Lana Manganiello named 2026 Woman of Influence in Law

Practice Growth Partner founder Lana Manganiello was recognized by the San Diego Business Journal as a 2026 Woman of Influence in Law for her work on legal strategy, AI adoption and organizational change. Her current focus includes helping a public-sector legal organization prepare for artificial intelligence across four offices.

Why it matters: - The recognition underscores how artificial intelligence readiness and change management have become core leadership issues for law firms and legal organizations. - Manganiello’s work centers on helping legal teams adopt technology in ways that improve performance, build trust and create measurable organizational value. - The award also highlights the growing importance of nontraditional legal leaders shaping the future of legal service delivery.

What happened: - The San Diego Business Journal named Lana Manganiello, founder of Practice Growth Partner, a 2026 Woman of Influence in Law. - Manganiello advises law firms and legal organizations on business strategy, organizational growth, technology adoption and the human systems needed to sustain change. - Practice Growth Partner said the recognition adds to Manganiello’s prior inclusion among the publication’s legal community leaders.

The details: - Manganiello leads the change management and communications workstream for a multi-stage artificial intelligence readiness and adoption initiative at a public-sector legal organization operating across four offices. - The engagement moves from organizational needs assessment and workflow discovery to readiness analysis, gap analysis, leadership decision-making, product-agnostic technology evaluation, phased adoption and ongoing measurement. - Her role includes workflow discovery sessions, organizational readiness research, cultural assessments, identifying change champions and sources of resistance, and developing leadership and employee communications. - Manganiello also advises on adoption sequencing, creates role-specific messaging and manages feedback and adoption health checks during implementation. - Manganiello said successful AI adoption begins before a tool is selected and depends on understanding how people actually work, where friction exists and what concerns may affect adoption. - Her approach starts with structured conversations with employees to document how matters and administrative processes move through an organization, where time is lost and where knowledge is hard to access. - Readiness surveys and adoption strategies are then built around the language, workflows and priorities identified in that discovery process. - Through Practice Growth Partner, Manganiello works with law firms, legal departments and legal organizations on strategy, organizational change, AI readiness and adoption, business development, professional visibility, leadership development and execution systems. - She is the author of Careers in Business Law: Forging Your Path to Success, published by the American Bar Association. - Manganiello also writes and speaks about legal service delivery, law firm economics, business development, professional authority and the future of legal practice. - She serves as Past President and Board Member of Counsel for Justice. - During her presidency, Manganiello became the first non-lawyer to lead the organization. - Manganiello participated in Counsel for Justice’s transition from a nonprofit historically affiliated with the Los Angeles County Bar Association into an independent legal services organization. - The San Diego Business Journal’s Women of Influence in Law recognition highlights women whose leadership and accomplishments are shaping the legal profession and the communities it serves.

Between the lines: - The award reflects a broader shift in legal services, where operational change and AI planning now sit alongside traditional legal expertise. - Manganiello’s emphasis on workflow discovery and employee adoption suggests that technology projects in law are being treated less like software purchases and more like organizational change programs. - The recognition also points to rising demand for leaders who can bridge strategy, communications and human behavior inside legal organizations.

What's next: - Manganiello’s current AI readiness work is designed to continue through phased adoption and ongoing measurement. - Practice Growth Partner says it will keep focusing on growth strategy, AI adoption, organizational change and systems that turn strategy into sustained execution. - Manganiello’s broader work is likely to remain centered on how technology, process and client expectations are reshaping legal practice.