

AI and the Future of Law
Practising Law Institute
AI and the Future of Law is your essential podcast for understanding how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the legal industry. Hosted by Bridget McCormack and Jen Leonard, each episode delves into cutting-edge technologies, trends, and strategies, providing invaluable insights for legal professionals, tech enthusiasts, and anyone curious about the future of law. Join us as we navigate the evolving landscape of AI, empowering the legal community to thrive in an era of unprecedented innovation.This podcast is presented by the American Arbitration Association with Creative Lawyers, and distributed by PLI - bridging world-class legal education with the global leader in dispute resolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 16, 2025 • 51min
Inside Legal Innovation: AI Adoption with Jae Um & Ilona Logvinova
Ilona Logvinova, Director of Practice Innovation at Cleary Gottlieb, and Jae Um, Co-founder of Lumio, dive into the evolving legal landscape. They discuss how to turn AI experiments into impactful practices, covering everything from culture shifts to practical AI tools in law. The duo emphasizes the need for law schools to adapt curricula for an AI-driven world and explore the balance between acquisitions and organic growth in legal innovation. Prepare for a lively debate on legal education, sprinkled with humorous insights!

Sep 2, 2025 • 34min
GPT-5 and the Future of Legal AI Regulation
Explore whether GPT-5 is ready for legal practice and the vital role of human oversight in the courtroom. The discussion highlights AI's potential to reduce human error and the challenges faced by legal professionals in integrating new technology. Tune in for innovative features of GPT-5, and insights from a pivotal report on consumer-focused AI regulation in legal services. The conversation also touches on the evolving roles of legal professionals and how communities adapt to these advancements.

Aug 19, 2025 • 41min
Garfield Law: Inside the World’s First AI-Native Law Firm
Phillip Young, a former city commercial litigator and named solicitor at Garfield Law, teams up with Daniel Long, a quantum physicist turned AI entrepreneur, to dive into the groundbreaking world of AI in legal practice. They discuss how Garfield Law revolutionizes small debt claims and navigates complex regulatory landscapes. Discover their innovative approach to tackling AI hallucinations and the future of API-integrated courts. The conversation unveils how AI could redefine legal training and improve access to justice globally.

Aug 5, 2025 • 41min
Can AI Help You Win in Court? A New Era of Self-Representation
Can AI truly outsmart a lawyer in the courtroom? Discover thrilling real-life stories of self-represented litigants finding success with AI tools. The hosts propose the radical idea of "robot lawyers" in appellate arguments. They demystify ChatGPT agents and their task completion prowess, while also highlighting innovative gamification in legal education. Explore how AI is reshaping access to justice, empowering those unable to afford legal representation, and the potential it has to revolutionize advocacy in court.

Jul 22, 2025 • 40min
Building an AI-Forward Law Firm: Lessons from Quinn Emanuel
Jen Reeves, Lead Innovation Counsel, and Chris Kercher, a litigation powerhouse at Quinn Emanuel, discuss how their firm is reimagining legal practice with AI. They explore the profound impact of building an AI culture without mandates, emphasizing a mindset shift to unlock potential. Practical applications include using Claude for real litigation workflows and managing travel with generative AI. They also provide insights for small firms and highlight how AI is making law more collaborative, efficient, and enjoyable.

Jul 8, 2025 • 34min
Training the Next Generation of Lawyers: How AI Is Redefining Legal Training
Discover how AI is reshaping legal education and the apprenticeship model. The hosts share innovative uses of AI, like custom GPTs for arbitration coaching and citation enhancements. They ponder the decline of traditional training methods and advocate for a structured approach to legal education. Key partnerships, like Harvey with LexisNexis, could signal a major shift in legal workflows. With a focus on accessibility and the future of training, this discussion highlights the opportunities and challenges AI presents in the legal field.

