Sharon D. Nelson

Sharon D. Nelson

Host of Digital Detectives and The Digital Edge

Sharon D. Nelson, Esq. is president of the digital forensics, managed information technology and cybersecurity firm Sensei Enterprises. Ms. Nelson was the President of the Virginia State Bar June 2013-June 2014, and is a Past President of the Fairfax Law Foundation, and a Past President of the Fairfax Bar Association. Sharon has lectured throughout North America and has been interviewed by TIME, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, Reuters, many newspapers and even Oprah Winfrey’s O magazine. She is the co-author of eighteen books published by the American Bar Association and hundreds of articles.

Recent Episodes
November 22, 2023

‘Tis the Season: Tech Toys for the Holidays 2023

We know you’ve been anxiously awaiting this episode, and it’s Sharon and Jim’s favorite podcast of the year — Tech Toys for the Holidays! Tune in for their specially crafted wishlist for...

November 17, 2023

10 Startling Cybersecurity Statistics and What They Mean for the Future of Law Firms

For many years, Sharon Nelson and John Simek have hosted the Digital Detectives podcast to bring practical advice and much needed guidance to help attorneys protect their law firms. In this, their...

October 30, 2023

ABA TECHSHOW 2024 – A Preview from the Co-Chairs

TECHSHOW will be here before we know it, and there’s no time like the present to get your tickets! To get an idea of what attendees can expect, Jim Calloway and Sharon...

October 19, 2023

Enhancing Law Firm Cybersecurity: The Ten Most Important Steps

A strong foundation for your law firm should be built on sensible cybersecurity policies and procedures. What should that look like? Sharon Nelson and John Simek have a conversation with Mike Maschke...

September 28, 2023

What Generative AI Means for the Law Firm Business Model

Is AI finally going to be the undeniable and absolute conqueror of the billable hour? Though many have called for its demise for years, the billable hour still has a substantial foothold...

September 21, 2023

Bad Tech Habits Your Firm Needs to Break

Whether you’re willing to admit it or not, no firm is too small to be a target for hackers. Each and every one—from large firms all the way down to solo attorneys—is...

August 24, 2023

Seven Use Cases Where AI can be a Hero to Digital Forensics

AI is capable of doing so many things in the legal tech world, not least of which are its uses in digital forensics. Sharon Nelson and John Simek welcome Shashi Angadi to...

August 17, 2023

Sharing Files With Clients: Security and File Management

Lawyers are often confused about the best and safest ways to share files with clients. Are standalone file sharing tools best? Should every lawyer have a client portal? Is email okay? Sharon...

July 27, 2023

Microsoft’s Copilot: New AI Tools for Microsoft 365!

Copilot is your upcoming digital assistant in pretty much all the Microsoft applications you use day-to-day. So, what do you need to know about utilizing this technology in your legal practice? Sharon...

July 20, 2023

Generative AI and ChatGPT: Why the Legal Industry Needs to “Brace for Impact”

We all know generative AI is making significant waves all over the world, but lawyers need to take a hard look at its implications in the law and their own legal practice....

June 22, 2023

Generative AI and Copyright: Collision is Inevitable

Copyright law is buzzing with the rising possibilities of AI-related legal matters. Is this a major concern in our current era of blossoming AI technologies? Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway welcome Vedia...

June 15, 2023

Threats to Your Law Firm: Insiders and Outsiders

Employees within your organization are likely a bigger risk to your cybersecurity than threat actors from without. Why? Because it very often takes an insider to let in an outsider. Sharon Nelson...

May 25, 2023

Lawyers Are Hopping Aboard the AI Train – and It’s Gathering Speed

Lately, AI developments have been top of mind for just about everybody—lawyers included. And with AI’s potential to solve all kinds of workflow problems and majorly improve access to justice, the excitement...

May 18, 2023

BakerHostetler’s Data Security Incident Response Report Released

BakerHostetler’s latest data security report is here, and while the threat landscape is proving to be as consistent as ever, companies have been doing a better job at identifying and containing breaches...

April 27, 2023

The AI Revolution in Law Practice: A Conversation with Attorney Greg Siskind

Pain points in your legal practice might just be easily solved with a little automation. Jim Calloway and Sharon Nelson chat with Greg Siskind about his firm’s leading-edge relationship with AI and...

