Podcasts about iltacon

Live from ILTACON | Sponsored by Steno Legal is changing fast, and everyone wants answers. But what if the real advantage isn't having the answer? What if it's knowing how to ask the next question? Live from ILTACON, David Cowen sits down with Priti Saraswat, Director of Knowledge and Innovation at Levenfeld Pearlstein, whose career has taken her across the legal technology ecosystem, from technology provider and solutions engineering to consulting, legal process engineering and law firm innovation. That 360-degree perspective has given her a different view of the AI transformation. Instead of trying to solve everything at once, Priti argues for agility, small adjustments and learning from industries that have already navigated their own disruption. In this episode: Why seeing legal from multiple sides changes how you approach AI Why the value of AI depends on the seat you're sitting in Why we don't need all the answers yet How small adjustments can create meaningful transformation Why agility is becoming essential for legal careers What legal can learn from healthcare, finance, agriculture and other industries Why we don't need to reinvent the wheel every time How curiosity outside your profession can make you better inside it Why vision matters when the path ahead isn't clear How to turn a vision into action Why personal and professional goals both deserve attention Chapters 00:10 | A 360-Degree Career Across the LegalTech Ecosystem 01:00 | Seeing the Compounding Effect of AI 01:49 | Why AI Value Depends on Where You Sit 02:20 | We Don't Know What We Don't Know Yet 02:49 | Stop Waiting for All the Answers 03:43 | What Previous Legal Transformations Can Teach Us 04:19 | Small Adjustments Beat Trying to Change Everything 04:55 | Why Agility Is Becoming a Career Essential 05:57 | Why Legal Needs More Outside Perspectives 06:32 | What Legal Can Learn From Other Industries 07:38 | What Agriculture Can Teach Us About AI 09:11 | Visioning What Comes Next 11:44 | Start With the Problem You Actually Want to Solve 12:28 | Turning a Vision Board Into Action 13:52 | Why You Need Professional and Personal Visions 14:44 | What Do You Want to Accomplish Next? The Big Idea "All we've figured out is to ask the next question." We are still early. The roles are changing. The technology is changing. The way lawyers practice is changing. And the answers we have today may not be the answers we need tomorrow. Priti's approach is simpler: stay agile, look beyond the boundaries of legal, make small adjustments and keep moving. Because when there is no established map, progress doesn't require knowing the entire route. It requires knowing your next question and taking action on what you learn. Follow SOLID for more conversations with the leaders shaping what comes next in legal: https://solid.legal/

Live from ILTACON | Sponsored by Steno What if the real value of AI isn't how much more work you can do, but what you can do with the time it gives back? Live from ILTACON, David Cowen sits down with Rachel Shields-Williams, Director of AI and Knowledge Management at Bass, Berry & Sims, to explore how AI is changing not only the work of lawyers, but the way they learn, lead and develop. For Rachel, AI should help people show up at the highest and best use of themselves. That means more capacity for judgment, creativity, curiosity and the human moments that matter. But as AI takes on more of the work, the skills lawyers need are changing too. In this episode: Why AI should give us more capacity to create, explore and be human How AI can reduce anxiety, not just save time Why client value should drive innovation, knowledge and data strategy How a nine-week Summer AI Lab helped future lawyers learn AI through real problems Why AI training should teach workflows, not just tools How junior lawyers can learn technology while senior lawyers continue teaching judgment Why human intervention still matters in agentic workflows The emerging roles appearing around Legal AI Why the traditional lawyer training model needs to evolve Why coaching, feedback and difficult conversations will become more important How peer networks can help emerging leaders navigate new responsibilities Why successful transformation begins with understanding culture and relationships Chapters 00:10 | Using AI Without Letting AI Use You 01:03 | AI Should Help Us Live Better, Not Just Work More 01:46 | The Humanity Behind the Technology 02:03 | Why Curiosity Matters More Than Ever 02:35 | How AI Can Give You Time and Reduce Anxiety 04:45 | Stepping Into a New AI and Knowledge Leadership Role 05:06 | Putting the Client at the Center of Innovation 05:49 | Inside the Nine-Week Summer AI Lab 06:57 | Reverse Mentorship With AI in the Middle 07:25 | Teaching Workflow, Not Just How to Use the Tool 08:14 | How Future Lawyers Are Already Thinking in Agents 08:41 | Keeping the Human in the Loop 09:39 | The New Roles Emerging Around Legal AI 10:07 | Why the Lawyer Training Model Needs to Change 11:14 | From Managing Junior Lawyers to Coaching AI-Enabled Teams 12:35 | How to Prepare for Difficult Conversations 13:54 | Build Your Own Panel of Trusted Advisors 14:48 | Leading Change Through Relationships and Culture 16:28 | What the ILTACON Floor Says About What's Coming Next 17:04 | Why Legal AI Investment Means Demand for New Talent The Big Idea AI isn't just giving lawyers more capacity to work. It can give them more capacity to be human. As technology takes on more tasks, the differentiators shift toward curiosity, judgment, creativity, communication and leadership. That changes how the next generation of lawyers needs to be trained. Junior lawyers will increasingly learn the law while working with AI. More experienced lawyers will need to become better coaches, giving feedback, guiding judgment and helping people understand when human intervention matters. The technology may be accelerating. But the skills required to lead through that acceleration are deeply human. Follow SOLID for more conversations with the leaders shaping what comes next in legal: https://solid.legal/

