Key Takeaways
- Legal ops can free General Counsel from administrative and operational tasks, empowering them to focus on high-impact strategic priorities.
- Clear communication enables General Counsel and legal ops to work together more effectively.
- A legal ops professional can pay for themselves many times over.
Introduction
Paragon Legal’s Legal Operations Manager, Yesenia Santiago, recently discussed the synergy between General Counsel and Legal Operations with Eric D. Greenberg and Letitia Haynes-Frasier. Eric serves as Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary for Cox Media Group (CMG), and Letitia is the Manager of Legal Operations & Employment Practices at the same organization.
The discussion centered on how General Counsel and Legal Operations can work together to advance the work of the legal department. Although these roles sometimes operate fairly independently, by working together, they can accomplish much greater things.
Meeting of Minds: First Impressions and Initial Collaboration
Letitia’s Approach
Letitia and Eric have worked together for around three years. Letitia was at CMG prior to Eric’s arrival, and she prepared a variety of materials showing important metrics and data at the company.
She quickly discovered, however, that Eric was not the sort of General Counsel who gave orders for his Legal Ops Manager to follow. Instead, he was looking for a much more collaborative relationship. Letitia’s neatly-ordered, data-driven, hierarchical approach was unlikely to resonate with Eric.
Eric’s Strategy
Eric quickly recognized that his weaknesses were Letitia’s strengths, and encouraged strengths-based interactions with her. He understood that while he had the legal knowledge, Letitia knew the inner workings of the legal department. By trusting her insight, he was able to get up to speed much faster.
Key Projects and Collaborative Successes
Developing Outside Counsel Guidelines
Letitia and Eric first worked together on creating Outside Counsel Guidelines for CMG. Up to that point, they had been relying on guidelines created for a previous iteration of the company.
The project required a lot of give and take between Eric and Letitia. At first, she took a very structured approach, but Eric encouraged her to consider the importance of relationship building. Eric says, “That project really illustrated our different perspectives. Letitia’s pragmatic approach combined with my desire for a collaborative relationship with outside counsel resulted in a balanced document.”
Overhauling the Contract Management System
The next project involved moving contracts from procurement to legal. This was not a simple task; it required creative solutions. While Eric was unsure about taking on the project, Letitia’s vision never wavered, and she provided the structure necessary to implement a change of this magnitude. Ultimately, the project resulted in increased efficiency, as well as strengthening Eric and Letitia’s working relationship.
Daily Workflow and Communication Dynamics
Interaction Patterns
After three years, Eric and Letitia have established a communication pattern that includes planned weekly meetings with a lot of day-to-day communication. Letitia says “he can just send me an email with one sentence and I know instinctively what he wants, what he needs and how it needs to be carried out.” Eric calls their relationship a partnership, where both can serve as sounding boards for the other.
Problem-Solving and Efficiency
This partnership leans on their individual strengths, with Eric sharing his overarching vision and Letitia filling in the blanks to bring the idea to life. This back and forth between them allows each to do what they’re best at, driving departmental efficiency while leaning into the creativity that leads to innovation.
Elevating Legal Ops within the Organization
Building Visibility
Eric was surprised when Letitia initially mentioned that she was held in higher regard in the company because of his emphasis on legal ops. He realized that the collaborative relationship between the two of them was not the norm in legal departments. Eric champions the legal ops team within his department because he sees the relationship between the GC and legal ops as “foundational.”
Collaboration as an Engine of Innovation
Resources are not unlimited, and legal departments are constantly being pushed to handle more and more. In order to keep from falling behind, it’s valuable to investigate new areas that can improve efficiency and lower costs. However, this sort of exploration can often get lost in the day-to-day of running a legal department.
Eric leverages Letitia to help in this area. He will identify an emerging concept or technology that could be useful and mention it to Letitia. She then investigates and determines if and how it could work in their department, along with the next steps to take. Eric then has substantially more information to determine whether (and how) to implement that idea.
