AI and the Future of Law
- Folgen
- 63
- Erscheint
- alle zwei Wochen
- Letzte Folge
- 3. Nov. 2026
Über den Podcast
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.
AI and the Future of Law is hosted by Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack. A Creative Lawyers Podcast, sponsored by Clio.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Folgen 63
AI Adoption in Law Firms: What Actually Works with Norah Olson Bluvshtein
AI adoption involves more than choosing the right technology. But what does it take to make AI useful in the day-to-day work of a law firm?In this episode of AI and the Future of Law, Jen Leonard and Bridget …
Shownotes
AI adoption involves more than choosing the right technology. But what does it take to make AI useful in the day-to-day work of a law firm?
In this episode of AI and the Future of Law, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack welcome Norah Olson Bluvshtein, Chief AI and Legal Operations Officer at Fredrikson & Byron, to explore the opportunities and challenges of implementing AI at a midsize law firm.
From managing change and investing in the right people to developing junior lawyers and preserving legal judgment, Norah shares lessons from Fredrikson's approach to AI adoption and why successful implementation depends on more than software.
Key Discussion Points- The advantages and challenges of AI adoption at midsize law firms
- Why AI investment requires more than technology and training
- Change management and meeting lawyers where they are
- The future of junior lawyer development and mentorship
- Why temperament, experience, and leadership matter in AI adoption
AI and the Future of Law is hosted by Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack. A Creative Lawyers Podcast.
https://www.aiandthefutureoflaw.com/
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AI Agents Are Reshaping Legal Work: What Lawyers Need to Know
AI agents are moving beyond answering questions to taking action. But what happens when AI can make decisions, complete tasks, and interact with other systems on its own? And what does that mean for lawyers?In …
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AI agents are moving beyond answering questions to taking action. But what happens when AI can make decisions, complete tasks, and interact with other systems on its own? And what does that mean for lawyers?
In this episode of AI and the Future of Law, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack explore the rise of agentic AI and its implications for legal practice. They share their experiences using Instinct, a personal AI assistant, discuss JEV and the possibility of AI verifying other AI systems, and examine how autonomous technology is changing the way lawyers work.
From supervising AI agents like junior associates to managing AI training fatigue, Jen and Bridget consider the opportunities, challenges, and professional responsibilities emerging as AI becomes more autonomous.
Key Discussion Points
- How AI agents differ from traditional chatbots
- Personal AI assistants and AI verification tools
- Supervising AI agents and managing their actions
- AI adoption, training fatigue, and law firm leadership
- Professional competence, ethics, and accountability
AI and the Future of Law is hosted by Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack. A Creative Lawyers Podcast.
https://www.aiandthefutureoflaw.com/
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AI Agents Broke Out. What the Hugging Face Incident Means for Lawyers
Season 4 of AI and the Future of Law begins with one of the most unsettling AI stories of the year: the Hugging Face incident, involving reports that OpenAI agents escaped a training sandbox, coordinated with …
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Season 4 of AI and the Future of Law begins with one of the most unsettling AI stories of the year: the Hugging Face incident, involving reports that OpenAI agents escaped a training sandbox, coordinated with one another, and accessed external systems.
In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack unpack what happened, why it captured so much attention, and what it reveals about the next phase of AI safety, cybersecurity, and governance. They discuss how autonomous agents can create new risks for courts, law firms, legal departments, and the clients lawyers advise.
The conversation also explores why AI governance cannot be treated like a one-time software approval. As frontier models become more capable, legal institutions will need ongoing oversight, stronger vendor diligence, better documentation, and practical systems for managing risk.
Key Discussion Points- The Hugging Face incident and why it matters
- Autonomous AI agents and cyber risk
- AI governance beyond one-time approval
- What courts and law firms should be watching
- Vendor diligence, documentation, and accountability
- Why lawyers have a role in shaping AI oversight
AI and the Future of Law is hosted by Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack. A Creative Lawyers Podcast.
https://www.aiandthefutureoflaw.com/
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Season 3 in Review: What AI Is Changing About the Future of Law
Season 3 of AI and the Future of Law explored a legal profession moving quickly from AI experimentation to real transformation.In this special recap episode, we revisit some of the season’s most memorable …
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Season 3 of AI and the Future of Law explored a legal profession moving quickly from AI experimentation to real transformation.
