LawDroid Manifesto Podcast

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

Join host Tom Martin for an eye-opening conversation with Natalie Ann Knowlton, Associate Director of Legal Innovation at Stanford Center on the Legal Profession. Discover how regulatory reform is revolutionizing access to justice beyond traditional low-income models.Natalie shares her journey from genocide studies to becoming an unapologetic advocate for legal system reform, including her groundbreaking research on Utah's regulatory sandbox and Arizona's entity regulation. Learn why middle-income Americans also struggle with legal access and how innovative regulatory approaches are creating solutions with minimal consumer harm.This episode reveals the data-driven case for legal innovation and challenges fundamental assumptions about who needs help accessing justice. Essential listening for anyone interested in the future of legal services and regulatory reform.Explore more legal innovation insights and join our community of forward-thinking legal professionals 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 Tom Martin as he interviews Thomas Officer, co-founder of Echo AI voice notes app and former legal tech entrepreneur. Thomas shares his remarkable journey from studying law at the University of Edinburgh to building Community Lawyer (acquired by NetDocuments) and ultimately creating innovative AI tools that enhance human creativity. Discover how personal frustrations become breakthrough products, the importance of user research in product development, and why maintaining momentum matters in entrepreneurship. Thomas reveals his philosophy of AI as assistant rather than replacement, offering valuable insights for legal professionals navigating the intersection of law, technology, and innovation. Essential listening for forward-thinking legal rebels. Learn more at www.lawdroidmanifesto.comCheck out Echo at echonotes.ai 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 Cat Casey, Chief Growth Officer at Reveal and the beloved "TechnoCat" of the legal industry. Cat shares her remarkable transformation from studying existential philosophy to becoming one of the most trusted voices in legal AI.In this episode, discover how Cat built her authentic personal brand from scratch, overcame introversion, and found her calling helping legal professionals embrace AI without fear. She reveals why your legal training gives you a natural advantage with AI technology and provides practical advice for getting started with AI tools today.Cat's journey proves that authenticity, consistency, and genuine desire to help others can transform both your career and an entire industry's approach to technology adoption. Her insights on building AI literacy through everyday use cases offer a concrete pathway for legal professionals ready to thrive in the AI era.For more insights on legal innovation and exclusive content from industry leaders like Cat Casey, visit lawdroidmanifesto.com to explore our community resources and premium 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