Shows
The Geek In ReviewThe Six-Minute Dilemma: Litera's Avaneesh Marwaha on Building Legal Tech That Actually Gets Used The Geek in ReviewIn this episode of The Geek in Review, guest host Marcie Borgal Shunk of the Tilt Institute joins Marlene Gebauer for a thought-provoking discussion with Avaneesh Marwaha, CEO of Litera. As someone who led the company through both pre- and post-AI boom eras, Avaneesh offers an insider’s perspective on what it takes to guide a legal tech organization through profound technological and cultural shifts. He speaks candidly about why he returned to Litera, what has changed internally, and how AI is being integrated not just into products, but into the DNA of the company itself.Avaneesh sh...2025-06-3034 min
The Geek In ReviewOtto von Zastrow on MidPage.AI and the Future of AI-Powered Legal ResearchIn this episode of The Geek in Review, hosts Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert sit down with Otto von Zastrow, the founder and CEO of MidPage.AI, an AI-native legal research platform. With a recent $4 million seed round and an ambitious mission to rival legacy research tools, MidPage is drawing attention across the legal industry. Otto shares his unconventional journey from AI-powered lawn robotics to transforming how litigators interact with case law. His pivot into legal tech was fueled by a combination of technical curiosity, the rise of language models, and firsthand insight from his lawyer friends...2025-06-2333 min
The Geek In ReviewExploring AI-Powered Litigation with FileRead's Chan Koh and Justin BrownstoneThis week we welcome Chan Hee-Koh, CEO and co-founder, and Justin Brownstone, Strategic Partnership Lead at FileRead. As legal professionals and tech enthusiasts gear up for LegalWeek, the conversation starts with some lighthearted banter about the best places to visit in New York—including a passionate endorsement of Angelina in Paris' hot chocolate. However, the discussion quickly turns toward the evolving role of AI in the legal industry and how FileRead is shaping the future of litigation technology.Chan shares the deeply personal story that inspired FileRead’s creation: his immigrant family’s experience during the 20...2025-03-1731 min
The Geek In ReviewSummarizing Success with Summize's Tom Dunlop and Laura Proctor
This week, Greg Lambert sits down with Tom Dunlop, CEO and founder of Summize, and Laura Proctor, Chief Marketing Officer, to explore the evolution and impact of Summize in the contract lifecycle management (CLM) space. From its innovative beginnings to its strategic positioning in a competitive market, this discussion unveils the strategies, challenges, and future trends shaping legal technology.
Tom Dunlop shares the frustrations that sparked the idea for Summize, recounting his days as an in-house lawyer overwhelmed by the manual review of locked PDF contracts during due diligence. “It was painstaking,” Tom recalls, “I knew t...2025-01-0640 min
The Geek In Review50 Episodes of Legal Innovation and a Chat with Google NotebookLM
In this special year-end episode of The Geek in Review, Greg Lambert takes listeners on a unique journey through the past year’s 50 episodes, all with the help of Google’s NotebookLM audio overview tool. Inspired by Josh Kubicki of the Brainyiacs Newsletter, Greg experiments with this cutting-edge AI tool to synthesize and discuss the key themes, guests, and topics covered throughout 2024. The result is an innovative meta-conversation between Greg and AI-generated co-hosts, offering insights into the future of law and legal technology.
Key Themes from 2024:The episodes this year highlighted critical shifts in the...2024-12-3043 min
The Geek In ReviewSarah Glassmeyer and Niki Black on Legal Tech in 2024 – Highlights, Hiccups, and Hopes for 2025
In this year-end episode of The Geek in Review, hosts Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert are joined by legal tech experts Niki Black, Principal Legal Insight Strategist at AffiniPay, and Sarah Glassmeyer, Director of Data Curation at Legal Technology Hub, to recap the top stories of 2024. From the evolution of generative AI in legal tech to groundbreaking acquisitions, the conversation delves into the successes and challenges that shaped the year in the legal industry.
The discussion kicks off with a look at AI's growing role in legal research and practice management. Greg recalls the controversial...2024-12-2353 min
The Geek In ReviewCommunication, AI, and the Human Side of Law: Insights from Smokeball’s Jane OxleyThis week we welcome Jane Oxley, Chief Revenue Officer at Smokeball, to discuss the pivotal role of communication in legal organizations and how AI is transforming legal practice management. While normally in Australia, we were lucky enough to find Jane while she was working in Chicago, Jane shares her global perspective on communication challenges, bridging time zones, and the creative ways Smokeball leverages technology to streamline law firm operations. Co-host, Greg Lambert kicked off the show by introducing the concept of “Lambert’s Law,” highlighting that “all problems are communication problems,” setting the tone for an insightful discussion on organizati...2024-12-0941 min
The Geek In ReviewBridging Legal Practice and AI: K&L Gates and AltaClaro Innovate Legal Training
In this episode of The Geek in Review, hosts Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert are joined by Carolyn Austin, Director of Practice Innovation at K&L Gates; Brendan McDonnell, Partner at K&L Gates; and Abdi Shayesteh, CEO of AltaClaro. The conversation delves into innovative legal education strategies and the integration of generative AI in legal practice, highlighting how experiential learning platforms are shaping the future of legal training.
Abdi introduces AltaClaro's experiential learning platform, designed to make lawyers practice-ready through simulation-based training. Utilizing a "Learn, Do, Review" methodology, the platform presents associates with real-world...2024-10-1458 min
The Geek In ReviewCatching Up on Tech and Travels - TGIR Ep. 260In this episode of The Geek in Review, hosts Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert sit down for a one-on-one conversation to catch up on their recent vacations and discuss some of the latest developments in the legal industry. Marlene shares her experience in Hawaii, where she enjoyed beautiful beaches, a nature preserve, and delicious local cuisine with her family. Greg, on the other hand, talks about his trip to South Africa, where he spent time in Kruger National Park observing wildlife and learning about the challenges of rhino poaching.
The conversation then shifts to the recent lawsuits...2024-07-0245 min
The Geek In ReviewThe Current and Future State of AI Policies with Neil Chilson and Travis WussowSince Greg Lambert is on vacation, we wanted to share an episode of Future Ready Business podcast, which Greg also produces. Art Cavazos and Courtney White from Jackson Walker, LLP, interview Neil Chilson, Head of AI Policy at the Abundance Institute, and Travis Wussow,
regulatory and governmental affairs lawyer Partner at JW. Neil and Travis had worked together at the Charles Koch Institute and are both heavily involved in advising governmental agencies and policy makers on the topic of AI.
Neil Chilson and Travis Wussow both emphasize the complexity of regulating AI due to its broad applications...2024-06-2645 min
The Geek In ReviewAvvoka's Innovative Approach to Document Automation and the Impact of Generative AI - Giles Thompson and Jun Choi
In this episode of The Geek in Review podcast, hosts Greg Lambert and Kate Boyd from Sente Advisors (standing in for Marlene Gebauer) sit down with Giles Thompson, Head of Growth, and Jun Choi, Growth Executive at Avvoka, to discuss the company's innovative approach to document automation and the impact of generative AI on the legal industry.
Avvoka is a no-code document automation platform that enables legal professionals to streamline the creation and management of complex legal documents and contracts. The company has recently introduced AI-enhanced features such as SmartAutomation (with GenAI) and SmartConsolidation , which...2024-06-0434 min
The Geek In ReviewExploring the Subscription-Based Legal Services Model with Mathew Kerbis and Jack Shelton
In this episode of The Geek in Review, hosts Greg Lambert and Marlene Gebauer, along with special co-host Toby Brown of DV8 Legal Strategies, discuss the subscription-based legal services model with Mathew Kerbis, founder of Subscription Attorney, LLC, and Jack Shelton, co-founder of Aegis Space Law. The guests share their experiences and insights on adopting a subscription-based model as an alternative to the traditional billable hour.
Mathew Kerbis explains that his inspiration for transitioning to a subscription and flat fee model stemmed from the realization that many attorneys, including himself, could not afford their own billable rates. H...2024-05-3046 min
The Geek In ReviewvLex Integrates Vincent AI with iManage and Automates Docket Ingestion with Docket AlarmIn this special episode of The Geek in Review, host Greg Lambert sits down with Ed Walters, Chief Strategy Officer at vLex, to discuss two significant announcements: the integration of vLex's Vincent AI with iManage Work and the automated docket ingestion feature with iManage using vLex's Docket Alarm.
