The Geek In Review

In this episode, we welcome Laura Terrell, an executive coach at ⁠Laura Terrell, LLC⁠, with a rich and varied career history. Laura has served as a Special Assistant to President George W. Bush at the White House, a senior level appointee at the US Department of Justice, an Equity partner at two large global law firms, and in-house counsel at a major global consulting and business advisory firm. Laura shares her journey from being a high-profile lawyer to becoming an executive coach. She explains how her fascination with understanding the motivations and challenges of professionals led her to coaching. Laura emphasizes the importance of listening, not just to clients' legal problems, but to their broader professional and personal concerns. Laura provides insight into what executive coaching is, describing it as a collaborative process that supports clients in identifying their goals and working towards them. She explains that coaching can feel therapeutic, but it is not therapy. It's about facilitating someone else's goals and supporting their exploration of what's important to them. She discusses the various challenges faced by lawyers and C-level executives, including transitioning into leadership roles, building business, managing a team, and adapting to in-house roles. Laura also talks about coaching for lawyers at the start of their careers, helping them navigate the transition from theory to practice and understand the expectations of their roles. Laura highlights the common mistake of making assumptions in the legal industry. She encourages lawyers to challenge their assumptions and be open to change, given the evolving nature of the industry. In addition to her coaching work, Laura is the General Counsel to a nonprofit and invests in women-owned businesses. She shares her passion for supporting women and learning about different business areas. This episode provides valuable insights into the role of executive coaching in the legal industry and how it can support professionals at all stages of their careers. Whether you're a seasoned lawyer, a C-level executive, or a lawyer just starting out, there's something to learn from Laura's experiences and expertise. Links: Laura Terrell (⁠LinkedIn⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠) ⁠Laura Terrell, LLC⁠ ⁠Connect Our Kids⁠ Contact Us:  Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@gebauerm⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠@glambert⁠⁠⁠⁠Voicemail: 713-487-7821Email: geekinreviewpodcast@gmail.comMusic: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Jerry David DeCicca⁠⁠⁠ Listen on mobile platforms:  Apple Podcasts |  Spotify ⁠⁠Transcript⁠

Many of us have wondered when the big two legal information providers would jump into the Generative AI game, and it looks like LexisNexis is going public first with the launch of Lexis+ AI. We sat down with Jeff Pfeifer, Chief Product Officer for UK, Ireland, Canada, and US, and discuss the launch and what it means for LexisNexis going forward. Pfeifer discusses how LexisNexis+ AI offers conversational search, summarization, and drafting tools to help lawyers work more efficiently. The tools provide contextual, iterative search so users can refine and improve results. The drafting tools can help with tasks like writing client emails or advisory statements. The summarization features can summarize datasets like regulations, opinions, and complaints. LexisNexis is working with leading AmLaw 50 firms in a commercial preview program to get feedback and input on the AI tools. LexisNexis also launched an AI Insider Program for any interested firms to learn about AI and how it may impact their business. There is definitely demand for the AI Insider Program with over 3,000 law firms already signed up. Pfeifer emphasizes LexisNexis' focus on responsible AI. They developed and follow a set of AI principles to guide their product development, including understanding the real-world impact, preventing bias, explaining how solutions work, ensuring human oversight and accountability, and protecting privacy. Pfeifer predicts AI tools like LexisNexis Plus AI will increase access to legal services by allowing lawyers and firms to work more efficiently and take on more work. He also sees opportunities to use the tools to help pro se litigants and courts. However, he cautions that the responsible and ethical development and use of AI is crucial. Overall, Pfeifer believes AI will greatly improve efficiency and capacity in the legal profession over the next 2-5 years but that responsible adoption of the technology is key. Links: Lexis+ AI RELX AI Principles (PDF) Jeff Pfefer LinkedIn / Twitter Contact Us: Twitter: ⁠⁠@gebauerm⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠@glambert⁠⁠Voicemail: 713-487-7821Email: geekinreviewpodcast@gmail.comMusic: ⁠⁠Jerry David DeCicca⁠ Transcript

