The Legalpreneurs Sandbox

The legal ecosystem is transforming but to what, for whom, where, why and how? Join us to learn about the next best practices and how legaltech is impacting your legal business. Learn from the people who are “walking the talk.” Hear what they are doing and what has driven them to do things differently for their clients, their people, their organisations and themselves and, how they measure and learn from success and failure. We’re going to get candid, super practical and yes, we’re going to get techy and legally innovative too!

Episode 203: Future 50 Series – Legal Innovation and Tech in 2024 – A year in review 12/16/2024

Episode 203: Future 50 Series – Legal Innovation and Tech in 2024 – A year in review We’re back for our sixth year and what a year it has been for legaltech, AI and innovation! If 2023 was the year to figure out what generative AI was all about, then 2024 was most definitely the year for pilots, experimentation, and strategies for data and AI. Well, that was how it went for some, but not everyone… In this, our annual year in review, we discussed what happened and where the dust settled in 2024 with , Partner and Chief Knowledge & Innovation Officer at and Co-chair of the ; , Head of Legal Technology and Client Services at and Host of CLI’s Legal Ops Clinic in 2024; and , CEO and Practice Leader at and member of the . We started this session by discussing the discernible shift in mindset during 2024 from questioning if the legal industry should engage with generative AI, to embracing it as well as understanding and learning how to manage its issues – we collectively reached a new level of AI maturity! As we dug deeper on impacts, we identified some key changes enabled by AI, particularly generative AI, to the business and practice of law this year, including: Non-negotiable “must haves” for the tech – easy to use, convenient, clearly identifiable benefits. New levels of tech engagement – GenAI creates a space where “personal life meets professional life” and consequently its uptake has been faster and at an unprecedented scale. Redefining collaboration – different partnerships, different interactions, different client engagements, emerging coalitions of competitors working and learning together, all focused on building a strong legal ecosystem that delivers on the potential, promises, and opportunities of generative AI but also knows how to manage its challenges. Redefining legal work - from conception to delivery and everything in between. Redefining value – what matters most, authenticity or efficiency and, are they the only choices? Where does pricing and billing by the hour fit into all of this? Redefining capabilities for practice – meeting people where they are so they can work out where they need to go together and individually. Redefining metrics – are we measuring impact or use or something else? Are metrics the same for this tech for all its uses? We need to know if the investment in the tech is moving us forward, or not, but it may be well into 2025 before we work this one out. Redefining employment and workforce – employees are now in search of digitally enabled employers and employers in search of digitally and data literate employees. Is going to a law firm or legal department that is not tech-enabled now a career-limiting move? What will that do to the legal workforce? Embracing capabilities where you find them, not where you expect them – making the tech available to everyone can result in an expansion of roles, new roles, and uncovering tech-related capabilities that enhance careers and your workforce where they may have otherwise remained hidden. Understanding that the pace and scale of change is now a constant and must be proactively managed. We need to understand the human consequence of this i.e., unparalleled change fatigue and the need to focus on human wellbeing more than ever before. And, Graeme demonstrated his interactive avatar too – we all want him to build us one! We wrapped with what will come next in 2025. Will ops teams lead the way? Will our humanity and creativity be best explored through play? Will a growing sophistication in how we use GenAI, especially by clients, reinvent the B2B, B2C and D2C markets? Thank you sooooo much Caryn, Graeme and Tessa – this is a session we look forward to every year and we’re certain you will too – don’t miss this one! If you would prefer to watch rather than listen to this podcast, you’ll find the video . About the Future 50 Series In the Future 50 Series, we’re chatting with legalpreneurs who, through their ideas and actions, are challenging and transforming legal BAU all around the world. If you would like to recommend people for this Series, please contact us at: . /episode/index/show/tlpsb/id/34478285

Episode 202: Future 50 Series - Breaking New Ground in Legal Education – Vanderbilt Law School’s AI Lab 11/26/2024