Live from ILTACON | Sponsored by Steno Legal organizations are investing heavily in AI. But buying the technology is the easy part. Getting people to actually change how they work is harder. Live from ILTACON, David Cowen sits down with Jeffrey Roach, Managing Director at Harbor, to explore why the next phase of Legal AI isn't simply about technology. It's about behavior, talent, champions and organizational change. Jeffrey argues that resistance isn't necessarily the problem. It's a signal. And instead of spending disproportionate energy trying to move the most resistant people, leaders may create more momentum by investing in the achievers, strivers and seekers already leaning into change. In this episode: Why enablement is becoming more important as AI investment grows Why adoption is a behavioral challenge, not simply a technology problem What "perpetual change" means for legal organizations Why lawyer skepticism can actually be valuable How resistance can reveal where value hasn't been communicated clearly Why leaders should invest more heavily in their top performers The importance of champions in driving AI adoption Why authority doesn't always have to come from the person leading the transformation How gatekeeping can hold talented people back Why organizations need to give high performers more agency How new talent from outside legal will reshape the profession Why adaptability, curiosity, resourcefulness and grit can be taught What organizational enablement looks like beyond individual AI training Why it's okay to accept that you won't convert everyone Chapters 00:10 | Why Enablement Matters More Than Ever 00:43 | Adoption Is a Behavioral Problem 01:05 | Welcome to Perpetual Change 01:35 | Everything, Everywhere, All at Once 01:46 | Why Lawyers Resist Change 02:19 | Stop Treating Resistance as the Problem 02:41 | Achievers, Strivers, Seekers and Laggards 03:09 | How Do You Keep Your Top 20%? 03:22 | Making Your Best People Feel Seen 05:05 | Stop Lifting the Bottom. Raise the Top. 05:29 | Why Champions Drive Adoption 06:28 | Creating Agency Inside Legal Organizations 06:48 | How Gatekeeping Holds Talent Back 07:40 | Set Talented People Free 08:41 | Why Progress Requires Bravery 09:18 | New Talent Is Entering the Business of Law 09:32 | Forward Deployed Engineers and Legal AI Architects 10:31 | Curiosity, Adaptability, Resourcefulness and Grit 12:45 | From Individual to Organizational Enablement 13:50 | Why You Can't Save Everybody 14:12 | Double Down on Your Winners The Big Idea "Double down on your winners." The AI adoption challenge may not be about getting every person in an organization to move at the same speed. Some people are already curious. They're experimenting. They're resourceful. They're asking questions and pushing beyond their comfort zones. Those people can become your champions. Invest in them. Give them visibility. Give them authority. Give them room to make mistakes and learn. Because trying to pull the bottom 20% forward can consume enormous energy, while the people most capable of creating momentum may leave if they don't feel seen, challenged and supported. AI transformation isn't only about deploying better technology. It's about identifying the people ready to lead the change and helping them soar. Follow SOLID for more conversations with the leaders shaping what comes next in legal: https://solid.legal/

Live from ILTACON | Sponsored by Steno What if the next path for a lawyer isn't the traditional path to partnership? Live from ILTACON, David Cowen sits down with Megan McMillin, Legal Innovation Partner at Harvey, to explore one of the most important shifts happening in legal: the emergence of an entirely new career ladder around Legal AI. From Forward Deployed Legal Engineers to Legal Innovation Partners, firms and technology companies are building roles that combine legal expertise, workflow knowledge, technology and client value. The challenge? There is no established playbook yet. In this episode: Why Forward Deployed Legal Engineers are becoming an important new role Why firms need internal experts working alongside vendor engineers The power of combining legal workflow expertise with technical expertise Why successful AI implementation requires understanding the "why," not just the tool What it really means to embed AI talent inside a law firm How Forward Deployed Engineers could progress from building to managing, leading and setting strategy Why Legal AI could create a second career path for lawyers Why firms need to stop treating these roles as "off track" What law schools and firms need to rethink about developing future lawyers Why intellectual curiosity may be one of lawyers' greatest advantages in the AI era Chapters 00:10 | From Cleary to Legal Innovation Partner at Harvey 01:23 | The Rise of the Forward Deployed Legal Engineer 02:10 | Why Firms Need Their Own Embedded AI Expertise 03:18 | Pairing Vendor Engineers With Firm Experts 03:46 | Understanding the Tool, the Workflow and the Why 04:17 | Moving From AI Use Cases to Client Value 05:15 | Why Legal AI Isn't "Choose Your Own Journey" 06:04 | What Embedded AI Talent Really Means 07:09 | Building With the Customer, Not Just for Them 08:21 | The Five-Year Career Path for Forward Deployed Engineers 09:20 | Could Legal AI Become a Second Path to Partnership? 10:16 | Why New Legal AI Roles Command New Compensation 10:46 | There Is No Clear Career Path Yet 11:51 | Stop Trying to Fit New Roles Into Old Structures 12:37 | What Law Schools Need to Rethink 13:41 | The Lawyer's Superpower in the AI Era 14:36 | Why Intellectual Curiosity Matters More Than Ever The Career Signal There is no clear path. It's white space. It's a green field. That's exactly what makes this moment so important. The Legal AI career ladder is being built in real time. You can enter as a builder. Then manage. Then lead. Then set strategy and vision. For lawyers who don't see themselves following the traditional route to partnership, these roles may represent something much bigger than an alternative career. They may be the beginning of an entirely new path. And as Megan puts it, when lawyers and engineers bring their respective expertise together: "The best is yet to come. And we're building it together." Follow SOLID for more conversations with the leaders shaping what comes next in legal: https://solid.legal/

This episode is sponsored by Smith.ai. ----- Discussing what we learned about legal technology in Nashville. ----- The International Legal Technology Association conference broke its own attendance records as the legal world flocked to Nashville to figure out what's going on with the technology that promises to revolutionize the practice of law... and can't quite stop producing fake cases. Maddy Martin, Senior VP of Growth at Smith.ai -- the sponsor of this episode of Thinking Like A Lawyer -- stops by to recreate the sort of exhibit hall floor conversation she and Joe have had at these conferences for the last several years. Catching up on the state of the industry, what it means for both Biglaw and the small and solo market, and trying to figure out what happens next.

Live from ILTACON | Sponsored by Steno Legal technology used to move on annual planning cycles. Now, even 90 days can feel too slow. Live from ILTACON, David Cowen sits down with Damien Riehl, Solutions Champion at Clio, to unpack what happens when the pace of AI development becomes exponential and the traditional boundaries between law, LegalTech and frontier AI begin to disappear. Their conversation moves from the influx of capital and outside talent into legal to the arrival of foundation model companies as new competitors. But the bigger question is what all of this means for lawyers. Could AI reduce the cost of legal work so dramatically that instead of shrinking the market, it unlocks entirely new demand? In this episode: Why legal technology may have moved beyond the 90-day change cycle Where Damien looks to understand what is coming next in AI Why new talent and capital are flooding into legal What happens when frontier AI companies move directly into LegalTech Why data may become the defining advantage for legal technology companies What curiosity, adaptability, resourcefulness and grit mean in an exponential market Why multi-agent AI represents another major shift in how work gets done How AI could dramatically expand access to legal services Why lawyers could become busier because of AI, not in spite of it Chapters 00:10 | Why LegalTech Is on an Exponential Curve 01:18 | From 12-Month Planning to 90-Day Change Cycles 01:42 | Where to Look to Understand What AI Will Do Next 02:39 | The New Talent Entering the Legal Industry 03:21 | Why Capital Is Flooding Into LegalTech 04:27 | When Frontier AI Companies Enter Legal 05:46 | Disruption Disrupting Disruption 06:28 | What Blockbuster, Nokia and Kodak Can Teach Legal 07:16 | The New Build vs. Buy Question 08:10 | You Don't Have to Keep Up With Everything 09:07 | Curiosity, Adaptability, Resourcefulness and Grit 10:19 | What Was Impossible Three Months Ago Is Possible Today 10:35 | The Shift From AI Answers to AI Agents 11:50 | What Happens to Human Capital in an AI Economy? 12:59 | Could AI Actually Increase Demand for Lawyers? 13:38 | The Opportunity to Serve Unmet Legal Needs The Big Idea What if AI doesn't make the legal market smaller? What if it makes the pie dramatically bigger? If AI lowers the cost of legal services, work that was previously too expensive to justify may suddenly become accessible. That creates a very different future for the profession. Instead of lawyers becoming less necessary because of AI, Damien sees the possibility that lawyers become busier than ever because of AI, while serving legal needs that historically went unmet. The challenge isn't knowing everything that's changing. It's staying curious enough to see what just became possible. Follow SOLID for more conversations with the leaders shaping what comes next in legal: https://solid.legal/

Live from ILTACON | Sponsored by Steno Legal AI isn't just creating new technology. It's creating new roles, new responsibilities and entirely new career paths. Live from ILTACON, David Cowen sits down with Leigh Zeiser, Director of AI and Automation at Troutman, to trace her journey from becoming one of the first Legal Process Engineers in the U.S. in 2018 to leading AI and automation today. Their conversation goes beyond titles. What happens when responsibility grows faster than authority and resources? How do you earn the trust to lead? And what separates the people waiting for the next opportunity from those creating it? Lee also shares what Troutman is learning as Generative AI adoption grows, why deterministic layers matter in legal, and how the firm's agentic AI platform, Athena, is evolving. In this episode: How new Legal AI roles are emerging in real time Why a title without authority and resources isn't enough What happens when AI adoption increases demand instead of reducing it Why career growth requires speaking up, not waiting to be asked How curiosity, accountability, trust and resourcefulness create opportunity Why "everybody owns AI" at Troutman Why deterministic AI may be critical to legal adoption How agentic AI is changing the way lawyers access tools and knowledge Why AI cost, token usage and responsible adoption are becoming leadership issues Chapters 00:10 | From Legal Process Engineer to Director of AI and Automation 01:33 | Eight Years of Emerging Legal AI Roles 02:20 | The Arrival of the Applied AI Manager 03:09 | Role, Responsibility, Authority and Resources 03:28 | Why AI Adoption Is Actually Increasing Demand 04:35 | How to Advocate for Authority and Resources 05:15 | Lead From Any Role 07:00 | Why Speaking Up Creates Career Opportunity 08:12 | Resourcefulness and Learning to Trust Your Talent 09:10 | Everything Is White Space: Don't Wait for the Assignment 10:29 | Why Everybody Owns AI 10:38 | Why Legal AI Needs Deterministic Layers 11:43 | What's Next for Legal AI in 2027? 12:08 | How Troutman's Athena Became Agentic 13:00 | AI Economics, Token Costs and Responsible Adoption 14:24 | Looking Ahead to SOLID Atlanta The Career Signal "You can't wait for anybody to assign it to you." Legal AI is creating white space across the industry. The roles, responsibilities and career paths are still being defined. The people who see an opportunity, step into it, earn trust and advocate for the authority and resources to execute may be the ones who define what these roles become. Follow SOLID for more conversations with the leaders shaping what comes next in legal: https://solid.legal/

