The AI Crossroads: A Practical Guide for Law Firms in 2025
“Gen AI and machine learning AI are very different,” explains Jon Bartman, founder of The Law Tech Consultancy, during a recent Platforum9 session. His insight cuts through the hype to offer a pragmatic view of AI adoption in legal practice. Understanding the AI Landscape While generative AI grabs headlines, Bartman distinguishes between two key types: […]
Generative AI: Making Small but Significant Strides in Legal Access
The promise of generative AI in expanding access to justice is beginning to materialize in concrete ways across the United States, though perhaps not as revolutionarily as initially hyped. Several courts and legal aid organizations are now successfully deploying AI-powered chatbots to help bridge the justice gap. Leading examples of this technology in action include […]
Bridging the Generation Gap: New Perspectives on Legal Team Management
“Gen Z are effectively saying we don’t want to be middle management,” observes Stephen Hopkins, former Eversheds partner and legal team coach, during a recent Platforum9 session. His insight cuts to the heart of a fundamental shift in how law firms must approach talent management and team dynamics. The Evolution of Legal Career Paths The […]
Professional Ethics and Mental Health: The Hidden Crisis Facing Young Lawyers
A concerning correlation between ethical misalignment and serious health issues among junior lawyers has emerged, according to Professor Stephen Mayson’s recent findings. The disconnect between personal professional values and law firm practices isn’t just creating workplace discomfort—it’s potentially triggering significant health problems among young legal professionals. Moral Alignment as a Mental Health Factor Professor Mayson […]
The Strategic Power of Voice: Transforming Legal Practice Through Podcasting
“Your comfort zone is great, but nothing grows there,” observes Rob Hanna during a recent Platforum9 session. As the creator of the Legally Speaking Podcast, Hanna offers a compelling vision of how audio content is reshaping professional influence in legal services – not just as a marketing tool, but as a fundamental shift in how […]
From Courtroom to Legal Tech: Essential Skills When Evolving Your Career
Lawyers are traditionally viewed as better linguists as mathematicians (except when it comes to billing!). “I used to be a lawyer, but I learned not to be allergic to numbers,” reflects Felipe Mohando, Director of Partnership at Crespect, a Baltic legal tech company focused on project management and CRM, describing his unconventional career path from […]
Beyond Transactions: The Art of Authentic Client Relationships in Legal Services
“We have to put boundaries on what a lawyer looks like,” reflects David Kaufman, Director of Global Strategies at Nixon Peabody, during a recent Platforum9 session. His insight cuts to the heart of a fundamental shift in legal services: the growing importance of authentic human connection in an increasingly automated profession. Breaking the Traditional Mould […]
Mastering Legal Directory Rankings
As we are in the throws of legal directory submission season, we covered the main challenges at our Session last week. It’s important to put your scope of work and referee in perspective. For example, “Don’t waste space talking about reviewing employment contracts for Google – the CEO isn’t going to act as your referee […]
Is Legal Tech Really Broken? A Fresh Perspective on the Industry’s Evolution
“The ecosystem itself isn’t broken – it’s going to have a glow up,” suggests Elena Folkes, veteran legal tech strategist, during a recent Platforum9 session. Drawing from over 20 years in the sector, Folkes and Adam Roney from Calls9 share insights on the evolving legal technology landscape. The Trust Challenge A key issue lies in […]
Innovating in Law: A Practical Guide to Change
“When defining Innovation, we can say it is just trying to improve the things that you have been doing.” explains Karol Valencia, Co-founder of Wow Legal Experience, during a recent Platforum9 session. Drawing from her experience implementing innovation in law firms, Valencia challenges conventional thinking about legal transformation. Rethinking Skills Development “I really like the […]