April 20, 2023

E-Discovery Disrupted by the AI Revolution

The world’s ever-growing tsunami of digital data creates a huge need for technology capable of filtering it for modern e-discovery processes. So, what’s the best tool for the job? Sharon Nelson and...

March 23, 2023

Dean Andy Perlman on the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Law Schools

AI is already changing the legal profession, and law schools have a responsibility to stay on the cutting edge of this technology to equip future lawyers with all they need to know...

March 16, 2023

Legal Service Productization for Lawyers

Turning a legal service into a product has already been proven to be both profitable for lawyers and a huge help in increasing access to justice. So, how do you join this...

February 24, 2023

ITRC’s 17th Annual Data Breach Report Reveals Near-Record Number of Breaches

Cyber attacks are almost entirely responsible for today’s data breaches, and, increasingly often, the details of these breaches are vague—leaving security experts with a growing list of questions. Sharon Nelson and John...

February 16, 2023

An Interview with ChatGPT on the Future of Law Practice

Is ChatGPT ready to pass the bar? Maybe not quite, but it’s learning rapidly and might just become a tool lawyers use on a daily basis in the future. Sharon and Jim...

January 26, 2023

The Ten Most Popular Office 365 Tips For Lawyers

Office 365 is so very helpful in so many ways, but most of us are really underutilizing its capabilities. Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway chat with Danielle DavisRoe about ten simple tips...

January 20, 2023

It’s a Good Time for a Cybersecurity Checkup

There’s no “set it and forget it” for your law firm’s cybersecurity. Effective security is a continuing process, and the start of a new year is a great time to see how...

December 22, 2022

ABA TECHSHOW 2023: An Interview with Co-Chairs Jeannine Lambert and Gyi Tsakalakis

TECHSHOW 2023 is right around the corner! Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway chat with co-chairs Jeannine Lambert and Gyi Tsakalakis about the offerings at the upcoming conference. This year, the conference will...

December 15, 2022

Holidays and Weekends: Prime Time for Cyberattacks

Cyber criminals aren’t taking time off for the holidays. In fact, Sharon and John had a surprise Thanksgiving morning when they learned that hackers had attacked their own company over 400 times...

November 24, 2022

‘Tis the Season: Tech Toys for the Holidays 2022

Your favorite nerdy-lawyer wishlist is back yet again! Tune in for Jim Calloway and Sharon Nelson’s top picks for the gift-giving season. Happy Holidays! Tech Toys 2022: FlexiSpot EN1 Standing Desk Pixel,...

November 17, 2022

The Ethics of Communicating with Your Clients and Using Your Smartphone

Communicating with clients is essential to good lawyering, but doing so without proper precautions could set you up for trouble. Sharon Nelson and John Simek discuss the ethics of lawyer communications with...

October 27, 2022

Disaster Planning: It’s Not Just for Hurricanes

Shawn Holahan knows how disasters can affect your practice first hand. Experiencing the effects of Hurricane Katrina, she learned that when a disaster happens, confusion reigns, but having a disaster plan in...

October 20, 2022

What Constitutes Ethical Cybersecurity for Law Firms Today?

Rapid changes in cybercrime and the security that keeps it at bay have left many lawyers’ heads spinning. With so much continuous change, how do you keep up with ethical cybersecurity needs...

September 29, 2022

ILTACON Roars Back in 2022 – Here’s What You Missed

ILTACON’s peer-driven approach strives to provide a unique experience for the legal industry with its heavy focus on education and attendee involvement. Sharon Nelson and John Simek welcome Doug Austin to debrief...

September 22, 2022

Law Firms Stunned by Cyber Insurance Premiums, Security Requirements, and Exclusions

In August, Lloyds of London announced that beginning in 2023 all of its insurer groups will exclude “catastrophic” state-backed attacks from their cyber insurance policies. And, unfortunately, this is just one of...

August 25, 2022

Your Law Firm Cookbook: How and Why

Why does your law firm need documented standard operating procedures? Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway find out with guest Catherine Sanders Reach. Catherine outlines the common problems that arise when operating procedures...