Live from ILTACON | Sponsored by Steno AI promises to make lawyers faster and more productive. But what happens when we use every hour it saves to simply do more? Live from ILTACON, David Cowen sits down with Sarah Hirebet, Director of Knowledge and Innovation at Stradley Ronon, for a conversation about the human side of AI adoption. Sarah explores why this technology shift is different from the ones legal has navigated before. AI can sound like us, write like us and engage with the same language lawyers use every day. But it does not bring lived experience or human judgment to the conversation. That creates a bigger challenge for legal leaders: how do we embrace the productivity AI creates without losing judgment, creativity, voice and the space to actually think? In this episode: Why this technology shift is fundamentally different from previous legal transformations Why AI fluency can create a false sense of confidence The risk of turning AI productivity into human exhaustion What the "AI dividend" means for lawyers and legal teams Why reclaimed time should not automatically become more work How legal teams can redesign systems instead of simply accelerating existing ones Why Sarah is teaching "humanity in the loop" How poetry, creativity and lived experience can help lawyers preserve their voice How Stradley Labs is approaching AI education and adoption Why AI should remain a methodology, not necessarily a job function What lawyers should think carefully about before delegating communication to AI Chapters 00:10 | Meeting the Moment of Change in Legal 01:42 | Why This Technology Shift Is Different 03:07 | AI Sounds Like Us, But It Doesn't Have Judgment 03:43 | When AI Superpowers Become Exhausting 05:12 | What AI Means for Talent, Culture and Work 05:44 | The AI Dividend: What Do You Do With the Time? 06:06 | From Doing the Work to Redesigning the System 06:48 | Humanity in the Loop 07:18 | How Lawyers Preserve Their Voice in an AI World 08:24 | Rest, Sabbaticals and Making Space for Creativity 10:29 | Why Knowledge Workers Need to Build Tangible Things 11:00 | Inside the Stradley Labs AI Training Program 12:25 | The New Titles Emerging Around AI 13:26 | Should AI Actually Be in Your Job Title? 14:51 | When Communication Should Stay Human 15:56 | What AI Still Can't Replicate The Big Idea The AI dividend isn't automatically more work. If AI gives us time back, leaders have a choice about where that time goes. It can become more output, more emails and more tasks. Or it can create space to redesign systems, develop new ideas, learn, reflect, build relationships and preserve the distinctly human capabilities that technology cannot replicate. Sarah calls this "humanity in the loop." The more fluent AI becomes, the more important it may be for lawyers to protect their own voice, judgment and lived experience. Follow SOLID for more conversations with the leaders shaping what comes next in legal: https://solid.legal/

Each week, the leading journalists in legal tech choose their top stories of the week to discuss with our other panelists.   This week's topics: (00:00) Introductions (00:42) Legal tech conference highlights and industry excitement (03:46) The Biggest ILTACON EVer (09:07) If This is Peak Legal Tech, Where do we go From Here? (13:20) The rise of MCP Connectors (22:00) Eye Catching Moments at ILTACON (32:37) AI's Impact on Law Firms & Future Market Impact (55:42) Conference venue review and closing thoughts

Live from ILTACON | Sponsored by Steno AI is everywhere in legal. But the biggest change over the last year isn't simply better answers from AI. It's the ability to begin automating the work itself. Live from ILTACON, David Cowen sits down with Chris Emerson, Chief Legal Operations & Innovation Officer, to explore what AI is actually changing inside legal teams, what still hasn't changed, and where the biggest opportunities are emerging. From the growing war for Legal AI talent to turning knowledge trapped inside lawyers' heads into AI-ready workflows, Chris offers a practical look at where legal is heading next, including how his team built an AI-assisted pre-bill review capability in just 33 days. In this episode: Why AI is moving from assistance to actual workflow automation Why adoption remains one of legal's biggest challenges The four traits tomorrow's legal talent needs: curiosity, adaptability, resourcefulness and grit Why leaders should be investing in their top 20% Why the next AI opportunity is getting knowledge out of people's heads and into workflows How AI is shrinking development cycles from months to weeks What leaders should never delegate to AI: strategy, direction and guardrails Chapters 00:10 | AI Everywhere: What Changed in the Last 12 Months? 01:40 | Why Legal's Adoption Problem Hasn't Changed 02:59 | What Leaders Should Look for in Legal AI Talent 04:05 | Curiosity, Resourcefulness, Adaptability & Grit 05:28 | Why Leaders Need to Invest in Their Top 20% 08:30 | Grit, Failure & Why Lawyers Need Rapid Prototypes 10:36 | What Legal AI Still Needs in 2027 12:07 | Where AI Will Create the Next Career Opportunities 13:13 | Turning Legal Knowledge Into AI Playbooks 14:00 | Building AI-Assisted Pre-Bill Review in 33 Days 14:56 | Building an Internal AI Platform Around Firm Data 15:37 | What Should Humans Keep as AI Automates the Work? The Closing Thought "AI is not aware of where we are culturally on the journey." As AI gets better at doing the work, the responsibility for strategy, direction, guardrails and judgment remains human. Follow SOLID for more conversations with the leaders shaping what comes next in legal. https://solid.legal/

Join us for our newest podcast series, Hot Topics, posted weekly every Monday. We'll take you through the latest news in the Legal Tech and AI space to keep you up-to-date for the week ahead. This one's a very special episode because it was filmed on-site at ILTACON 2026!   Interested in reading more on a certain story? We've got you covered—all of our sources are linked below:   AI News   https://www.distillintelligence.com/briefings/ai-leaders-2026-08-21   https://aibriefing.dev/ https://techstartups.com/2026/08/17/top-tech-news-today-august-17-2026-ge-microsoft-nvidia-open-stripe-unitree-more/ https://aiweekly.co/ai-news-today https://malpass.co/top-ai-stories-2026-08-17/ Legal Tech News https://legaltechnology.com/latest-news/ https://legaltechnology.com/category/latest-news/ https://legaltechnology.com/ https://www.law.com/legaltechnews/ https://www.artificiallawyer.com/ https://www.legaltech-talk.com/insights/news/ https://www.legaltechdaily.com/ https://www.legaltechmonitor.com/ Legal Tech News https://www.iltanet.org/about/presswall

Join Dawn Hudgins, ILTA's CXO, and Josh Villareal, Steno's Director of Field Marketing, as they dive into what to expect at this year's ILTACON 2026!

Join Dawn Hudgins, ILTA's CXO, and Daryl Fitzpatrick, Intellek's CRO, as they dive into what to expect at this year's ILTACON 2026!

Hear from CEO Joy Heath Rush and Board President Jason Dirkx as they recap event successes from 2025, membership growth, new volunteer roles, and what's ahead—including Leadership Days, EVOLVE 2026 in Denver, and ILTACON 2026 in Nashville.

