Forget Perfection: Why Curiosity and Culture Drive Legal Data Success

What happens when data, clients, and people finally connect?

In this episode, Rachel Shields Williams, Director of Client Intelligence at Sidley Austin LLP and incoming president of the Legal Marketing Association, shares how a lifelong instinct to “just help people” evolved into one of the most forward-thinking data roles in big law.

Rachel explains why chasing perfection kills progress, what law firms can learn from a family-run business, and how to balance short-term data wins with long-term strategic value. Plus: the critical importance of soft skills in innovation, the value of failure, and why today’s legal marketers need to become fluent in data or risk being left behind.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(01:36) Rachel's career journey

(04:07) The origin of Rachel’s service mindset

(06:23) The role of data in law firms

(14:42) The importance of failing and learning

(20:11) Hiring for traits over titles

(26:13) The future of data analytics and AI

(30:10) Practical data wisdom for law firms

Connect with our guest:

• Rachel Shields Williams on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelshieldswilliams/ 
• Learn more about Sidley Austin LLP:  https://www.sidley.com/ 

Connect with Tom:

• Tom Baldwin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tombaldwin/ 
• Learn more about Entegrata: https://www.entegrata.com