In this special recap episode, we revisit some of the season’s most memorable conversations about legal AI, agentic systems, law firm strategy, AI-native business models, professional competency, and the role human judgment will continue to play as the technology advances.
Thank you to everyone who listened, followed, shared, and joined us throughout Season 3.
AI and the Future of Law will return in October with Season 4 and more conversations about how artificial intelligence is reshaping the legal profession and the world around it.
Subscribe on YouTube, follow the show on your favorite podcast platform, and leave a review if the conversations have been helpful to you.
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How Judges Can Use AI Without Losing Human Judgment with Justice Jerod Tufte
How can judges use AI without delegating the human judgment at the center of their role?In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack are joined by Justice Jerod Tufte of the North Dakota Supreme Court for …
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How can judges use AI without delegating the human judgment at the center of their role?
In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack are joined by Justice Jerod Tufte of the North Dakota Supreme Court for a conversation about AI, judicial workflows, public legal data, access to justice, and the future of courts.
In this episode:
- How judges can use AI while preserving human judgment
- Why AI should support, not decide, judicial work
- How AI can assist with records, citations, and bench memos
- Why courts need guardrails for AI use
- How AI may increase litigation volume
- Why public law should be accessible and AI-ready
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Kirkland’s $500 Million AI Bet and the Future of Junior Lawyers
What does Kirkland & Ellis’ $500 million AI bet mean for Big Law — and for junior lawyers?In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack discuss Kirkland’s reported investment in building its own …
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What does Kirkland & Ellis’ $500 million AI bet mean for Big Law — and for junior lawyers?
In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack discuss Kirkland’s reported investment in building its own proprietary AI platform and what it signals about the legal industry’s shift from AI adoption to AI building. They explain why Kirkland’s strategy may make sense for Kirkland, but why other firms should be careful not to copy it without considering their own strengths, clients, culture, and market position.
Jen and Bridget also explore growing concerns about junior attorney development as AI takes on more entry-level legal work. If junior lawyers are no longer learning through the same kinds of assignments, how will firms help them build judgment, confidence, and expertise? And what new training models might emerge?
The episode also includes an AI Aha! segment on practical AI use cases in everyday life and a What Just Happened discussion on Anthropic, model risk, and emerging government oversight of frontier AI systems.
In this episode:
- Kirkland’s $500 million AI announcement
- Big Law’s shift from AI adoption to AI building
- Why AI strategy should match firm strategy
- What AI means for junior associate development
- Why learning by doing does not happen automatically
- How firms might rethink legal training
- What Anthropic’s model-risk episode means for lawyers and clients
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What Does It Mean to Be an AI-Ready Lawyer? Farrah Pepper and Kirsten Talmage on AI Competency
What does it mean to be an AI-ready lawyer?In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack are joined by Farrah Pepper, legal innovation partner at Harvey, and Kirsten Talmage, chief strategy officer at …
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What does it mean to be an AI-ready lawyer?
In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack are joined by Farrah Pepper, legal innovation partner at Harvey, and Kirsten Talmage, chief strategy officer at Practising Law Institute, to discuss The AI-Ready Lawyer: A Competency Framework for the AI Era.
Farrah and Kirsten explain why the legal profession needs a shared language for AI competency, how the framework can help law firms, legal departments, law schools, and individual lawyers, and why AI training should focus on durable professional skills rather than any single tool. The conversation also explores new legal career paths, the importance of oversight and judgment, and how organizations can use the framework to assess training gaps and build AI fluency responsibly.
