LawNext

In the gold rush of generative AI, it seems that every legal tech vendor wants to be a one-stop shop for legal technology. But after 15 years of developing legal tech, Nik Reed [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-nik-reed-b523b0/], CEO of Knowable [https://www.knowable.com/], a legal technology company devoted to helping enterprises bring order and organization to their executed agreements, believes that lawyers should be wary of the hype. Often, the most successful AI solutions are those that focus on solving specific problems exceptionally well rather than attempting to be all things to all lawyers.  On today’s LawNext, Reed joins host Bob Ambrogi for a conversation that explores what makes legal AI actually work well in practice. It is a topic he has been thinking about, in one form or another, since he was still a student at Stanford Law School, where he co-founded the legal research startup Ravel with classmate Daniel Lewis in 2012. After LexisNexis acquired Ravel in 2017, Reed moved into strategic product management there, and then joined Knowable in 2019 to lead its product research and development. He became the company’s CEO last November, just as the company launched Ask Knowable, its generative AI suite.  In a conversation that explores what makes legal AI actually work in practice, Reed emphasizes the critical importance of pristine data environments, high-quality metadata, and clearly defined use cases. “It's still hard to build really good products, especially for lawyers, and it takes a lot of hard work,” Reed says. “ And anyone that's telling you that that's not the truth is probably already a product that you shouldn't be using.” But ultimately, he believes, AI has the potential to restore balance to legal practice by handling the rote work lawyers never wanted to do, allowing them to return to what they went to law school for – critical reasoning and solving complex problems. Thank You To Our Sponsors This episode of LawNext is generously made possible by our sponsors. We appreciate their support and hope you will check them out.   * Paradigm [https://joinparadigm.com/], home to the practice management platforms PracticePanther [https://www.practicepanther.com/], Bill4Time [https://www.bill4time.com/], MerusCase [https://meruscase.com/] and LollyLaw [https://www.lollylaw.com/]; the e-payments platform Headnote [https://headnote.com/]; and the legal accounting software TrustBooks [https://trustbooks.com/]. * LEX Reception, [https://rebrand.ly/LexReception-LawNext-Podcast] Never miss a call, with expert answering service for Lawyers. * Briefpoint [https://rebrand.ly/briefpoint-lawnext-podcast], eliminating routine discovery response and request drafting tasks so you can focus on drafting what matters (or just make it home for dinner). * SpeakWrite [https://rebrand.ly/SpeakWrite-LNP]: Save time with fast, human-powered legal transcription—so you can focus on your practice   If you enjoy listening to LawNext, please leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts.

In January, a merciless firestorm swept through the Pacific Palisades and surrounding areas of Los Angeles, becoming the most destructive wildfire in the city's history. Driven by hurricane-force Santa Ana winds and fueled by record-dry conditions, the Palisades Fire destroyed over 6,800 structures, burned nearly 24,000 acres, and dramatically altered the lives of thousands of residents. Among them were three individuals with deep ties to the legal tech community, each of whom lost their home to the fire. This week on LawNext, we speak with those three individuals:  * Valerie Chan, founder of the legal PR firm Platform PR.  * Rick Merrill, former founder of Gavalytics and current COO of Bridgeline Solutions. * Adam Camras, co-founder of Lawgical, longtime CEO of the Legal Talk Network, and chief collaboration officer at InfoTrack. These three legal tech leaders share their harrowing experiences as the flames approached, the devastating aftermath of losing their homes, and their ongoing journey of recovery and rebuilding. Their stories offer a rare and intimate glimpse into how even those with resources and professional expertise face overwhelming challenges when confronted with natural disaster. From the initial evacuation decisions to battles with insurance companies and uncertain rebuilding timelines, this conversation reveals both the practical realities and profound emotional impact of sudden, catastrophic loss. We also want to mention a related project, California Fires Legal Resources [https://www.clio.com/about/disaster-assistance/california-fires/], in which the legal tech community, spearheaded by Clio, worked together to launch a website devoted to providing legal resources related to the LA fires, both for victims of the fires and legal professionals working on behalf of those victims.   Thank You To Our Sponsors This episode of LawNext is generously made possible by our sponsors. We appreciate their support and hope you will check them out. * Paradigm [https://joinparadigm.com/], home to the practice management platforms PracticePanther [https://www.practicepanther.com/], Bill4Time [https://www.bill4time.com/], MerusCase [https://meruscase.com/] and LollyLaw [https://www.lollylaw.com/]; the e-payments platform Headnote [https://headnote.com/]; and the legal accounting software TrustBooks [https://trustbooks.com/]. * LEX Reception, [https://rebrand.ly/LexReception-LawNext-Podcast] Never miss a call, with expert answering service for Lawyers. * Briefpoint [https://rebrand.ly/briefpoint-lawnext-podcast], eliminating routine discovery response and request drafting tasks so you can focus on drafting what matters (or just make it home for dinner). * SpeakWrite [https://rebrand.ly/SpeakWrite-LNP]: Save time with fast, human-powered legal transcription—so you can focus on your practice   If you enjoy listening to LawNext, please leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts.

