Lots of travel on my part this week, and I’m happy to be in New York at the KM&I conference with a few hundred of my closest KM friends.
Here’s a few things that I ran across this week in legal technology news.
Remember, you can track these stories with the AI Lawyer Talking Tech
In this episode of The Geek in Review, hosts Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert are joined by Carolyn Austin, Director of Practice Innovation at K&L Gates; Brendan McDonnell, Partner at K&L Gates; and Abdi Shayesteh, CEO of AltaClaro. The conversation delves into innovative legal education strategies and the integration of generative AI in legal practice, highlighting how experiential learning platforms are shaping the future of legal training.
Abdi introduces AltaClaro’s experiential learning platform, designed to make lawyers practice-ready through simulation-based training. Utilizing a “Learn, Do, Review” methodology, the platform presents associates with real-world assignments, provides feedback from seasoned practitioners, and facilitates live review sessions. This approach aims to build confidence, enhance critical thinking skills, and improve efficiency among legal professionals by immersing them in practical scenarios that mirror actual legal work.
Brendan discusses K&L Gates’ longstanding commitment to innovation and education within the legal industry. He reflects on the firm’s history of embracing technology—such as developing one of the first e-discovery platforms—and its proactive stance on integrating generative AI into legal workflows. Recognizing the transformative potential of AI, K&L Gates formed an AI Solutions Group to prepare attorneys and allied professionals for the technological advancements reshaping legal practice.
Carolyn explains how K&L Gates collaborated with AltaClaro to develop specialized training programs focused on generative AI, including prompt engineering and supervisory courses. These programs address the challenges partners and managers face when integrating AI tools into their workflows, emphasizing ethical considerations, risk assessment, and effective supervision. The partnership ensures that all firm members, from associates to senior partners, are equipped with the necessary skills to use AI responsibly and effectively.
The guests explore the broader implications of AI adoption in the legal field, discussing challenges such as change management, ethical obligations, and the need for data-driven practices. They highlight the importance of fostering a culture of continuous learning and collaboration to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving industry. Looking toward the future, they express optimism about AI’s potential to enhance legal services, improve access to justice, and drive innovation, emphasizing the critical role of education and adaptability in this transformation.
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Twitter: @gebauerm, or @glambert
Email: geekinreviewpodcast@gmail.com
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
TranscriptContinue Reading Bridging Legal Practice and AI: K&L Gates and AltaClaro Innovate Legal Training
I’ve had a few conversations around the topic of Microsoft’s CoPilot and the usage and value that it will/might/could bring to our day-to-day work in the legal industry. To say that people had strong opinions would be an understatement. I found people who thought it brings great efficiency to the daily routines of lawyers and
This episode of “The Geek in Review” explores MinterEllison’s strategic adoption of Microsoft Copilot, delving into the practical implications and challenges of implementing generative AI within the legal industry. Guests Amber O’Meara, Head of Innovation, and Tim Andrews, Director of IT Operations, discuss the firm’s multifaceted approach to generative AI, emphasizing its potential to enhance client experiences, boost productivity, and empower their legal professionals by automating mundane tasks and allowing them to focus on more complex legal work. This strategic vision, endorsed by the firm’s leadership, drove their decision to participate in the Copilot Early Access Program, providing valuable insights and shaping their implementation strategy.
One of the key takeaways is MinterEllison’s measured and strategic rollout of Copilot. Rather than a firm-wide deployment, they opted for a phased approach, prioritizing specific personas and departments that would benefit most from the technology. Initial challenges included data jurisdiction limitations, the inherent “fear factor” of adopting new technology, and user inertia stemming from unmet expectations. The firm addressed these obstacles through a comprehensive training program, incorporating a dedicated “Gen AI Time” initiative, collaborative sessions with Microsoft, and a “reverse mentoring” program for partners. This multifaceted approach, coupled with internal communication and a knowledge-sharing platform, fostered enthusiasm and addressed concerns, leading to impressive user satisfaction and reported time savings.
