Drozd
(Courtesy
photo)
Leading
a
law
firm
during
a
time
of
rapid
technological
change
and
heightened
political
and
cultural
tension
requires
balancing
innovation
with
stability,
and
progress
with
principle.
Managing
partners
must
modernize
their
firms
while
at
the
same
time
navigating
a
polarized
social
climate
that
affects
clients,
employees,
and
the
public
at
large.
Decisions
are
no
longer
just
about
business
strategy,
but
about
values,
ethics,
and
maintaining
trust
in
an
era
where
missteps
can
quickly
become
headlines.
How
can
a
managing
partner
balance
the
demand
for
innovation
with
the
need
to
preserve
traditional
legal
values?
How
can
a
managing
partner
guide
their
firm’s
public
stance
on
social
issues
to
maintain
morale
and
a
sense
of
purpose
among
attorneys
and
staff?
Who
better
to
ask
than
the
leader
of
a
prominent
law
firm?
I
recently
had
the
pleasure
of
chatting
with
Jaime
Drozd,
managing
partner
of
Davis
Wright
Tremaine,
to
get
her
thoughts
on
the
matter.
Just
last
year,
Drozd
was
unanimously
chosen
to
serve
as
the
first
woman
to
ever
lead
the
firm.
With
her
guidance,
the
firm
has
not
only
remained
on
the
cutting
edge
of
AI
adoption,
but
has
also
continued
to
champion
diversity
and
progressive
values.
Here
is
a
(lightly
edited
and
condensed)
write-up
of
our
lively
conversation
on
law
firm
leadership
during
a
time
marked
by
transformative
technological
shifts
and
societal
flux.
Staci
Zaretsky
(SZ):
As
co-founder
of
the
Women’s
Affinity
Group
and
now
the
firm’s
first
female
managing
partner,
how
do
you
continue
to
foster
a
culture
of
inclusion
and
provide
leadership
development
for
women
and
underrepresented
attorneys
—
especially
at
a
time
when
DEI
is
facing
external
pushback?
Jaime
Drozd
(JD):
Davis
Wright
Tremaine
has
a
long
history
of
empowering
women
leaders.
Two
of
our
four
executive
committee
chairs
over
the
past
15
years
have
been
women,
as
are
many
of
our
practice
group
and
office
leaders.
I’m
proud
to
build
on
that
foundation
as
the
firm’s
first
female
managing
partner
and
proud
to
be
part
of
a
growing
community
of
women
leading
Am
Law
100
firms.
I
hope
that
others
who
might
not
have
seen
the
possibilities
for
themselves
—
especially
those
who’ve
felt
underrepresented
—
can
see
a
path
to
law
firm
leadership
in
their
future.
Although
diversity,
equity
and
inclusion
are
under
attack
today,
our
firm
remains
committed
to
the
culture
that
we
have
very
intentionally
established
here.
For
excellent
lawyers
who
want
to
build
successful
practices
serving
clients
on
our
platform,
we
have
created
an
atmosphere
of
openness,
acceptance,
and
support.
Our
culture
and
values
long
predate
the
term
“DEI,”
and
they
are
not
going
to
change.
We
will
continue
to
invest
in
developing
our
people,
which
includes
programs
focused
on
both
analytical
and
soft
skills
that
are
essential
for
successful
lawyers.
SZ:
You’ve
integrated
AI
into
the
firm’s
practice
through
De
Novo,
your
lean
technology
innovation
team,
at
a
pivotal
moment
for
legal
technology.
What
have
been
the
biggest
challenges
and
opportunities
in
integrating
new
technology
like
AI,
and
how
are
you
preparing
lawyers
to
use
it
responsibly?
JD:
We
launched
De
Novo
in
2014
to
combine
lean
management
principles
with
creative
thinking
about
technology,
and
it
has
positioned
us
well
for
this
moment
of
AI
transformation.
De
Novo
is
driving
innovation
on
two
different
fronts
—
building
proprietary
tools
that
solve
client
problems,
and
also
leading
changes
in
the
way
we
use
technology
at
DWT.
Within
the
firm,
we’ve
arrived
at
a
real
sweet
spot
in
which
we’re
introducing
homegrown
innovations
as
well
as
using
existing
technology
on
the
market
that
makes
sense
for
us.
The
biggest
area
of
challenge
and
opportunity
for
our
firm
(and
others)
may
be
one
and
the
same:
identifying
the
best
points
in
our
workflow
to
integrate
AI
in
service
of
our
clients.
