AI and the Future of Law
The gold standard for how AI tools intersect with attorney-client privilege and how junior associates are using Claude Code and other tools to solve practice problems.
48 episodes curated
Episodes
GPT-5 and the Future of Legal AI Regulation
Is GPT-5 good enough to practice law? This episode dives into OpenAI’s newest model and its implications for legal practice, including how it compares to previous models and where human oversight remains essential. Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack also unpack a groundbreaking report from IAALS on regulating AI in legal services, shifting the focus from lawyers to consumers. Episode Highlights: (2:22) AI Aha! Moments: AI and human error in court (12:52) What Just Happened: Key features and legal benchmarks of GPT-5 (20:50) IAALS phased approach to AI oversight (28:13) How courts and communitie
Garfield Law: Inside the World’s First AI-Native Law Firm
What happens when a litigator and a quantum physicist build a law firm from the ground up with AI at its core? In this episode, hosts Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack speak with Phillip Young and Daniel Long of Garfield Law, the UK’s first fully AI-native, regulator-approved law firm. They share how Garfield streamlines small debt claims, navigated unprecedented regulatory scrutiny, and solved AI hallucination risks with a hybrid expert system. Along the way, they explore what AI integration could mean for lawyers, courts, and access to justice worldwide. Episode Highlights: (2:38) AI Aha! Mo
Can AI Help You Win in Court? A New Era of Self-Representation
Could AI make you a better advocate than a lawyer? In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack explore real-world stories of self-represented litigants using AI tools to win cases, plus a bold proposal to allow “robot lawyers” in appellate arguments. From century rides powered by ChatGPT to experiments in legal education innovation, this conversation tackles the evolving role of AI in justice. Episode Highlights (3:02) AI Aha! Moments: Fitness and food ordering hacks (7:41) ChatGPT Agents explained (19:37) Self-represented litigant wins appeal with AI (22:17) Adam Unikowski's jaw-droppi
Building an AI-Forward Law Firm: Lessons from Quinn Emanuel
What happens when a top litigation firm lets lawyers truly experiment with AI? In this episode, Jen and Bridget sit down with Jen Reeves and Chris Kercher of Quinn Emanuel to explore how one of the world’s top law firms is embracing AI from the inside out. From launching a grassroots Skunk Works group to using Claude and ChatGPT in high-stakes litigation, they share how culture, leadership, and curiosity are driving real results. Perfect for lawyers, tech leaders, and anyone wondering how AI is actually being used in practice today. Episode Highlights (2:17) AI Aha! Moments: ChatGPT Planned th
Training the Next Generation of Lawyers: How AI Is Redefining Legal Training
What happens when the apprenticeship model breaks? In this episode, Jen and Bridget explore how AI is reshaping legal education and associate training, from the classroom to the law firm. Sparked by a conversation by Wharton professor Ethan Mollick, the hosts ask: If the old model of learning-by-osmosis no longer works, what comes next? Episode Highlights (3:07) Bridget’s latest AI Aha!: P rototyping a GPT to simulate arbitration coaching scenarios (5:18) Jen’s latest AI Aha!: Using ChatGPT’s deep research mode to enhance citation checking and targeted teaching (7:40) Ethan Mollick’s provocati
A New Name, A New Era: Welcome to AI and the Future of Law
In Episode 27, hosts Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack kick off a new chapter with a fresh name — AI and the Future of Law — and a new presenting partnership with the Practising Law Institute (PLI), in collaboration with the American Arbitration Association. The rebrand reflects their evolving mission while keeping the heart of the podcast intact: accessible, thought-provoking insights on how AI is reshaping the legal profession. Listeners can expect the same candid co-host dialogue, plus a broader range of formats, including expert interviews. In this bite-sized bonus episode, Jen and Bridget
ChatGPT Gets an A+: What That Means for Law School, Workflows, and Your Everyday Life
What does it mean when AI outperforms law students? In this episode, Jen and Bridget explore a groundbreaking study showing that OpenAI’s latest model, O3, earned A+ grades on actual law school finals — outperforming top students in multiple subjects. But that’s just one part of the story. Episode Highlights (3:02) Bridget’s latest “AI Aha!” — using ChatGPT to design and facilitate a 300-person workshop in under 60 minutes (7:13) Jen’s latest “AI Aha!” — leveraging Deep Research to uncover funding leads and pitch differentiators for a nonprofit project (11:53) Meta’s $14.8 billion investment i
What Just Happened? Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, and the AI Firehose
Episode Highlights (03:27) Bridget’s AI Aha: Building “Bridget’s Second Brain” using ChatGPT and Microsoft tools (11:05) Jen’s AI Aha: AI itineraries, sci-fi style research, and nail polish via ChatGPT (17:30) What Just Happened: The firehose of announcements from Google I/O (24:28) Claude Opus 4 and the “grown, not built” philosophy at Anthropic (37:59) Microsoft’s AI plumbing: Connecting court systems and scaling impact (41:08) OpenAI & Jony Ive: Rethinking hardware for a world beyond screens Episode Description Is it possible to keep up with AI when the pace of innovation feels like a fireh
The UK Just Approved an AI-Only Law Firm. Is the U.S. Ready?
