Come interact with a panel of legal (and non-legal) trainers/managers to discuss their firm’s approach, the challenges as a trainer/manager and their predictions for the future of the professional title of "Trainer".
The Moderator is Roberta Gelb, President of Chelsea Office Systems, Inc. and who is on PLTG Board as Vendor Representative.
The panelist include
Chris Swanson, Learning Management Team Leader at DLA Piper. Chris leads the training team’s e-learning efforts, as well as IT’s involvement in DLA Piper University, the firm’s staff development program. Chris has over 21 years of experience in the legal market and over 26 years of experience in education and adult learning. Prior to working as a trainer and consultant to law firms, Chris worked as a college-level teacher of German and as a TV news producer.
Karen Kucinski, Manager of IT Training at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. In this role for the past thirteen years, Karen works to promote the use of technology within the Firm and manages a team of technical trainers who strive to provide innovative ways to keep staff and attorneys on top of the latest technology. Prior to working at Wachtell, Karen worked as a Technical Trainer at various law firms and investment banks in New York City. She is a Certified Information Professional (CIP), an active member and former officer in the Professional Legal Trainers’ Group (PLTG) and a member of the Talent Council of the International Legal Technology Association (ILTA).
Jeanne Marie Boswell Director of Technology Training at Paul Hastings, LLP. For over 20 years, Jeanne Marie oversaw all aspects of the technology training function as a member of the Paul Hastings’ IT Department. Name a 21st century legal learning topic, and she and her team have probably flipped it, filmed it, webcast it, gamefied it or set it to music.
In 2018, the team joined forces with Talent Development to create a single, consolidated center of learning. While continuing to support the firm's technology initiatives, they also consult on and create learning content for all of the firm's departments. Jeanne Marie is a past-president of the New York Professional Legal Trainers Group, served on the ILTA User Support Steering Committee, and is an active member of ATD.
Carrie E. Kirby, Director of Education and Learning at Berdon LLP, is a Learning and Development professional with 10+ years of experience working in professional services environments. Carrie took an unconventional route into corporate education after working in music education and Human Resources for many years. An educator at heart, Carrie believes that establishing a culture of learning is necessary for businesses to remain competitive in this age of rapid growth and change, particularly those in the field of accounting. She has championed competency-based continuing education programs that incorporate blended learning principles and flipped learning methodology.
An experienced speaker and writer, Carrie co-presented, “Don’t Flip Out – It’s Only Blended Learning” at the International Legal Technology Association conference in 2015. In March 2017, she co-authored the winning submission of the Academy of Human Resource Development’s “Excellence in Scholarly Practice Award” entitled, “Flipping the Corporate Classroom: Challenging the Norm in Legal Technology Training”, and in August 2017, she was a finalist for the International Legal Technology Association Technology Support Professional of the Year. Carrie served on the board of the Legal Technology Core Competency Certification Coalition (LTC4) and was instrumental in establishing a global certification process for the organization. In 2018, she was named one of the Top 10 Corporate Educators Leading Flipped Learning by the Flipped Learning Global Network. In 2019, she and Berdon were featured in the Accounting Today article, “Practice Profile: Escaping everyday education” in which their creative approach to Financings and Restructurings resulted in an in-house “Escape the Room” competition for Audit Seniors.
Jeff Casper, Founder of New Vista Consulting. From “temping" in the ‘80s and contract training with Perfect Access in the ‘90s, to a long stint at Kirkland & Ellis’ NY office in the 2000’s, Jeff has over 20 years' experience leading IT change in major NY law firms and investment banks, and has been involved in all aspects of learning. Jeff specializes in a creative & collaborative approach to information sharing and change management, helping organizations develop solutions that leave them stronger, more capable, and more connected. With his theatrical background (he received his BFA in Drama from NYU), technical acumen, and well-honed interpersonal skills, Jeff enjoys creating experiential workshops that introduce participants to new ways of meeting, designing, and leading change.
