The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves. Shakespeare, Julius Caesar (Act 1, Scene 2)

There’s plenty of consternation and hand-wringing among legal pundits about the access to justice gap in our country. We’ve got panels, task forces, and enough white papers to wallpaper every courthouse in Texas.

The conversation usually centers on those who can’t afford quality lawyering (or any lawyering, for that matter), and the bloated cost of even basic legal services.

Continue Reading We Talk About Access to Justice. But Here’s What Everyone Else Says About Us

Those of you who know me know I dote over my grandsons. It’s over the top I admit but, hey, I’m entitled. 

The other day the oldest one said something that resonated with me so completely I’m not going to forget it. He said, “I coexist with having fun.” 

I’m not sure he realized the depth of his words. All too often we miss the fun in our lives because we don’t let ourselves have fun. We worry incessantly about what others think about us, and the impact of the words we use or our actions. Something good happens or someone gives us a compliment (or in my case I win an award) and we immediately question it. They didn’t really mean it. I wasn’t entitled. I don’t deserve it.

Continue Reading Coexisting with Fun: A Lesson in Life from My Six Year Old Grandson 

As a former mass tort defense lawyer, I read with some interest a recent article by Jon Campisi and Alleeza Furman entitled The World’s Highest-Grossing Law Firm Is Investing in Mass Torts Defense. It’s Not Alone.

The gist of the article is that large law firms (think AMLaw 100) are becoming more interested in mass tort defense as evidenced by Kirkland and Ellis bringing in some 100 litigators. The authors suggest this expansion reflects a growing demand particularly in the areas of mass torts and product litigation.

Continue Reading Full Circle: BigLaw’s Mass Tort Revival Through the Eyes of a Former Defense Lawyer

NetDocuments recently came out with its 2025 Trends Report. This Report, based on a survey of legal professionals and related research, attempts to spotlight the trends law firms, in-house counsel, and legal professionals are facing.

This year’s Report contained lots of information about the use of Gen AI and its impact. But one finding caught my attention since it something about which I have previously written.   It’s a finding that touches on the future of work processes, what the concept of a good lawyer will mean, and what skills lawyers and legal organizations will need.

75% of the legal professionals surveyed expect to change their talent strategies within two years

Continue Reading The NetDocuments 2025 Legal Trends Report: Rethinking Legal Talent

The second day of ILTA’s Evolve Conference—a two-day event with just two tracks, AI and Cybersecurity—started with a bang. Zach Abramowitz, founder and CEO of ReplyAll, investor, and thought influencer, delivered a two-hour presentation titled AI in Legal Practice: Insights, Strategies and Practical Applications. Abramowitz spoke at Evolve last year, and it was interesting to see how his thinking on AI has evolved.

It’s tough to speak for two hours and keep an audience engaged, but Abramowitz pulled it off. He made a number of great points, but three in particular stood out to me:

Continue Reading Jevons Revisited: GenAI Will Accelerate Legal Demand

This week, I am attending the Evolve conference put on by International Legal Technology Association (ILTA). ILTA, of course, sponsors the large conference in the summer that is attended by thousands. Evolve is much smaller and is designed to address two topics: GenAI and Cybersecurity. Attendance is capped at a limited number, and exhibitors and sponsors are confined to small, uniform spaces in hallways outside the sessions.

Continue Reading Key Lessons from ILTA’s Evolve Keynote: Cybersecurity Is a Constantly Growing Threat

A new Thomson Reuters Report highlights a phenomenon unique to legal and big law: clients aren’t talking to their lawyers about things that could disrupt the status quo—especially around AI and billing.

The report is full of interesting findings, but here’s one with broad and troubling implications: 57% of clients want their firms to use GenAI, but 71% don’t even know if their firms are actually doing so. 89% of all respondents see a real use case for GenAI in their work. Nevertheless, the report notes that just 8% of in-house counsel are inserting GenAI provisions in RFPs or outside counsel guidelines.

Continue Reading The AI Conversation Law Firms and Clients Aren’t Having And Why It Matters