In this riveting episode of our podcast, we delve into the fascinating world of AI in the legal industry with our esteemed guests, Nathan Walter and Bridget Albiero. Walter, a former attorney and founder of BriefPoint.ai, has leveraged his legal expertise and passion for technology to automate the manual processes that often bog down law firms. Bridget Albiero, a User Experience (UX) and User Design (UD) expert, underscores the significance of intuitive design in making these AI tools not just effective, but user-friendly. Nathan Walter has been instrumental in creating BriefPoint.ai, a tool designed specifically for lawyers to eliminate the mundane and time-consuming aspects of law practice. With the goals of automating the litigation process from response to appeal, Walter and Albeiro are focused on removing the mundane tasks, such as typing, from the process and allowing the attorneys to focus more on their legal experience and expertise over the grunt work that takes up too much of their time already.  However, the success of such tools is not solely dependent on their technical capabilities. Bridget Albiero's role in UX and UD ensures that these AI systems are designed with the end user in mind. With the mission to make legal professionals' lives much easier. Bridget's work is critical in crafting an interface that enables lawyers to accomplish more work in less time, truly maximizing the benefits of AI integration. Nathan and Bridget's collaboration epitomizes the intersection of law and technology. They argue that the advent of AI tools, such as BriefPoint.ai, will invariably put pressure on law firms to rethink their traditional billing models. Nathan anticipates a shift towards contingency fee-based and flat fee billings, spurred on by the increased efficiency AI brings to the table. In addition, the ability for the plaintiff's lawyers to reduce the overall amount of work that they need to put into each case, there will be more incentives to take on work that they might otherwise not consider. This has a multitude of effects ranging from flooding courts with more and more cases, to overwhelming defense firms and corporations with a much higher litigation matters, to making working at plaintiff's firms more attractive to associates who don't want to work the number of hours they would need to do in BigLaw firms.  Bridget also emphasizes the importance of approaching AI with a balanced perspective. While there are a number of positives when it comes to AI in the legal process, there are also downsides that need to be considered as well. Bridget and Nathan run through some of those issues as well. This thoughtful conversation with Nathan and Bridget offers a unique insight into the future of the legal industry, where AI and human ingenuity work hand in hand. Listen in to learn more about how these changes might soon be reshaping the legal landscape. Contact Us: Twitter: ⁠⁠@gebauerm⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠@glambert⁠⁠Voicemail: 713-487-7821Email: geekinreviewpodcast@gmail.comMusic: ⁠⁠Jerry David DeCicca⁠ Transcript

In this episode of The Geek in Review Podcast, hosts Greg Lambert and Marlene Gebauer interview Richard Tromans, founder of Tromans Consulting and artificiallawyer.com. Tromans shares his insights on the future of legal innovation and the upcoming Legal Innovators California conference, scheduled to take place on June 7-8 in San Francisco. Tromans begins the conversation by highlighting the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the legal industry. He emphasizes the importance of not only adopting AI but also using it to its full potential to deliver better legal services. He also discusses the potential impact of AI on law firm business models. Moving on to the topic of alternative legal service providers (ALSPs), Tromans examines their role in the legal industry and how it has evolved over time. He believes that the future of ALSPs depends on their ability to embrace technology and shift their focus from being mere “bodyshops” to incorporating more sophisticated technology and consulting services. The discussion then moves on to the Legal Innovators California conference. Tromans shares his views on what attendees can expect, including insights into the latest legal innovation trends, opportunities for cross-fertilization between private practice and in-house legal teams, and exposure to a variety of ALSPs. Tromans also shares information on his own platform, artificiallawyer.com, which provides news, features, and educational videos related to legal innovation, and the upcoming conference. He invites listeners to check out the conference website, legalinnovatorscalifornia.com, for more information. Tromans emphasized the need for the legal industry to shift its focus from traditional metrics like profits and risk reduction to a more holistic approach that considers broader outcomes. He believes that this shift will take time, but he is hopeful that the Legal Innovators California conference and similar events will pave the way for the industry to move forward in this direction.