Achievements and Challenges
Success Stories
In their three years working together, Letitia and Eric have accomplished the following:
- Created comprehensive guidelines for working with outside counsel.
- Implemented a new document management system, which improved document handling and correspondence management.
- Transferred contract management responsibilities from finance to legal, leading to cost savings and better operational efficiency.
- Negotiated better rates and volume discounts with outside counsel.
- Improved in-house efficiencies by implementing weekly meetings where the GC and the Legal Ops Manager could discuss efficiency opportunities.
Challenges and Solutions
There have also been some challenges, including:
- Initial misunderstandings of roles and expectations. It took Eric and Letitia some time to learn how to best communicate with one another and lean into each other’s strengths.
- Navigating budget constraints. Letitia negotiates better rates with outside counsel, and she and Eric work together to determine ways to control costs.
- Internal team buy-in for new tools and processes. Departmental change is always difficult for some employees. However, Eric’s faith in Letitia and her abilities paved the way for other team members to respect her ideas, leading to smoother implementation.
Q&A Highlights
Reducing Legal Spend
Question: What is the biggest step you’ve taken to reduce legal spend?
Letitia responds that the biggest step has been negotiating discounts with outside firms, including volume discounts. Internal law firm evaluations have provided insight into the different types of cases individual law firms handle, allowing Letitia to consolidate who they’re working with. This, in turn, makes them more attractive to top-quality outside firms, who might not want to take on a small one-time project but might be interested in more ongoing work.
Adding Headcount for Legal Ops
Question: What would be your biggest selling point in seeking headcount to add a legal ops professional to a legal team?
Eric says “it pays for itself multiple times over, period.” He mentioned that lawyers often do not like negotiating rates with outside counsel, and Letitia can often handle that for those in the CBG legal department. It’s easier to get buy-in if the attorneys on staff understand exactly how a legal ops professional can support them.
Conclusion
It’s clear from listening to Eric and Letitia that their collaboration has truly created something that’s bigger than the sum of its parts. Their interaction with one another simplifies Eric’s role as General Counsel both through having a brainstorming partner and by clearing away a lot of the day-to-day duties that distract from legal work.
For those looking to emulate this successful collaboration, finding the right legal expertise is crucial. Paragon Legal specializes in providing experienced attorneys who can seamlessly integrate into your legal team, offering the flexibility and specialized knowledge needed to drive significant improvements.
Whether you require support for specific projects or ongoing legal assistance, Paragon’s attorneys can help. Contact Paragon Legal today to learn how we can elevate your legal operations to new heights.
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Resource Management Best Practices for In-House Legal Teams: Navigating When to Leverage FTE, Outside Counsel, or Flexible Talent for Optimal Results Webinar
/in Webinars alternative legal service provider, in-house-connect, trista-engel/by competenowWatch our webinar on-demand for an exclusive discussion with top legal leaders on how to strategically allocate legal work across full-time employees (FTEs), outside counsel, and flexible legal talent for maximum efficiency and cost-effectiveness. In this engaging session, we explore real-world examples of how legal teams make resourcing decisions, optimize budgets, and leverage flexible talent to enhance their capabilities.
Don’t have time to watch the recording? Read the article recap here >
This session offers a behind-the-scenes look at how legal executives manage their biggest spend buckets—balancing in-house resources with external support to drive efficiency without overextending their teams. You’ll learn about:
Access the presentation materials here >
Meet the Speakers
Karen Gally
Vice President & General Counsel, Otsuka
Karen leads Otsuka’s legal department with a focus on strategic risk management and operational efficiency.
Dylan Ramsey
Chief Legal Officer, iFIT
Dylan oversees all legal functions at iFIT, driving innovation in legal operations and corporate governance.
Trista Engel
CEO, Paragon Legal
As CEO of Paragon Legal, Trista brings expertise in flexible legal talent solutions, helping companies optimize their legal teams.