As reported yesterday in an exclusive at LawSites blog, two leading international legal transformation organizations, the Digital Legal Exchange [https://www.dlex.org/] (DLEx) and the Liquid Legal Institute [https://liquid-legal-institute.com/] (LLI), have joined forces in a strategic union that brings together more than 1,500 members representing more than 140 multinational corporations, organizations, institutions and agencies across more than 20 countries.  On today’s LawNext, two of the principles of that union — Mark Cohen, chairman emeritus of DLEx, and Dr. Dierk Schindler, cofounder of LLI — join host Bob Ambrogi to discuss their vision of creating the world’s leading think tank for legal transformation. Among the topics they discuss:  * The origins and evolution of both organizations. * How their complementary approaches — LLI's grassroots community spanning all levels of organizations and DLEx's executive-level focus — will create greater impact together. * What "legal transformation" means in today's rapidly evolving environment. * How businesses are driving change in the legal function. * The importance of mindset in transformation. * Plans for future collaboration, including joint projects and events. Listen to gain unique insights into how these organizations aim to shape the future of legal through collective effort and a truly global perspective.   About the Guests Mark Cohen is the chairman emeritus of DLEx and founder of Legal Mosaic. With nearly 50 years in the legal industry, Mark has been a prosecutor, partner at a major law firm, founder of his own firm, and head of an international aviation parts business. He writes for Forbes and teaches at law and business schools around the world. Dr. Dierk Schindler is a co-founder of the Liquid Legal Institute. He holds a Ph.D. in European law and has extensive experience in private practice and in-house legal departments. Schindler has been a driving force in legal innovation and process-driven legal operations.   Related Resources * Liquid Legal Institute website [https://liquid-legal-institute.com/] * Digital Legal Exchange website [https://www.dlex.org/] * Liquid Legal: Sustaining the Rule of Law – Artificial Intelligence, E-Justice and the Cloud [https://link.springer.com/book/9783031785955] (book publication) * Upcoming events: Legal Tech Talk 2025 (London, June 26-27, 2025) and LLI's 2025 Summit (Düsseldorf, July 7-8, 2025)   Thank You To Our Sponsors This episode of LawNext is generously made possible by our sponsors. We appreciate their support and hope you will check them out. * Paradigm [https://joinparadigm.com/], home to the practice management platforms PracticePanther [https://www.practicepanther.com/], Bill4Time [https://www.bill4time.com/], MerusCase [https://meruscase.com/] and LollyLaw [https://www.lollylaw.com/]; the e-payments platform Headnote [https://headnote.com/]; and the legal accounting software TrustBooks [https://trustbooks.com/]. * LEX Reception, [https://rebrand.ly/LexReception-LawNext-Podcast] Never miss a call, with expert answering service for Lawyers. * Briefpoint [https://rebrand.ly/briefpoint-lawnext-podcast], eliminating routine discovery response and request drafting tasks so you can focus on drafting what matters (or just make it home for dinner). * SpeakWrite [https://rebrand.ly/SpeakWrite-LNP]: Save time with fast, human-powered legal transcription—so you can focus on your practice If you enjoy listening to LawNext, please leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts.