Jul 1, 2025 • 7min
A New Name, A New Era: Welcome to AI and the Future of Law
In Episode 27, hosts Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack kick off a new chapter with a fresh name — AI and the Future of Law — and a new presenting partnership with the Practising Law Institute (PLI), in collaboration with the American Arbitration Association. The rebrand reflects their evolving mission while keeping the heart of the podcast intact: accessible, thought-provoking insights on how AI is reshaping the legal profession.Listeners can expect the same candid co-host dialogue, plus a broader range of formats, including expert interviews. In this bite-sized bonus episode, Jen and Bridget celebrate the new launch and share personal “AI Aha!” moments — from ChatGPT-powered tick identification in Michigan to motivational coaching for long-distance runs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 24, 2025 • 40min
ChatGPT Gets an A+: What That Means for Law School, Workflows, and Your Everyday Life
What does it mean when AI outperforms law students? In this episode, Jen and Bridget explore a groundbreaking study showing that OpenAI’s latest model, O3, earned A+ grades on actual law school finals — outperforming top students in multiple subjects. But that’s just one part of the story.Episode Highlights(3:02) Bridget’s latest “AI Aha!” — using ChatGPT to design and facilitate a 300-person workshop in under 60 minutes(7:13) Jen’s latest “AI Aha!” — leveraging Deep Research to uncover funding leads and pitch differentiators for a nonprofit project(11:53) Meta’s $14.8 billion investment in Scale AI and the race for superintelligence(18:22) OpenAI’s new integrations with Gmail, Slack, and Asana — and what that means for legal workflows and privacy(23:02) A new study shows ChatGPT earning A+ grades on law school finals — prompting urgent questions about legal education, assessment, and what skills truly matterKey Questions We Explore:- Are traditional law exams still relevant?- How should law schools and employers adapt?- What new skills matter most in an AI-enabled legal future?#ChatGPT #LegalTech #FutureOfLaw #AIinEducation #OpenAI #MetaAI #LegalInnovation #2030VisionPodcastAI and the Future of Law is your essential podcast for understanding how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the legal industry. Hosted by Bridget McCormack and Jen Leonard, each episode delves into cutting-edge technologies, trends, and strategies, providing invaluable insights for legal professionals, tech enthusiasts, and anyone curious about the future of law. Join us as we navigate the evolving landscape of AI, empowering the legal community to thrive in an era of unprecedented innovation.Produced by Aaron Tran for the American Arbitration Association Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 10, 2025 • 47min
What Just Happened? Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, and the AI Firehose
Episode Highlights(03:27) Bridget’s AI Aha: Building “Bridget’s Second Brain” using ChatGPT and Microsoft tools(11:05) Jen’s AI Aha: AI itineraries, sci-fi style research, and nail polish via ChatGPT(17:30) What Just Happened: The firehose of announcements from Google I/O(24:28) Claude Opus 4 and the “grown, not built” philosophy at Anthropic(37:59) Microsoft’s AI plumbing: Connecting court systems and scaling impact(41:08) OpenAI & Jony Ive: Rethinking hardware for a world beyond screensEpisode DescriptionIs it possible to keep up with AI when the pace of innovation feels like a firehose? Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack recap an extraordinary week of AI announcements from Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, and Anthropic—and explain why every lawyer should be paying attention. From Claude Opus 4’s “grown, not built” philosophy to Sam Altman’s $6.5B play to redesign hardware with Jony Ive, the future of AI is arriving fast—and it's already changing how legal professionals work.Bridget shares how ChatGPT helped her build a personal “Second Brain” for organizing professional chaos, while Jen experiments with AI trip planning, voice-mode research, and on-the-go translation. They also dive into the generational shift in how engineers and researchers think about innovation—“We’ll solve for that”—and why the legal world needs to adopt that mindset.If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to explore AI tools, this is your wake-up call. Because the most important takeaway from this episode? You’re not too late. But you don’t want to fall further behind.Key TakeawaysGoogle isn’t just adding AI—they’re rebuilding their entire ecosystem around it. With Gemini integrated into search, docs, and even hardware, the tools lawyers already use are becoming AI-native by default.Claude Opus 4 Isn’t Just Smart—It’s Reflective: With its “grown, not built” mindset, Claude challenges how we understand AI. It’s not about perfect outputs—it’s about persistent, deep reasoning over