Episode 202: Future 50 Series - Breaking New Ground in Legal Education – Vanderbilt Law School’s AI Lab In this session, we spoke with , a Founding Co-Director of the (VAILL) and a Professor of the Practice of Law at the AIGP. Mark has come to AI via journalism, law, sometime in the political world and knowledge management. In many respects, his work now draws on that rich professional and personal life experience. Today, Mark is deeply immersed in working with and educating future generations of lawyers through the AI Law Lab. The Lab is a hands-on, multidisciplinary, experiential learning opportunity at (VLS). The VLS AI Law Lab is preparing law graduates for the next generation of legal practice and leadership. It’s modelling a different way of teaching and learning in partnership with industry - one that is comfortable with experimentation and supports students in understanding the tech, its limitations and opportunities, from the ground up. VLS’s has a long history in transformative legal education, especially in the tech/AI space. We chatted with Mark about that too i.e., what drives VLS’s leadership, mindset, and comfort with embracing new, different, and supporting their graduates to do that too…their secret sauce! We wrapped this conversation by discussing the broader impact of AI education in the legal industry - the importance of digital and data literacy and, if we have arrived, or still edging towards, a different type of legal practice. Don’t miss this spotlight, if you haven’t engaged with AI before now, this will be your catalyst to start your journey today! If you would prefer to watch rather than listen to this podcast, you’ll find the video . About the Future 50 Series In the Future 50 Series we’re chatting with legalpreneurs who, through their ideas and actions, are challenging and transforming legal BAU all around the world. If you would like to recommend people for this Series, please contact us at: . /episode/index/show/tlpsb/id/34152350

Episode 201: Legal GenAI Around the World: Africa + Middle East 07/23/2024

Episode 200: Future 50 Series – Innovator in Residence – A leap forward in legal AI from the Ontario Bar Association! 07/11/2024

Episode 200: Future 50 Series – Innovator in Residence – A leap forward in legal AI from the Ontario Bar Association! In this session, we spoke with , the (OBA) and the Principal of law firm coaching and consulting business. Colin has spent most of his career in the legal industry. He’s worked in publishing, consulting, and legaltech development just to name a few. In all that he has done, and it’s a lot, there’s been a consistent theme – he’s comfortable with challenging the status quo and doing things differently. He’s been named one of the “Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers” by Canadian Lawyer Magazine, a “Legal Rebel” by the ABA Journal and is a member of the Fastcase 50 class of legal innovators and visionaries. Colin’s amazing background both qualifies and recommends him for his role as Innovator in Residence at the OBA. It’s a unique role for legal member organisations. It was launched in 2018. Each innovator is appointed for 12 months and pursues a different focus area, always with a change agenda. Colin’s focus area could not be more topical…it’s legal AI. His action plan is ambitious, critical, timely and compelling. It comprises a multi-pronged approach to supporting the digital literacy of OBA’s members at scale. His work will impact the 16,000 lawyers OBA represents and influence many, many more. It includes tech demos, weekly information sessions, establishing an interactive learning platform and…he is just getting started! We spoke about all of this as well as the global and local context that led to Colin’s appointment i.e., how GenAI has become an enabler for significant change in the legal world; how the pace, depth and breadth of that change is reinventing legal practice; and how it is incumbent on us all to embrace that change. Don’t miss this spotlight, it’s going to excite and inspire you! If you would prefer to watch rather than listen to this podcast, you’ll find the video . About the Future 50 Series In the Future 50 Series we’re chatting with legalpreneurs who, through their ideas and actions, are challenging and transforming legal BAU all around the world. If you would like to recommend people for this Series, please contact us at: . /episode/index/show/tlpsb/id/32092522

Episode 199: Legal GenAI Around the World: Europe + UK 07/03/2024

Episode 198: Legal GenAI Around the World: USA 07/03/2024

Episode 197: Legal GenAI Around the World: Asia 04/16/2024

Episode 196: Legal GenAI Around the World: Australia + New Zealand 03/13/2024

Episode 195: Future 50 Series – Legal Innovation and Tech in 2023 – A year in review 12/14/2023

Episode 195: Future 50 Series – Legal Innovation and Tech in 2023 – A year in review This session has become an annual event for us and, this was a BIG year to review the world of legaltech, AI and innovation. So much has happened since ChatGPT exploded onto the market in November 2022. Its impact has been pervasive, even in an industry like legal which would not, in the past, have been described as agile. So, what changed in 2023? What stuck, what didn’t, and why? We welcomed back , Partner and Chief Knowledge & Innovation Officer at and Co-chair of the ; , Head of Legal Technology and Client Services at ; and , CEO and Practice Leader at , to discuss this and, we wrapped with a little crystal ball gazing into 2024 too! We started this session with identifying why GenAI has captured our attention, dominated every conference, meeting, and the media so completely. Then we moved into the nitty gritty of it all, identifying use cases, interrogating how tech stacks have changed, and how that is impacting the law firm business model (client relationships, billing, risk and value). And we spent a little time on the huge question around capabilities too – do we have them, what do they look like, and how we can bridge the gaps? There’s a lot going on in legal businesses right now, in all these areas, so we also explored how these businesses are strategising and planning for/in a market that is changing so rapidly and dramatically. That discussion took us to the next, how leaders/leadership are/is being reinvented for a new legal world, and that for many, this will involve a steep learning curve. We wrapped with what will come next, in the first month of 2024. While plans differed, one thing was certain, we all have to find the space to reflect, consider next steps, and find the calm in this AI storm. Thank you sooooo much Caryn, Graeme and Tessa – this is a session we look forward to every year and we’re certain you will too – don’t miss this one! If you would prefer to watch rather than listen to this podcast, you’ll find the video . About the Future 50 Series In the Future 50 Series we’re chatting with legalpreneurs who, through their ideas and actions, are challenging and transforming legal BAU all around the world. If you would like to recommend people for this Series, please contact us at: . /episode/index/show/tlpsb/id/29074633

Episode 194: Future 50 Series – What the future of AI holds for the legal industry 12/06/2023

Episode 194: Future 50 Series – What the future of AI holds for the legal industry In this session, we spoke with , the Founder and Director of legal industry-focused tech consultancy, ESPconnect and an Adjunct Professor (Industry) at UTS Faculty of Law. Beth’s career has the distinctive hallmark of being groundbreaking. The depth and breadth of her experience in tech and legaltech, in tech companies and law firms, as a consultant and educator, means she has a highly practical, global and unique perspective on where AI in the legal industry is going today. Our discussion began with context - placing generative AI in the broader AI continuum - and moved into its impact on the legal industry. We are all still experimenting (testing and investing) in every industry, legal included, and we should be because there are still major issues with the tech that need to be worked out. However, what was also clear from our chat is the need for us to engage with the tech NOW because it’s not going away, not ever! Senior management in law firms know this (as do our clients) and they’re driving the engagement with it, something that makes this tech journey different from others. What AI will we end up with at the end of this journey? Beth opines it will be a portfolio - a combination of enterprise-wide tech and point solutions, with commercial models driving the selection of what you use, for what and when. But, integration will also remain key; data governance critical; and capabilities to identify pain points, choose and use/apply fit-for-purpose tech increasingly part of every solution and BAU. The opportunities with AI in legal are plentiful for those who jump in – new roles, new responsibilities, new practice areas (or expanded), new revenue streams, increasingly refined LLMs that do more and do it better – it’s a brave old and new world which we will embrace with FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) or JOMO (Joy of Missing Out) – you’ll definitely want to listen to or watch this session to see where you fall on the continuum! If you would prefer to watch rather than listen to this podcast, you’ll find the video . Resources: Thomson Reuters Institute, Edge International, and ESPconnect: Thomson Reuters, The conference referred to it this session is CLI’s Legal Generative AI Summit 2023 (24 and 25 October) – you will find the video and podcast recordings . About the Future 50 Series In the Future 50 Series, we’re chatting with legalpreneurs who, through their ideas and actions, are challenging and transforming legal BAU all around the world. If you would like to recommend people for this Series, please contact us at: . /episode/index/show/tlpsb/id/28953948

Episode 193: Future 50 Series – Onit’s AI Center of Excellence 11/06/2023

Episode 192: Future 50 Series – Legal Leaders, Teams, Innovation and Collaboration 11/03/2023

Episode 191: The importance of being human in a legal AI world! 11/01/2023

Episode 190: Legal Generative AI in 2024… 10/30/2023

Episode 189: Legal Education Reinvented: No pens, no paper, no professors? 10/30/2023

Episode 188: Emerging Legal AI Roles – adding, subtracting, coming, going…and everything, everywhere in between! 10/30/2023

Episode 187: Experimentation – is it the next collaborative legal practice? 10/30/2023

Episode 186: Legal professional responsibility in the digital age – critical, outdated or redundant? 10/30/2023

Episode 185: Unlocking Justice: The potential and perils of generative AI in improving access to justice 10/30/2023

Episode 184: Law Unlimited: Welcome to the re-envisioned legal profession 10/26/2023

Episode 183: Can GenAI live up to its promise… and what is it promising now? 10/26/2023

Episode 182: Future 50 Series – Choosing your AI expert – What you need to know right now! 10/07/2023