In this episode of 2030 Vision , Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack explore OpenAI’s surprising executive reshuffle, Google's declining grip on search to the UK’s official authorization of Garfield Law, the first an AI-native law firm. Jen and Bridget analyze the implications of Garfield AI's regulatory approval, the practical limits of paraprofessional models in the U.S., and how agile regulation could unlock innovation while maintaining public trust. They also examine the concept of Jae Um’s "Bionic Boutiques", law firms that blend elite legal expertise with AI-powered agents and debate how t
Can AI Be More Persuasive Than a Human Lawyer?
In this episode, Bridget McCormack and Jen Leonard explore a mind-bending new study where AI bots outperformed humans in changing people’s minds on Reddit — by a long shot. What does this mean for the legal profession, where persuasion is core to the craft? From evaluating reasoning-first models like OpenAI’s new o3 and Google’s Gemini 2.5, to watching AI walk through logic, fix math errors, and even critique your work with a little snark, Bridget and Jen break down the rapid advancements redefining competence and advocacy in real time. They also share how memory-enabled AI is reshaping their
The Ethics of AI in Lawyering: Is It Unethical Not to Use AI?
Is it possible that not using AI could soon be seen as unethical for lawyers? Bridget McCormack and Jen Leonard dive into two recent Georgia cases where savvy use of AI helped lawyers win major verdicts and why these examples could signal a turning point in professional responsibility. Along the way, Bridget shares her AI "aha" moment with ChatGPT acting as a woods guide (and porcupine expert), while Jen explores how AI’s voice mode turbocharged her workflow. They also unpack the provocative AI 2027 Report , which predicts a near-future explosion of superintelligent AI and its impact on law, s
Future-Proofing Your Law Firm: Lessons from AI Benchmarking
What happens when AI performs on par with lawyers—and even beats them at key tasks? Bridget McCormack and Jen Leonard explore the implications of the VAL benchmarking report, which compares top legal AI tools to real-life attorneys on real-world tasks. They also break down new research from Wharton’s Ethan Mollick on “cybernetic teammates”—and what it means when AI tools boost not just productivity, but morale. With insights on team design, junior lawyer development, change management, and the emotional impact of AI at work, this episode challenges legal leaders to think beyond tools—and towar
Live from Legal Week 2025: Unveiling a New AI Course for Lawyers
In this special Legal Week edition of 2030 Vision , co-hosts Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack reunite in person to unveil a groundbreaking new online course built to help legal professionals lead through AI-driven change. Designed for law firm leaders, individual lawyers, and legal organizations of all sizes, the course offers actionable frameworks for navigating disruption with confidence and clarity. Jen and Bridget share behind-the-scenes insights into how the course was created, what makes it different from others on the market, and why mindset—not tools—is the most powerful driver of inn
Law Firms Want AI-Ready Lawyers: So Why Aren’t They Hiring Them?
In this episode of 2030 Vision , Jennifer Leonard and Bridget McCormack dive into the evolving landscape of AI in the legal profession. They share personal experiences with AI tools, discuss the latest advancements in AI models, and explore the implications of artificial general intelligence (AGI). The conversation touches on the future of legal education, the skills that will define the next generation of lawyers, and why leadership and transparency will be critical in shaping the profession. Key Discussion Points: How AI is reshaping legal work and the skills needed for success The real-worl
AI in Legal Research: The Battle Over Copyright and Innovation
In this episode of 2030 Vision: AI and the Future of Law , Bridget McCormack and Jen Leonard break down two major AI stories shaking up the legal industry: Elon Musk’s unsolicited $97.4 billion bid to buy OpenAI and the landmark Thomson Reuters v. Ross AI case, which sets a critical precedent for AI training data and copyright law. They also explore OpenAI’s new Deep Research tool , which is revolutionizing how legal professionals conduct research. As AI-powered tools become increasingly sophisticated, law firms face urgent questions: How will AI impact legal research? Will legal paywalls surv