Reflections on CGI 2023

Last week the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium hosted its 2023 Global Institute bringing together in-house legal operations professionals, their service providers and technology vendors at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. Transformation headlined this year’s conference with notable speakers, session topics from ChatGPT to building a LegalOps function, Braindate conversations and the less formal networking lunches, wellness hikes and happy hours.  Of all the drivers of Transformation discussed at CGI 2023, three captured my attention – Inspiration, Collaboration and Acceleration. 

Inspiration literally means to breathe in and includes the ideas and objects that influence our thoughts and creativity. Each of the keynote speakers pointed to areas that either hinder or encourage our ability to design strategy, focus on priorities and re-imagine the way we operate at home and at work. Jen McCarron, Director of Legal Operations and Technology at Netflix, kicked off the conference highlighting the myth that transformation means “doing a lot” (the burnout problem). She pointed to the idea that real transformation often happens as a result of what you don’t do, using the metaphor of negative space in sculpture. This is the essence of strategy. I appreciate the vision of a sculptor each time I visit Richard MacDonald’s fine art gallery in the Bellagio, adjacent to the Cirque du Soleil theater. He captures the movement of ballet and acrobatics, the form of the human body and the emotion of a personal story in bronze. When was the last time each of us took a moment to simply breathe in? 

Focusing on our priorities is a constant challenge when we are continually bombarded by information, changing expectations and new opportunities. Slowing down often creates mental space to refine our core values and release distractions. On Tuesday CLOC invited the poet IN-Q (Adam Schmalholz), author of Inquire Within to the stage to perform and inspire. When was the last time most of us listened to poetry? The last presidential inauguration? Poetry invites us to slow down, enjoy the sound and rhythm of language, the beauty of imagery and another perspective on life. In his poem titled Home, IN-Q turned value inside out and focused our lens on what we bring – to family life, to work life – and how we are aligned with those around us. Riding a bicycle helps me focus as I am inspired by the wonder of the natural world. On Monday morning, I rented a road bike and pedaled through Red Rocks Canyon taking in the color of the mountains and desert flowers while letting the noise in my head evaporate like the moisture on my skin. 

Baratunde Thurston, a comedian, author of How to Be Black and host of the How to Citizen podcast, widened the lens of transformation on Wednesday using his own story to highlight how to picture the story within each of us. He encouraged the audience to create space for reflection so that we can see ourselves – our patterns and habits – more clearly and decide what we should give our attention to. Ten years ago, Baratunde unplugged from the Internet for 25 days. He has some experience facing the challenges of fasting from our digital diet. Recently, Angela Quinn, Husch Blackwell’s Chief Client Officer, took an extended leave to recharge, reconnect with herself and re-align her priorities. Upon returning she commented, “To anyone who may be hesitant about taking a break or stepping away from their routine, I encourage you to remember the magic that can happen when we give ourselves permission to disconnect and fully experience the present moment.” My own journey into noise reduction began a few years ago when I unplugged the TV. I made time for rest. I made time to dream. To process loss. To experience life outside. I became more selective in what I breathed in.

Inspiring creativity in others requires us to treasure their perspective. Baratunde’s first How to Citizen podcast interviewed Valarie Kaur, author of See No Stranger, whose premise is that a stranger is a part of myself, I do not know yet. Similarly, Jenn McCarron’s second and third myths pointed to the need for a growth mindset, safe spaces to imagine and improvise new ways of working and the humility to let others shine on stage. During one of my Braindate sessions, I spoke with Adam Murphy and Cynthia Towers from JURISolutions Legal about how important this is in the context of diversity.  We discussed Husch Blackwell’s DEI speaker series, an ongoing forum for diverse professionals to share their experiences and perspectives, which has helped open up our dialogue, widen our view and empathize with our colleagues.  Wednesday’s Legal Ops as a DEI Influencer session also included a break-out session where participants shared stories of missed opportunities and brainstormed how to handle them differently in the future.

Each year when I look back on the CLOC conference, I marvel at the growth in legal operations.  I am so thankful for a community that honors what each of us brings to the conversation – our passion, our creativity, our vision for how we as a community can transform an industry.