In this episode:
- What it means to be an AI-ready lawyer
- Why the legal profession needs a shared AI competency framework
- How AI fluency differs from tool-specific training
- Why human judgment, oversight, and ethics remain central
- How firms and legal departments can use the framework
- Why smaller teams may benefit from AI training even more
- How law students can assess AI readiness in schools and employers
Learn more about PLI’s AI-Ready Lawyer framework:
[PLI AI-Ready Lawyer Framework]
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What Is an AI-Native Law Firm? John Nay on Norm AI and Norm Law
What is an AI-native law firm?In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack are joined by John Nay, founder and CEO of Norm AI and Norm Law, for a conversation about agentic law, AI-native legal services …
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What is an AI-native law firm?
In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack are joined by John Nay, founder and CEO of Norm AI and Norm Law, for a conversation about agentic law, AI-native legal services, and what it means to build legal work around agents rather than copilots.
John explains how legal and regulatory reasoning can be embedded into AI agents, allowing them to perform first-pass work, learn from prior matters, and create compounding value over time. The conversation also explores how Norm Law combines attorneys, legal engineers, software engineers, and AI engineers; why client-specific knowledge can become persistent; and how outcome-based pricing may change the business model of legal services.
The episode also examines client trust, human supervision, experienced legal talent, and the Legal AGI Lab’s research into how AI agents may be evaluated, benchmarked, and governed by law.
Learn more about the Legal AGI Lab: https://lab.norm.ai
In this episode:
- What agentic law means
- How AI agents differ from copilots
- What an AI-native law firm looks like
- The role of legal engineers and AI engineers
- Outcome-based pricing and client trust
- Human supervision in AI-native legal work
- Legal AGI and the governance of AI agents
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How AI Is Reshaping In-House Legal Teams with Nick Fleisher
How is AI changing the work of in-house legal teams?In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack are joined by Nick Fleisher, co-founder and CEO of Sandstone, an AI-native platform built specifically for …
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How is AI changing the work of in-house legal teams?
In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack are joined by Nick Fleisher, co-founder and CEO of Sandstone, an AI-native platform built specifically for in-house legal teams. Nick discusses how AI is transforming legal operations by helping legal departments manage intake, triage work, connect business context, and move from reactive service providers to proactive strategic partners.
The conversation explores why successful legal AI depends on data and context rather than simply deploying another chatbot, how AI systems can learn legal judgment over time, what lawyers should automate first, and why human oversight remains essential as agentic workflows become more common. Nick also shares why corporate legal departments are under increasing pressure as AI accelerates work across the business, and what that means for the future of legal teams.
In this episode:
- Why in-house legal teams are adopting AI differently than law firms
- Building AI-native legal infrastructure
- Why legal AI is fundamentally a data and context problem
- How AI can help legal teams become more proactive
- What AI can—and can't—learn from lawyers
- Understanding agentic workflows and human oversight
- Why implementation is the key to successful AI adoption
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Can Law Firms Redesign Themselves for AI? Jen Leonard on Unprecedented
Can law firms redesign themselves for a world shaped by generative AI?In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack are joined by Sharon Crane, president of Practising Law Institute, for a conversation …
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Can law firms redesign themselves for a world shaped by generative AI?
In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack are joined by Sharon Crane, president of Practising Law Institute, for a conversation about Jen’s new book, Unprecedented: Designing a Human-Centered Law Firm When Everything Is Changing. Together, they explore why law firm transformation is difficult, how storytelling can make change feel more accessible, and why collaboration, human-centered design, and practical experimentation matter in the AI era.
The conversation also covers PLI’s AI competency framework, the value of business fables, the history of the Cravath system and the billable hour, how Jen used AI as a writing partner, and what the future of junior lawyer training might look like.
Learn more about Unprecedented: Designing a Human-Centered Law Firm When Everything Is Changing:
In this episode:
- Why law firm change requires human buy-in
- How storytelling can make transformation more usable
- Why the current legal business model is not inevitable
- How AI can act as a co-intelligence, not a shortcut
- What junior lawyer training might look like in the AI era
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Is Legal Tech in a Bubble? Nikki Shaver on AI Strategy and Legal Tech Growth
The legal tech market is growing fast—but is it a bubble, or the beginning of a new era for legal services?In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack are joined by Nikki Shaver, co-founder and CEO of …
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The legal tech market is growing fast—but is it a bubble, or the beginning of a new era for legal services?
In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack are joined by Nikki Shaver, co-founder and CEO of Legaltech Hub, to discuss how AI is reshaping law firm strategy, pricing, technology selection, and competition. Nikki explains why firms are moving beyond efficiency as the main measure of AI value, how AI-native firms may challenge incumbents, and why agentic AI creates new governance and security questions for legal organizations.
In this episode:
- How legal tech adoption has shifted since ChatGPT
- Why AI value is moving from efficiency to quality
- What AI-native firms mean for incumbent law firms
- How law firms should evaluate legal tech startups
- Why agentic AI raises new governance risks
- What Nikki expects next for the legal tech market
Keywords:
legal tech, legal technology, AI in law, legal AI, law firm strategy, Nikki Shaver, Legaltech Hub, agentic AI, AI-native firms, law firm innovation, legal innovation, GenAI, legal tech bubble, future of law
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What Happens When AI Agents Make Contracts? Bridget McCormack on LCP
What happens when AI agents start making contracts with other AI agents?In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack explore Legal Context Protocol, or LCP, a new open protocol designed to help legal …
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What happens when AI agents start making contracts with other AI agents?
In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack explore Legal Context Protocol, or LCP, a new open protocol designed to help legal terms become discoverable, verifiable, and connected to agentic transactions. Bridget explains why existing e-commerce legal infrastructure may not translate cleanly to a world where machines negotiate, accept terms, and complete transactions on behalf of people and businesses.
In this episode:
- What Legal Context Protocol is designed to solve
- Why agentic commerce creates new contract and ratification issues
- How legal terms can become discoverable, verifiable, and connected to transactions
- Why AI risk and legal-context risk should be separated
- What general counsel and law firm partners should do now
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Can AI Make Lawyers Better? Daniel Schwarcz on AI and Human Legal Reasoning
Can AI help lawyers learn—or does it weaken the skills legal training is meant to build?In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack are joined by Daniel Schwarcz, Fredrikson & Byron Professor of Law at …
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Can AI help lawyers learn—or does it weaken the skills legal training is meant to build?
In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack are joined by Daniel Schwarcz, Fredrikson & Byron Professor of Law at the University of Minnesota Law School, to discuss new empirical research on artificial intelligence and human legal reasoning. Daniel explains a randomized control trial studying how law students used AI to synthesize legal materials, apply legal rules, and revise legal analysis—and why some results surprised even the researchers.
In this episode:
- Why legal training may prepare lawyers to use AI well
- What the University of Minnesota study tested about AI and legal reasoning
- Why AI-assisted students performed better than expected
- The risks of using AI for revision under time pressure
- What law schools and law firms should take away from the research
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The Am Law 100 Power Rankings: What’s Changing in Big Law with Jae Um
The latest Am Law 100 power rankings reveal a legal industry undergoing rapid transformation—driven by shifting demand, intensifying competition, and the growing influence of AI. In this episode, Jen Leonard …
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The latest Am Law 100 power rankings reveal a legal industry undergoing rapid transformation—driven by shifting demand, intensifying competition, and the growing influence of AI. In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack are joined by legal industry analyst Jae Um to break down what’s changing in Big Law. They explore the rise of “apex predator” firms, widening performance gaps, evolving AI strategies, and early signs of client-side disruption.
In this episode:
- Am Law 100 power rankings and market concentration
- The rise of “apex predator” firms
- AI strategy and firm-level competition
- Shifting client demand and pricing pressure
- The future structure of Big Law
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Jason Barnwell on AI Agents, Contract Lifecycle Management, and the Future of Legal Work
Artificial intelligence is moving beyond tools and into systems—reshaping how legal work is performed and delivered.In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack speak with Jason Barnwell, Chief Legal …
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Artificial intelligence is moving beyond tools and into systems—reshaping how legal work is performed and delivered.
