The Legal Toolkit

Jared kicks it off by exploring the biggest players in productivity software you should be using, well, be more productive. But no productivity suite is perfect. So, get to know the strengths and weaknesses of each so you can make the right choice for you.

Then, back in the day, lawyers often got their IT services from some independent techie who took care of stuff on an as-needed basis, but that sort of break/fix model is problematic if your tech strategy is only reactive instead of proactive. Jared talks with Michael Doherty about what it looks like for lawyers to engage IT services through a managed service provider (MSP). Michael walks attorneys through modern realities and ethics for technology use in their law firms and the potential for better outcomes when working with an MSP. 

Later on—the Rump Roast, of course! The guys play “Hard Choices”, where Jared poses difficult Boston-themed scenarios and Michael must educate the masses on what a true Bostonian would do. 

-----

Let's keep this Boston train going. Next stop: some of Boston's greatest musical hits.

-----

Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

Our closing track is Take a Ride With Me by The Revolution.

AI’s prime directive is to give you answers, buuuut… it might just be telling you what it thinks you want to hear—with no concern over providing actual verifiable facts. This issue (and oodles of others) have initiated a trickle of case law/guidance/opinions/etc. in the legal AI scene, and you, dear lawyer, want to be on the right side of legal ethics on this one. Jared breaks down the latest developments on this topic to give you a better understanding of where things are headed. 

Next, some of us are, admittedly, BS-ing our way through all this AI stuff, but Josh Noffke really and truly uses AI as much as he possibly can in his law firm. Since the rest of us are still muddling through, Jared welcomes Josh to give attorneys tool recommendations and pointers on use-cases for AI in their law firms.

Later, it turns out that Josh played as a walk-on for the University of Michigan’s football team, so the Rump Roast is dedicated to team trivia! The guys play “Michigan Man” to test both Josh’s knowledge and reputation as a former Wolverine. Serious stuff. 

-----

Ah, Michigan. The mitten shaped state that gave us Motown.

------

Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

Our closing track is Renegade by The Revolution.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Notion

Scribe

Loom Videos

Rocket Typist

TextExpander

Bored with your run-of-the-mill marketing campaigns? Maybe it’s time for you to make a musical! Jared brings on Jacob Sanders to learn all about the recent release of NinjaCat’s Big Data Day – a corporate musical. They talk about the history of these sorts of marketing ventures and their uniquely fun and tactical advantages. They also dig into how super effective use of your data will help you run a better, more profitable business. 

Next, the Rump Roast! In a new trivia game called “Large Fathers”, Jacob must answer questions about big daddies of historical pop culture. 

-----

Also in this episode—Jared, in general, hates musicals (Sorry, Jacob). No spoilers here, but a very select few did make Jared’s remarkably minuscule shortlist.

-----

Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

Our closing track is Sepulveda by Midnight Daydream.

So much of our communications and societal existence is housed online, so e-discovery is the major way we gather evidence. Jared talks with Cat Casey about the AI spectrum within the e-discovery world, explaining the many ways varying elements of machine learning and AI have created more powerful tools for attorneys. They also discuss the promising future of AI in e-discovery and the legal profession. 

This time on the Rump Roast, Jared quizzes Cat on cat-themed song lyrics. Is Cat an expert on feline musical appearances? We shall see. 

Everybody keeps asking about AI, so Jared’s delivering! There are quite a few budding AI softwares tailor-made for attorneys, so what tools are worth your attention? Jared reminds everyone—lots of the things you already use have had AI baked in for a long time, so use it. Security is important, folks, so picking vetted technology over an unknown/free tool could definitely keep it from coming back to bite you in your ethically questionable ass. 

Cat Casey is Chief Growth Officer at Reveal Brainspace, helping lead innovation and direction for their legal technology solutions.

-----

Since you're listening to Cat on the mic this episode, the logical next step is to listen to this cat inspired playlist.

------

Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

Our closing track is Banksy by Lunareh.

Links Mentioned:

Women in eDiscovery

Operation Safe Space

SPLASH Pledge

Law Rocks!

Sometimes, legal tech is the perfect solution for the needs of your law firm, but sometimes, lawyers need to look outside the legal tech world at other technologies that can serve their legal practice better. Emily Gordon has always been a tech-forward attorney, and she’s got tons of recommendations for non-legaltech tech tools that have become the most effective solutions for her law firm. 

Then, Emily sticks around for the Rump Roast! The “Amara” in Emily’s firm, Amara Law, is actually her middle name, so Jared devised a middle-name trivia game: “Stuck in the Middle With You”.  

And, dear listener, get ready for a hot take from Jared: SNL sucks, and… you know what? Maybe it always has. But, there’s something better out there—”I Think You Should Leave” on Netflix is worth watching again and again. Have fun!

_____

Since we talked about middle names coming first, I’ve put together what is, perhaps, our most middling playlist ever.

Links Mentioned:

Front

Twilio

PandaDoc

Stripe

Adjusting to the new and persistent presence of AI in the legal world isn’t easy, but it is necessary. Jared welcomes brothers Justin and Luc Cary, an attorney and software engineer, respectively, to unpack the current state of AI in business and legal uses. They discuss current safety issues, emerging guardrails, best practices for research, AI in legal tech software, and more. 

Later on in the Rump Roast, the guys play “Brother Up”, where Justin and Luc must identify famous brothers in history and pop culture. 

And, should you be entering confidential information into generative AI tools? Well, there are layers, folks, but in the current AI environment, lawyers should never assume their data is secure. That being said, Jared doesn’t want to throw a wet blanket on the AI revolution, he just wants you to know the three simple things that will enable you to use these tools safely and ethically. 

Justin Cary is an attorney at Drummond Woodsum.

Luc Cary is associate director of machine learning at Invitae.

_______________________________________________________

Since we have the Cary brothers with us this week, here's a playlist all about siblings!

_______________________________________________________

Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

Our closing track is Promised Land by Brian Brown

Backsliders are the worst, and if you’re making your employees come into the office after years of successful remote work, then, well… you’re the worst. Jared weighs in on the remote/in-office work debate to help you take a hard look at why you’re doing what you’re doing—and whether your reasoning is utter bullshit.

Next, Jared welcomes first-time guest Rob Joyner to talk about how technology adoption is the means to the end of future-proofing your law firm. To some lawyers, new tech may feel like the great unknown, but failing to learn and implement it will make you fall behind your competitors. Jared and Rob talk about the latest in AI and other essential legal tech and the best ways for law firms to stay current.

In the Rump Roast, Jared forgoes his typical torturous games, because Rob has a legit cool hobby to talk about. You can learn more about it at paintedjoyner.com.

Rob Joyner is Senior Vice President of Business Development at Centerbase.

-----

Since we talk about artwork - a departure for us, for sure - here are some songs related to art.

-----

Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

Our closing track is Spoken Word by Renderings.

Why is it that law firms are a frequent target for data breaches? Make no mistake, attorneys, you’ve got a lot of sensitive, valuable data that a threat actor would love to get their hands on. If your cybersecurity isn’t effective, you’re opening yourself up to a whole lot of ethical and legal issues. Jared chats with David Aaron about preventative measures lawyers should employ, what to do if you suffer a breach, and current cybersecurity trends.

Later on in the Rump Roast, the guys play “Doubling Up”––where Jared quizzes David on trivia devoted to people blessed with a first-name first name and first-name last name. You get it, right?

And, is anything more annoying than email? Not in Jared’s estimation. He shares his thoughts (read: rants) on the vexing email follow-ups people tend to send with irritating regularity.

-----

This episode, we covered some annoying email tactics, so we made the playlist all about the proper messaging.

-----

Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

Our closing track is Christmas Time is Lambs Farm by Sam Barsh.

If your firm is experiencing operational challenges you just can’t seem to overcome, you might be in need of some C-suite help. Lawyers don’t necessarily want to take on the business responsibilities of running a practice, and there are many flexible ways to get the business guidance you need. Jared talks with Seth Tuman of 2GO Advisory Group about how either fractional or full-time C-suite professionals can help attorneys take their law firms to the next level.

Later, you’re in for a holiday treat on the Rump Roast with the return of Correia Family Stories! Jared’s mom and brother, Pat, share some of their favorite holiday memories. Was it Jared or his sister who was responsible for the pine needle in Pat’s eye? And, who knew Scattergories could be so delightfully awkward? Listen in for more.

And, last but not least, if you’ve always wanted to elevate your holiday entertainment aficionado status, Jared has all the little-known titles you need to watch to become a truly well-versed movie snob.

-----

The holiday's are a good time to connect with your roots, so in honor of my mother and brother joining, here's a playlist of Portuguese music to honor my family's native land.

-----

Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

Our closing track is Christmas Time is Coming by Moments.

Searching for state court data used to be a huge pain in the ass, but data analytics has almost entirely fixed it, giving attorneys searchable databases in just about every state. What else has data analytics done for the profession? Plenty. Jared talks with Nicole Clark about how the aggregation of legal data has given us a much deeper understanding of courts, judges, and law firms—and even gives lawyers an edge in the courtroom. Trigger warning: they also give a nod to AI and its major contributions to legal data analytics.

It’s almost Christmas, but let’s take a look back at Thanksgiving! Jared and Nicole play “Overrated, Underrated, Properly Rated—Thanksgiving Edition” to determine whether beloved Thanksgiving traditions like stuffing, football, and uncomfortable political conversations are given their due.

Though controversial in its day, Paul Simon’s “Graceland” is a perfect album. After a run of personal and professional disappointments, Simon hit upon some pretty fortuitous inspiration that led to this pristine collection of musical craftsmanship. Jared unpacks the surprising and varied Americana-meets-world-music vibe of “Graceland”, the most popular album of Simon’s career.

Nicole Clark is co-founder and CEO at Trellis Research Inc.

-----

We celebrate Paul Simon's perfect album 'Graceland', with our episode + this playlist.

-----

Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.

Our closing track is Life of the Party by Dr. Delight.