Moderator: Tracy Scanlan
VP of Client Development & Legal Affairs, Paragon Legal
Tracy works closely with legal teams to develop tailored resourcing strategies that maximize efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Reflecting on 2024: A Message From Our CEO
/in Articles alternative legal service provider, reflection, ceo/by competenow2024 was one for the record books. It was both one of the most challenging and one of the most rewarding years in my tenure at Paragon—and perhaps in Paragon’s history.
As I reflect on the past year, I can confidently say I haven’t been this excited or optimistic about what lies ahead in a long time. Let me share why.
The legal industry doesn’t stand still, and neither do we. At Paragon, our goal has always been clear: to meet you where you are, providing the talent, insights, and solutions your in-house legal team needs to succeed.
This past year reinforced what we’ve long believed: the right legal talent, deployed at the right time, can make all the difference in helping in-house teams thrive.
And if you stand by your purpose, have a laser focus, and stay true to your values – you too will thrive.
That’s what we did. Guided by our 2024 focus to harness the drive to win, champion change and adaptability, and focus on being the best in the business, here’s what we’ve accomplished and where we’re headed.
Harnessing the Drive to Win
2024 was a year of meaningful wins, powered by our relentless drive to exceed expectations:
Championing Change and Adaptability
The legal industry is in a unique and ongoing moment of change. This year, we leaned into adaptability to ensure we stayed ahead of your evolving needs:
Focusing on Being the Best in the Business
2024 was a year of excellence at Paragon:
Looking Ahead
As we move into 2025, the legal landscape remains dynamic and full of opportunity. Here is what we see on the horizon:
At Paragon, our mission remains steadfast: to make in-house legal practice more flexible, more efficient, and more rewarding.
Thank you for trusting us to be your partner in 2024. We’re excited to continue helping your team thrive in the year ahead. And thanks to our attorneys, legal professionals, and internal team members—the heartbeat of Paragon—who make what we do possible.
Cheers!
Trista Engel
CEO, Paragon Legal
Trails and Blazers Podcast: Rethinking Your Legal Career with Shannon Murphy
/in careers/by competenowIn this episode of the Trails and Blazers podcast, Jeremiah Kincannon interviews Shannon Murphy from Paragon Legal. They discuss Shannon’s journey in the legal field, the evolution of contract work, effective resume-writing strategies, and the differences between contract and permanent roles. Shannon shares insights on job titles, the importance of metrics in resumes, and debunks common misconceptions about contract work. The conversation emphasizes the need for creativity in hiring and concludes with valuable resources for legal professionals.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3LQpnTnjt64fYjj4U8Xbis?si=1Y0bR088SPyK2T5uYslWaA
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rethinking-your-legal-career-with-shannon-murphy/id1788230062?i=1000682352810
Insights from General Counsel Institute 2024
/in Articles General Counsel Institute, GCI2024/by Kristen PoorThe National Association of Women Lawyers (“NAWL”), a non-partisan organization founded 125 years ago by women lawyers who advocated for democracy, held its annual 2024 General Counsel Institute (“GCI”) the day after the 2024 presidential election on November 6-8 at the Conrad Hotel in downtown New York City.
NAWL is committed to providing programming that aligns with its mission and addresses important, current, and challenging issues. Rather than shy away from topics that intersect with political themes, NAWL works to foster meaningful discussions and solutions in the legal community.
GCI is a multi-day program of networking, education, and inspiration designed for senior in-house women counsel. With in-house counsel comprising over 70% of the approximately 300-person audience, GCI creates a unique and relatively intimate conference environment to connect with other counsel, share the highs and lows of in-house life, and build legal and leadership skills.
What I looked forward to…
Like many of the other attendees, I looked forward to connecting with peers, processing the election results and learning from leading legal experts and thought leaders on how they would predict the impact of the election and trends on our jobs and the world at large in 2025 and beyond.
A special bonus was that Paragon CEO Trista Engel hosted a Paragon pre-conference happy hour nearby that gave current and future Paragon clients, attorneys and staff a chance to meet and catch up.