“The landscape we all stand on is shifting, and massive amounts of change are upon us,” Phil Saunders [https://www.linkedin.com/in/philsaunders1/], the chief executive officer of e-discovery and legal technology giant Relativity [https://www.relativity.com/], recently wrote in a post on the company’s blog [https://www.relativity.com/blog/embracing-the-future-of-legal-data-in-2025-and-beyond/]. Driving that change are three transformative forces, he wrote: new legal data challenges, advancing generative AI, and legal’s journey to the cloud.  On this episode of LawNext, Saunders – who joined Relativity as CEO in 2022 after three decades in the technology sector – joins host Bob Ambrogi to discuss why he believes that both Relativity and the legal industry at large are at a pivotal moment, and to outline his company’s vision for navigating these three forces reshaping the legal technology landscape.  Within Saunders’ blog post was a notable announcement: Starting in 2028, Relativity will require that all new matters be hosted on its cloud platform, RelativityOne – a significant milestone for a company that built its success on its on-premises Relativity Server product.  The conversation starts there, with what might be considered the last mile in the company’s transition to the cloud. Saunders also discusses what attracted him to join Relativity, how the company is approaching the opportunities and challenges presented by generative AI, its work with the Legal Data Intelligence initiative, and his longer-term strategic vision for Relativity.   Thank You To Our Sponsors This episode of LawNext is generously made possible by our sponsors. We appreciate their support and hope you will check them out.   * Paradigm [https://joinparadigm.com/], home to the practice management platforms PracticePanther [https://www.practicepanther.com/], Bill4Time [https://www.bill4time.com/], MerusCase [https://meruscase.com/] and LollyLaw [https://www.lollylaw.com/]; the e-payments platform Headnote [https://headnote.com/]; and the legal accounting software TrustBooks [https://trustbooks.com/]. * LEX Reception, [https://rebrand.ly/LexReception-LawNext-Podcast] Never miss a call, with expert answering service for Lawyers. * Legalweek, March 24-27, New York Hilton Midtown. Register today at legalweekshow.com [https://rebrand.ly/Legalweek-LNP-2025]. * Briefpoint [https://rebrand.ly/briefpoint-lawnext-podcast], eliminating routine discovery response and request drafting tasks so you can focus on drafting what matters (or just make it home for dinner). If you enjoy listening to LawNext, please leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts.

Recently, legal technology company SurePoint Technologies [https://surepoint.com/] acquired the legal practice management company ZenCase [https://www.zencase.com/] in a strategic move aimed at enhancing SurePoint’s practice management offerings for mid-sized law firms. In this episode of LawNext, Eric Thurston [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericthurston/], who recently marked his two-year anniversary as CEO of SurePoint Technologies, joins host Bob Ambrogi to discuss the acquisition and share his perspective on the mid-market landscape in law.  Originally founded in 1982 as Rippe & Kingston, SurePoint has established itself as a leading provider of financial and practice management software for mid-sized law firms, currently serving nearly 1,000 customers. As Thurston explains in the interview, the acquisition of ZenCase strengthens its front-end capabilities with features tailored specifically for lawyers. The acquisition helps SurePoint "leapfrog innovation by about three years," he says, while addressing customer demands for more lawyer-friendly interfaces. The conversation also explores SurePoint's earlier acquisition of Leopard Solutions, a business intelligence platform that provides comprehensive data on attorneys and law firms across the country, enabling everything from strategic recruiting to competitor analysis. Thurston explains how they've already integrated Leopard's analytics into ZenCase, allowing lawyers to quickly access valuable industry data. Looking at the mid-market practice management landscape, Thurston acknowledges that it is currently fragmented, but he believes SurePoint is positioned to become "the Clio of the mid-market." He outlines the company's vision to help firms not just manage their practices but accelerate growth through better technology, data analytics, and business intelligence. With a philosophy that "you're either growing or dying," Thurston shares how he believes SurePoint continues to evolve while helping law firms do the same.   Thank You To Our Sponsors This episode of LawNext is generously made possible by our sponsors. We appreciate their support and hope you will check them out. * Paradigm [https://joinparadigm.com/], home to the practice management platforms PracticePanther [https://www.practicepanther.com/], Bill4Time [https://www.bill4time.com/], MerusCase [https://meruscase.com/] and LollyLaw [https://www.lollylaw.com/]; the e-payments platform Headnote [https://headnote.com/]; and the legal accounting software TrustBooks [https://trustbooks.com/]. * LEX Reception, [https://rebrand.ly/LexReception-LawNext-Podcast] Never miss a call, with expert answering service for Lawyers. * Legalweek, March 24-27, New York Hilton Midtown. Register today at legalweekshow.com [https://rebrand.ly/Legalweek-LNP-2025]. * Briefpoint [https://rebrand.ly/briefpoint-lawnext-podcast], eliminating routine discovery response and request drafting tasks so you can focus on drafting what matters (or just make it home for dinner).   If you enjoy listening to LawNext, please leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts.