AI and the Future of Law
AI and the Future of Law is a podcast that explores how artificial intelligence is transforming the legal industry. Hosted by Bridget McCormack and Jen Leonard, each episode covers cutting-edge technologies, trends, and strategies. The show provides insights for legal professionals and tech enthusiasts interested in the future of law. It is presented by the American Arbitration Association with Creative Lawyers and distributed by PLI.
Episodes
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 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
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 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
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 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
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 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 ne
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 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
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 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
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 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 exponentiall
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 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
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 (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
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 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 ris
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 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 d
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. 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 bot
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 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 hall
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 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,
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 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
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 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 bui
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 “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 lawy
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 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 betwe
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 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 centu
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 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 rea
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 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
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 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 br
GPT-5 and the Future of Legal AI Regulation
Is GPT-5 good enough to practice law? This episode dives into OpenAI’s newest model and its implications for legal practice, including how it compares to previous models and where human oversight remains essential. Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack also unpack a groundbreaking report from IAALS on regulating AI in legal services, shifting the focus from lawyers to consumers.Episode Highlights:(2:2
Garfield Law: Inside the World’s First AI-Native Law Firm
What happens when a litigator and a quantum physicist build a law firm from the ground up with AI at its core? In this episode, hosts Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack speak with Phillip Young and Daniel Long of Garfield Law, the UK’s first fully AI-native, regulator-approved law firm. They share how Garfield streamlines small debt claims, navigated unprecedented regulatory scrutiny, and solved AI
Can AI Help You Win in Court? A New Era of Self-Representation
Could AI make you a better advocate than a lawyer? In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack explore real-world stories of self-represented litigants using AI tools to win cases, plus a bold proposal to allow “robot lawyers” in appellate arguments. From century rides powered by ChatGPT to experiments in legal education innovation, this conversation tackles the evolving role of AI in justi
Building an AI-Forward Law Firm: Lessons from Quinn Emanuel
What happens when a top litigation firm lets lawyers truly experiment with AI?In this episode, Jen and Bridget sit down with Jen Reeves and Chris Kercher of Quinn Emanuel to explore how one of the world’s top law firms is embracing AI from the inside out. From launching a grassroots Skunk Works group to using Claude and ChatGPT in high-stakes litigation, they share how culture, leadership, and cur
Training the Next Generation of Lawyers: How AI Is Redefining Legal Training
What happens when the apprenticeship model breaks?In this episode, Jen and Bridget explore how AI is reshaping legal education and associate training, from the classroom to the law firm. Sparked by a conversation by Wharton professor Ethan Mollick, the hosts ask: If the old model of learning-by-osmosis no longer works, what comes next? Episode Highlights(3:07) Bridget’s latest AI Aha!: Protot
A New Name, A New Era: Welcome to AI and the Future of Law
In Episode 27, hosts Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack kick off a new chapter with a fresh name — AI and the Future of Law — and a new presenting partnership with the Practising Law Institute (PLI), in collaboration with the American Arbitration Association. The rebrand reflects their evolving mission while keeping the heart of the podcast intact: accessible, thought-provoking insights on how AI i
ChatGPT Gets an A+: What That Means for Law School, Workflows, and Your Everyday Life
What does it mean when AI outperforms law students? In this episode, Jen and Bridget explore a groundbreaking study showing that OpenAI’s latest model, O3, earned A+ grades on actual law school finals — outperforming top students in multiple subjects. But that’s just one part of the story.Episode Highlights(3:02) Bridget’s latest “AI Aha!” — using ChatGPT to design and facilitate a 300-person work
What Just Happened? Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, and the AI Firehose
Episode Highlights(03:27) Bridget’s AI Aha: Building “Bridget’s Second Brain” using ChatGPT and Microsoft tools(11:05) Jen’s AI Aha: AI itineraries, sci-fi style research, and nail polish via ChatGPT(17:30) What Just Happened: The firehose of announcements from Google I/O(24:28) Claude Opus 4 and the “grown, not built” philosophy at Anthropic(37:59) Microsoft’s AI plumbing: Connecting court system
The UK Just Approved an AI-Only Law Firm. Is the U.S. Ready?
In this episode of 2030 Vision, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack explore OpenAI’s surprising executive reshuffle, Google's declining grip on search to the UK’s official authorization of Garfield Law, the first an AI-native law firm.Jen and Bridget analyze the implications of Garfield AI's regulatory approval, the practical limits of paraprofessional models in the U.S., and how agile regulation co
Can AI Be More Persuasive Than a Human Lawyer?