Attendees often lament not having long enough time to network, but we made the best of it over lunches and during the special evening outing to see the Broadway musical “Suffs” (highlighting the historic fight by U.S. suffragists for women to win the right to vote) as well as during the closing day cocktail hour.
What I learned…
Throughout GCI, the keynote fireside conversations were meaty, substantive and inspiring. Each highlighted current or former General Counsels/CLOs, Senior Counsels and law firm partners. The plenaries ran the gamut of emphasizing the importance of building your professional brand, developing an innovative pro bono program to support journalists, handling crises effectively, and proactively preparing for the future. The workshops offerings were wide ranging and led by leaders of brand name companies and law firms who addressed many top of mind topics such as: DEI, AI, Right sourcing, Debt Instruments, ESG, Personal Branding and Reproductive Rights.
Of particular interest was the theme that there are some post-election uncertainties especially globally due to the change of leadership, sanctions, tariffs and how to communicate values. Due to an increased politicization of regulations and differing views in the public and amongst employees about social issues, panelists shared an evolving direction of needing to be more careful about public statements.
The opening plenary featured the dynamic April Miller Boise, Chief Legal Officer of Intel. Among many illuminating perspectives, she emphasized the importance of preparing not only our women leaders but also our organizations for women leaders.
Our very own CEO, Trista Engel, VP, Shannon Murphy and BDM, Angela Ventro hosted a workshop on “Full Time Hire vs Outside Counsel vs Flex Talent: How to Rightsource your Legal Team for Success.” It was a well-attended and well received workshop with attendees commenting that they really enjoyed the roundtable style that facilitated peer to peer engagement and the opportunity to learn more about sourcing options. In that session, GCs shared how they’ve leveraged flex talent to access specialized expertise, the challenge of managing law firm lawyers doing in-house work, and used tools like playbooks and time audits to effectively manage in-house and flex talent teams.
The final mainstage keynote conversation was “Perspectives on Leadership from the General Counsel’s Office” featuring the very candid, accomplished and inspirational Michele Coleman Mayes. Michele held many high-level groundbreaking roles and most recently was the GC of the NY Public Library. The takeaways were to become experts in our fields, prioritize connecting with others, and to always complete the job at hand.
Closing Memorable Advice…
It was heartening and inspirational to hear panelists encourage attendees to:
They emphasized the importance of connecting with and providing constructive feedback to other women that would enable their continued growth and success. The more that everyone sees women in leadership roles, the more likely it will be the norm.
In her closing, Michele Coleman Mayes quoted Roxane Gay:
“I am not trying to be perfect. I am not trying to say I have all the answers. I am not trying to say I’m right. I am just trying—trying to support what I believe in, trying to do some good in this world, trying to make some noise with my writing while also being myself.”
The next GCI will be held at the Intercontinental Hotel in New York on October 15-17, 2025. I hope to see you there.
Shifting Gears: How a Biotech Company Crafted a Privacy Program In-House
/in Case Studies privacy, biotech, privacy program/by competenowClient’s Business Challenge
Fortune 500 Biotech company needed to retain Sr. Privacy counsel to help build their privacy program from the ground up. After initially hiring outside counsel for this project, the client had to pivot quickly to bring in high-caliber flexible talent who could be embedded, get to know their business, and not just help build a privacy program, but also provide ongoing advice on both US and European privacy compliance matters. The right talent needed to be on the inside to manage the process, support data mapping, talk to internal stakeholders, and be cost-effective.
Paragon Solution
After carefully listening to the client’s needs and understanding both their short-term and long-term needs with their global privacy program, Paragon produced an exceptional, well-rounded, business-focused privacy leader with over ten years of experience creating, executing, and continuously improving privacy compliance policies, processes, and culture from the ground up. Someone skilled at providing concise and understandable legal advice to multiple departments and a proven relationship builder.