The integration between Vincent AI and iManage's Insight Plus collection allows law firms to leverage their internal knowledge assets alongside vLex's extensive public law database. This combination of the "two halves of the legal brain" enables lawyers to create brilliant first drafts and analyze documents using the power of...2024-05-2929 min
The Geek In ReviewCatching Up on AI Agents, and Agentic Processes
In this impromptu episode of The Geek in Review, hosts Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert reconnect after being on the road for a few weeks. They discuss their recent "Love and LegalTech" mini-series, which featured eight couples sharing their experiences working in the legal technology industry. The series provided insights into communication, work-life integration, and the passion for innovation shared by the guests.
The conversation then shifts to a recent webinar by Toby Brown and Ian Wilson, where they discussed the potential impact of AI tools on law firm hours and profits. While the idea o...2024-05-2032 min
The Geek In ReviewLove and Legal Tech: Alexis Hayman and Jeff Niemczura
In this special "Love and Legal Tech" episode of The Geek in Review podcast, host Greg Lambert sits down with Alexis Hayman, Director of Business Development at Consilio, and Jeff Niemczura, Discovery Attorney at Google, to discuss their unique journey as a couple working in the legal technology industry.
Alexis and Jeff first met in Cleveland, Ohio, while Jeff was a graduate student and Alexis was an undergrad. Their paths diverged as they pursued different careers – Jeff initially considering a PhD in religion and Alexis exploring art history. However, life had other plans, and they bo...2024-05-0735 min
The Geek In ReviewArtificial Lawyer's Richard Tromans: Back to Work!
In this episode of The Geek in Review podcast, hosts Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert welcome back Richard Tromans, founder of Artificial Lawyer, after his year-and-a-half sabbatical. Tromans shares his insights on the impact of generative AI on the legal industry and discusses his upcoming Legal Innovators conferences in California and London.
Tromans observes that while the legal industry is generally enthusiastic about the potential of generative AI, there is a stark contrast in the perception of its impact outside the legal bubble. He believes that the technology will have a significant effect on the...2024-04-3034 min
The Geek In Review2024 Trends Report: Dynamics Shaping the Future of Legal w/CounselLink's Kris Satkunas
In this episode of The Geek in Review podcast, hosts Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert welcome back Kris Satkunas, Director of Strategic Consulting at LexisNexis CounselLink, to discuss the findings of the 2024 Trends Report. The report, now in its 11th year, provides valuable insights into the legal industry, particularly focusing on hourly rates and spending patterns.
Satkunas explains that the data used in the report comes from the CounselLink Insight benchmarking database, which normalizes and anonymizes data related to matters and billing from CounselLink customers. This year's report highlights significant increases in hourly rates, with...2024-04-2335 min
The Geek In ReviewJorn Vanysacker & Jeroen Thierens from Henchman: We Are Building the "Chief of Staff" For Each Legal Professional
In this episode of The Geek in Review podcast, hosts Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert welcome Jeroen Thierens, Strategic Account Advisor, and Jorn Vanysacker, co-founder of Henchman, a
Belgian legal tech company that focuses on building an intelligent drafting assistant for lawyers working on complex transactional contracts based on precedents in the firm's DMS.
Vanysacker shares the story behind Henchman's founding, emphasizing the importance of solving a clear problem with a focused product strategy. The company's mission is to unlock the collective knowledge within law firms and legal departments by connecting to their document management systems...2024-04-1729 min
The Geek In ReviewVlex Pushes Legal Tech Boundaries with New Features and Top Talent
Our friend Damien Riehl stopped by to talk with Marlene Gebauer about two big happenings at vLex. Riehl unveiled exciting advancements in vLex's AI-powered legal research platform and shed light on vLex's commitment to streamlining legal workflows and reducing the need for extensive prompt engineering.
One of the major developments is the enhanced document analysis feature. Users can now upload legal documents, such as complaints, and vLex's AI will automatically extract key information including claims, facts, parties involved, and potential legal defenses. This eliminates the tedious manual process of reviewing and analyzing documents, saving lawyers...2024-04-1610 min
The Geek In ReviewBloomberg Law Acquires Dashboard Legal to Enhance Legal Workflow Solutions - Joe Breda and Mat Rotenberg
In this episode of The Geek in Review podcast, hosts Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert sit down with Joe Breda, President of Bloomberg Law, and Mathew Rotenberg, CEO and co-founder of Dashboard Legal, to discuss Bloomberg's recent acquisition of Dashboard Legal. The acquisition aims to expand Bloomberg's reach within the legal workflow market and enhance its suite of tools for the legal industry.