In this episode, Bridget McCormack and Jen Leonard explore a mind-bending new study where AI bots outperformed humans in changing people’s minds on Reddit — by a long shot. What does this mean for the legal profession, where persuasion is core to the craft?From evaluating reasoning-first models like OpenAI’s new o3 and Google’s Gemini 2.5, to watching AI walk through logic, fix math errors, and ev
The Ethics of AI in Lawyering: Is It Unethical Not to Use AI?
Is it possible that not using AI could soon be seen as unethical for lawyers? Bridget McCormack and Jen Leonard dive into two recent Georgia cases where savvy use of AI helped lawyers win major verdicts and why these examples could signal a turning point in professional responsibility.Along the way, Bridget shares her AI "aha" moment with ChatGPT acting as a woods guide (and porcupine expert), whi
Future-Proofing Your Law Firm: Lessons from AI Benchmarking
What happens when AI performs on par with lawyers—and even beats them at key tasks? Bridget McCormack and Jen Leonard explore the implications of the VAL benchmarking report, which compares top legal AI tools to real-life attorneys on real-world tasks. They also break down new research from Wharton’s Ethan Mollick on “cybernetic teammates”—and what it means when AI tools boost not just productivit
Live from Legal Week 2025: Unveiling a New AI Course for Lawyers
In this special Legal Week edition of 2030 Vision, co-hosts Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack reunite in person to unveil a groundbreaking new online course built to help legal professionals lead through AI-driven change. Designed for law firm leaders, individual lawyers, and legal organizations of all sizes, the course offers actionable frameworks for navigating disruption with confidence and cla
Law Firms Want AI-Ready Lawyers: So Why Aren’t They Hiring Them?
In this episode of 2030 Vision, Jennifer Leonard and Bridget McCormack dive into the evolving landscape of AI in the legal profession. They share personal experiences with AI tools, discuss the latest advancements in AI models, and explore the implications of artificial general intelligence (AGI). The conversation touches on the future of legal education, the skills that will define the next gener
AI in Legal Research: The Battle Over Copyright and Innovation
In this episode of 2030 Vision: AI and the Future of Law, Bridget McCormack and Jen Leonard break down two major AI stories shaking up the legal industry: Elon Musk’s unsolicited $97.4 billion bid to buy OpenAI and the landmark Thomson Reuters v. Ross AI case, which sets a critical precedent for AI training data and copyright law.They also explore OpenAI’s new Deep Research tool, which is revoluti
Generative AI and the Courts: Expanding Legal Access or Opening the Floodgates?
In this episode of 2030 Vision: AI and the Future of Law, Bridget McCormack and Jen Leonard explore how AI is reshaping legal access, communication, and decision-making. They discuss OpenAI’s Deep Research tool and DeepSeq’s disruptive AI model, which could democratize AI and challenge big tech.Beyond law, they examine AI’s growing role in healthcare and education, while emphasizing that human exp
AI and the Future of Legal Jobs: What Law Firms Must Do to Stay Competitive
In this episode of 2030 Vision: AI and the Future of Law, Bridget McCormack and Jen Leonard explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the legal job market and what law firms must do to stay competitive. They dive into the World Economic Forum’s Jobs Report 2025 and the Thomson Reuters & Georgetown Report on the State of the Legal Market, breaking down the key findings and their implicat
AI Revolution in 2025? What Lawyers Missed Over the Holidays
In this episode of 2030 Vision: AI and the Future of Law, Bridget McCormack and Jen Leonard explore how generative AI is revolutionizing legal practice. They discuss major December 2024 advancements like OpenAI’s "12 Days of Shipmas," Google’s Gemini 2.0, and Amazon’s Nova Suite. From fine-tuning AI models for legal use to integrating tools like Deep Research, this episode highlights how AI is str
Navigating Regulatory Risk: How AI Will Impact the Future of Legal Engagement
In this episode of 2030 Vision: AI and the Future of Law, hosts Bridget McCormack and Jen Leonard explore how generative AI is transforming legal and regulatory landscapes, focusing on two compelling examples: insights from the HBR article "Gen AI Makes Legal Action Cheap, and Companies Need to Prepare" and Adam Unikowski’s analysis of NEPA’s environmental impact statement process.They begin with
Can AI Replace Human Judgment? Medicine, Law, and the Future
In this episode of 2030 Vision: AI and the Future of Law, hosts Bridget McCormack and Jen Leonard unpack groundbreaking insights from a JAMA study that compares the diagnostic capabilities of ChatGPT with human doctors. Drawing compelling parallels to the legal profession, they explore how generative AI could reshape legal research, improve efficiency, and challenge long-standing notions of profes
Bridging the Gender Gap: Insights on AI Adoption in the Legal Industry
In this episode of 2030 Vision: AI and the Future of Law, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack delve into the evolving role of AI in the legal profession, particularly its impact on gender disparities. The discussion covers personal experiences with generative AI, concepts like tech accelerationism and effective altruism, and how these ideas intersect with the legal field. The episode highlights the
What Role Will AI Play in Transforming Justice Systems?
In this episode of 2030 Vision, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack delve into the transformative power of AI in justice and governance. Drawing from Dario Amodei’s visionary essay Machines of Love and Grace and Adam Unikowsky’s practical experiments with generative AI, they discuss how powerful AI is reshaping legal processes, reducing bias, and enhancing creativity. The conversation explores AI’s
How will AI Tools Like ChatGPT 4.0 and Notebook LM Shape the Future of Law?
In this episode of 2030 Vision, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack discuss the latest advancements at the intersection of AI and the legal profession. They break down key concepts like red teaming to enhance AI security and the human-in-the-loop approach that ensures AI serves as a collaborative tool rather than a replacement. The conversation explores two transformative AI tools—Google Notebook LM
AI's Impact on Legal Education: Preparing Future Lawyers for a Tech-Driven World
In this episode of 2030 Vision, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack explore the profound impact of AI on legal education. They break down essential AI-related terms including AI Washing & Context Window, share personal "AI Aha!" moments, and discuss how generative AI is reshaping law schools and the legal profession. They delve into the challenges law schools face in integrating technology, the
Discussing OpenAI's o1 Strawberry: Unveiling the Next Generation of AI Reasoning
In this episode of 2030 Vision: AI and the Future of Law, hosts Bridget McCormack and Jen Leonard explore the latest advancements in artificial intelligence with a focus on OpenAI’s new "Strawberry" model o1. They discuss how this model revolutionizes reasoning processes, its implications for the legal industry, and how it compares to existing AI tools. Along the way, they share real-world applica
Generative AI in Legal Practice: Adapting to New Ethical Standards and Regulations
In this episode of 2030 Vision, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack explore the evolving role of artificial intelligence in the legal profession. The conversation dives into the American Bar Association's (ABA) formal opinion on generative AI, addressing key ethical concerns and the varying approaches taken by state bar associations. They discuss the importance of understanding AI's capabilities, th
The Future of Generative AI in the Court System & The Importance of Transparency
In Episode 6, Bridget & Jen dive into "The Future of Generative AI in the Court System & The Importance of Transparency." Join them as they explore how generative AI can revolutionize the judicial system by assisting in drafting opinions, generating ideas, and proposing alternative solutions to legal challenges. Bridget & Jen break down key terms such as alignment and attention mechani
The Impact of Generative AI & Driving Innovation within the Court System
In this episode, Bridget McCormack and Jen Leonard explore the transformative impact of generative AI on the court system. Drawing from their personal experiences, they discuss how generative AI has influenced their legal research and even their triathlon training plans. The episode unpacks the concepts of Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) and the balance between precision and imprecision in ge
How Small Law Firms and Solo Practitioners Can Harness Generative AI
In Episode 4, Jen and Bridget dive deep into the world of data, explaining the crucial differences between structured and unstructured data. They also explore the intriguing concept of agentism in generative AI, where AI systems exhibit autonomous, goal-oriented behavior.For solo practitioners and small firms looking to harness the power of AI, Jen and Bridget offer practical advice on getting sta
Transforming Law with AI: Generative Models, Innovation in Dispute Resolution, and Leadership in Change
In Episode 3, hosts Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack discuss the integration of AI into alternative dispute resolution, the potential of generative AI in transforming legal services, the concepts of probabilistic and deterministic AI, hallucinations in AI models, and the importance of innovation and strategy within the American Arbitration Association (AAA).Bridget McCormack discusses her efforts
Leading with AI: Strategies, Legal Insights, and Defining Key Terms
In Episode 2, hosts Bridget McCormack and Jen Leonard explore the strategic implications of AI for leaders of organizations. They delve into defining key AI terms, uncovering legal insights, and offering practical strategies for navigating AI's impact on organizations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Introduction to Generative AI & Why Lawyers Should Care
In our debut episode, hosts Bridget McCormack and Jen Leonard delve into their professional journeys, offering insights into their backgrounds and legal expertise. They provide an introductory exploration of generative AI & large language models, examining its impact on various stakeholders in the legal industry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to AI and the Future of Law Podcast
2030 Vision: 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
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