MinterEllison’s training program played a crucial role in the successful adoption of Copilot. Combining internally developed resources with vendor-provided training, the program addressed both the technical aspects of using Copilot and the art of prompt engineering. The firm’s innovative approach of dedicating fee-credited time for generative AI training proved highly effective, incentivizing participation and demonstrating leadership commitment. This investment in their people, combined with gamification elements like their internal “Mint Coin” cryptocurrency, fostered a competitive spirit and encouraged active engagement in the learning process.
The podcast highlights the importance of prompt engineering in maximizing the effectiveness of Copilot. While initial user expectations often fell short due to simplistic prompts, the training program emphasized the need for detailed and nuanced prompts to achieve optimal results. This understanding, coupled with the recognition that Copilot excels at content generation rather than computational tasks, significantly improved user satisfaction. The firm also acknowledges the importance of maintaining a “human in the loop” to validate outputs and mitigate potential inaccuracies or “hallucinations” generated by the AI. They anticipate the future ability to share custom prompts within the firm, further streamlining workflows and enhancing collaborative efforts.
Finally, the conversation touches on the broader impact of generative AI on the legal industry. MinterEllison envisions a future where AI tools are widely adopted, reshaping traditional law firm models and creating new roles focused on innovation and technology. They emphasize the importance of ongoing collaboration, both internally and within the legal community, to address client privacy concerns, share best practices, and navigate the evolving landscape of AI in law. The firm’s commitment to responsible AI usage, guided by their “Lighthouse Principles” and an AI steering committee, underscores their dedication to ethical implementation and client data security. They also see the potential for generative AI to contribute to access to justice initiatives and support social impact work, highlighting the transformative potential of these technologies beyond the traditional boundaries of legal practice.
Amber (Burgess) O’Meara | LinkedIn
Tim Andrews | LinkedIn
MinterEllison: Overview | LinkedIn
MinterEllison – MinterEllison
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Twitter: @gebauerm, or @glambert
Email: geekinreviewpodcast@gmail.com
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Transcript
It is probably just an odd coincidence that the two top things that caught my eye were legal innovations out of Arizona, the same week when I am going to Arizona for a weekend getaway with my lovely wife. But is seems that the weather is not the only hot thing happening in The Grand
This week, we welcome back Serena Wellen, Vice President of Product Management at LexisNexis Legal and Professional, to discuss the newly launched Lexis Protégé tool. This advanced AI assistant is designed to enhance legal professionals’ workflows by personalizing responses based on individual user profiles, including practice areas, jurisdictions, and document management systems. Wellen emphasizes that the future of AI lies in personalization, enabling Protégé to understand user habits and preferences, thereby improving its utility in legal settings.
Serena elaborates on how Protégé collects user data and integrates with existing document management systems (DMS). The setup process includes heavy lifting from LexisNexis, ensuring that the AI understands user roles and permissions, and can access relevant documents seamlessly. She stresses the importance of transparency and user control in the personalization process, allowing users to opt in or out of certain features as they see fit. This approach ensures that the use of Protégé aligns with the unique needs of individual law firms and practitioners.
Integration with Microsoft 365 applications like Word and Outlook is another significant feature of Protégé. Wellen explains that legal professionals spend a considerable amount of their time in Microsoft tools, and the AI’s ability to enhance productivity within these familiar environments is crucial. With features such as smart drafting tools, automated legal requests, and contextual awareness of user actions, Protégé aims to streamline workflows and reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks. The seamless connection between Protégé and Microsoft applications represents a shift toward more efficient legal research and document drafting processes.
Serena also addresses the pressing concerns of security, privacy, and data protection in AI applications. LexisNexis prioritizes the security of customer data by utilizing advanced encryption and private cloud infrastructures. Importantly, she clarifies that customer data is not used to train their models, maintaining confidentiality and trust. By ensuring that users have control over their data and how it is used, LexisNexis aims to alleviate fears surrounding the adoption of AI technology in the legal sector.
