LVNx 2025 Session Highlight: "From Behind the Scenes to the Center Stage: Elevating Your Impact and Proving Your Value in the Legal Industry"

Written by: Elizabeth Elmendorf, LVN Education Committee Co-Chair

This session spotlighted the evolving role of legal business professionals and how they can shift from being perceived as “support staff” to recognized strategic leaders within their firms. Panelists emphasized that while these professionals are often the drivers of innovation and operational excellence, they frequently lack the visibility or recognition their contributions warrant. The discussion provided a mix of inspiration and practical strategies for reframing their value, building influence, and positioning themselves as indispensable to the firm’s long-term success.

A central theme was the importance of visibility and communication. Attendees were encouraged to always have prepared talking points about their current initiatives so they can quickly and confidently articulate their impact when opportunities arise. This preparation helps ensure that leadership and colleagues understand not just what is being done, but why it matters for the firm’s goals. Similarly, the panel stressed the power of storytelling—crafting concise, engaging narratives where attorneys are positioned as heroes and the business professional’s work is framed as the catalyst for success. These stories, delivered in five-minute “sound bites,” are more likely to resonate with leadership than raw data alone.

The panel also discussed the value of advocates and allies. Building a network of internal champions helps amplify contributions and ensures the right people are speaking on your behalf in leadership settings. In addition to cultivating advocates, professionals were urged to “work with the willing”—prioritize relationships with attorneys and colleagues open to innovation rather than wasting energy on entrenched skeptics. Over time, small wins with the willing can snowball into broader cultural change.

Confidence was another key theme. Panelists encouraged attendees to shed any hesitancy about claiming space at the decision-making table. Rather than apologizing for their perspective, legal business professionals should lean into their expertise and recognize that their insights are vital to firm growth. Confidence is not about arrogance but about showing leadership that you understand your value and are ready to contribute strategically.

Finally, the session underscored the need to be both a student of the industry and a student of your firm. Staying connected to the broader legal ecosystem through professional organizations and events (such as LVN) ensures professionals remain informed and inspired by best practices. Within the firm, paying close attention to leadership messages—such as those shared in town halls—helps professionals align their initiatives with top-level priorities, further demonstrating their strategic relevance.

Together, these insights equip legal business professionals with actionable strategies: measuring and communicating ROI/ROE, increasing their visibility, and reframing themselves as strategic contributors driving transformation in the legal industry. The session’s takeaway was clear: recognition and leadership are earned not just through hard work, but through intentional visibility, confident storytelling, and the cultivation of advocates who help position business professionals as vital forces shaping the future of legal services.

LVNx 2025 Session Speakers:

• Jessica Goldberg, Director of Product and Business Development at INform54

• Irene Ivanova, Associate Director of Legal Project Management at Americas Baker McKenzie

• Heather McCullough, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer at Society 54, LLC 

• Cynthia Voth, Chief Client Officer at Miller Nash LLP 

• Christian Zust, Director of Pricing and Practice Economics at Quarles & Brady