After the initial six months of having the Paragon Privacy Leader assist the client in strategically developing their overall global privacy program, the talent had the ability and versatility to roll up his sleeve and help the client with other parts of their transactional privacy program. Among other things, Paragon Talent helped review and update policies and helped with their GDPR compliance work in the UK. After the initial phase of the project was completed, the client was then able to retain the Paragon resource on an ad hoc basis to maintain the program. The flexibility of transitioning their Paragon engagement from full-time support to an ad hoc basis allowed them to seamlessly maintain their program, hold on to a vital resource that had developed necessary institutional knowledge, and work within their budget.
Benefit & Savings for the client
Despite the education (top 10 law school graduates) and executive-level business and legal in-house experience of the Paragon talent provided, the client secured the altitude of talent needed for only $275 per hour. This is a striking value proposition as the comparable law firm partner rate of $700 to $900 per hour, leading to net savings of approximately $340,000.00. Moreover, because Paragon’s roster of legal professionals is very well-rounded and willing and accustomed to switching gears and diving into the weeds as needed, the client is more able to address a multitude of needs with one resource. Finally, Paragon’s flexible business model allows clients to flex up or down in utilization.
When GCs and Legal Ops Join Forces, Everyone Wins
/in Articles in-house coun, general counsel, legal operations/by Kristen PoorKey Takeaways
Introduction
Paragon Legal’s Legal Operations Manager, Yesenia Santiago, recently discussed the synergy between General Counsel and Legal Operations with Eric D. Greenberg and Letitia Haynes-Frasier. Eric serves as Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary for Cox Media Group (CMG), and Letitia is the Manager of Legal Operations & Employment Practices at the same organization.
The discussion centered on how General Counsel and Legal Operations can work together to advance the work of the legal department. Although these roles sometimes operate fairly independently, by working together, they can accomplish much greater things.
Meeting of Minds: First Impressions and Initial Collaboration
Letitia’s Approach
Letitia and Eric have worked together for around three years. Letitia was at CMG prior to Eric’s arrival, and she prepared a variety of materials showing important metrics and data at the company.
She quickly discovered, however, that Eric was not the sort of General Counsel who gave orders for his Legal Ops Manager to follow. Instead, he was looking for a much more collaborative relationship. Letitia’s neatly-ordered, data-driven, hierarchical approach was unlikely to resonate with Eric.
Eric’s Strategy
Eric quickly recognized that his weaknesses were Letitia’s strengths, and encouraged strengths-based interactions with her. He understood that while he had the legal knowledge, Letitia knew the inner workings of the legal department. By trusting her insight, he was able to get up to speed much faster.
Key Projects and Collaborative Successes
Developing Outside Counsel Guidelines
Letitia and Eric first worked together on creating Outside Counsel Guidelines for CMG. Up to that point, they had been relying on guidelines created for a previous iteration of the company.
The project required a lot of give and take between Eric and Letitia. At first, she took a very structured approach, but Eric encouraged her to consider the importance of relationship building. Eric says, “That project really illustrated our different perspectives. Letitia’s pragmatic approach combined with my desire for a collaborative relationship with outside counsel resulted in a balanced document.”
Overhauling the Contract Management System
The next project involved moving contracts from procurement to legal. This was not a simple task; it required creative solutions. While Eric was unsure about taking on the project, Letitia’s vision never wavered, and she provided the structure necessary to implement a change of this magnitude. Ultimately, the project resulted in increased efficiency, as well as strengthening Eric and Letitia’s working relationship.
Daily Workflow and Communication Dynamics
Interaction Patterns
After three years, Eric and Letitia have established a communication pattern that includes planned weekly meetings with a lot of day-to-day communication. Letitia says “he can just send me an email with one sentence and I know instinctively what he wants, what he needs and how it needs to be carried out.” Eric calls their relationship a partnership, where both can serve as sounding boards for the other.
Problem-Solving and Efficiency
This partnership leans on their individual strengths, with Eric sharing his overarching vision and Letitia filling in the blanks to bring the idea to life. This back and forth between them allows each to do what they’re best at, driving departmental efficiency while leaning into the creativity that leads to innovation.