Wish You Were There? We Saved You a Seat! Hear from Both Sides of the Mic as Session Panelist and Audience Participant Share Insights from Black Affinity Group's Session, “Breaking Barriers: How Technology Is Shaping the Future for Black Lawyers and Tech Professionals,” at ILTACON 2025. #BlackAffinityGroup #DEI

Each week, the leading journalists in legal tech choose their top stories of the week to discuss with our other panelists.   This week's topics: 00:00 Introductions 03:02 ILTACON post-mortem (Selected by Bob Ambrogi) 06:09 Agentic AI Is The ‘Fetch' Of Legal Tech And We Need To Stop Trying To Make It Happen (Selected by Joe Patrice) 37:49 AffiniPay rebrands as 8am (Selected by Bob Ambrogi) 43:59 Confronted with AI hallucinations in filings, one court shows “justifiable kindness,” while another gets tough (Selected by Victor Li) 49:46 The Real Risk Isn't the Cloud—It's Premises-Based Software (Selected by Niki Black)

This week on the pod, we welcome Bobby Coppola, Chief Strategy Officer and Bryant Gauthier, Vice President of Legal Technology at PLUSnxt. Bobby shares how his path from big law to legal tech shaped his focus on client service and strategy, while Bryant returns to the show to talk about what drew him to PLUSnxt after his time at Celerity.We break down what sets PLUSnxt apart in the crowded eDiscovery space, from helping clients separate hype from reality to focusing on innovation that actually makes life easier for corporations and law firms. The conversation turns to artificial intelligence in document review, obviously, where Bobby and Bryant highlight where adoption is real, where skepticism remains, and how GenAI is shifting client expectations. They also weigh in on whether the future lies in best-of-breed solutions or all-in-one platforms, sharing why no one really wants to manage a “franken-stack.” To wrap up, Bobby and Bryant share their takeaways from ILTACON and what trends they see shaping the next phase of legal tech.Along the way, the group reminisces about the dot-com era, old chat rooms (ASL anyone?), answering machines, fax machines, the Movie Phone guy, and even the “Callin' Oates” hotline. Definitely check this one out!At the intersection of law, business, and technology, Bobby Coppola  is focused on delivering industry leading legal technology and services to achieve the best outcome for his clients. He leverages his unique skill set based on his big law background and decades long-experience in the eDiscovery space to solve business and legal problems for companies and law firms globally. As Chief Strategy Officer at PLUSnxt, he is focused on the development of the company's short- and long-term strategy from both an operational and growth perspective. The underpinning of his approach to client relationships is a fanatical focus on client service and a vision of always putting himself in his client's position when developing a strategic plan for success.Bryant Gauthier is Vice President of Legal Technology at PLUSnxt, where he advises law firms and corporate counsel on building efficient eDiscovery programs. With more than 20 years of experience, he helps clients leverage technology, processes, and analytics to reduce costs and manage risk across the EDRM. He has led the launch of eDiscovery departments using advanced tools such as CAL, TAR, AI, text-to-audio search, and image recognition to streamline document review and investigations. His background includes leadership roles at Huron Consulting, Skadden Arps, Buckley Sandler, Finnegan Henderson, and Xerox.  Bryant supports legal teams in litigation, investigations, and regulatory matters, including SEC, DOJ, and CFPB inquiries, across industries such as banking, energy, healthcare, intellectual property, and technology. His expertise covers data identification, analysis, governance, privacy, and cross-border matters. PLUSnxt is a legal technology and services provider that helps law firms and corporations manage complex eDiscovery challenges with a focus on practical innovation and client service. They emphasizes building solutions that cut through the noise of legal tech hype, offering tools and expertise that actually improve how legal teams review, analyze, and manage data. PLUSnxt brings a mix of deep technical knowledge and real-world legal experience to its clients. Their approach combines advanced technologies such as AI and analytics with a clear understanding of business and legal priorities, making them a trusted partner for organizations navigating litigation, investigations, and regulatory matters.

Hosted by David Cowen | Presented by Steno Live at ILTACON 2025, in this candid conversation, Shannon Bales, Litigation Support Senior Manager at Munger, Tolles & Olson, shares how he's preparing his team for the AI-driven future, by turning ticket-takers into consultants. From tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, Harvey, and Claude, to the foundational skills that matter most (language, curiosity, and communication), Shannon talks shop about what it really takes to lead through change in today's legal tech landscape. If you manage teams, advise on tools, or just want to sharpen your edge, this one's for you. Key Topics Covered: Why Shannon trains his team to be consultants, not just executors ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Harvey, when to use what, and why Why there's no one AI winner (yet) and what due diligence really means From curiosity to clarity: why communication is the real AI skill How GenAI shifts the legal conversation and why workflows must follow Why legal tech leadership today means being agile, patient, and connected Shannon's weekend writing practice and why he's documenting GenAI's foundation for legal This Episode is presented by Steno: Smarter transcripts. Faster delivery. Built for modern legal teams.

Hosted by David Cowen | Presented by Steno Live from the floor at ILTACON 2025, this episode dives into the real transformation happening inside law firms and what GenAI has to do with it. Julie Brown, Director of Practice Technology at Vorys, shares why attorneys are finally asking for AI, what it means to build digital agents, and how legal tech professionals have evolved from taskmasters to strategic leaders. From workflow automation to workforce evolution, Julie breaks down what's changing, what's coming next, and how to stay ahead in a profession that's reinventing itself in real time. Key Topics Covered: How GenAI has flipped the script on legal tech adoption Why attorneys are now driving the demand for innovation The shift from eDiscovery silos to full-firm strategic impact What the rise of digital agents means for tomorrow's workforce How legal ops teams are becoming drivers of business value Julie's “second career” in agent design, automation, and workflow strategy Why human-in-the-loop AI still matters and always will   This Episode is presented by Steno: Smarter transcripts. Faster delivery. Built for modern legal teams.

