LawDroid Manifesto Podcast

Bradley Collins transformed from working on a building site to creating Legal Tech Talk, which grew to 3,100 attendees in just two years. His outsider's perspective on legal innovation offers powerful insights for anyone building something new or driving change. Bradley shares how he convinced global managing partners, chief legal officers, and tech founders to take a chance on a completely new event, why storytelling matters more than numbers, and how the legal industry's pattern of "no firm wants to be first, but nobody wants to be last" shapes adoption. Learn the mindset shifts that enabled extraordinary growth and discover why focusing on positive impact creates sustainable success.For more episodes and insights on legal innovation, visit www.lawdroidmanifesto.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lawdroidmanifesto.com/subscribe

Join Tom Martin as he interviews Jordan Couch, partner at Palace Law, about Washington State's groundbreaking entity-based licensing pilot program. After seven years of regulatory reform work, Jordan reveals how persistence and collaboration transformed an outdated UPL framework into an experimental system that invites innovation. Learn why 85% of people with legal needs go unserved, how Baumol's cost disease explains why legal services cost more while lawyers earn less, and why regulatory innovation represents opportunity rather than threat. Discover practical insights on access to justice, the economics of legal services, and what happens when passion drives meaningful systemic change. Visit lawdroidmanifesto.com for more episodes and exclusive content. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lawdroidmanifesto.com/subscribe

Tina Austin, AI ethics advocate and educator at USC and UCLA, shares her innovative approach to teaching critical AI literacy across universities. From her journey through biomedical research to developing the groundbreaking "Unblooms" methodology, Tina demonstrates how educators can prepare students for an AI-enhanced future. Featuring insights on AI bias detection, protein language models, and concerning trends like student AI companionship, this episode reveals how critical evaluation skills matter more than technical knowledge. Discover actionable strategies for responsible AI education and why teaching students to evaluate rather than just use AI creates better prepared professionals. Essential listening for educators and professionals navigating technological change. Learn more at www.lawdroidmanifesto.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lawdroidmanifesto.com/subscribe

Dan Lear's unconventional journey from a family of lawyers to VP of Partnerships at InfoTrack reveals the courage required to abandon traditional legal practice for meaningful innovation. In this compelling conversation, Dan shares how his experience at Microsoft, community building in Seattle, and pivotal role at Avvo shaped his perspective on legal technology leadership. He introduces his concept of a law degree as both "map and floor" - security you willingly abandon to chart your own course. Learn how authentic networking, gradual skill building, and staying true to your values can lead to transformative career opportunities. Discover more insights at www.lawdroidmanifesto.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lawdroidmanifesto.com/subscribe

Join LawDroid CEO Tom Martin as he interviews Ed Walters, Chief Strategy Officer at VLEX and co-founder of Fastcase, about building one of legal tech's most successful companies. From growing up in poverty to serving in the White House speechwriting office to co-founding a platform that serves 1.2 million lawyers, Ed's journey demonstrates how mission-driven entrepreneurship can democratize access to justice. Learn about bootstrapping through the dot-com crash, the power of state bar partnerships, and the strategic VLEX merger that created a global AI powerhouse with Vincent AI. Discover insights on building sustainable legal tech companies at www.lawdroidmanifesto.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lawdroidmanifesto.com/subscribe

Join me as I interview Sam Glover, clinical fellow at Suffolk Law's Legal Innovation Technology Lab and co-founder of Lawyerist, whose journey from State Department childhood to building digital infrastructure demonstrates the power of open-source thinking in legal services.Sam shares his unique perspective on creating sustainable change in the legal profession through the Document Assembly Line Project, which has evolved from pandemic response to reliable infrastructure that courts and legal aid organizations depend on. His philosophy of "building bridges for people to march over" rather than seeking recognition offers valuable insights for anyone interested in systematic access to justice solutions.Discover how questioning conventional wisdom, embracing open-source principles, and focusing on infrastructure over heroics can create lasting impact. Sam's approach shows how thoughtful technology development can democratize legal services and help thousands navigate the court system more effectively.For more insights and to join our community of legal innovators, visit www.lawdroidmanifesto.com where we explore how technology can transform legal practice for the better. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lawdroidmanifesto.com/subscribe

Join host Tom Martin for an eye-opening conversation with Damien Reel, vLEX solutions champion and legal polymath whose groundbreaking work spans AI, data interoperability, and music copyright law. From small-town North Dakota to federal judicial clerkships and BigLaw litigation, Damien's journey led him to create the Sally data standardization project and copyright 471 billion melodies to protect artists from frivolous lawsuits. Discover how AI can address the 92% of unmet legal needs, why data interoperability matters, and how combining technical expertise with legal knowledge creates opportunities to democratize access to justice. Essential listening for forward-thinking legal professionals at lawdroidmanifesto.com. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lawdroidmanifesto.com/subscribe

Dr. Megan Ma, founding executive director of Stanford's Lift Lab, shares her journey from childhood language fascination to leading groundbreaking legal AI research. From inventing her own dialects as a trilingual child in Toronto to developing empirical benchmarks that compare human lawyers to AI tools, Megan reveals how her work is shaping the future of legal practice and education. She discusses her TurboTax analogy for legal AI adoption, insights from comparing associates to AI using senior partner evaluations, and her vision for simulation-based legal training. Essential listening for understanding how AI will enhance rather than replace lawyer expertise. Learn more at www.lawdroidmanifesto.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lawdroidmanifesto.com/subscribe

John Greiner, founder of Just Tech, shares his three-decade journey from legal services attorney to technology innovator revolutionizing nonprofit legal aid. From growing up in Manhattan to becoming CIO at the nation's largest civil legal services provider, John reveals how thoughtful technology implementation can multiply impact while preserving essential human connections. He discusses the cultural barriers to innovation in legal services, the critical balance between risk management and progress when serving vulnerable populations, and why the struggle for justice requires both technical expertise and deep understanding of organizational change. Essential listening for anyone interested in technology's role in expanding access to justice. Learn more at www.lawdroidmanifesto.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lawdroidmanifesto.com/subscribe

Richard Granat, CEO of Law Media Labs, shares his extraordinary journey from 1960s civil rights activism to becoming legal technology's most influential pioneer. From helping create the nation's legal services program to founding mylawyer.com and DirectLaw, Richard has spent decades democratizing access to justice through innovative technology. In this candid conversation, he reveals his unique business philosophy of "making money while you sleep," discusses his predictions about AI's disruptive impact on legal practice, and explains why sustainable legal tech companies must serve the underserved. Discover insights from a true trailblazer who chose purpose over pure profit. Visit www.lawdroidmanifesto.com for exclusive content. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lawdroidmanifesto.com/subscribe