Elevating Legal Ops within the Organization
Building Visibility
Eric was surprised when Letitia initially mentioned that she was held in higher regard in the company because of his emphasis on legal ops. He realized that the collaborative relationship between the two of them was not the norm in legal departments. Eric champions the legal ops team within his department because he sees the relationship between the GC and legal ops as “foundational.”
Collaboration as an Engine of Innovation
Resources are not unlimited, and legal departments are constantly being pushed to handle more and more. In order to keep from falling behind, it’s valuable to investigate new areas that can improve efficiency and lower costs. However, this sort of exploration can often get lost in the day-to-day of running a legal department.
Eric leverages Letitia to help in this area. He will identify an emerging concept or technology that could be useful and mention it to Letitia. She then investigates and determines if and how it could work in their department, along with the next steps to take. Eric then has substantially more information to determine whether (and how) to implement that idea.
Achievements and Challenges
Success Stories
In their three years working together, Letitia and Eric have accomplished the following:
Challenges and Solutions
There have also been some challenges, including:
Q&A Highlights
Reducing Legal Spend
Question: What is the biggest step you’ve taken to reduce legal spend?
Letitia responds that the biggest step has been negotiating discounts with outside firms, including volume discounts. Internal law firm evaluations have provided insight into the different types of cases individual law firms handle, allowing Letitia to consolidate who they’re working with. This, in turn, makes them more attractive to top-quality outside firms, who might not want to take on a small one-time project but might be interested in more ongoing work.
Adding Headcount for Legal Ops
Question: What would be your biggest selling point in seeking headcount to add a legal ops professional to a legal team?
Eric says “it pays for itself multiple times over, period.” He mentioned that lawyers often do not like negotiating rates with outside counsel, and Letitia can often handle that for those in the CBG legal department. It’s easier to get buy-in if the attorneys on staff understand exactly how a legal ops professional can support them.
Conclusion
It’s clear from listening to Eric and Letitia that their collaboration has truly created something that’s bigger than the sum of its parts. Their interaction with one another simplifies Eric’s role as General Counsel both through having a brainstorming partner and by clearing away a lot of the day-to-day duties that distract from legal work.
For those looking to emulate this successful collaboration, finding the right legal expertise is crucial. Paragon Legal specializes in providing experienced attorneys who can seamlessly integrate into your legal team, offering the flexibility and specialized knowledge needed to drive significant improvements.
Whether you require support for specific projects or ongoing legal assistance, Paragon’s attorneys can help. Contact Paragon Legal today to learn how we can elevate your legal operations to new heights.
Empowering the Next Generation: Daphne Manilla’s Journey in Leading Paragon Legal’s Career Connect Program
/in Career Connect, Articles legal students, law students, in-house counsel, career connect/by competenowTracy Scanlan, Paragon’s VP of Client Development and Legal Affairs and co-creator of the Career Connect program, reflects: “When I graduated from law school in 2007, there was a strong push for graduates to pursue careers in big law firms. Despite some progress, the legal field still faces persistent challenges in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, especially for first-generation lawyers. My own non-traditional career path, including time in-house, showed me the need for programs that expose law students to in-house opportunities early on. This inspired the creation of Paragon’s Career Connect program, which we launched in partnership with my alma mater, UC Law SF, in 2020. Seeing this program grow, especially with my colleague Daphne Manilla at the helm, has been one of the highlights of my career.”
Leadership and Transition
What were your initial thoughts on taking over the Career Connect program?
Daphne shares: “This opportunity arrived at just the right time. I was eager to create something meaningful but uncertain about where to begin. My passion for recruiting and helping others meant that Career Connect was an ideal fit. Though I felt intimidated stepping into a leadership role, my team’s incredible support made the journey rewarding and impactful.”
How did you approach leading a new program?
Daphne notes, “Building Career Connect from the ground up was exciting because it offered endless growth opportunities. Paragon’s established model made it easy to see how Career Connect could provide valuable in-house experience for students, aligning with Paragon’s mission to support diversity and equity in the legal industry.”
What key leadership strategies have been effective in this role?
“Career Connect has been a team-driven success. My role has been to organize and tap into everyone’s strengths to keep the program moving forward. Each team member’s passion helped bring this vision to life,” she explains.
Learning and Adaptation
Given your non-attorney background, how did you navigate the law school experience and students’ needs?
“As a recruiter without a legal background, I initially felt unsure about how to connect with law students. But I leaned on my skills in understanding people and building relationships. The ability to connect with candidates, learn about their motivations and concerns, and guide them toward a great fit has proven invaluable,” Daphne shares.
How did you adapt to the unique needs of students compared to attorneys?
Daphne highlights, “With law students, I often delve into their academic and practical experiences to help them communicate their strengths. These students may not have in-house experience, so we focus on uncovering their unique talents and aligning them with client needs.”
Building the Program
What have been crucial steps in developing and refining Career Connect?
“Getting feedback from our clients and participants has been crucial in ensuring that we’re giving both constituents what they need and want from the program. It’s been helpful to know what clients have found particularly successful so we can help guide and advise the candidates as well as our other clients.”
How have you ensured that Career Connect stays innovative and competitive?
“Career Connect is unique in offering in-house legal experience right out of law school,” Daphne notes. “Thanks to Paragon’s reputation and partnerships with top clients, we can provide this invaluable opportunity to new law graduates. We are constantly exploring growth opportunities with new client partners and law schools to make sure the opportunities we’re offering to both the students and clients are exciting!”
What role has collaboration played in the program’s success?
“Collaboration has been vital! Each team—Client Development, Business Development, recruiting, and marketing—brings unique strengths to the program, ensuring its continuous growth and success,” Daphne emphasizes. “In addition, we get so much great feedback from our clients, which we’ve been able to leverage to refine our recruitment process.”
Successes and Challenges
What are some key successes the program has achieved?
“We’re thrilled that two Career Connect participants transitioned into full-time roles post-program,” Daphne shares. “This outcome, while not guaranteed, highlights the value and impact of the program.”
What challenges have you faced, and how did you handle them?
Daphne acknowledges, “In the current market, securing client participation can be challenging. But by partnering with clients who share our vision, we’ve maintained strong relationships and sustained program success.”
Can you recall a particularly rewarding placement?
“Each placement has been inspiring. Seeing law students who resonate with Paragon’s mission and bring fresh perspectives to in-house roles is incredibly rewarding,” says Daphne.
Looking Ahead
What are your future goals for Career Connect?
“We’re focused on achieving consistent client participation each year and hope to offer diverse industry placements for students. Our vision is to maintain this annual opportunity for 3L students,” Daphne explains.
What advice would you give to someone stepping into a similar role?
Daphne encourages, “Lean on your team’s strengths. Building something meaningful requires collaboration.”
What motivates you in your role?
Daphne concludes, “I’m deeply motivated by the opportunity to support new law grads who are passionate about diversity. Each interview reveals these students’ dedication and vision to our profession.”
Daphne’s leadership of Career Connect exemplifies Paragon’s dedication to nurturing new legal talent and fostering an inclusive profession. For more information about the program and how to get involved, reach out to Paragon Legal today.
In Celebration: International Day for Tolerance
/in In Celebration diversity/by Kristen PoorEstablished in 1995 by the UN General Assembly, the International Day for Tolerance on November 16 is a time to reflect on the power of diversity and the importance of fostering respect across cultures. This global observance, championed by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), invites us to confront intolerance, celebrate differences, and promote harmony in a world that grows increasingly interconnected.
UNESCO encourages simple yet impactful actions:
To explore resources and activities, visit the official UNESCO website, which offers curated reading material and ideas for personal and community engagement.
For families and educators, toleranceday.org provides practical tools like presentations and interactive activities. This year’s focus is on listening—from becoming “Truth Detectives” to mastering conflict resolution, these resources inspire youth of all ages to embrace empathy and collaboration.