Dashboard Legal, born from Rotenberg's experience as a practicing attorney, focuses on streamlining project management and collaboration processes for lawyers. By integrating Dashboard Legal's features with Bloomberg Law's existing tools, such as...2024-04-0922 min
The Geek In ReviewLove and Legal Tech: Karen Dunn Skinner and David Skinner of Gimbal ConsultingIn the latest episode of "The Geek in Review," hosts Greg Lambert and Marlene Gebauer sat down with Karen Dunn Skinner and David Skinner, the dynamic duo behind Gimbal Consulting. This episode, part of the "Love & Legal Tech" mini-series, explores the professional and personal journey of Karen and David, who have carved a niche in the legal tech industry by helping lawyers build practices they love, ensuring they also have time to enjoy life outside work.
Karen and David shared their fascinating backstory, from meeting in law school to their adventures in Budapest, Hungary, and beyond. These...2024-03-2646 min
The Geek In ReviewLove and Legal Tech - Kate Boyd and Ryan McClead of Sente Advisors
In this episode of "The Geek in Review" podcast, co-hosts Greg Lambert and Marlene Gebauer interview Ryan McClead and Kate Boyd, the CEO and COO of Sente Advisors, respectively, as part of their "Love and Legal Tech" series. The interview delves into the couple's history in the legal technology space, their experience working together, and the challenges and benefits of being in a relationship while also being colleagues.
Ryan and Kate share their extensive backgrounds in legal technology, with Ryan starting in the industry in 2003 and eventually becoming the head of innovation at a law...2024-03-1925 min
The Geek In ReviewKelly Griswold of Onna on the Fundamental Investments Needed in Data ManagementIn this episode of The Geek in Review podcast, hosts Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert wrap up their series of interviews from the LegalWeek 2024 conference in New York with a conversation with Kelly Griswold, CEO of Onna. Kelly shares her objectives for attending the conference, which include interacting with customers and partners, staying on top of industry trends and innovations, and bringing her remote team together to build community.
Kelly provides an overview of Onna, explaining that the company primarily serves enterprise and corporate clients by managing their unstructured data with a focus on...2024-03-1418 min
The Geek In ReviewLove and Legal Tech - Jillian Bommarito and Michael Bommarito of 273 Ventures
In this week's episode of "The Geek in Review" podcast, co-hosts Greg Lambert and Marlene Gebauer interview Michael Bommarito and Jill Bommarito, the CEO and Chief Risk Officer of 273 Ventures, respectively. The couple, who have been together since high school, share their experiences working together in the legal technology space.
Michael and Jill discuss the advantages and challenges of working closely together in the same organization. They highlight the benefits of being able to bounce ideas off each other in real-time and the ability to seamlessly cover for one another when family responsibilities arise. However...2024-03-1235 min
The Geek In ReviewLegalWeek 2024 Special Part Five - Dan Lear from LegalTrackIn this episode of "The Geek in Review," co-hosts Greg Lambert and Marlene Gebauer engage with Dan Lear, VP of Partnerships at InfoTrack, capturing insights from the latest LegalWeek 2024 conference. Lear shares his observations on the evolving landscape of legal technology, noting the increased diversity of technologies present at the conference compared to previous years. He highlights a shift from a narrow focus on eDiscovery to a broader array of legal tech solutions, indicating a significant expansion in the sector's innovation and investment interest.
Dan Lear delves into the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in the...2024-03-0726 min
The Geek In ReviewLove and Legal Tech - Chris Ford and Nikki Shaver of Legal Technology Hub
In the fourth round of interview of "The Geek in Review" podcast's mini-series "Love & Legal Tech," hosts Greg Lambert and Marlene Gebauer chat with Chris Ford and Nikki Shaver, the dynamic couple behind the Legal Technology Hub. Their project, conceived out of necessity and frustration with the lack of a single source of truth for legal technology solutions, has grown into a thriving business that categorizes and reviews over 2000 legal tech products, aiding law firms and corporate legal departments in navigating the vast landscape of available technologies.
Their story begins in Australia, where Chris and Nikki first connected through...2024-03-0531 min
The Geek In ReviewPablo Arredondo on the One-Year Anniversary of CoCounsel
In this episode of "The Geek in Review," hosts Greg Lambert and Marlene Gebauer celebrate the one-year anniversary of CoCounsel, the pioneering Generative AI Legal Research Tool launched by CaseText. They are joined by Pablo Arredondo, Vice President of CoCounsel at Thomson Reuters and co-founder of CaseText, to discuss the significant strides and challenges faced in developing and implementing generative AI in legal research. Pablo shares insights into the early days of exploring generative AI and the transformative potential it held for overcoming the limitations of traditional keyword-based search methods in legal research.