In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack speak with Jason Barnwell, Chief Legal Officer at Agiloft, about the rise of AI agents, contract lifecycle management, and what these shifts mean for legal practice.
They explore how some professionals are able to extract exponentially more value from AI than others, the growing importance of structuring legal knowledge into reusable protocols, and how contract data is becoming a strategic asset inside organizations. The conversation also examines shifting incentives, emerging career paths, and how legal education and training may need to evolve in response.
Topics discussed include:
- AI agents and the shift from tools to systems
- Why some professionals get exponentially more value from AI
- Contract lifecycle management and the rise of contract data as infrastructure
- The changing role of lawyers from executors to system architects
- Legal education, training models, and new career pathways
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Did AI Just Practice Law? The OpenAI Lawsuit + Legalweek 2026
Artificial intelligence is beginning to test the boundaries of legal practice itself.In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack examine Nippon Life v. OpenAI, a lawsuit alleging that a chatbot engaged …
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Artificial intelligence is beginning to test the boundaries of legal practice itself.
In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack examine Nippon Life v. OpenAI, a lawsuit alleging that a chatbot engaged in the unauthorized practice of law by generating legal advice, drafting filings, and influencing litigation strategy. The case raises foundational questions about liability, regulation, and whether existing legal frameworks can meaningfully apply to AI systems.
They also explore practical AI use cases and key takeaways from Legalweek 2026, including rising pressure to demonstrate ROI, rapid enterprise adoption, and the shift toward more advanced systems.
Topics discussed include:
- The facts and legal theories in Nippon Life v. OpenAI
- Unauthorized practice of law vs. product liability frameworks
- The limits of regulating AI through court decisions
- Legalweek 2026: ROI pressure and adoption trends
- Practical AI workflows using Claude Co-Work
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How AI Is Changing Contract Law with Dave Hoffman
Artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape one of the most foundational areas of legal practice: contract law.In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack are joined by Professor Dave Hoffman …
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Artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape one of the most foundational areas of legal practice: contract law.
In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack are joined by Professor Dave Hoffman (University of Pennsylvania Law School) to explore how tools like Claude are influencing contract interpretation, legal research, and legal education. They discuss how AI can help judges interpret ambiguous language, what it means for the value of transactional lawyers, and why defining an “AI-ready” lawyer is harder than it sounds.
Topics Discussed
- Using Claude to analyze law journals’ AI policies at scale
- How AI can support judges in interpreting contract language
- The changing value of transactional lawyers in an AI-driven world
- How legal education is adapting to rapid technological change
- Rethinking legal judgment, training, and professional value
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AI Recording Tools and Attorney-Client Privilege in the Age of AI
AI recording tools can make lawyers more efficient—but what are the risks to confidentiality?In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack examine how AI recording tools intersect with attorney–client …
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AI recording tools can make lawyers more efficient—but what are the risks to confidentiality?
In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack examine how AI recording tools intersect with attorney–client privilege, professional responsibility rules, and the evolving skill demands of an AI-driven workforce.
Topics discussed include:
- How AI recording platforms may introduce third-party privilege risks
- State consent laws and the ethical limits of secret recording
- New York Bar Formal Opinion 2025-6 and deceptive practices
- Whether recording changes how clients communicate with their lawyers
- The risk of AI-generated summaries misinterpreting legal nuance
- A risk-based framework for deciding when (and when not) to record
- New Wharton–Accenture research on how AI is reshaping job skills and compensation
AI tools can improve legal work—but only when lawyers understand the boundaries that protect trust, competence, and confidentiality.
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AI Agents and the Widening Divide in Legal with Zach Abramowitz
As the legal profession enters 2026, the conversation about AI is shifting. It is no longer about awareness or early adoption. It is about measurable impact.In this episode of AI and the Future of Law, Jen …
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As the legal profession enters 2026, the conversation about AI is shifting. It is no longer about awareness or early adoption. It is about measurable impact.
In this episode of AI and the Future of Law, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack are joined by Zach Abramowitz for a legal market check-in on AI agents, ROI, competitive pressure, and the widening divide between AI superusers and skeptics.
They discuss:
- The shift from AI assistants to AI agents
- Why 2026 is about measuring ROI, not experimentation
- The rise of AI-first firms and competitive pressure on traditional models
- Venture capital, private equity, and renewed conversations about external ownership
- The growing mindset divide within the profession
AI is no longer a side experiment in legal. It is becoming embedded in strategy, pricing, and firm structure.
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Claude Code, Vibe Coding, and Creative Lawyers at Work
What happens when lawyers stop waiting for permission and start building with AI? Jen and Bridget explore the rise of creative associates and what tools like Claude Code reveal about the future of legal work …
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What happens when lawyers stop waiting for permission and start building with AI? Jen and Bridget explore the rise of creative associates and what tools like Claude Code reveal about the future of legal work. From agentic AI systems that refactor how coding gets done to junior lawyers who “vibe-code” solutions to everyday firm problems, this conversation looks at how innovation is increasingly bottom-up in law firms.
Topics covered include:
- Claude Code and agentic AI for knowledge work
- Why creative associates are driving real change
- Vibe coding and lowering the barrier to innovation
- Cultural shifts law firms need to support experimentation
- What this means for junior lawyers and legal training
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Should Lawyers Trust AI? Inside Harvey and the Future of Legal Work
Can lawyers really trust AI—and what does “trust” mean in modern legal practice?In this episode of AI and the Future of Law, hosts Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack are joined by Gabe Pereyra, President and …
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Can lawyers really trust AI—and what does “trust” mean in modern legal practice?
In this episode of AI and the Future of Law, hosts Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack are joined by Gabe Pereyra, President and Co-Founder of Harvey AI, to explore how generative AI is moving from a productivity tool to core infrastructure for law firms.
Gabe explains how leading firms are deploying AI at scale, why hallucinations are no longer the central concern, and how governance, auditability, and human-in-the-loop systems shape real trust in legal AI. The conversation also dives into the future of the billable hour, lawyer training, and why AI is best understood as leverage—not labor replacement.
In this episode:
- When lawyers will trust AI systems
- Human-in-the-loop governance and supervision
- AI as law firm infrastructure, not just software
- Why the billable hour isn’t disappearing
- Training lawyers faster in an AI-first era
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Private Equity and the Future of Law Firms: Investing in AI
Private equity interest in U.S. law firms is accelerating, and AI is a major reason why. In this Season 3 kickoff, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack explore how ethics rules collide with the capital demands of …
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Private equity interest in U.S. law firms is accelerating, and AI is a major reason why. In this Season 3 kickoff, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack explore how ethics rules collide with the capital demands of AI, and why the real story isn’t short-term profits but long-term investment in legal infrastructure. They unpack Rule 5.4, the rise of the MSO model as a workaround for outside investment, and what “ownership” really means when control over data, technology, and professional judgment is at stake.
The conversation also examines emerging judicial approaches to AI disclosure and what they signal for competence, evidence, and governance as AI becomes foundational to legal practice.
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Predictions for 2026 in AI and the Law
What will AI actually change in law by 2026—and how should firms, courts, and legal institutions prepare? In this season two finale of AI and the Future of Law, hosts Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack step back …
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What will AI actually change in law by 2026—and how should firms, courts, and legal institutions prepare? In this season two finale of AI and the Future of Law, hosts Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack step back from the hype cycle to offer grounded, practical predictions about the next few years.
They explore Google’s Gemini 3 and the shift from chatbots to agentic systems, the “platformization” of legal services driven by MSOs, ALSPs, and private equity, and the new talent demands this creates inside law firms. Along the way, they introduce ideas like AI legal twins, AI co-mediators, and opt-in court pilots for low-stakes disputes—and ask what leaders across the justice system should be planning for now.
Topics Covered:
- How Gemini 3 and agentic AI systems move beyond simple chatbots
- Why private equity, MSOs, and ALSPs may “platformize” legal services
- The new talent equation: from 1Ls to AI leaders in the C-suite
- Provocative ideas like AI legal twins and AI co-mediators
- How courts might experiment with opt-in AI pilots for low-stakes cases
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Building AI Tools for All: Closing the Justice Gap with Sateesh Nori & Tom Martin
How can AI expand access to justice for the millions who can’t afford a lawyer? In this episode, hosts Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack speak with Sateesh Nori and Tom Martin about AI tools reshaping legal …
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How can AI expand access to justice for the millions who can’t afford a lawyer? In this episode, hosts Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack speak with Sateesh Nori and Tom Martin about AI tools reshaping legal help, including Depositron for security deposit disputes and Law Answers AI for jurisdiction-specific guidance.
They discuss Sateesh’s journey from housing court to AI innovation, Tom’s work building scalable solutions for the public, and the profession’s ongoing debate over “second-tier justice.” What emerges is a compelling vision for AI as a bridge—not a barrier—to legal help.
Topics:
• How AI is transforming access to justice
• Why the legal system leaves most people without help
• The creation of Depositron and LawAnswers AI
• “Second-tier justice” vs. real-world legal outcomes
• Moonshot visions for AI-enabled legal service delivery
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Making Talk Cheap: Are AI Tools Devaluing Legal Writing?
Is AI making legal writing too easy—and too cheap? In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack explore how generative AI tools are reshaping writing as a professional skill. They discuss the paper …
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Is AI making legal writing too easy—and too cheap? In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack explore how generative AI tools are reshaping writing as a professional skill. They discuss the paper “Making Talk Cheap,” which argues that when anyone can generate polished text, writing loses its value as a signal of skill, effort, or merit. What does this mean for hiring, advancement, and lawyering in the AI era? Plus, they unpack a new Wharton study showing how enterprise AI use is soaring—with real ROI—while sharing personal stories of AI’s practical impact.
Topics Covered:
- Wharton’s 2025 report on enterprise AI adoption and ROI (vs. the “failed pilots” narrative)
- How generative AI is leveling the playing field in writing quality
- The Making Talk Cheap study on devalued written work and hiring signals
- Implications for legal hiring, promotion, and skill development in the AI era
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AI in LA Courts: David Slayton on Access to Justice
Can AI make the nation’s largest trial court more accessible, trusted, and just? In this episode, LA Superior Court CEO, David Slayton joins hosts Jen Leonard and Bridget Mary McCormack to unpack how generative …
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Can AI make the nation’s largest trial court more accessible, trusted, and just? In this episode, LA Superior Court CEO, David Slayton joins hosts Jen Leonard and Bridget Mary McCormack to unpack how generative AI is already reshaping court services—and why “effective” beats “efficient.”
We explore Court Help on LACourt.gov, change-management tactics that stick, and the delicate balance between moving too slowly (and getting overwhelmed) and too fast (and losing public trust). Practical, candid, and grounded in real operations, this conversation offers a roadmap for legal leaders navigating AI.
Topics covered:
- Court Help and responsible gen-AI design
- Serving self-represented litigants at scale
- Change management in high-trust institutions
- Risks of moving too slow—or too fast—on AI
- Predictive analytics, triage, and future workflows
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Live from MAICON 2025: Building AAA’s First AI Arbitrator
Can an AI fairly decide a dispute—and win party trust? Recorded live at MAICON 2025, this episode dives into the American Arbitration Association’s first AI arbitrator, a documents-only two-party workflow …
Shownotes
Can an AI fairly decide a dispute—and win party trust? Recorded live at MAICON 2025, this episode dives into the American Arbitration Association’s first AI arbitrator, a documents-only two-party workflow designed for construction cases with a human in the loop. AAA President Bridget McCormack explains the multi-agent architecture, why procedural fairness matters, and how the tool reflects a century of arbitration expertise. We also unpack OpenAI’s Sora 2 rollout, likeness/IP controversies, and the shift from opt-out to permission-first models—and what deepfakes mean for courts and the rule of law.
Topics covered:
- How AAA’s AI arbitrator works (and when to use it)
- Human oversight, speed, and cost gains
- Sora 2’s IP backlash and policy reversal
- Deepfakes, watermarking limits, and courtroom risk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How AI Is Changing Legal Education with Dyane O’Leary and Jonah Perlin
How should law schools teach judgment, writing, and readiness in the age of AI? Georgetown’s Jonah Perlin and Suffolk’s Dyane O’Leary join hosts Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack to explore how generative AI is …
Shownotes
How should law schools teach judgment, writing, and readiness in the age of AI? Georgetown’s Jonah Perlin and Suffolk’s Dyane O’Leary join hosts Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack to explore how generative AI is reshaping legal education—from 1L writing and grading to ethics, policy, and professional judgment.
They share real classroom experiments that reveal how professors are using AI to teach reasoning and curiosity, and how schools are balancing innovation with integrity through redesigned assessments and “AI literacy” curricula. The conversation also dives into multimodal and voice-based tools transforming how students learn, communicate, and prepare for modern practice.
Topics covered:
- How AI is transforming legal writing and pedagogy
- Grading, integrity, and fairness in the AI era
- What “practice-ready” means for future lawyers
- The rise of multimodal and voice-driven learning
- Building judgment and curiosity through AI
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Can Judges Use AI? Inside the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s Interim Policy
Can state‑court judges safely use generative AI? In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack unpack Pennsylvania’s interim policy for courts—what it allows, what it restricts, and how human review and …
Shownotes
Can state‑court judges safely use generative AI? In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack unpack Pennsylvania’s interim policy for courts—what it allows, what it restricts, and how human review and confidentiality guardrails work in practice. They compare real AI workflows from their own desks—editing a book with Claude and turning a long essay into slides—and dissect the “AI pilots are failing” storyline versus the reality of high adoption and slower ROI. You’ll also hear why court labs, enterprise access, and judge‑focused guidelines matter now.
We cover:
- Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s interim AI policy and guardrails
- AI Aha!: Claude as editor; ChatGPT vs. Claude vs. Gemini for slides
- MIT “AI pilots” narrative vs. actual adoption and ROI timelines
- Court “AI labs,” enterprise licenses, and chatbots for self‑represented litigants
- Michigan pilot with Learned Hand and practical guidance for judges
Episode Highlights:
02:56 AI Aha! Moments
10:10 What Just Happened: MIT Report
21:55 Main Topic: PA Supreme Court’s Interim AI policy
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Inside Legal Innovation: AI Adoption with Jae Um & Ilona Logvinova
What does it take to modernize a 100-year-old legal institution and prepare lawyers for the AI era? In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack sit down with Jae Um (Lumio) and Ilona Logvinova (Cleary …
Shownotes
What does it take to modernize a 100-year-old legal institution and prepare lawyers for the AI era? In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack sit down with Jae Um (Lumio) and Ilona Logvinova (Cleary Gottlieb) to explore how legal organizations move from AI experiments to real impact. From acquisitions and change management to digital agents and legal education reform, this conversation breaks down what actually drives innovation in law.
We cover:
- Practical AI workflows and tools in legal practice
- Culture, incentives, and strategy in firm innovation
- Inorganic vs. organic growth (acquisitions and beyond)
- Digital agents and the future of early-career legal work
- How law schools must evolve for AI-native practice
Episode Highlights:
02:15 AI Aha! Moments
10:39 Inorganic Growth & Innovation Strategy
32:50 Law Schools & Learning in the AI Era
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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