EP 12: Behind the First Legal Operations Documentary: Susan Packal's Journey

from Beacon Voices · host Beacon Voices

In this episode of Beacon Voices, Akshay Verma speaks with Susan Packal, Head of Global Legal Operations and Chief of Staff at Avalara, about the creation of a first-of-its-kind documentary on the history and evolution of legal operations.  Susan shares the inspiration behind the project, the three-year journey to bring it to life, and the stories of the pioneers who helped shape the profession. Together, they explore how the documentary came together, what it reveals about the growth of legal operations, and why preserving these stories matters for future generations of legal professionals.  The conversation also touches on the challenges of producing a film while leading global teams, the role of leadership and creativity in driving meaningful change, the importance of taking career risks, and how legal operations continues to evolve in the age of AI.  Topics: Introduction: Susan Packal on the Legal Operations Documentary: 00:00Susan’s winding career path into legal ops and watching the community evolve: 01:56Why Documentary Filmmaking Was the Perfect Medium: 04:56Capturing Authentic, Unscripted Stories from Legal Ops Leaders: 07:59The Origin Story: How the Documentary Idea Was Born: 10:02Taking Risks, Career Transitions, and Building Something New: 12:45The Risks Participants Took to Share Their Stories: 14:39Inside the Four-Part Legal Operations Documentary: 17:25Why Susan Hired a Documentary Coach and Filmmaking Team: 18:21The Biggest Challenges of Producing the Film While Leading Legal Ops Teams: 22:49The Creative Process Behind the Documentary: 27:51What the Film Means for the Future of Legal Operations and Legal Leadership: 30:19Final Reflections and Launching the Documentary to the Community: 32:49Connect with us: Susan Packal  -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanpackal/Akshay Verma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshay-verma-esq/SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftSpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jun 25, 2026

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EP 12: Behind the First Legal Operations Documentary: Susan Packal's Journey

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This episode was published on June 25, 2026.

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