ILTA Voices #0085: (JIT) ILTA Just-In-Time: Uncovering Ballard Spahr's AI Tool "Ask Ellis"
May 2, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Lisa Mayo Haynes, Director of Technology Innovation at Ballard Spahr LLP, shares insights into the creation of the AI tool 'Ask Ellis.' She highlights the build vs. buy decision-making process and how user needs drove the tool's development. Lisa reveals features focused on chat, drafting, and document analysis that enhance productivity for legal professionals. The conversation also covers training strategies to ensure effective use and the importance of security and adaptability in AI applications.
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Origin of Ask Ellis
- Ballard Spahr created Ask Ellis as a secure, firm-specific version of ChatGPT.
- The name honors their founder, Ellis Ames Ballard, linking innovation with firm heritage.
Designing User-Friendly AI Assistants
- Provide multiple assistants like Chat, Draft, and Analyze to cover diverse lawyer needs.
- Pre-build prompts to simplify task execution and reduce effort on prompt crafting.
Handling Large Document Sets
- Use Ballard X-Ray for large-scale document repositories up to 2,000 documents.
- Enable clients and internal users to securely chat and search customized document sets.