🎙️ Ep. 120: AI Game Changers for Law Firms - Stephen Embry on Legal Tech Adoption and Privacy Concerns 🤖⚖️

/ The Tech-Savvy Lawyer.Page/

My next guest is Stephen Embry. Steve is a legal technology expert, blogger at Tech Law Crossroads, and contributor to Above the Law. A former mass tort defense litigator with 20 years of remote practice experience, Steven specializes in AI implementation for law firms and legal technology adoption challenges. With a master's degree in civil engineering and programming expertise since 1980, he brings a unique technical insight to legal practice. Steven provides data-driven analysis on how AI is revolutionizing law firms while addressing critical privacy and security concerns for legal professionals. 💻

Join Stephen Embry and me as we discuss the following three questions and more! 🎯

  1. What do you think are the top three game-changer announcements from the 2025 ILTA Conference for AI that're gonna make the most impact for solo, small, and mid-size law firms?

  2. What are the top three security and privacy concerns lawyers should address when using AI?

  3. What are your top three hacks when it comes to using AI in legal?

In our conversation, we covered the following and more! 📝

  • [00:00:00] Episode Introduction & Guest Bio

  • [00:01:00] Steve's Current Tech Setup

  • [00:02:00] Apple Devices Discussion - MacBook Air M4, AirPods Pro

  • [00:06:00] Android Phone & Remote Practice Experience

  • [00:09:00] iPad Collection & MacBook Air Purchase Story

  • [00:12:00] Travel Tech & Backup Strategies

  • [00:15:00] Q1: AI Game Changers from ILTA 2025 Conference

  • [00:24:00] Billable Hour vs AI Adoption Challenges

  • [00:26:00] Competition & Client Demands for Technology

  • [00:35:00] Q2: AI Security & Privacy Concerns for Lawyers

  • [00:37:00] Discoverability & Privilege Waiver Issues

  • [00:44:00] Q3: Top AI Hacks for Legal Professionals

  • [00:46:00] Using AI for Document Construction & Rules Compliance

  • [00:50:00] Contact Information & Resources

Resources 📚

Connect with Stephen Embry

• Email: sembry@techlawcrossroads.com
• Blog: Tech Law Crossroads - https://techlawcrossroads.com
• Above the Law Contributions: https://abovethelaw.com
• LinkedIn: [Stephen Embry LinkedIn Profile]

Mentioned in the Episode

• ILTA (International Lawyers Technology Association) Conference 2025 - https://www.iltanet.org
• Max Stock Conference - Chicago area legal technology conference
• Consumer Electronics Show (CES) - https://www.ces.tech
• Federal Rules of Civil Procedure - https://www.uscourts.gov/rules-policies/current-rules/federal-rules-civil-procedure
• Apple Event (October 9th) - Apple's product announcement events
• Gaylord Conference Center - Washington, DC area conference venue

Hardware Mentioned in the Conversation 🖥️

• MacBook Air M4 (13-inch) - https://www.apple.com/macbook-air/
• iPad Pro - https://www.apple.com/ipad-pro/
• iPad Air - https://www.apple.com/ipad-air/
• iPad Mini - https://www.apple.com/ipad-mini/
• iPhone 16 - https://www.apple.com/iphone-16/
• Apple Watch Ultra 2 - https://www.apple.com/apple-watch-ultra-2/
• AirPods Pro - https://www.apple.com/airpods-pro/
• Samsung Galaxy (Android phone) - https://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/phones/galaxy/
• Samsung Galaxy Fold 7 - https://www.samsung.com/global/galaxy/galaxy-z-fold7/

Software & Cloud Services Mentioned in the Conversation ☁️

• Apple Intelligence - https://www.apple.com/apple-intelligence/
• ChatGPT - https://chat.openai.com
• Claude (Anthropic) - https://claude.ai
• Brock AI - AI debate and argumentation tool
• Notebook AI - https://notebooklm.google.com
• Microsoft Word - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/word
• Dropbox - https://www.dropbox.com
• Backblaze - https://www.backblaze.com
• Synology - https://www.synology.com
• Whisper AI - https://openai.com/research/whisper

Don't forget to give The Tech-Savvy Lawyer.Page Podcast a Five-Star ⭐️ review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast feeds! Your support helps us continue bringing you expert insights on legal technology.

Our next episode will be posted in about two weeks. If you have any ideas about a future episode, please contact Michael at michaeldj@techsavvylawyer.page 📧

📖 Word of the Week: RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) - The Legal AI Breakthrough Eliminating Hallucinations. 📚⚖️

/ The Tech-Savvy Lawyer.Page/

What is RAG?

USEd responsibly, rag can be a great tool for lawyers!

Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) is a groundbreaking artificial intelligence technique that combines information retrieval with text generation. Unlike traditional AI systems that rely solely on pre-trained data, RAG dynamically retrieves relevant information from external legal databases before generating responses.

Why RAG Matters for Legal Practice

RAG addresses the most significant concern with legal AI: fabricated citations and "hallucinations." By grounding AI responses in verified legal sources, RAG systems dramatically reduce the risk of generating fictional case law. Recent studies show RAG-powered legal tools produce hallucination rates comparable to human-only work.

Key Benefits

RAG technology offers several advantages for legal professionals:

Enhanced Accuracy: RAG systems pull from authoritative legal databases, ensuring responses are based on actual statutes, cases, and regulations rather than statistical patterns.

Real-Time Updates: Unlike static AI models, RAG can access current legal information, making it valuable for rapidly evolving areas of law.

Source Attribution: RAG provides clear citations and references, enabling attorneys to verify and build upon AI-generated research.

Practical Applications

lawyers who don’t use ai technology like rag will be replaced those who do!

Law firms are implementing RAG for case law research, contract analysis, and legal memo drafting. The technology excels at tasks requiring specific legal authorities and performs best when presented with clearly defined legal issues.

Professional Responsibility Under ABA Model Rules

ABA Model Rule 1.1 (Competence): Comment 8 requires lawyers to "keep abreast of changes in the law and its practice, including the benefits and risks associated with relevant technology." This mandates understanding RAG capabilities and limitations before use.

ABA Model Rule 1.6 (Confidentiality): Lawyers must "make reasonable efforts to prevent the inadvertent or unauthorized disclosure of, or unauthorized access to, information relating to the representation of a client." When using RAG systems, attorneys must verify data security measures and understand how client information is processed and stored.

ABA Model Rule 5.3 (Supervision of Nonlawyer Assistants): ABA Formal Opinion 512 clarifies that AI tools may be considered "nonlawyer assistants" requiring supervision. Lawyers must establish clear policies for RAG usage and ensure proper training on ethical obligations.

ABA Formal Opinion 512: This 2024 guidance emphasizes that lawyers cannot abdicate professional judgment to AI systems. While RAG systems offer improved reliability over general AI tools, attorneys remain responsible for verifying outputs and maintaining competent oversight.

Final Thoughts: Implementation Considerations

lawyers must consider their ethical responsibilities when using generative ai, large language models, and rag.

While RAG significantly improves AI reliability, attorneys must still verify outputs and exercise professional judgment. The technology enhances rather than replaces legal expertise. Lawyers should understand terms of service, consult technical experts when needed, and maintain "human-in-the-loop" oversight consistent with professional responsibility requirements.

RAG represents a crucial step toward trustworthy legal AI, offering attorneys powerful research capabilities while maintaining the accuracy standards essential to legal practice and compliance with ABA Model Rules. Just make sure you use it correctly and check your work!