The conversation...2024-02-2941 min
The Geek In ReviewLegalWeek 2024 Special Part Four: Joshua Lenon from Clio
In the latest episode of "The Geek in Review" podcast, co-hosts Greg Lambert and Marlene Gebauer continue their series of interviews from this year's LegalWeek conference by engaging with Joshua Lenon from Clio. As Clio's Lawyer in Residence, Lenon delves into the insights derived from the company's Legal Trends Report, emphasizing the data-driven analysis of law firm practices and trends. The report, which leverages aggregated anonymous usage data from tens of thousands of law firms using Clio, offers a unique perspective on the productivity, billing, and technological adoption within the legal industry, particularly among mid-sized law firms.2024-02-2222 min
The Geek In ReviewLove and Legal Tech: Sonja Ebron and Debra Slone of Courtroom5
In the latest episode of "The Geek in Review," Marlene Gebauer hosts a fascinating conversation with Sonja Ebron and Debra Slone, the dynamic couple behind Courtroom5, a pioneering startup in the Justice Tech space aimed at empowering pro se litigants. As part of the "Love & Legal Tech" series we discuss the personal and professional relationship that propels Courtroom5 forward, providing valuable insights into the intersection of love, partnership, and innovation in the legal tech industry.
Courtroom5 stands out in the Justice Tech sector by offering a unique platform designed to educate, encourage, and empower...2024-02-1922 min
The Geek In ReviewLegalWeek 2024 Special Part Three: Bill Piwonka of Exterro
In the latest episode of "The Geek in Review" podcast, hosts Greg Lambert and Marlene Gebauer continue their series of interviews at the 2024 LegalWeek conference with guest Bill Piwonka, the Chief Marketing Officer at Exterro. The conversation dives into Exterro's participation at LegalWeek, highlighting the return to pre-COVID attendance levels and the company's successful engagement with customers, prospects, and partners. Piwonka shares insights into Exterro's focus on managing digital risk through the convergence of privacy, compliance, legal operations, litigation support, and cybersecurity response, emphasizing the importance of understanding and mitigating data risk. The discussion also covers Exterro's...2024-02-1621 min
The Geek In ReviewLegalWeek 2024 Special Part Two: Mollie Nichols and Mark Noel from Redgrave Data
In the second of a special series of interviews from Legal Week 2024 , co-hosts Greg Lambert and Marlene Gebauer welcomed Mollie Nichols, CEO, and Mark Noel, Chief Information and Technology Officer of Redgrave Data. Nichols and Noel discuss Redgrave Data's mission to cut through the hype of legal tech innovations, particularly generative AI. Nichols emphasized the company's focus on delivering custom solutions that meet clients' actual needs and highlighted the importance of educating the legal community on effectively integrating new technologies into their practices.
Mark Noel emphasized the strategic addition of data scientists to their team, e...2024-02-0930 min
The Geek In ReviewLegal Week 2024 Special Part One: Joey Seeber of Level LegalWelcome to the first of a few special Legal Week 2024 edition episodes of "The Geek in Review," where we looked for innovative and creative ideas on the road and recorded live from the bustling environment of the 2024 Legal Week conference in New York.
Marlene Gebauer notes the transformation of Legal Week into a thought leadership conference, with a special mention of keynote speaker Bryan Cranston's impactful talk on storytelling, branding, and the thoughtful application of AI in both the acting world and the legal tech space.
Joey Seeber, the guest for this episode, brings his...2024-02-0722 min
The Geek In ReviewNavigating the Future of Legal Tech with Caroline HillThis week, Greg Lambert sat down with Caroline Hill, Editor-in-Chief for Legal IT Insider to discuss the new partnership with NetLaw Media.
Hill described the new partnership between Legal IT Insider and NetLaw Media as a mutually beneficial collaboration with significant synergy between the two organizations. She emphasized the complementarity of their focuses, with Legal IT Insider's emphasis on impartial coverage and promotion of various conferences in the legal tech sector, and NetLaw Media's focus on technology and IT security. Hill noted that both organizations share common sponsors and audiences, which enhances the partnership's potential.
