that distinguishes lawyers from AI.

4. Raising Lawyers Who Can Think When AI Does the Thinking (Alexandra Sepulveda) Notes To My Legal Self S15E1

   Jun 29, 2026

   Alexandra Sepulveda, Associate General Counsel at Trust and Will, discusses how to develop legal judgment in an AI-assisted practice. Drawing from her career spanning patent litigation, trademark work, and in-house roles at General Mills and Kabam, she emphasizes the importance of foundational learning experiences and maintaining critical thinking skills even as AI automates routine work. The conversation explores how junior lawyers can build expertise, the limitations of AI in legal judgment, and the role of mentorship and practical deliberation in legal education and practice.

5. When AI Starts Doing Lawyers Work, What Labels Still Matter? (Dharshi Harindra) Notes To My Legal Self S14E10

   Jun 22, 2026

   Dharshi Harindra, Assistant General Counsel for APAC at FTI Consulting, discusses how AI is reshaping legal practice and the professional labels lawyers have traditionally relied upon. Rather than accepting the framing that "AI won't replace lawyers who use AI," Harindra argues this oversimplifies the real challenge: maintaining human judgment and decision-making in an age of rapid technological change. The conversation explores how legal expertise is shifting from access to information and technical precision toward judgment, ethical reasoning, and decision-making under uncertainty—traits that must be deliberately taught and codified rather than learned through osmosis.

6. Automate the 80% Own the 20% (Cherryn-Paige Bissett) Notes To My Legal Self, Season 14, Episode 9

   Jun 15, 2026

   Cherryn-Paige Bissett, Legal Sifters Internal Commercial Counsel, discusses how in-house lawyers can leverage AI and automation to handle routine contracting work while reserving human judgment for high-impact decisions. The conversation explores the "automate 80%, own 20%" framework, the role of playbooks in scaling legal consistency, and how to balance legal risk, commercial needs, and operational speed without compromising deal outcomes.

7. Good Legal Judgment is Built the Hard Way (Matthew Thomas) Notes To My Legal Self Season 14, Episode 8

   Jun 8, 2026

   Matthew Thomas, Senior Corporate Counsel at Elasticsearch, discusses how good legal judgment is developed through experience rather than textbook learning. He shares concrete examples of early career mistakes—including misjudging vendor relationships across organizational networks—and explains his approach to course correction, emotion management in negotiations, and maintaining perspective across regulated industries (oil & gas, mortgage servicing, fintech, SaaS, AI). He emphasizes that most legal decisions are not catastrophic and advises new in-house counsel to focus on material risks rather than perfection.

8. Human-Centered Law in Practice: Tools, Tactics, Outcomes (Marco Imperiale) Notes To My Legal Self Season 14, Episode 7

   Jun 1, 2026

   Marco Imperiale, founder of Bed Ipsum and author of 'Practicing Legal Design,' discusses how human-centered design principles can transform legal practice. The episode explores legal design as more than visual improvements—it's a mindset shift toward understanding clients, engaging stakeholders, and challenging traditional legal communication through prototyping, testing, and collaboration across disciplines.

9. How Stories Can Help You Reach Compliance Compromises (Angela Madathil) NTMLS Season 14, Episode 6

   May 26, 2026

   Angela Madathil, a technology attorney at a trucking company in Omaha, Nebraska, discusses how storytelling and empathy can drive compliance compromises and better business outcomes. She explores the intersection of commercial law, technology compliance, and product responsibility, drawing on her experience helping drivers understand AI-driven tools while maintaining regulatory compliance. The episode emphasizes how in-house lawyers can influence organizational decision-making by connecting with end users and translating their needs into compelling narratives for leadership.

10. Building the Legal Backbone of Breakthrough Tech (Geoffrey G. B. Brow) NTMLS Season 14, Episode 5

    May 11, 2026

    Jeffrey Brown, Assistant General Counsel at Roku, discusses his 28-year legal career spanning corporate law in New York and London, technology transactions at Dell and Google, and pioneering work on breakthrough technologies like Virgin Hyperloop and drone delivery. He explores the creative and strategic dimensions of drafting contracts for unprecedented technologies, the shift from big law perfectionism to in-house pragmatism, and how lawyers can develop the mindset and skills to navigate emerging technologies and regulatory uncertainty.