In this 200th episode of The Geek in Review, talk with Toby Brown, CEO and founder of DV8 Legal Strategies, and Nita Sanger, Director of Digital Advisory Services at Cherry Bekaert. There are three rules for growth and success when it comes to large law firms. Strategy, strategy, and strategy. Brown emphasizes the need for law firms to develop strategies that prioritize clients and build meaningful relationships. He argues that "firms should start thinking of clients as customers and using customer experience as a way to differentiate themselves." Sanger shares this view, adding that law firms should "focus on value creation, continuous improvement, and customer experience" as they grow and evolve. Both guests discuss how law firms can reframe their view of growth, moving away from a talent management perspective and toward a mergers and acquisitions approach. Brown highlights his experience at a prior law firm, where he transformed the lateral partner program into a strategic acquisition initiative. He explains, "this is straight up M&A. So I renamed the program the lateral partner acquisition and integration program. And we treated it much like Apple or Google or any of them would treat their acquisitions." Sanger and Brown also touch on the importance of integrating newly acquired practices or firms into the existing business. Sanger emphasizes the need for planning and a program management office to ensure a smooth transition, while Brown shares his success with where hist firm had one of the highest lateral retention rates in the market due to the strategic approach and focus on integration. Looking into the future, Sanger envisions law firms as technology-enabled platforms, providing a wider range of services, while Brown expresses concerns about the reluctance of law departments and law firms to prioritize standardized business processes over the individual preferences of frontline lawyers. Despite their differing perspectives on the future, both agree that a focus on strategy, client experience, and growth through mergers and acquisitions will be crucial for the success of law firms moving forward. Contact Us: Twitter: ⁠⁠@gebauerm⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠@glambert⁠⁠Voicemail: 713-487-7821Email: geekinreviewpodcast@gmail.comMusic: ⁠⁠Jerry David DeCicca⁠ Transcript

In this episode of "The Geek in Review," hosts Greg Lambert and Marlene Gebauer engage in a fascinating conversation with legal technology experts Pablo Arredondo, Evan Shenkman, and Darth Vaughn. They discuss their proactive approach to incorporating AI technology, specifically CaseText's CoCounsel, into their legal practice and business operations. Pablo shares, "I think the law is such a fascinating space for this kind of AI because it really brings together two things that are really deep in the human experience, which is language and rules." The guests discuss their experiences in using CoCounsel and its features, such as the ChatGPT feature, which enables them to draft and review documents more efficiently. Evan emphasizes, "The tools are there, and the more that we can sort of get folks up to speed on this stuff, and really help them understand how to use the tools, the better we're all going to be." They explain how the integration of AI in their work has led to improved legal outcomes, happier clients, and better work-life balance for attorneys. Darth notes, "The legal industry tends to be a bit of a slow adopter of technology. It's not because we're not smart or we're not hardworking. I think it's because we're risk-averse." Pablo, Evan, and Darth emphasize the importance of being passionate about leading the way in legal technology advancements. Pablo encourages listeners to embrace this technology with joy, rather than fear, to truly make a difference in their practice and industry. This positive approach helps them excel and bring others along on this transformative journey. The discussion also touches on access to justice issues and how tools like CoCounsel can potentially help bridge the justice gap. By being intentional in utilizing AI technology to assist in pro bono cases, they believe it is possible to make a significant impact on improving access to legal services for those in need. Overall, this episode of "The Geek in Review" offers valuable insights into how AI and CaseText's CoCounsel can revolutionize the legal industry. The guests' passion and joy for embracing cutting-edge technology serve as an inspiration for others to follow suit and lead the way in transforming the legal landscape. Contact Us: Twitter: ⁠⁠@gebauerm⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠@glambert⁠⁠Voicemail: 713-487-7821Email: geekinreviewpodcast@gmail.comMusic: ⁠⁠Jerry David DeCicca⁠ Transcript

