319: Gavel Exec: AI Copilot for Legal Drafting

Dec 9, 2025

Dorna Moyni, a former attorney and founder of Gavel, shares her journey transitioning from litigation to legal tech. She discusses the creation of Gavel Workflows and Gavel Exec, an AI copilot for Microsoft Word, designed to automate document generation and streamline legal drafting. Dorna highlights how AI can help lawyers tackle high-level tasks, debunks misconceptions about job loss, and introduces concepts like 'vibe lawyering' for creative legal thinking. She emphasizes the role of AI in improving efficiency and the future of law practice.

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ANECDOTE

From Pro Bono Tool To Product

Dorna built an early TurboTax-like tool to help domestic violence survivors while at Sidley Austin.
That pro bono project grew into Gavel Workflows as other lawyers asked for similar automation.

INSIGHT

Two-Stage Drafting Workflow

Gavel Workflows gets you to a complex first draft via rules-based automation.
Gavel Exec acts as an AI copilot inside Word for post-draft redlining, negotiation, and creative drafting.

ADVICE

Train AI With Firm Data And Playbooks

Train AI with high-quality legal data and law-firm guidance to improve redline accuracy.
Create playbooks that encode market standards to reduce bad edits and increase trust in outputs.

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Show Notes

In this podcast episode, Ernie Svenson interviews Dorna At Gavel, a former attorney turned tech entrepreneur, about her journey in creating Gavel, a legal technology platform. Dorna shares her experiences in building Gavel Workflows and Gavel Exec, tools designed to automate document creation and enhance legal drafting with AI. The conversation explores the integration of these tools with Microsoft Word, the importance of user experience, and the future of AI in the legal field. Dorna addresses common misconceptions about AI, the concept of 'vibe lawyering,' and how these technologies can empower lawyers to focus on more meaningful work while improving efficiency.

Takeaways

Dorna transitioned from law to tech to help domestic violence survivors.
Gavel Workflows automates document creation for legal professionals.
Gavel Exec serves as an AI copilot within Microsoft Word.
The platform is designed to enhance collaboration and efficiency.
AI tools can help lawyers focus on higher-level tasks.
Misconceptions about AI include fears of job loss in the legal field.
Vibe lawyering encourages creative legal thinking with AI assistance.
Training junior associates can be streamlined using AI playbooks.
Gavel Exec integrates with existing workflows to improve productivity.
The future of legal practice will likely include AI as a standard tool.

Resource Links

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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