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 change feel more accessible, and why collaboration, human-centered design, and practical experimentation matter in the AI era.

The conversation also covers PLI’s AI competency framework, the value of business fables, the history of the Cravath system and the billable hour, how Jen used AI as a writing partner, and what the future of junior lawyer training might look like.

Learn more about Unprecedented: Designing a Human-Centered Law Firm When Everything Is Changing:

https://www.pli.edu/catalog/publications/treatise/unprecedented-designing-a-human-centered-law-firm-when-everything-is-changing/447974

In this episode:

Why law firm change requires human buy-in
How storytelling can make transformation more usable
Why the current legal business model is not inevitable
How AI can act as a co-intelligence, not a shortcut
What junior lawyer training might look like in the AI era

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(54)

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...

9 Jun 36min

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 ...

26 Mai 38min

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 o...

12 Mai 33min

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 ...

28 Apr 53min

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 ...

21 Apr 36min

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...

7 Apr 34min

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 Hoffm...

24 Mar 45min