Finally, she shares insights on future developments for Protégé, including the incorporation of voice commands and horizon scanning features, which will further enhance legal research capabilities. As AI continues to evolve, Wellen envisions a future where legal professionals can engage with technology in more intuitive ways, allowing them to focus on the complexities of their work without being bogged down by manual processes. Overall, the conversation highlights the transformative potential of AI in the legal industry, underscoring LexisNexis’s commitment to supporting legal professionals with innovative, personalized tools.
Listen on mobile platforms: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
Twitter: @gebauerm, or @glambert
Email: geekinreviewpodcast@gmail.com
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Transcript
Continue Reading Unveiling Lexis Protégé’s Personalized AI Revolution With Serena Wellen
This week featured a “Proud Parent” moment for myself as I watched my son, Dean, go to his first legal technology conference in Chicago. Dean was a Relativity Scholar this year and has been working on learning the ropes in e-discovery for the past few months. It is exciting to watch as a new generation
This week, we sit down with Ted Theodoropoulos, CEO of InfoDash and host of the Legal Innovation Spotlight podcast. Ted brings over 25 years of experience in legal technology and has been instrumental in developing platforms that enhance collaboration and knowledge management in law firms. During the conversation, Ted shares the origins of InfoDash, the challenges of transitioning law firms to cloud-based systems, and the role of generative AI in both legal practice and business operations. The episode offers valuable insights for those interested in how technology is reshaping the legal industry.
Ted begins by explaining the journey of InfoDash, which evolved from a consulting firm called Acrowire, focused on building bespoke intranets and extranets for law firms. Recognizing the need for more innovative, cloud-based solutions, Ted and his team relaunched as InfoDash in 2022, just as law firms were moving en masse to Microsoft 365 and grappling with the shift to hybrid and remote work. This transition, Ted explains, has been challenging for firms accustomed to on-premises servers, a concept he refers to as “server huggers.” However, he points out that the cloud offers undeniable advantages, especially for firms looking to adopt AI-driven tools in the future.
The conversation then turns to the role of generative AI in the legal industry. Ted and the hosts discuss how AI tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot have generated excitement, but also disappointment, as their capabilities have yet to fully meet the specific needs of law firms. While generative AI shows promise in tasks like summarization and drafting, Ted cautions that the technology is not a “silver bullet.” He emphasizes the importance of oversight, particularly given the risks associated with hallucinations in AI-generated content. However, he believes that AI’s potential is vast, especially in the business side of law, where firms can automate administrative tasks without the regulatory hurdles that affect client work.
Knowledge management (KM) and innovation within law firms is another key topic of discussion. Ted notes that while KM has been a longstanding function in many firms, it often varies in scope and effectiveness. He highlights the recent rise of “innovation” roles in firms but warns that some of these are more about appearances than actual advancements—a phenomenon he dubs “innovation theater.” Ted argues that for firms to truly innovate, they must be willing to take risks and accept failure as part of the process. He calls for a more standardized approach to KM and innovation roles but acknowledges that cultural differences between firms make this difficult to achieve.
The episode concludes with a look toward the future of legal technology. Ted advises firms to adopt a cautious, incremental approach when implementing new technologies, such as AI. He warns against making large, reactionary investments based on the fear of missing out and encourages firms to start with small pilot programs that can be scaled as they yield results. By focusing on business of law use cases first, firms can gain early wins and build confidence in their technology strategies, avoiding the pitfalls of overpromising and underdelivering.
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Twitter: @gebauerm, or @glambert
Email: geekinreviewpodcast@gmail.com
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Continue Reading From Innovation Theater to Real Change with InfoDash’s Ted Theodoropoulos
It’s that time of year when not only has Summer decided to make one last appearance, but so have legal conferences. Legal Value Network’s LVNx, Legal Technology Hub, Legal Marketing Association’s Northeast Region, i.WILL + SIM, Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia, just to name the ones that are
It’s Friday the 13th, so hopefully everyone left cookies and milk out for Jason Vorhees last night to keep him happy.
This week saw a few “launches” of new and updated products, primarily dealing with integrating AI agents into their products. OpenAI learned how many r’s there are in strawberry, vLex turned Vincent AI into