time, something law needs but rarely builds for.Microsoft’s AI Infrastructure Fix: Microsoft’s announcements focused on data plumbing—connecting siloed systems in courts and governments. It may not be sexy, but it’s foundational for real change in justice delivery.OpenAI + Jony Ive = No More Screens?: With a $6.5B move to reimagine AI hardware, OpenAI is chasing the next interface revolution—wearables, voice-first tools, and frictionless access to intelligence, far beyond the browser.We’ll Solve for That” Is the Mindset Law Needs: Engineers assume problems are solvable. Lawyers assume problems are risks. That cultural mismatch is why the legal field lags in AI adoption—and what needs to change first.It’s Not Too Late. Catch Up Fast: The AI tools are here, and most people haven’t used them. Starting today puts you just weeks behind the front of the pack—not years. There’s still time to lead, not lag.KeywordsAI in law, OpenAI, Anthropic, Claude Opus 4, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini, Jony Ive, ChatGPT voice mode, legal innovation, legal tech, AI, court system integration, AI safety, AGI, future of work, AI strategy, innovation mindset2030 Vision: AI and the Future of Law is your essential podcast for understanding how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the legal industry. Hosted by Bridget McCormack and Jen Leonard, each episode delves into cutting-edge technologies, trends, and strategies, providing invaluable insights for legal professionals, tech enthusiasts, and anyone curious about the future of law. Join us as we navigate the evolving landscape of AI, empowering the legal community to thrive in an era of unprecedented innovation.Produced by Aaron Tran for the American Arbitration Association Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 27, 2025 • 38min
The UK Just Approved an AI-Only Law Firm. Is the U.S. Ready?
In this episode of 2030 Vision, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack explore OpenAI’s surprising executive reshuffle, Google's declining grip on search to the UK’s official authorization of Garfield Law, the first an AI-native law firm.Jen and Bridget analyze the implications of Garfield AI's regulatory approval, the practical limits of paraprofessional models in the U.S., and how agile regulation could unlock innovation while maintaining public trust. They also examine the concept of Jae Um’s "Bionic Boutiques", law firms that blend elite legal expertise with AI-powered agents and debate how this model could redefine leverage, value, and access to justice.They share personal insights on using AI to evaluate website quality and prepare for a live television interview, while reflecting on broader shifts in legal education, practice, and client service as the profession adapts to a world rapidly approaching AGI.Episode Highlights:(2:54) Bridget’s AI Aha! From foraging on the Appalachian Trail to prepping for live TV, Bridget shares how AI helped identify mushrooms and simulate interview feedback.(4:48) Jen’s AI Aha! Jen runs her website through Ogilvy’s marketing taxonomy—then gets ChatGPT to tailor it for legal audiences. Game-changer for law firm sites.(7:03) What Just Happened at OpenAI OpenAI appoints a second CEO. Are they splitting responsibilities ahead of AGI? And what does it mean for the future of applications?(12:38) Google’s Antitrust Trial & Search Decline Apple execs reveal Google Search usage is dropping—for the first time in 20 years. Is AI replacing traditional search?(15:58) Garfield AI: UK’s First AI-Only Law Firm Meet Garfield Law: approved by UK regulators to deliver legal services entirely through AI. What does this mean for U.S. regulation?(29:58) Bionic Boutiques & the Future of Legal Practice Jae Um’s bold predictions: $10K/hour partners, AI agents doing associate work, and billion-dollar firms with zero overhead. Are bionic boutiques the next big shift?Key Discussion Points:OpenAI's structural shakeup and the race toward AGIGoogle’s search engine under threat from AI tools like ChatGPT and PerplexityRegulatory differences between the U.S. and UK on legal AI toolsGarfield Law: The first AI-native law firm approved to practiceThe future of legal service delivery: Bionic boutiques and paraprofessionalsWhat legal education and junior roles might look like in an AI worldKeywords: AI in law, Garfield Law, OpenAI, AGI, regulation, bionic boutiques, legal tech, legal education, Google vs ChatGPT, access to justice, future of workAbout the Podcast: 2030 Vision: AI and the Future of Law is your essential guide to how artificial intelligence is transforming the legal profession. Hosted by Bridget McCormack and Jen Leonard, this podcast dives into cutting-edge AI technologies, their applications, and the trends shaping the future of law. Join us to stay informed, inspired, and prepared for the AI revolution.Produced by: Aaron Tran for the American Arbitration Association. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.