Walchet Talks: Recent Episodes
Priyadarshini Shetty
At Walchet Talks, we chat with legal tech professionals across the globe to hear their insights and analysis on the latest trends in legal tech, their journey as legal technologists and their views on the future of legal tech. Essentially, tune in for all things legal tech.
In this bonus episode, I chat with Brian Kennedy, Senior Practice Innovation Manager of Real Estate at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP), about Generative AI. We explore how Generative AI is different from other types of AI, uncover limitations of Large Language Models (LLMs), see how law firms can harness AI and explore the key skills lawyers need in this new era.
The points we discuss in this episode along with the corresponding time stamps are set out below:
- Introduction (0:10)
- How is Generative AI different from other AI? (0:47)
- What are the major limitations of AI? (3:13)
- How does a law firm ensure that they are well positioned to harness the opportunities of Generative AI? (05:22)
- How can lawyers upskill in the era of Generative AI? (08:28)
- Does prompt engineering have to be performed by a lawyer? (09:43)
In this episode, I chat with Uwais Iqbal, founder of Simplexico, an AI company that provides education, design and development services tailored for legal teams looking to leverage AI.
We discuss the meaning of AI, Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing in a way that’s relevant to lawyers, the gaps between AI hype and reality, promising real-world AI use cases for legal teams, and how best legal teams can go about leveraging AI and evaluate AI vendors.
The points we discuss in this episode along with the corresponding time stamps are set out below:
- Introduction (0:09)
- What are some important basics about AI that legal professionals need to know? (1:56)
- How are AI concepts applied in the legal sector? (5:40)
- What are the gaps between hype and reality in legal applications of AI? (10:01)
- What are promising use cases for legal applications of AI? (13:05)
- How should legal teams explore AI in their organisation? (15:23)
- How should tools and vendors be evaluated? (18:13)
- Where is AI for legal applications placed on the Gartner hype cycle? (20:52)
- Reach out to Uwais (24:12)
In this episode, I chat with Brian Kennedy, Senior Practice Innovation Manager of Real Estate at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP), about Generative AI. We discuss what Large Language Models (LLMs) are, some issues plaguing LLMs including hallucinations, the types of legal tech products using LLMs, and how law firms can look at spending their Generative AI dollars with a final look at how BCLP uses Generative AI.
The points we discuss in this episode along with the corresponding time stamps are set out below:
- Introduction (0:09)
- What is a Large Language Model (LLM)? (02:02)
- What are some accuracy issues LLMs face, and why? (3:25)
- What are hallucinations (05:11)
- How can hallucinations and accuracy problems be mitigated? (08:46)
- How much can we trust Generative AI tools? (11:31)
- What is the overview of the Legal Tech landscape for Generative AI products? (16:40)
- What is the best approach for a law firm in spending their Generative AI dollars? (19:51)
- What approach is your firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) taking to using Generative AI? (21:33)
Link to download the free e-book.
https://walchet.com/ai-for-lawyers/
You can contact us/ provide feedback on the e-book at hello@walchet.com.
In this episode I chat with Meera Klemola about the legal design, its application to legal teams, and the change management techniques used to help teams become more design-driven. The specific points we address in the episode along with the corresponding time stamps are set out below.
- Introduction (0:09)
- What is legal design? How is it different from design thinking? (2:30)
- What are some use cases of legal design? (6:20)
- How does your course “Fundamentals of Legal Design” help legal professionals? (10:34)
- Which change management techniques help legal teams adopt legal design? (14:05)
- Does change management have to be a continuous process? (20:45)
- Are change management processes universal? Or are they customisable for the issue at hand? (23:08)
As referenced in the episode, here is a link to the 'Fundamentals of Legal Design' course: https://bond.edu.au/microcredential/fundamentals-of-legal-design
In this episode I chat with Jessica Flowers about the rise of visual contracts and its importance in democratising the access to justice. The specific points we address in the episode along with the corresponding time stamps are set out below.
- Introduction (0:09)
- What are visual contracts and why are they relevant: (2:07)
- How do visual contracts make justice a lot more accessible to the common man? (3:55)
- Examples of visual contracts (example 1 at 15:47 and example 2 at 17:58)
- What is the process for designing a visual contract? What principles or elements do you have to bear in mind while creating a visual contract? (20:18)
- How do you get specific in a visual contract? (25:27)
- What are the pitfalls to avoid when designing a visual contract? (25:55)
In this bonus episode, I chat with Josh Kubicki, a business designer and co-founder of the Bold Duck Studio. We discuss 2 use cases of design thinking for legal teams.
- Creating new roles for existing legal teams
- Incentivising legal teams to become legal tech experts
Hi, welcome to Walchet Talks, a legal tech and innovation podcast.
In each episode, we do a deep dive into one concept in the legal tech and innovation space and discuss its application to legal teams.
We have covered a broad range of topics including document automation, design thinking, legal operations, contract lifecycle management and lots more. Do check it out.
If there is a topic you want us to cover, do drop us a line at priyadarshini@walchet.com. We would love to hear from you. Thank you for tuning in.
In this episode I chat with Rachita Maker about the importance of legal operations for legal teams. The specific points we address in the episode along with the corresponding time stamps are set out below.
- Introduction (0:08)
- Scope of the term 'Legal Operations': (1:36)
- Examples of legal operation functions in corporate legal teams and ALSPs (5:10)
- Thoughts on Law Firms embracing Legal Operations (6:52)
- Skill Sets of a Legal Ops Professional (8:52)
- Importance of Data & Metrics in Legal Operations (12:28)
- Importance of People and Process Before Technology (18:33)
Housekeeping Note: We experienced a technical problem with our recording studio because of which Priyadarshini's audio/ video is not always in sync and it sometimes appears that she is interrupting Rachita. This is a technical glitch. Do bear with us.
In this episode, I chat with Andrew Wingfield and Peter Impey about no code or low code tools for lawyers. The points we discuss in this episode along with the corresponding time stamps are set out below:
- Introduction (0:09)
- Importance of Automation in the Legal Industry (1:20)
- What does no code/ low code mean for lawyers? (2:40)
- Difference between no code/ low code tools (6:25)
- Choosing when to use no code/ low code tools (7:40)
- Challenges in using no code/ low code tools (9:40)
- Playbook to effectively rolling out a no code/ low code tool (16:02)
Housekeeping Note: We experienced a technical problem with our recording studio because of which Priyadarshini's audio/ video is not always in sync and it sometimes appears that she is interrupting the other speakers. This is a technical glitch. Do bear with us.
In this episode, I chat with Catherine Alman MacDonagh about applying the principles of lean and six sigma to legal service delivery. The points we discuss in this episode along with the corresponding time stamps are set out below:
- Introduction (0:09)
- Relevance of Lean Six Sigma for Lawyers (0:32)
- Application of Lean Six Sigma to Lawyers (2:42)
- Kickstarting Lean Six Sigma processes at your Legal Team (10:04)
- What is Process Mapping? (13:48)
- Making Lean Six Sigma a Continuous Effort (23:26)
- Change Management Techniques that are Helpful (25:08)
Link to the episode 'Law Firm Innovation' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfAHmG515a0&t=1s.
In this episode I chat with Josh Kubicki, a business designer and founder of the Bold Duck Studio, about design thinking for lawyers. We break down what design thinking is, its applicability to lawyers and lots more. The points we discuss in this episode along with the corresponding time stamps are set out below:
- Introduction (0:08)
- What is Design Thinking? (1:42)
- Relevance of Design Thinking for Lawyers (3:10)
- Reduction of Contract Size using Design Thinking (10:10)
- Kickstarting the Design Thinking Process (19:25)
- Knowing When to use Design Thinking (24:55)
In this episode I chat with Andrew Beasley, Regional Program Director at Clifford Chance, about fostering a culture of innovation in a law firm. We discuss several aspects of creating an environment of innovation starting from what exactly ‘innovation’ means, how to measure the impact of innovation and lots more. The points we discuss in this episode along with the corresponding time stamps are set out below:
- Introduction (0:08)
- What does the term 'Innovation' include? (1:48)
- Examples of the continuous improvement methodology and lean six sigma in a law firm. (6:09)
- Inculcating a culture of innovation in a law firm. (14:32)
- Measuring the impact of innovation. (19:27)
- Benefits of law firms collaborating with legal tech vendors (25:21)
In this episode we chat with Lucy Bassli, Founder and Principal at the Innolaw Group about Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) systems. We discuss some of the fundamental concepts of a CLM system, what it includes, where to start, how to select a vendor and tips on improving adoption of the system. The points we discuss in this episode along with the corresponding time stamps are set out below:
- Introduction (0:08)
- What does a CLM system include? (1:45)
- Tips for Starting a CLM System (5:55)
- Focus Areas and Integrations in a CLM system (9:12)
- Selecting a vendor (14:33)
- Migration of Existing Contracts (20:14)
- Adoption strategies for Multiple Stakeholders (24:22)
In this conversation we chat with Michael Quartararo, President of the ACEDS (Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists) about the basics of e-discovery. We address some of the typical questions a client would have when embarking on an e-discovery project. The points we discuss in this episode along with the corresponding time stamps are set out below:
- Introduction (0:09)
- What does the process of e-discovery look like? (1:58)
- What should a customer think about when starting an e-discovery project? (4:29)
- Who decides which e-discovery software to use? (6:50)
- What should I be considering when selecting an e-discovery service provider? (8:16)
- How do you ensure good project management on an e-discovery project with an off-shore team? (10:11)
- What integrations are typically requested for in an e-discovery project? (13:30)
- Why is it important to be certified? (16:33)
- How has the process of discovery evolved? (19:30)
Listen to Nicole Giantonio, Chief Marketing Officer of Elevate discuss how an ALSP functions. We talk about the foundational elements of running a successful ALSP including how to seamlessly run operations across international borders and build trust with your clients. The points we discuss in this episode along with the corresponding time stamps are set out below:
- Introduction: (0:10)
- What exactly does an ALSP do? (1:41)
- How does an ALSP maintain the same quality of service when its operations are spread across countries? (4:31)
- What are the factors that a client should take into consideration when choosing an ALSP? (7:38)
- How do you get a law firm to feel comfortable outsourcing some of their work to an ALSP? (10:10)
- Elevate recently obtained an Alternative Business Structure license from the Arizona Supreme Court. What additional services can an entity provide once it has this license? (14:34)
- How do you assess typical concerns (like technology enabled review vs. human review, project management across different countries, etc.) of your client when engaging an ALSP? (16:28)
Listen to Catherine Bamford, CEO of BamLegal, break down the basics of document automation for every lawyer. She answers fundamental questions like which documents to start with, who will do the automation, selection of the vendor and many more. The points we discuss in this episode along with the corresponding time stamps are set out below:
- Introduction (0:09)
- What documents should one start with when launching a document automation program from scratch? (1:48)
- Who typically inserts the automation tools into the precedents, the vendor, an implementation partner or the client? (5:41)
- Why do some law firms use more than one automation tool? (8:18)
- How do the newer 'no-code' tools compare with the traditional document automation tools? (11:27)
- What are the things that one should think about when selecting a document automation vendor? (15:33)
- How do the document automation tools address complexities within agreements, like changing the entity type, conditional clauses, etc.? (18:56)
- What are some of the common workflows that are automated along with the document? (22:45)
Listen to Jack Shepherd, Legal Practice Lead from iManage talk about the essential features of a robust Knowledge Management system for lawyers. The points we discuss in this episode and their corresponding time stamps are set out below.
- Introduction (0:11)
- What does the scope of Knowledge Management (KM) include? (1:24)
- How important is a KM system in the context of remote working and multi-location offices? (5:05)
- How do we keep a KM system up to date? (12:48)
- What are the kinds of insights and analysis can a KM tool provide its users? (16:54)
- How do you prioritise user feedback on KM systems when working with your product management teams? (20:20)
Listen to Laura Collins Scot, founder of legal innovation consulting firm Sparkbox, talk about innovative strategies that lawyers should put in place before rolling out legal tech solutions. The points we discuss in this episode and their corresponding time stamps are set out below:
- Introduction (0:11)
- What types of change do you help with, and what is the process involved? (1:04)
- What have you found to be the most effective methods to drive change in the innovation space for lawyers? (6:01)
- What are some of the non-tech things that a lawyer can do to improve their productivity? (12:44)
- What are some of the people related challenges you encountered when building out Clifford Chance's innovation lab Create +65 and how did you address those? (18:40)
- How can law firms create a sustainable environment of continuous innovation? (23:20)
In this episode we chat with Chuck Davis, Managing Director at Morae about implementations for Document Management Systems (DMSs). The points we address in this episode and the time stamps are set out below:
- Introduction: (0:11)
- Why does a DMS require an implementation? (1:20)
- What are the items an end user should think about before implementing a DMS? (5:28)
- How does a client prepare for a move from an on-premise DMS to a DMS on the cloud? (10:53)
- Please tell us more about your experiences during a migration from one DMS to a different DMS. (14:02)
- What are the major driving forces for a corporate legal department to choose a DMS? (17:12)
- How does a Contract Lifecycle Management tool complement a DMS in a corporate legal department? (18:29)
- What was your first reaction when you received the acquisition offer from Morae for your IT services business? (20:19)
Listen to Dan Dosen, EVP Channel & Alliances at iManage talk about Document Management Systems (DMS) and the Cloud.
The points we address in this episode and the corresponding time stamps are set out below.
- Introduction (0:11)
- The first DMS that Dan built for a law firm in 1990 (00:53)
- The evolution of the DMS from 1990s till 2022 (5:21)
- When does it make sense to shift to the cloud? (13:39)
- What does a qualitative assessment of moving to the cloud take into consideration? (19:25)
- How does one choose an implementation partner? (23:47)
- Dan's thoughts on the evolution of the partner ecosystem where implementation partners are now also innovating and developing legal tech products. (25:43)
In this chat with Ab we discuss his journey as a legal technologist. He candidly talks about his initial days at a legal tech start up XRef, the learnings from that job to his present role in Litera Microsystems, a large established legal tech company. We also discuss his experience in hosting the Fringe Legal Podcast which discusses the evolution of the practice of law. Interestingly, Ab has the unique experience of working with people from all over the world and he shares his views on the varied legal tech ecosystems in different countries. We also touch upon the future of AI and law and what it means for the legal community.