Hosted by David Cowen | Presented by Steno Live from ILTACON 2025, this episode features a candid, heart-forward conversation with Melanie Prevost, Senior Director of IT Infrastructure & Technical Support at Vinson & Elkins. Melanie shares how GenAI is empowering neurodiverse professionals, reducing barriers to productivity, and creating real inclusion, not just policy-driven but experience-based. We dive into how teams are building confidence, collaboration, and creativity through tools like Copilot, Grammarly, and ChatGPT, along with what it means to work across silos, connect with communications teams, and lead from a place of openness and curiosity. Key Topics Covered: How GenAI tools like Copilot, Grammarly, and ChatGPT are leveling the playing field Supporting neurodiverse professionals through AI-enabled workflows Building psychological safety and confidence across technical teams Working across silos: IT + Communications = new power partnerships Why accessibility and inclusion need to be built into tech strategy What's changing at ILTACON and why it feels different this year From recipes to real strategy: how personal AI use is driving workplace adoption This Episode is presented by Steno: Smarter transcripts. Faster delivery. Built for modern legal teams

Hosted by David Cowen | Presented by Steno Live at ILTACON 2025, Rachel Shield Williams, Director of Client Intelligence at Sidley Austin, breaks down how the smartest legal teams are using AI, not just to save time, but to build stronger relationships, drive smarter decisions, and unlock entirely new ways of working. From ChatGPT to lakehouses, Rachel shares how the future of legal operations is being shaped by clean data, clear governance, and creative thinking. This episode is packed with real use cases, sharp insights, and powerful takeaways for anyone working at the intersection of law, data, and strategy. Key Topics Covered: What “client intelligence” really means and why it's a growth engine Why governance is the backbone of safe, scalable GenAI The difference between data warehouses, lakes, and lakehouses (finally explained) How cross-functional teams are reshaping client relationships Rachel's ChatGPT workflows - summarizing, strategizing, even grocery shopping AI as a leadership tool: how to support your team and stay ahead Inclusion, accessibility, and the future of data-driven collaboration This Episode is presented by Steno: Smarter transcripts. Faster delivery. Built for modern legal teams.

Hosted by David Cowen | Presented by Steno Live from the floor at ILTACON 2025, in this rich, retrospective conversation, Phil Bryce, longtime legal Knowledge Management leader and strategist - traces the evolution of legal tech from the dawn of email to today's GenAI disruption. But this episode is about more than just tech. Phil shares hard-earned lessons on connection, courage, and how relationships made 20 years ago still shape his career today. If you're navigating what's next or building your place in this industry, Phil's story is a masterclass in going far together. Key Topics Covered: What GenAI means now and how it echoes the early days of legal tech How Knowledge Management, strategy, and innovation emerged from organized chaos The power of connection: how one lunch sparked a 20-year peer network Why today's best opportunities aren't in job descriptions, you create them “Follow the joy”: Phil's framework for building a career worth having How courage and curiosity created the career he didn't know he was building The future of legal tech leadership and why thinking like a managing partner matters This Episode is presented by Steno: Smarter transcripts. Faster delivery. Built for modern legal teams.

Hosted by David Cowen | Presented by Steno Live at ILTACON 2025, in this wide-ranging conversation with Stephen Dooley, Director of Electronic Discovery and Litigation Support at Sullivan & Cromwell, we dig into the new rhythm of legal tech, how it's evolving, where the real value lives, and why the smartest professionals are not chasing AI, they're designing with it. From creative use of ChatGPT to legacy-building with AI-generated video, Stephen shares how he's redefining productivity, growth, and human connection at work and at home. If you're feeling overwhelmed by the noise, or wondering how to lead through change, this one will hit home. Key Topics Covered: Why “value” in legal tech is being redefined and what to do about it How Sullivan & Cromwell vets new tools, partners, and AI workflows The rise of augmented intelligence and how Dooley uses ChatGPT to think, plan, and lead Why creativity, not code, is the real differentiator in this AI moment What founders, vendors, and buyers must understand about trust and timing Lessons from Andrew Sieja, Omar Haroun, and other tech visionaries shaping the next phase How to “come together” in a fragmented market and why small pods of connection matter A personal look into Stephen's use of AI for family legacy and memorialization This Episode is presented by Steno: Smarter transcripts. Faster delivery. Built for modern legal teams.

Hosted by David Cowen | Presented by Steno What does it take to get in “the room where it happens”? Melissa Faragasso, a fifth-year associate at Cleary Gottlieb, didn't wait for permission - she stepped forward, made the ask, and landed a secondment to the firm's innovation team led by Ilona Logvinova. Live from the floor at ILTACON 2025, in this candid conversation, Melissa shares how a passion for privacy law, a sharp eye on emerging tech, and a dose of courage put her on a path that most associates only dream about. If you're a legal professional curious about GenAI, career growth, or making bold moves, this is your playbook. Key Topics Covered: How Melissa leveraged her privacy expertise to break into legal innovation What it really means to “operationalize” GenAI at a top-tier law firm The importance of doing it scared and why courage pays off How Cleary's acquisition of an AI startup created unexpected opportunities Why younger associates might have an edge in emerging tech law The value of curiosity, initiative, and asking the right question at the right moment This Episode is presented by Steno: Smarter transcripts. Faster delivery. Built for modern legal teams.

Hosted by David Cowen | Presented by Steno Live from the floor at ILTACON 2025, this episode cuts through the hype and gets into the real AI tools and workflows legal professionals are using right now. Stephanie Clerkin breaks down how GenAI is supercharging court reporting, unlocking billable time, and why “context engineering” may be the most important skill of your career. If you're curious, overloaded, or looking for a competitive edge - you need to hear this! Key Topics Covered: The AI tools shaking up court reporting (Transcript Genius, Verbit AI, and more) The security blind spot in transcript workflows and how to close it Why “context engineering” is your next competitive advantage Agentic workflows explained: what they are and why they matter The myth of the disappearing billable hour and what's actually happening How Stephanie builds AI muscle on weekends (and why you should too) Field-tested career advice for rising legal ops pros   This Episode is presented by Steno: Smarter transcripts. Faster delivery. Built for modern legal teams.

Join Michael Foster and Rutvik Rau as they discuss Vecflow. Want to learn more about Vecflow? Visit https://www.vecflow.ai/ and make sure to stop by the ILTACON Startup Booths to meet the team!  