In this episode of The Geek in Review, we interview Josh Kubicki, Director and Professor of Legal Business Design Hub and Entrepreneurship Program at Richmond Law School, and the creator of the daily newsletter Brainyacts. Kubicki discusses the speed of change in legal technology and how it is now measured in days and weeks, rather than years and decades. He also talks about the need to embrace technological changes and how he created Brainyacts to force himself to learn about generative AI in the legal profession. Kubicki shares his experience of writing 100 consecutive days on generative AI and how it has helped him stay accountable and take a deep dive into the terrain. He also discusses the reaction from the industry side of things and where he digs in to find good content. The advancements in generative AI tools like GPT, Bard, Bing Chat, and a slew of new products that seem to be launching daily has overwhelmed many of us. Resources like Brainacts helps put a little bit of stability in this time of rapid change. So take advantage of Josh's hours of work on a daily basis and subscribe and read the very practical newsletter. Links: Josh Kubicki (LinkedIn) JoshKubicki.com Brainyacts Newsletter (sign up for free) Contact Us: Twitter: ⁠⁠@gebauerm⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠@glambert⁠⁠Voicemail: 713-487-7821Email: geekinreviewpodcast@gmail.comMusic: ⁠⁠Jerry David DeCicca⁠ Transcript

AI is now a significant part of the legal industry, and technology companies such as LexisNexis are at the forefront of this technology shift. We sat down and talked with Jeff Reihl, the Executive Vice President, and Chief Technology Officer at LexisNexis, and discussed the current state of AI and its relevance to the legal and research sector. The recent survey conducted by Lexis uncovered that 39% of lawyers, 46% of law students, and 45% of consumers agreed that generative AI tools will significantly transform the practice of law. During Reihl's sixteen years at LexisNexis he witnessed many innovations such as the nearly universal adoption of iPhone and other mobile products, cloud computing, and document automation, but the speed a acceleration around Generative AI tool like GPT 4.0, Bing, Bard, and others is causing even the big players in the legal industry to quickly adjust to the demands of the market. Jeff highlighted the flexibility and benefits of LexisNexis' technology, which can provide valuable insights and information to its users on-demand. The organization generates and applies AI-enabled insights that assist users in finding, evaluating, and curating content more quickly and effectively. Jeff went on to explain how AI technology is helping lawyers reduce research time and increase accuracy in creating legal documents. In conclusion, Jeff explained that LexisNexis is committed to promoting innovation in the legal field by utilizing innovative technology solutions to advance research and meet the growing research demand, thereby improving legal professionals' efficiency and accuracy. Of course, Lexis is not a new player in the AI field for the legal industry. They began using tools like Google's BERT AI as early as 2018 and included AI functionality in many of their products on the backend of the resources. With the popularity of chatbot-like AI and the interaction that users are now demanding, it will require a shift in Lexis' approach going forward. One focus that Reihl stresses, however, is that unlike the public AI chat tools, Lexis' approach will take in the issues of privacy, security, citation of sources, and the ability to understand how their tools get to the results its users see. Less "black boxes" and more transparency is the goal. Links: Generative AI Captures Imagination of Lawyers, Law Students, Consumers Alike | LexisNexis PressRoom Jeff Reihl on LinkedIn Contact Us: Twitter: ⁠⁠@gebauerm⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠@glambert⁠⁠Voicemail: 713-487-7821Email: geekinreviewpodcast@gmail.comMusic: ⁠⁠Jerry David DeCicca⁠ Transcript

