Niki Black, Principal Legal Insight Strategist at AffiniPay and a pioneer in legal tech, discusses her fascinating journey from traditional law practice to advocating for cloud computing. She shares how her passion for tech transformed her career, influenced by a pivotal meeting with Richard Susskind. Niki reveals her strategies for building a massive LinkedIn following and leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT in content creation. The conversation shines a light on the ever-evolving intersection of law and technology, offering invaluable insights for legal professionals.
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insights INSIGHT
Cloud Computing Was Once "Blasphemy"
Early on, cloud computing was considered "blasphemous" by lawyers who doubted its security and utility.
Nikki Black’s advocacy showed cloud is often more secure and beneficial for legal work than on-premises solutions today.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Learning Through Use and Writing
Learn by hands-on use, research, reading books, and interviewing experts in your area.
Writing about new topics deepens your knowledge and establishes authority naturally.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Employee #1 at MyCase
Nikki Black became employee number one at MyCase by impressing them with her expertise about cloud computing and evangelizing it.
Her first encounter with MyCase founders was at Legal Tech Week where they convinced her to join after a demo and her book release.
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In each episode, David Schnurman interviews legal professionals to uncover insights into their growth and how they leverage continuous learning in their careers. The podcast delves into the experiences of attorneys, their transitions, and the strategies they employ to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving legal tech industry. It emphasizes the importance of authentic expertise and the effective use of technology in legal practice, offering actionable advice for listeners.
social media for lawyers
social media for lawyers
David
Carolyn Elephant
As the host, David Schnurman conducts interviews with legal professionals, delving into their careers and how they've navigated the rapidly evolving legal tech industry. His goal is to uncover the strategies and insights that these attorneys have gained through continuous learning. David's approach provides listeners with valuable, actionable advice for their own professional development.
In this episode of Lawyers Who Learn, host David interviews Niki Black, one of legal tech's most influential voices and employee number one at MyCase. This conversation goes beyond the typical career overview to explore the learning journey behind building authentic expertise in a rapidly evolving industry.
Niki opens up about her transition from practicing criminal and civil law to becoming a legal tech evangelist, starting with her early advocacy for cloud computing when it was considered "blasphemous" for lawyers to use. She shares how a chance encounter with Richard Susskind changed her career trajectory, leading to her first book collaboration on social media for lawyers and eventually her groundbreaking work on cloud computing. The discussion reveals how she impressed MyCase founders with her cloud expertise, and how her role has evolved through multiple acquisitions into her current position as Principal Legal Insight Strategist at AffiniPay.
The conversation explores her unique approach to building a massive LinkedIn following (206,000+ followers), launching a newsletter that gained 27,000 subscribers in just months, and her weekly Friday calls with legal tech journalists. Niki discusses how AI tools like ChatGPT have transformed her content creation process, allowing her to maintain authentic expertise while scaling her output. This episode offers valuable insights for legal professionals looking to build thought leadership, transition into legal tech, or simply understand how to leverage technology authentically in their practice.
Lawyers Who Learn