This year's ILTACON, which starts later this week, marks the second anniversary of Harbor, a global expert services company formed through the merger of three long-established legal consulting firms: HBR Consulting, LAC Group, and Wilson Allen, and that formally launched at ILTACON in 2023.    The company, which counts among its clients some 80% of the 200 largest global law firms and 50% of the Fortune 500, has been making waves ever since, further expanding its services, making additional acquisitions, and scoring some notable hires to its executive team, all culminating in the news in June that it had received a majority investment from BayPine LP, a private investment firm devoted to driving digital transformation in market-leading businesses.   Part of what makes Harbor particularly interesting is that it sits at the intersection of corporate law departments, law firms, and technology providers – helping all three get more value from their partnerships. A key focus of the company's consulting services has been artificial intelligence and on helping organizations prepare their data and infrastructures to support the use of AI.    Our guest today is the CEO of Harbor, Matt Sunderman, who before the merger was CEO of HBR Consulting and, earlier, president of its advisory services. In their conversation, Matt and host Bob Ambrogi explore Harbor's mission to provide legal departments with end-to-end solutions that span strategy, legal technology, operations, and intelligence.    They also discuss the current state of digital transformation in legal – from the opportunities and obstacles around generative AI adoption to the surprising reality that many firms are still only 10 to 40 percent cloud-enabled, and Sunderman offers his perspective on what law firms and corporate legal departments should be doing today to prepare for the next decade.    Thank You To Our Sponsors This episode of LawNext is generously made possible by our sponsors. We appreciate their support and hope you will check them out. Paradigm, home to the practice management platforms PracticePanther, Bill4Time, MerusCase and LollyLaw; the e-payments platform Headnote; and the legal accounting software TrustBooks. Briefpoint, eliminating routine discovery response and request drafting tasks so you can focus on drafting what matters (or just make it home for dinner). Paxton, Rapidly conduct research, accelerate drafting, and analyze documents with Paxton. What do you need to get done today?    If you enjoy listening to LawNext, please leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts.  

Join Michael Foster and Trevor Bell as they discuss how Hercules.ai helps you do more with AI. Want to book a demo for ILTACON? Visit https://www.hercules.ai/ilta-demo to learn more!

Join Michael Foster and Nitin Wagh as they discuss Karini AI. Want to learn more about Karini AI? Visit https://www.karini.ai/ and make sure to stop by the ILTACON Startup Booths to meet the team!

Join Michael Foster and Josh Schwartz as they discuss phaselaw. Want to learn more about phaselaw? Visit https://www.phase.law/ and make sure to stop by the ILTACON Startup Booths to meet the team!

Join Michael Foster and Matthew Schmitt as they discuss Confidencial. Want to learn more about Confidencial? Visit https://www.confidencial.io/ and make sure to stop by the ILTACON Startup Booths to meet the team!

Join Michael Foster and Matthew Rasmussen as they discuss ModeOne. Want to learn more about ModeOne? Visit https://modeone.io/ and make sure to stop by the ILTACON Startup Booths to meet the team!

Join Michael Foster and Jaron Luttich as they discuss Element Standard. Want to learn more about Element Standard? Visit https://www.elementstandard.com/ and make sure to stop by the ILTACON Startup Booths to meet the team!

Join Michael Foster and Amy Swaner as they discuss Lexara. Want to learn more about Lexara? Visit https://lexara.com and make sure to stop by the ILTACON Startup Booths to meet the team!

Join Michael Foster and Wanne Pammelar as they discuss filerskeepers. Want to learn more about filerskeepers? Visit https://www.filerskeepers.co/  and make sure to stop by the ILTACON Startup Booths to meet the team!

Join Michael Foster and Franklyn Jones as they discuss AllRize. Want to learn more about AllRize? Visit https://allrize.ai/ and make sure to stop by the ILTACON Startup Booths to meet the team!

Join Michael Foster and Wanne Pammelar as they discuss Lawstronaut. Want to learn more about Lawstronaut? Visit https://lawstronaut.com/ and make sure to stop by the ILTACON Startup Booths to meet the team!

Join Michael Foster and Tali Green as they discuss Goodfact. Want to learn more about Goodfact? Visit https://www.goodfact.co/ and make sure to stop by the ILTACON Startup Booths to meet the team!

Join Michael Foster, Justin Brownstone and Peipei Fiore as they discuss Fileread. Want to learn more about Fileread? Visit https://fileread.com/ and make sure to stop by the ILTACON Startup Booths to meet the team!

Join Michael Foster and Caleb Harris as they discuss &AI. Want to learn more about &AI? Visit https://tryandai.com/ and make sure to stop by the ILTACON Startup Booths to meet the team!

Join Michael Foster and Hilary Bowman as they discuss Querious.ai.   Want to learn more about Querious.ai? Visit https://www.querious.ai/ and be sure to stop by the ILTACON 2025 Startup Booths to meet the team!

Join Michael Foster and Arvind Sujeeth as they discuss Billables.ai. Want to learn more about Billables.ai? Billables AI is an automated legal time-tracking platform, personalized and powered by AI. It integrates directly with workflows (like Microsoft, Zoom, Adobe) to capture time passively, creating an end-to-end billing report with client-matter matching, auto-generated narratives and precise durations to help lawyers recover incremental billable time and increase realization rates.  Visit https://billables.ai/ and stop by the ILTACON Startup Booths to meet the team!

Today's guest is Ted Theodoropoulos, CEO of Infodash, a cloud-first legal intranet and extranet platform. Ted has over two decades of experience in the legal tech industry, having led the development and delivery of innovative solutions for law firms. Over the course of his career, he has worked as a database engineer at Microsoft, senior vice president of Bank of America, and president of Acrowire—a technology consulting firm. At Infodash, he and his team help law firms leverage their Microsoft 365 investment in order to stay connected with their employees, their clients, and their work in the new age of remote and hybrid work. This year, Ted was named ILTA's 2024 Innovative Leader of the Year. In our conversation, Ted discusses his experience at ILTACON 2024, what new legal professionals should understand early in their careers, how he has been using generative AI in his personal and professional life, and his vision for the future of Infodash.

