317: AI, ClioCon, and the Future of Law: What Lawyers Need to Know Now

Nov 4, 2025

Join Jeff Lewis, a California-based appellate and defamation defense attorney and expert in AI's impact on law, as he discusses key takeaways from the recent Clio conference. He shares Richard Susskind's unsettling keynote on AI's potential disruption in the legal profession, describing it as a 'gut punch.' They explore Clio's innovative AI tools, the implications of the VLex acquisition, and how AI might reshape legal careers. Jeff emphasizes the need for lawyers to adapt by using AI daily and developing strategic skills to thrive in a competitive landscape.

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ADVICE

Combine Practice Data With Research

Try Clio's integrated AI tools to combine practice data with legal research for more relevant results.
Review generated outputs before sending and test real workflows before full adoption.

INSIGHT

Data-Powered Practice Benchmarks

Clio's Legal Trends Report gives unique, anonymized benchmarks from hundreds of thousands of users.
AI layered on that dataset could surface practice-level recommendations and growth opportunities.

ADVICE

Track One KPI To Answer One Question

Start KPI tracking by asking one concrete question your firm needs answered and track only 1–2 metrics.
Use those metrics to decide hires, pricing models, and where to focus improvement.

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In this episode, California attorney Jeff Lewis and I discuss the recent Clio conference that took place in Boston, which we both attended along with 2,700 other lawyers.

There was a lot of discussion about AI and how its growing adoption will impact lawyers in the coming years. We of course will discuss Richard Susskind's Keynote speech, which was a disturbing warning about the massive disruption AI is likely to bring to the legal profession. Jeff called it a "gut punch" and you'll want to hear why he found Susskind's speech so unsettling.

Topics Discussed

Clio's New AI Tools and Integration Plans
The Legal Trends Report and Data Insights
Clio's 1$ Billion V-Lex Acquisition and what it means
Peggy Gruenke's KPI Session Takeaways
Richard Susskind's take on AI and the Future of Law
AI Adoption Challenges and Lawyer Resistance
Future of Legal Careers and AI Skills
Lawyer Reactions to Susskind's AI Predictions

Resource Links

Ernie's LinkedIn post summarizing Susskind's speech
Jeff Lewis's law firm website
Jeff's legal podcast
ChatGPT Lab (a weekly AI workshop for lawyers)
Apply to join the ChatGPT Lab
The 80/20 Principle (my techlaw newsletter)
The Inner Circle (my online community for lawyers)

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