We’re
approaching
that
in
part
through
formal
training,
which,
in
addition
to
teaching
our
lawyers
how
to
use
AI
responsibly,
addresses
client-facing
use
cases.
Equally
important
is
what
I
call
“disruptive
learning,”
where
we
encourage
peer-to-peer
sharing
and
real-time
experimentation.
Some
of
our
most
valuable
progress
has
come
from
tapping
the
experience
of
attorney
leaders
and
power-users
of
AI
to
discover
and
drive
the
adoption
of
valuable
uses
of
AI.
I’m
especially
excited
about
AI’s
potential
to
enrich
junior-lawyer
development.
For
too
long,
talented
young
lawyers
have
spent
their
early
years
on
repetitive
work.
AI
can
help
shift
that
model,
giving
junior
lawyers
earlier
exposure
to
higher-value,
judgment-based
tasks
—
a
win
for
both
clients
and
the
next
generation
of
legal
talent.
SZ:
With
so
many
forces
reshaping
the
legal
industry
—
regulatory,
geopolitical,
technological,
even
cultural
—
what’s
your
vision
for
steering
the
firm
forward
over
the
next
five
to
ten
years?
JD:
DWT
has
always
been
a
place
where
exceptional
lawyers
come
to
build
lasting
careers
—
and
where
clients
bring
their
most
complex,
high-value
matters.
We’re
doubling
down
on
six
key
industries
—
technology,
healthcare,
financial
services,
energy,
media
and
entertainment,
and
food
and
beverage
—
and
our
stronghold
in
the
Pacific
Northwest.
At
the
same
time,
we’re
expanding
along
the
Northeast–Mid-Atlantic
corridor
and
in
California
to
better
serve
clients
nationwide.
My
vision
builds
on
what
has
always
distinguished
us:
our
people
and
our
culture.
We’re
a
values-driven
firm
where
colleagues
bring
their
whole
selves
to
the
office
and
are
fully
committed
to
serving
our
clients’
needs.
We
attract
lawyers
and
business
professionals
who
strive
for
excellence,
who
are
collaborative,
and
who
have
an
entrepreneurial
spark.
Our
people
have
a
combination
of
open-mindedness
and
hustle,
both
of
which
keep
us
nimble
—
a
trait
that
is
essential
in
navigating
the
pervasive
uncertainty
in
the
industry.
Over
the
next
decade,
our
goal
is
to
stay
true
to
that
culture
while
continuing
to
evolve
to
meet
the
challenges
and
opportunities
of
the
changing
landscape.
As
we’ve
done
historically,
we
want
to
help
clients
thrive
in
times
of
change
and
create
an
environment
where
our
own
people
can
grow
and
do
their
best
work.
SZ:
Looking
ahead,
what
excites
you
most
about
the
future
of
the
firm
and
the
profession,
and
what
do
you
hope
your
legacy
will
be
as
managing
partner?
JD:
What
excites
me
is
the
pace
of
change
—
both
in
the
law
and
in
the
world
that
our
clients
are
navigating.
The
law
never
stands
still,
and
neither
can
we.
Both
the
challenge
and
the
privilege
of
this
profession
lie
in
anticipating
what’s
next
and
shaping
the
future,
as
opposed
to
reacting
to
it.
Technology
plays
a
big
role
in
that,
now
more
than
ever.
AI
and
other
innovations
are
transforming
not
just
how
we
work
but
how
lawyers
deliver
efficient,
valuable
service.
I’m
excited
by
the
potential
to
use
tools
in
a
way
that
strengthens
—
not
replaces
—
the
judgment,
creativity,
and
trust
that
define
great
lawyering.
As
for
my
legacy
at
DWT,
I
aim
to
leave
the
firm
stronger
in
every
dimension:
financially
resilient,
strategically
focused,
and
even
more
widely
recognized
for
our
excellence
and
integrity.
At
the
same
time,
I
want
this
to
remain
a
place
of
opportunity
—
a
firm
where
talented
people
can
see
a
future
for
themselves
and
build
fulfilling,
balanced
lives.
If
I
can
be
a
good
steward
of
that
culture
and
open
doors
for
the
next
generation,
then
I
will
have
succeeded.
On
behalf
of
everyone
here
at
Above
the
Law,
we’d
like
to
thank
Jaime
Drozd
of
Davis
Wright
Tremaine
for
taking
the
time
to
help
answer
some
pressing
questions
on
leading
a
law
firm
through
an
unprecedented
era
of
innovation
and
social
change.
Staci
Zaretsky is
the
managing
editor
of
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on Bluesky, X/Twitter,
and Threads, or
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn.