This week, we are joined by Atena Reyhani, Chief Product Officer at ContractPodAi, for an engaging discussion on the intersection of AI innovation and the legal industry. Atena brings her deep expertise in AI-driven product development and shares insights into the trends shaping legal technology and how ContractPodAI is at the forefront of this transformation.

The conversation kicks off with a focus on the prevalence of conversational user interfaces (CUIs) in modern legal tech tools. Atena explains that CUIs, inspired by platforms like ChatGPT, are intuitive and reduce the cognitive load for users, making adoption easier. “Conversational user experience is now one of the ways of interacting with super intelligence,” she notes, highlighting how this design helps bridge the gap between human communication and AI capabilities. Atena also predicts a future shift towards deeper human-AI collaboration, moving beyond simple interactions to robust tools that integrate seamlessly with user workflows.

When asked about the challenge of brand differentiation in a landscape where many tools appear similar, Atena emphasizes the importance of moving from basic chatbots to comprehensive, end-to-end solutions. She points to the rise of agentic AI, where multiple AI agents work together to provide dynamic, actionable insights. According to Atena, “AI can now analyze information, outsource tasks, and dynamically engage multiple AI agents to perform end-to-end operations,” paving the way for truly intelligent legal platforms.

Atena delves into how ContractPodAi leverages AI to address real-world challenges in legal operations. With its Lea AI solution, the company has expanded beyond contract lifecycle management (CLM) to broader enterprise applications such as compliance and obligation management. Atena reveals an exciting new initiative, the Lea Marketplace, which she describes as “a one-stop shop for enterprise legal GenAI,” likening it to the Salesforce or Microsoft Marketplace. This platform will enable partners and subject matter experts to accelerate innovation through collaborative, industry-specific solutions.

Reflecting on her career in AI and her recognition as an award-winning innovator, Atena speaks passionately about the tangible impact of AI on businesses and individuals. She also underscores the importance of diversity in technology development, stating, “Women bring a diverse perspective that is crucial for innovation.” Atena encourages more women to step into leadership roles and shape the future of AI and legal tech.

The episode concludes with Atena’s predictions for the legal tech industry. She identifies key challenges, including aligning AI capabilities with organizational needs and ensuring effective user adoption. “It’s one thing to have the technology and another to use it to its full potential,” she observes, stressing the importance of strategic deployment, training, and change management. Atena’s optimistic vision underscores the vast opportunities for AI to revolutionize legal operations.

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TranscriptContinue Reading The Evolution of AI in Legal Tech: A Conversation with ContractPodAi’s Atena Reyhani

This week on The Geek in Review podcast Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert featured guests Colin Levy, Ashley Carlisle, and Dorna Moini discussing Levy’s recently published book “Handbook of Legal Tech.” Levy edited the book and contributors included Moini, Carlisle’s CEO, Tony Thai, and many more legal technology experts. The book provides an overview of key technologies transforming the legal industry like automation, AI, blockchain, document automation, CLM, and more.

Levy shared how he ended up editing the book, describing it as “herding cats” to get busy experts to contribute chapters. He wanted the book to serve as a comprehensive introduction to legal tech, with each chapter written by leaders in the various subject matter areas. Carlisle and Moini explained their motivations for taking time out of their demanding schedules to write chapters – spreading knowledge to help move the industry forward and impart insights from their work.

The guests reflected on their favorite parts of the experience. Levy enjoyed bringing together the community and seeing different perspectives. Carlisle appreciated being able to consolidate information on contract lifecycle management. Moini was proud to contribute right before having a baby. Lambert highlighted Levy juggling this book and writing his own solo book on legal tech stories from the front lines.

The guests offered advice to law students and lawyers looking to learn about and leverage legal tech. Carlisle emphasized starting with an open mind, intentional research, and reading widely from legal tech thought leaders. Moini recommended thinking big but starting small with iterative implementation. Levy stressed knowing your purpose and motivations to stay focused amidst the vast array of options.

Lambert prompted the guests to identify low-hanging fruit legal technologies those new to practice should focus on. Levy pointed to document automation and AI. Moini noted that intake and forms digitization can be a first step for laggards. Carlisle advised starting small with discrete tasks before tackling advanced tools.

For their forward-looking predictions, Carlisle saw AI hype fading but increasing tech literacy, Levy predicted growing focus on use and analysis of data as AI advances, and Moini forecasted a rise in online legal service delivery. The guests are excited about spreading awareness through the book to help transform the legal industry.

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Email: geekinreviewpodcast@gmail.com

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Transcript:Continue Reading Colin Levy, Dorna Moini, and Ashley Carlisle on Herding Cats and Heralding Change: The Inside Scoop on the “Handbook of Legal Tech”