Parents looking to involve children can turn to Twinkl for age-appropriate activities and conversation guides, turning this observance into a meaningful family tradition.
For more insights, historical context, and celebration ideas, check out:
Let’s take this opportunity to build bridges, celebrate differences, and create a culture of tolerance together.
The New Dynamic Duo: When GCs and Legal Ops Join Forces, Everyone Wins! Webinar
/in Webinars legal operations, gcs, inhouse counsel/by competenowWatch our webinar on-demand for an exclusive, insightful discussion with top legal and legal ops leaders from Cox Media Group on how General Counsel and Legal Operations can transform legal departments through collaboration. In this engaging session, we explore real-world examples of collaboration between GCs and legal operations, actionable tools and strategies to enhance team efficiency and project management, and insights into transformational leadership that fosters strong communication and business-savvy operations.
This session offers a behind-the-scenes look at how Eric and Letitia, representing legal counsel and legal operations, joined forces at Cox Media Group. The result? A more efficient, successful legal department. You’ll learn:
*GC and Legal Ops Synergy: How Eric and Letitia built a dynamic partnership that transformed their department.
*Overcoming Challenges: Learn the tools and strategies they used to streamline processes and overcome roadblocks.
*The Path to Success: Discover how their shared vision improved communication, alignment, and outcomes.
*Interactive Q&A: Engage with our speakers to get your pressing questions answered in real time.
Meet the Speakers:
Eric D. Greenberg
Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, Cox Media Group
Eric brings decades of experience in media and legal leadership. Since joining Cox Media Group in 2021, Eric has shaped legal operations through strategic vision and collaborative relationships.
Letitia Haynes-Frasier
Manager, Legal Operations & Employment Practices, Cox Media Group
With a career spanning legal ops and finance, Letitia has been a driving force behind operational excellence at Cox Media Group, leading innovations in efficiency and compliance.
Yesenia Santiago
Legal Operations Manager, Paragon Legal, C-Suite Strategic Advisor, Former VP Global Legal Operations
Paragon Legal Celebrates Third Year of Career Connect Program with Continued Success
/in Career Connect, News law students, inclusion, career connect, diversity, flexible legal talent/by competenowParagon Legal is excited to announce the continuation of its groundbreaking Career Connect Program, now entering its third year. We are proud to continue our collaboration with Santa Clara University School of Law and William & Mary Law School, alongside leading industry partners, to provide recent law graduates with invaluable in-house legal experience as they embark on their legal career path.
Expanding Partnerships and Continuing Excellence
The Career Connect Program, which began in 2022 with UC Law San Francisco, has grown into a nationwide initiative. This year, we are excited to have repeat participation from Santa Clara University School of Law and William & Mary Law School, as well as continued support from esteemed corporate partners.
Paragon’s Commitment to DEIB
“Paragon remains proud of our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the legal community,” said Trista Engel, CEO of Paragon Legal. “Our Career Connect Program exemplifies this commitment by offering unique access and opportunities to both highly deserving law graduates and values-aligned companies.”
Participant Experiences and Program Impact
One law school participant Maryam Quasto shared, “The Paragon Career Connect program provided me with the unique opportunity to take a hands-on approach to learning the legal profession, ultimately leading to a full-time position at Dropbox.”
Another participant Famy Chavosh noted, “The Paragon Career Connect program transformed my uncertainty into excitement, providing unparalleled support and setting me up for long-term success in my dream role at Affirm.”
Looking to the Future
As we embark on the third year of the Career Connect Program, Paragon Legal remains dedicated to bridging the gap between academia and industry. Our innovative on-demand in-house counsel model continues to provide legal professionals with meaningful, impactful work while supporting our clients with flexible, cost-effective talent solutions.
Tracy Scanlan, VP of Client Development and Legal Affairs at Paragon Legal, expressed her enthusiasm for the program’s future: “We are excited to see the continued success and growth of our Career Connect Program. Our goal is to keep expanding its reach and impact, fostering an environment where diverse talent can thrive and make a lasting difference in the legal field.”