In this episode of Fringe Legal, recorded live from ILTACON 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee, Ab sits down with JoeySeeber, CEO of Level Legal. Joey discusses the journey and growth of Level Legal over 15 years, starting during the Great Recession. The conversation delves into various aspects of building a business for longevity, maintaining a startup mindset in a small company, and delivering services in a human-centric way. Joey shares insights on their framework and principles for doing business, client feedback, handling competition, and the role of technology in enhancing efficiency. Read the episode takeaways at: https://www.fringelegal.com/balancing-technology-and-human-connection-in-legal-services-with-joey-seeber

Each week, the leading journalists in legal tech choose their top stories of the week to discuss with our other panelists. This week's topics: 00:00 - Introductions 03:00 - ILTACON recap 10:00 - At ILTACON, Anticipation for the Shiny Object (Selected by Bob Ambrogi) 34:50 - New Intellectual Property Hypo Just Dropped At International Tech Show (Selected by Joe Patrice) 44:40 - CoCounsel 2.0 versus LexisNexis Protege (Selected by Bob Ambrogi)

In this episode of "Careers in the Business of Law," part of the LDI Legal Data Intelligence Series, host David Cowen sits down with Scott Milner, Laura Kibbe, and Adam Rouse for a deep dive into the concept of Legal Data Intelligence (LDI). Recorded live from the ILTA conference in Nashville, this episode offers an engaging recap of their session on stage, discussing how LDI is transforming the legal industry.

Michael Foster sits down with this year's ILTACON Co-Chairs, Rodney Mullins and Donna Frugoli, to find out what we can expect at ILTACON 2024.

For those who want to enter the cybersecurity field, especially if they come from a non-technical background, there is no shortage of opportunities. Just ask Kristin Kelly, our Growth Marketing Programs Specialist, who was recently recognized as a Young Professional to Watch by the International Legal Technology Association (ILTA). In this conversation with Erin McLean, Chief Marketing Officer at eSentire, Kristin shares her story of how she transitioned from a non-technical PR role to becoming a technical cybersecurity marketer and how her involvement with industry events like RSA and ILTACON have enabled her to build key relationships with cybersecurity leaders. Key topics of discussion include: How Kristin has worked to overcome imposter syndrome and become more proactive to share ideas and build networks at work The importance of self-education and networking to grow in the cybersecurity industry Why it's critical to empathize with your customers and partners and go beyond business transactions to build trusted relationships --- Have a question for us? Reach out: hello@esentire.com --- About Cyber Talks From ransomware attacks to supply chain compromises, eSentire's Cyber Talks podcast will delve into the world of the latest cyber threats that are impacting businesses globally. Join our team of security experts as we speak with C-level executives and security practitioners about the cyber risks affecting their business and how they're addressing these challenges. About eSentire eSentire, Inc., the Authority in Managed Detection and Response (MDR), protects the critical data and applications of 2000+ organizations in 80+ countries, across 35 industries from known and unknown cyber threats by providing Exposure Management, Managed Detection and Response and Incident Response services designed to build an organization's cyber resilience & prevent business disruption. Founded in 2001, eSentire protects the world's most targeted organizations with 65% of its global base recognized as critical infrastructure, vital to economic health and stability. By combining open XDR platform technology, 24/7 threat hunting, and proven security operations leadership, eSentire's award-winning MDR services and team of experts help organizations anticipate, withstand and recover from cyberattacks. For more information, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.esentire.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@eSentire⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Sr. VP of Service Delivery, Dawn Hudgins, sits down with Gina Buser, CEO of Traveling Coaches, to dig deep on best practices for business partners.

The International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) is launching a new conference called EVOLVE, which will focus on the rapidly evolving topics of generative AI and cybersecurity in the legal industry. Ken Jones, Principal Consultant at Xerdict Group LLC, and Josh Smith, Information Security Manager at Ogletree Deakins, join the podcast to discuss the conference and the challenges and opportunities presented by these cutting-edge technologies. ILTA EVOLVE is designed to be a more intimate event compared to the larger ILTACON conference, with an expected attendance of 300-500 people. This smaller scale allows for deeper technical discussions, more personal interactions, and easier access to experts and speakers. The conference will feature a keynote speaker, a roundtable discussion, and 20 educational sessions led by a diverse group of talented speakers. One of the key challenges faced by legal technology professionals is the need to balance the potential benefits of generative AI with the responsibility to protect client data. Law firms have a fiduciary duty to be strong stewards of their clients' information, and the use of AI models that rely on vast amounts of data can create conflicts of interest. The conference will explore ways to make these models secure and compliant while still leveraging their capabilities to enhance legal services. The keynote speaker for ILTA EVOLVE will be Joe Sullivan, former CSO of Facebook, accompanied by Lily Yeoh, founder and president of C1 Risk. Their presentation will focus on the legal issues faced by law firms in the event of a cybersecurity incident and how to respond effectively. The conference will also provide ample networking opportunities, including evening events, coffee breaks, and a business partner display area where attendees can engage with vendors and learn about the latest solutions. Looking to the future, the co-chairs predict that both cybersecurity and generative AI will continue to evolve rapidly, becoming more sophisticated and valuable to the legal profession. In the realm of cybersecurity, the battle between attackers and defenders will likely be ongoing, requiring constant vigilance and adaptation. For AI, the application of best practices and methodologies from software development will be crucial in ensuring that these powerful technologies are deployed effectively and responsibly within law firms. ILTA EVOLVE aims to provide attendees with the knowledge and tools they need to navigate this complex landscape and harness the potential of these transformative technologies. Listen on mobile platforms:   Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠ |  ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ Contact Us: Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@gebauerm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@glambert⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads: @glambertpod or @gebauerm66Email: geekinreviewpodcast@gmail.comMusic: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jerry David DeCicca⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Eve Searls  ⁠⁠⁠⁠Transcript