What happens when justice is truly accessible to all? In this episode of Notes to My (Legal) Self, we dive into "Courts Belong to the People" with Sonja Ebron, CEO of Courtroom5, as part of The Future Belongs to Builders series. Sonja, a PhD electrical engineer and former college professor, shares her unique journey into the legal world after representing herself in court numerous times. She founded Courtroom5 to empower people to navigate the legal system, addressing the pressing issue of access to justice for those unable to afford legal representation.

Sonja’s insights take us deep into the barriers that prevent fair access to justice, including the complexities of legal procedures, power imbalances in the courtroom, and how strategic litigation can make all the difference. She also discusses how her platform, Courtroom5, helps pro se litigants (those representing themselves) overcome these challenges, offering tools, resources, and education to help them stand up to opposing parties, many of whom are represented by experienced lawyers.

This episode will provide you with:

• A deeper understanding of the access to justice crisis and its impact on underrepresented communities.
• Insights into how non-lawyers can use litigation strategically to achieve their goals.
• An exploration of the role of justice tech in breaking down barriers to the legal system.
• Practical solutions for leveling the playing field in court.

Sonja also touches on the regulatory barriers like UPL (Unauthorized Practice of Law) that slow down legal innovation, and the potential of AI to improve access to justice. Whether you're a legal professional, a technologist, or someone passionate about making the legal system more equitable, this episode offers critical perspectives on reshaping the future of law.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• Recognize the power imbalance in the courtroom and how it disproportionately affects unrepresented individuals.
• Understand the role of justice tech and AI in expanding access to legal resources and education.
• Learn strategies for self-represented litigants to navigate complex legal procedures and use litigation to their advantage.
• Reflect on the regulatory changes needed to foster innovation and make the legal system more accessible.

Don't miss this engaging discussion with Sonja Ebron, a true advocate for access to justice. Join us and learn how we can make courts truly belong to the people.

What happens when Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is more than just a buzzword? In this episode of Notes to My (Legal) Self, we dive into "Unlocking Success: Examining the Business Imperative of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" with Malobi Achike, Founder-CEO of DEI Directive. Together, we explore the essential role DEI plays in transforming businesses and driving innovation.

Malobi shares her personal journey, from law to founding a company dedicated to helping organizations embrace DEI as a strategic advantage. This episode redefines the business case for DEI, illustrating why it’s not just an ethical obligation but a critical component for organizational success and sustainability. Whether you’re a founder, executive, or legal professional, you’ll gain actionable insights on how to implement DEI effectively and navigate the challenges that often come with it.

In this conversation, we break down how DEI can improve workplace culture, foster innovation, and give businesses a competitive edge. We also address common misconceptions, like the idea that DEI compromises hiring standards, and discuss practical strategies for overcoming barriers to DEI initiatives.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the tangible benefits DEI brings to businesses, including increased innovation and better financial performance.
• Learn how to strategically integrate DEI into business practices and measure its success.
• Discover how to overcome common obstacles to DEI and foster a workplace culture that promotes inclusion and belonging.
• Recognize the value of data-driven approaches to track and enhance DEI initiatives within an organization.
• Understand how DEI impacts employee retention, engagement, and overall business growth.

Don’t miss this critical discussion on how to unlock your organization’s true potential through DEI. Whether you’re looking to attract top talent, boost retention, or drive better business outcomes, this episode provides the insights and tools you need to lead with purpose.

What happens when you’re building a company while managing mental illness? In this episode of Notes to My (Legal) Self, we continue our Future Belongs to Builders series with a deeply personal and empowering conversation, “Building Companies With Mental Illness,” featuring Collin Williams, founder and chairman of New Era ADR. Collin shares his journey as a lawyer turned entrepreneur, offering invaluable insights into how mental illness can both challenge and fuel success in the high-pressure world of startups.

In this raw and insightful discussion, Collin opens up about his own experiences living with depression and how he’s reframed it as a unique motivator rather than a weakness. With a focus on practical coping strategies, from therapy to structured routines, Collin explains how mental illness doesn’t have to be a barrier but can instead be a source of strength. His candid reflections will resonate with anyone who’s ever felt the pressure to succeed while navigating mental health challenges.

This episode is a powerful reminder that entrepreneurship and mental health are not mutually exclusive. Collin offers a roadmap for founders living with mental illness, showing how to manage stress, maintain resilience, and build a company with the right support systems in place. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, legal professional, or someone curious about mental health in high-stakes careers, this episode offers a compassionate and honest perspective on the intersection of mental illness and business.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• Understand how mental illness can serve as both a challenge and a unique strength in entrepreneurship.
• Learn about the importance of routine and structure in managing mental health while running a company.
• Explore how Collin reframed living with depression from a burden to a source of resilience and strength.
• Gain insights into how being open about mental illness can help destigmatize the conversation and encourage others to seek help.
• Discover practical strategies for balancing the stresses of startup life with mental health, from therapy to medication and community support.
• Learn the importance of transparency with business partners, employees, and investors regarding mental health.

Collin’s message is clear: mental illness doesn’t define you, but how you live with it can shape your success. Join us for a conversation that breaks the silence and empowers entrepreneurs to thrive, not in spite of their challenges, but because of them.

What happens when legal tech gets too helpful? In this episode of Notes to My (Legal) Self, we kick off our new series, The Future Belongs to Builders, by exploring the fine line between legal information and legal advice. In “Too Helpful? What is the Line Between UPL and Legal Information?” Erin Levine, CEO of Hello Divorce, and Quinten Steenhuis, legal tech expert at Suffolk Law School and founder of Lemma Legal Consulting, join us to dissect how technology is transforming the legal landscape—and sometimes blurring boundaries.

Erin and Quinten dive into the critical difference between providing legal advice and offering legal information, a line that has become increasingly difficult to define as automation tools and AI evolve. With legal tech offering form automation, document generation, and AI-powered tools, where exactly does information stop and advice begin? The conversation unpacks how constitutional protections for legal form books and websites fit into this gray area, and how modern technologies are pushing those boundaries.

From exploring regulatory challenges to discussing real-world examples of how legal tech is improving access to justice, this episode is a must-listen for those curious about the future of law. Erin shares how Hello Divorce uses aggregated data to guide users, helping them make better decisions without crossing into legal advice. Quinten offers insights on how lawyers and legal tech companies can build services that comply with UPL regulations while still delivering valuable information to clients.

They also dive into the evolving role of AI in legal services, touching on how tools like ChatGPT are being used to draft documents and guide users—but with cautionary notes about the importance of supervised, lawyer-vetted systems. Practical strategies for staying compliant, including keeping humans involved in automated processes and offering users the ability to customize and review their legal documents, are front and center in this conversation.

As the regulatory landscape shifts and AI plays a larger role in the legal world, Erin and Quinten offer valuable insights for anyone navigating these waters. From the use of data-driven insights to enhance user experience to strategies for steering clear of UPL violations, this episode arms you with the tools to stay ahead in legal tech innovation.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the critical difference between legal advice and legal information, and how technology blurs this line.
• Explore how constitutional protections for legal form books and websites apply in the context of modern legal tech.
• Learn how AI-powered tools, like form automation and ChatGPT, are reshaping the legal landscape.
• Discover practical strategies for staying compliant with UPL (Unauthorized Practice of Law) regulations while delivering valuable legal information.
• Gain insights on how legal tech is improving access to justice and helping consumers navigate complex legal processes.
• Learn how data-driven insights and AI can guide users in making informed decisions without crossing into legal advice.
• Understand the importance of lawyer-vetted systems and keeping human oversight in automated legal services.
• Stay informed on the evolving regulatory challenges and opportunities as legal tech continues to advance.

The future belongs to builders, and this episode shows you how to be part of it.

AI and Environmental Sustainability: Can AI Shape a Greener Future?

🌿 How can AI shape a greener future? 🌿

Join us for a special episode of Notes to My (Legal) Self featuring the remarkable Pamela Isom, founder and CEO of Izabayte Consulting. With over 30 years of experience in AI, cybersecurity, and systems engineering, Pamela focuses on leveraging AI for sustainability and corporate governance.

In this episode titled "AI and Environmental Sustainability," we’ll explore how AI is revolutionizing sustainability practices across industries.

In this episode, we cover:

• How AI can revolutionize sustainability practices, from climate modeling to renewable energy.
• The use of simulated data to accelerate environmental efforts.
• The growing potential of AI-powered tools like text-to-video and audio, and their implications for sustainable practices.
• Pamela’s unique approach to coaching and training in AI for environmental goals.

🎯 Learning Outcomes:

• Discover how AI can drive real, tangible impacts in the environmental sector.
• Gain insights into how data simulations are advancing the clean energy movement.
• Understand the intersection of AI, corporate governance, and sustainability.

As you listen, consider these questions:

• Can AI truly make a difference in environmental sustainability, and if so, how?
• What are the ethical considerations of using AI for environmental solutions?
• How can organizations integrate AI into their sustainability strategies?

Don’t miss the opportunity to engage in a dynamic discussion about the future of AI and sustainability with one of the leading voices in the field!

Additional Resources:

• AI or Not the podcast: https://aiornot.buzzsprout.com/
• LinkedIn post that gives an example of AI sustainability issues and a good example of a sustainable prompt: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7244667489903681536/
• IsA website: https://www.isadviceandconsulting.com/

Are you ready to explore the intersection of law and technology? In this insightful episode of Notes to My (Legal) Self, join Laura Jeffords Greenberg, Senior Legal Director at Worksome and Prompt Engineer, for an in-depth discussion on the future of legal practice and how generative AI (genAI) is reshaping the legal landscape.

In "The Future of Legal: Will Prompting Be Required?" Laura, a tech-savvy in-house counsel with vast experience in scaling organizations, shares her expertise on asynchronous communication and genAI tools. She explains how these tools are revolutionizing legal team efficiency, knowledge management, and inclusivity. Laura brings a practical approach, teaching listeners how clear and concise communication can lay the foundation for successful AI adoption.

Episode Highlights:

• Mastering Asynchronous Communication for Legal Teams: Learn the principles of async communication and how it enhances documentation, knowledge sharing, and team collaboration, especially for globally distributed teams. Laura discusses how to effectively implement this strategy for legal departments.

• The Power of Prompts for AI Tools: Discover Laura’s step-by-step strategies for crafting effective prompts to achieve better results with genAI. Whether you’re drafting contracts or automating responses, get practical tips on how to optimize your interaction with AI tools.

• Strategies for Seamless genAI Integration: Laura offers insight into how legal teams can prepare for and smoothly integrate AI technologies into their daily workflows, improving productivity and collaboration without sacrificing legal standards.

Laura also breaks down her "RAPS" prompt framework—What (expected output), Role, Audience, Purpose, and Scope—and shares "DIP" for engaging with AI tools: Discussion, Interrogate, and Pace. This episode is packed with actionable tips that will help you navigate the rapidly evolving legal landscape with confidence and creativity.

Key Takeaways:

• Clear Documentation is Key: Effective asynchronous communication creates a knowledge bank, ensuring that AI tools can work with more specific data and return better outputs.

• Prompt Engineering is an Art and Science: Refined prompts lead to more accurate AI results, and Laura’s practical frameworks provide a simple yet powerful approach to enhancing your AI interactions.

• Experiment and Innovate: Lawyers need to embrace experimentation with AI and give their teams the space and freedom to explore and innovate with these tools.

  
  

Don’t miss out on learning from one of the leading experts in legal technology. Tune in now and equip yourself with the skills and knowledge to thrive in the AI-powered future of law!

Are you ready to uncover the real impact of AI on the legal field? Join us for a special episode of Notes to My (Legal) Self, AI Insights LIVE, where we explore the transformative potential of AI in the legal profession with our esteemed guest, Professor Daniel Schwarcz!

In this episode, titled "Beyond the Hype: Empirical Evidence on the Impact of AI in the Law," Professor Schwarcz, an award-winning scholar and teacher from the University of Minnesota Law School, shares his groundbreaking research on how generative AI is reshaping the practice of law. This is your chance to learn from an expert whose work spans insurance law, regulatory challenges, and the intersection of AI with legal education and practice.

Episode Highlights:

• The Real Benefits and Risks of Generative AI for Lawyers: Discover the empirical evidence that reveals how AI is improving efficiency and reducing time for legal tasks without compromising quality. Understand the specific scenarios where AI is most beneficial and where it might pose risks to independent legal judgment.

• Key Tasks Where AI Excels in Legal Practice: Learn about the particular areas of law where AI tools like GPT-4 are making significant impacts, from drafting legal documents and summarizing cases to brainstorming contract clauses and accelerating research.

• Future-Proofing Your Legal Career in an AI-Driven World: Gain insights into the skills and strategies legal professionals need to develop to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape. Professor Schwarcz discusses the importance of experimentation, continuous learning, and adapting to new technologies.

• Ethical Considerations in AI Integration: Explore the ethical challenges that come with integrating AI into legal workflows, including concerns about bias, fairness, and the need for transparency in AI-driven decisions.

Join us for this enlightening session with Professor Daniel Schwarcz to elevate your understanding and be at the forefront of legal innovation. This episode will leave you well-prepared to navigate the evolving landscape of AI in the legal profession. Don’t miss this chance to gain a competitive edge and enhance your practice with the power of AI.

Tune in now and stay ahead of the curve!

Curious about the explosive growth of AI and its profound impact on the legal industry? In this episode of Notes to My (Legal) Self, we dive deep into the transformative power of AI with our special guest, Cat Casey, a pioneering advocate of AI in the legal space for over two decades. As part of Cat's roadshow for her new book, Legal Operations in the Age of AI and Data, we explore how the AI boom is reshaping the legal landscape and what you can do to stay ahead in an AI-driven world.

In this episode titled "AI & The Future of Legal: Challenges and Opportunities," Cat shares her insights on the rapid adoption of AI and generative AI technologies and their transformative effects on the legal field. We delve into the future of legal discovery in an era dominated by visual and video generative AI, discussing both the challenges and opportunities these technologies present.

We’ll also explore our collaboration on Cat’s insightful chapter, "Dance of the Data Dragons," which uses a unique metaphor to examine the strategic complexities of eDiscovery and legal operations in the age of AI.

Key Takeaways:

• The Impact of AI on the Legal Industry: Understand how the explosive growth of AI adoption is transforming various aspects of legal practice, from eDiscovery and client management to the strategic use of data.

• Navigating Challenges and Opportunities: Discover the critical challenges and opportunities that AI presents for legal professionals, including ethical considerations, data security, and the evolving role of lawyers.

• Strategies to Future-Proof Your Career: Learn actionable strategies to ensure you remain relevant and competitive in an AI-driven legal market, including which skills to develop and how to integrate AI tools effectively.

• Insights from "Dance of the Data Dragons": Gain unique insights from Cat’s chapter in our collaborative book, which blends popular culture with cutting-edge AI strategies to provide a fresh perspective on navigating the complexities of legal tech and operations.

  
  

Join us for an enlightening discussion that will equip you with the knowledge and tools to thrive in the rapidly evolving legal landscape shaped by AI. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from one of the leading experts in the field and prepare your practice for the future of legal innovation. Tune in now and stay ahead of the curve!