In this episode, we dive into the fascinating story of Kristina Kashtanova, author of "Zarya of the Dawn," a comic book that she illustrated using AI-generated images. Kristina shares her personal struggles during the pandemic, including losing loved ones, being unemployed, and undergoing dental surgery. She talks about how she discovered the power of AI-generated images through OpenAI DALL-E and how it helped her overcome her pain and isolation. We learn about her creative process of generating various images before remembering her story and deciding to use AI-generated images to illustrate it. Kristina also shares her experience of sharing her progress on social media and receiving positive feedback from the AI community. Her story is a testament to the intersection of art and technology and how it can be used to overcome personal struggles and create something beautiful. We are also going by a duo of Richmond Law School Professors, Ashley Dobbs and Roger Skalbeck. Professor Dobbs runs the IP and Transactional Law Clinic at Richmond and explains that the clinic provides an opportunity for law students to work directly with clients on intellectual property matters, such as copyright and trademark protection, under her supervision. The clinic primarily works with startups, entrepreneurs, and creators who cannot afford legal services. Ashley and her team also handle various transactional matters related to intellectual property, such as forming entities, reviewing contracts, and assigning rights. By working with clients in a real-world setting, law students are able to apply their book learning to practical situations and gain valuable experience before entering the workforce. She is also providing assistance to her fellow professor Roger Skalbeck for his "Copyright §101" Comic Book. Roger Skalbeck created a comic book to teach his students about copyright laws in the United States. Roger explains that he wanted to create something that looked like the comic books he grew up with, such as the Avengers and Spider-Man, with a vibrant and simplified aesthetic. He used various tools, including Mid-Journey for image generation and Photoshop and Pixlr for updates, before putting it together with a layout program called Comic Life 3. Roger's comic book provides a visual representation of each individual definition in the statute, making it easier for students to understand complex legal concepts. By using a comic book as a teaching tool, Roger is able to engage his students in a fun and creative way while also providing them with a valuable learning experience. Tune in to learn more about Roger's efforts to use a comic book to teach copyright laws and how it is helping to transform legal education. Roger has a class set up in the Fall Semester this year that will require his students to create a comic book that focuses on a practical aspect of Access to Justice. Tune in to learn more about the intersection of law, comic books, AI, and copyright. Make sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platforms and share the podcast with your colleagues. Contact Us: Twitter: ⁠@gebauerm⁠, or ⁠@glambert⁠Voicemail: 713-487-7821Email: geekinreviewpodcast@gmail.comMusic: ⁠Jerry David DeCicca Transcript available on 3 Geeks and a Law Blog

On this episode, we speak with Nicole Bradick, CEO and founder of Theory & Principle, a legal technology design company. Nicole gives us an update on how their product, Map Engine, is being used by clients to track regulations and laws around the world. She also discusses how the legal industry is becoming more sophisticated in terms of user design and experience, and how this is changing the way law firms and legal tech companies approach product development. Nicole's passion for user design and experience is evident throughout the conversation, and she emphasizes how it can make or break a product's success in the market. She notes that clients are becoming more knowledgeable about UX, and are able to identify and ask for better design. Additionally, law firms and legal tech companies are recognizing that better design is not just a nice-to-have, but a business imperative. Nicole is dedicated to educating the legal community on the importance of UX, and helping them integrate it into their product development process. She believes that legal technology should be built with the user in mind, and that this approach will lead to better outcomes, both for clients and for the industry as a whole. Nicole sees immense value in starting T&P Studios because it allows her to bring her expertise in designing and launching products to clients who have great ideas but lack the resources to bring them to market. She describes a unique partnership with Simpson Thatcher's Pro Bono team, where they collaborated to build a product that they wanted to exist in the market, but didn't want to take on the long-term burden of owning software. With T&P Studios, they were able to co-develop the product and bring it to market, while Simpson Thatcher now has their version of it as well. This model of collaboration and revenue sharing allows T&P Studios to work with other law firms and organizations to build and launch products that solve real problems in the legal industry, without the upfront capital expense. Contact Us: Twitter: @gebauerm, or @glambertVoicemail: 713-487-7821Email: geekinreviewpodcast@gmail.comMusic: Jerry David DeCicca Transcript available on 3 Geeks