August 18, 2022

Ripped From the Headlines: Alex Jones and Inadvertent Waiver

In the midst of Alex Jones’ defamation trial, the whole world found out that an almost unthinkable blunder had been committed by his attorneys, resulting in an inadvertent waiver of privilege that...

July 28, 2022

Advice for Law Firms from a Data Breach/Privacy Lawyer

Studies show that over 70% of people haven’t the foggiest idea who to call first when they discover a data breach. If you’ve just realized you’re one of them, tune in! John...

July 21, 2022

What’s New in Law Practice Management Software?

Many law practice management software vendors have been working to provide one-stop shop platforms that meet all the basic needs of a law firm, thereby streamlining processes formerly served by multiple vendors....

June 23, 2022

How Secure is Your Law Firm’s Data?

Unfortunately, data breaches are becoming a ‘when’, not ‘if’, scenario, but a proactive data protection strategy will definitely help! Sharon Nelson and John Simek talk with Peter Baumann about what businesses should...

June 16, 2022

Professor Kenton Brice on Training the Next Generation of Lawyers and the Future of Legal Tech

Today’s law students grew up side by side with technology and typically view it as an integral part of their lives and futures as lawyers. As such, today’s law schools are working...

May 26, 2022

Cyber Insurance for Law Firms: Skyrocketing Prices and Less Coverage

If you’ve struggled to afford cyber insurance, you’re not alone. In the past year, prices rose by 30 to 40 percent, and some law firms, especially solos and smalls, were forced to...

May 19, 2022

Revealing Stats from the 8th Annual BakerHostetler Data Security Incident Response Report

Avoiding a data breach should be amongst your top priorities, and understanding threats and causes helps you improve your preventative measures. Sharon Nelson and John Simek welcome back Craig Hoffman to unpack...

April 28, 2022

How to Build a Successful Solo Law Practice

When starting your own law firm, you don’t know what you don’t know! Thankfully, those who have gone before have plenty of tips for avoiding common mistakes. One such lawyer, Mark Bassingthwaighte,...

April 21, 2022

Russia’s Digital Iron Curtain

The online space for Russia’s civil society has been slowly closing for nearly a decade, but after the invasion in Ukraine, governmental powers quickly seized control of internet freedoms—banning and blocking at...

March 24, 2022

What Do Women Lawyers Really Want from Their Law Firms?

Is there potential for a mass exodus of women from the legal profession? Multiple studies have shown that the pandemic was harder on women, with increased home responsibilities falling disproportionately upon them...

March 17, 2022

Cybersecurity: A Lawyer’s Ethical Duty to Read the News

Lucian Pera shares insights on the ethical considerations involved in ensuring leading-edge law firm cybersecurity.

February 24, 2022

ABA TECHSHOW 2022: An Interview with Co-Chairs Brooke Moore and Ivan Hemmans

Brooke and Ivan give an inside look at the exciting tracks and sessions available for TECHSHOW 2022 attendees.

February 17, 2022

ITRC’s 2021 Data Breach Report: Sobering Stats

James E. Lee discusses data breach trends and prevention tactics.

January 27, 2022

2022: What’s White Hot in Cybersecurity?

David G. Ries discusses the current trends in cybersecurity and offers tips for protecting your data from the latest threats.

January 20, 2022

Remote Litigation Tips: A View From the Bench with Judge John Tran

Judge John Tran offers his tips for lawyers for becoming competent and comfortable with technology in remote proceedings.

December 23, 2021

The Future of Digital Court Reporting

Tony Sirna gives an overview of the evolution of digital court reporting and the improvement it has brought about in court proceedings.

December 16, 2021

Law Firms, Take Notice: The US is Cracking Down on Ransomware Gangs

Ariel Parnes offers insights on the government’s efforts to fight back against ransomware and cybercrime.

November 24, 2021

‘Tis the Season: Tech Toys for the Holidays 2021

Merry Tech Toys season! Jim Calloway and Sharon Nelson share their top wishlist picks for the holidays.

November 18, 2021

Why are Businesses, Including Law Firms, So Vulnerable to Ransomware?

David White offers tailored tips for lawyers based on Axio’s 2021 State of Ransomware Preparedness Report.