Episode 182: Future 50 Series – Choosing your AI expert – What you need to know right now! It’s been almost a year since launched! For many of us, that opened the door to a new world – new concepts, new terms, confusion, frustration, exhilaration – a whole lot of stuff to understand, implement and manage. We needed guidance but the sort that shines a light on where to go and doesn’t require us to build the flashlight first. It takes a special combination of capabilities to do that, not everyone has them but determining who does, who doesn’t, and asking the right questions to engage the right person to assist can be hard, especially in new and emerging areas of expertise. Get the match right, and it can jump a legal business ahead in leaps and bounds. Get it wrong, and it will do the opposite but worse, create a culture of inertia that can last for years. We spoke with someone who knows all about that, , the Co-founder and Business Designer of and author of . Josh’s deep experience in the legal ecosystem most particularly in advising on, leading, and delivering legal services done differently, qualifies him as someone who knows what it takes to make a contemporary legal business work and who it takes to do that too. Josh’s work in the legal generative AI space is outstanding. He has combined his passion for tech, design, education, writing, and innovation with an entrepreneurial flare to produce a powerhouse of resources (check out ) - videos, blogs, newsletters, checklists - to help the legal world embrace generative AI. We spoke with Josh about one of his many projects, the – it’s like a mini-CV for your next AI presenter so you can be sure to engage someone who really knows their stuff. In so many ways it typifies the work Josh is doing in this space – pragmatic, thoughtful, insightful, user-friendly, cutting-edge, and ground breaking – we know you’re going to enjoy this conversation just as much as we did! If you would prefer to watch rather than listen to this podcast, you’ll find the video . About the Future 50 Series In the Future 50 Series we’re chatting with legalpreneurs who, through their ideas and actions, are challenging and transforming legal BAU all around the world. If you would like to recommend people for this Series, please contact us at: . /episode/index/show/tlpsb/id/28251176

Episode 181: Future 50 Series – The Lander & Rogers AI Clinical Placement Program 10/04/2023

Episode 180: Future 50 Series - Legal work done differently - Airlie 09/27/2023

Episode 180: Future 50 Series - Legal work done differently - Airlie Generative AI has changed the world of legal work forever! That’s a big statement but, we’re seeing proofs of concept daily in multiple services, products and solutions from all types of legal businesses. Those engaging with the tech are building the bridges from concept to implementation. It requires work and, in some cases, lots of it. It starts with getting everyone involved and, it won’t end, ever – that’s the exciting, exhausting and amazing part about it, this tech is very much about ongoing change, transformation and improvement/experimentation. In this session, in the Future 50 Series of the CLI Legalpreneurs Spotlight, we chatted with , Chief Innovation and Legal Solutions Officer at in Australia about all things emerging tech and how to implement it in a law firm. Lisa’s background in law and curiosity about how it intersects with tech, has turned into a passion, dedication, and practical approach to inspiring others to embrace it. We spoke about some of the important factors to consider in the tech implementation journey like the need for clear guidelines about how to use it; the benefits of encouraging everyone, everywhere to engage with it; the opportunity to showcase talent and outcomes using a multi-disciplinary team collaborative approach to solutions; making sure people feel empowered and excited about unlocking their creativity; then taking time to review and reflect on what to take forward. Lisa and her team have established a blueprint for change, transformation and continuous improvement/experimentation for the firm. It’s an inclusive measured approach, founded on a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities of tech but, at the same time, focussed squarely on next practices and creating a “new digital front door” for their clients. , Allens recently launched enterprise version of OpenAI's ChatGPT developed with Microsoft and built on Microsoft's Azure platform, is a recent case in point that we spoke about, and we’re sure it definitely won’t be the last! If you would prefer to watch rather than listen to this podcast, you’ll find the video . About the Future 50 Series In the Future 50 Series we’re chatting with legalpreneurs who, through their ideas and actions, are challenging and transforming legal BAU all around the world. If you would like to recommend people for this Series, please contact us at: . /episode/index/show/tlpsb/id/28154138

Episode 179: Future 50 Series - Legal education for generation AI 09/14/2023

Episode 178: Driving your business forward with Microsoft Copilot 08/29/2023

Episode 177: AI and Ethics in Legal Practice - What you need to know now! 08/10/2023

Episode 176: Generative AI and Your Firm's Strategy and Business Model 08/04/2023

Episode 175: ChatGPT Prompt Engineering for Legal - Tips and Traps 07/23/2023

Episode 174: Generative AI, ChatGPT and IP Rights 07/22/2023

The Legalpreneurs Sandbox

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