The 80/20 Principle4 Marras 2025

317: AI, ClioCon, and the Future of Law: What Lawyers Need to Know Now

In this episode, California attorney Jeff Lewis and I discuss the recent Clio conference that took place in Boston, which we both attended along with 2,700 other lawyers.

There was a lot of discussion about AI and how its growing adoption will impact lawyers in the coming years. We of course will discuss Richard Susskind's Keynote speech, which was a disturbing warning about the massive disruption AI is likely to bring to the legal profession. Jeff called it a "gut punch" and you'll want to hear why he found Susskind's speech so unsettling.

Topics Discussed

Clio's New AI Tools and Integration Plans
The Legal Trends Report and Data Insights
Clio's 1$ Billion V-Lex Acquisition and what it means
Peggy Gruenke's KPI Session Takeaways
Richard Susskind's take on AI and the Future of Law
AI Adoption Challenges and Lawyer Resistance
Future of Legal Careers and AI Skills
Lawyer Reactions to Susskind's AI Predictions

Resource Links

Ernie's LinkedIn post summarizing Susskind's speech
Jeff Lewis's law firm website
Jeff's legal podcast
AI Lab (a weekly AI workshop for lawyers)
The 80/20 Principle (my techlaw newsletter)
The Inner Circle (my online community for lawyers)

Follow and Review:

I'd love for you to follow me if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. I'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Thanks to the sponsor: Smith.ai

Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you're hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.

And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(333)

333: Why AI feels more like email than the web

In this episode, Ernie Svenson talks with Greg Siskind, who has practiced immigration law for 35 years and wrote a book about marketing on the internet back in 1996, when that was a peculiar thing for...

29 Syys 46min

332: The role your firm needs but can't name

A few weeks ago, one of Sarah Persich's clients dropped an AI agent into their Slack workspace. Sarah gave it the criteria her client's intake team is supposed to follow on calls — build rapport, hand...

15 Syys 37min

331: When AI Starts to Look Like Judgment (with Carolyn Elefant)

Carolyn Elefant has been practicing law for thirty-five years and writing about solo practice for almost as long. In this episode she and Ernie get into how AI is changing litigation — not in theory, ...

1 Syys 38min

330: Why Claude Gets Dumber—and How Lawyers Can Use AI Better

In this episode, Ernie Svenson talks with Docket Drafter co-founder Tommy Eberle about what lawyers need to understand to use AI tools like Claude more effectively. They unpack why Word documents cons...

18 Elo 42min

329: Introduction to Claude and Its Potential

Most lawyers using Claude are only scratching the surface of what it can do. In this episode, Ernie Svenson talks with former litigator and software founder Nick Chapleau about using Claude as more th...

21 Heinä 38min

328: The Golf Lesson That Changed How I Teach AI

Most AI training for lawyers is shiny-object stuff — nine prompts, the "ultimate playbook" — and that's exactly why none of it sticks. My old golf instructor figured this out decades ago, and he taugh...

23 Kesä 10min

327: How a Seasoned Litigator Became an AI Power User

*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(--scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(--thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20s...

26 Touko 38min

326: Perplexity for Lawyers: AI Research With Sources

In this episode, we cover Perplexity—what it is, how it works, and why it deserves attention from solo and small firm lawyers. Ernie explains how Perplexity differs from traditional Google research by...

12 Touko 8min