Every Paralegal Needs The One-Step-Ahead Mindset ft. Christina Carter

September 24, 2026 Adrian Cea

Paralegals are the people attorneys rely on when deadlines are tight, documents are moving fast and the work needs to get done right. But they’re often treated as background support.

In this episode of Between the Briefs, Adrian Cea and Joe Stephens sit down with Christina Carter, Senior Manager of Firm-Wide Paralegal Management at Venable, for a practical conversation on paralegal leadership, legal operations, team culture, generational dynamics, AI adoption and what law firms often miss about the people who keep the work moving.

What You'll Learn:

Why paralegal management should be treated as strategic operations
How Christina supports 80+ professionals across practice groups and career stages
Why law firms need to recognize paralegal work before people burn out or leave
How proactive staffing helps prevent retention problems before they start
How onboarding should be shaped around the person, the practice group and the culture
Why AI should be used as an assistant, not treated as the leader of the work
How paralegals can use the “one step ahead” mindset to become indispensable
Why treating people like humans is still the best management principle out there

Strong legal teams are not built only around attorneys. They are built around the people who anticipate needs, hold the work together and make everyone else look better.

Want to watch this episode of Between the Briefs instead? Get the full video on YouTube.

About the Contributors

Adrian Cea

Adrian Cea is Steno's Social Media Manager, leading content strategy, audience engagement, and digital brand-building across platforms. He also produces and co-hosts Between the Briefs, Steno's podcast covering the intersection of legal technology, court reporting, and the future of litigation. With a background spanning content creation, field marketing, and sales at companies like Sell Better and Chili Piper, Adrian brings a multi-disciplined lens to making complex legal tech topics accessible and engaging.

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Joe Stephens

Joe Stephens, J.D., is Steno's Director of Legal Solutions as well as a Clinical Lecturer at Texas Tech University School of Law. With over 15 years of experience in criminal defense and public service, he founded and led Texas' largest rural public defender office, which serves a 12-county area. A graduate of The University of Texas School of Law (cum laude) and Vanderbilt University (B.A.), Stephens currently serves as a Board Member of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer's Association (TCDLA) and sits on multiple State Bar of Texas committees. His expertise spans the intersection of legal practice and technological innovation in the justice system.

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