She also ment...2024-01-3141 min
The Geek In ReviewProjections for Legal Tech and Innovations in 2024 (TGIR Ep. 232)In this episode, Marlene Gebauer interviews attendees at two recent legal tech conferences - the TLTF Summit and the Legal AI Pathfinder's Assembly. She asks them about the biggest impacts they foresee AI and other innovations having on the legal industry in 2024. Their responses range from predictions that AI will help automate legal workflows and build tools faster, to allowing for better data analytics and metrics to improve client relationships and retention.
Marlene and Greg comment on the various perspectives shared. Key themes that emerge include leveraging AI to improve efficiency and processes, being cautious not to...2024-01-161h 17
The Geek In ReviewBreaking Barriers and Building Bridges: Tackling Racial Bias in Law with LexisNexis Fellows 2023 (TGIR Ep. 231)
In this episode, Greg Lambert speaks with Whitney Triplet, Paul Campbell, and Adonica Black about the LexisNexis African Ancestry Network and LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation Fellowship 2023 cohort. They discuss the goal of the fellowship program and the projects undertaken by the fellows, including technology solutions to alleviate racial bias in jury selection and law clinic support tools to combat systemic racism in the legal system. The conversation also covers the role of analytics in identifying and addressing disparities in the legal system, as well as the future of the fellowship program and initiatives. Takeaways
The LexisNexis African An...2023-12-2640 min
The Geek In ReviewPfeifer and Wellen Give an Inside Look at LexisNexis' AI Sprint (TGIR Ep. 230)This week we catch up with Jeff Pfeifer and Serena Wellen from LexisNexis to discuss the rapid development of AI tools for the legal industry over the past year. Pfeifer and Wellen give us an insider’s view of what it took to bring their Lexis+ AI tool to the market and the balance between speed to market and getting solid customer guidance on what they need in a legal-focused Generative AI tool. Between the initial version released to a select group of customers and the current version, the product grew from an open-ended chat interface into more of a...2023-12-0442 min
The Geek In ReviewvLex's Damien Riehl on Examining vLex's New Vincent AIOn a special “on location” episode of The Geek in Review, Greg Lambert sits down with vLex’s Damien Riehl for a hands-on demonstration of the new generative AI tool called Vincent AI. While at the Ark KM Conference, Riehl explains that vLex has amassed a huge legal dataset over its 35 year history which allows them to now run their own large language models (LLM). The recent merger between vLex and Fastcase has combined their datasets to create an even more robust training corpus.
Riehl demonstrates how Vincent AI works by having it research a ques...2023-10-3034 min
The Geek In ReviewColin Levy, Dorna Moini, and Ashley Carlisle on Herding Cats and Heralding Change: The Inside Scoop on the "Handbook of Legal Tech"This week on The Geek in Review podcast Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert featured guests Colin Levy, Ashley Carlisle, and Dorna Moini discussing Levy's recently published book "Handbook of Legal Tech." Levy edited the book and contributors included Moini, Carlisle's CEO, Tony Thai, and many more legal technology experts. The book provides an overview of key technologies transforming the legal industry like automation, AI, blockchain, document automation, CLM, and more.
Levy shared how he ended up editing the book, describing it as "herding cats" to get busy experts to contribute chapters. He wanted the book to serve...2023-10-2434 min
The Geek In ReviewJacqueline Schafer on Writing Briefs at the Speed of AI: How ClearBrief is Transforming Legal DraftingOn this episode of The Geek in Review, hosts Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert delve into how AI can transform legal writing with ClearBrief founder and CEO Jacqueline Schafer. As a former litigator, Schafer experienced firsthand the frustrating scramble to finalize briefs and prepare filings. She founded ClearBrief in 2020 to leverage AI to analyze documents and suggest relevant evidence and citations to streamline drafting.
ClearBrief integrates into Microsoft Word to align with lawyers’ existing workflows. By uploading case documents and discovery materials, the AI can pull facts and quotes directly from the record to support legal arguments in...2023-10-1736 min
The Geek In ReviewPaulina Grnarova and Yannic Kilcher from DeepJudge.AI: Unlocking Institutional Knowledge: How AI is Transforming Legal Search (TGIR Ep. 224)On this episode of The Geek in Review, hosts Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert explore innovations in legal search with Paulina Grnarova and Yannic Kilcher, co-founders of DeepJudge. This semantic search engine for legal documents leverages proprietary AI developed by experts with backgrounds from Google and academic AI research.
As PhDs from ETH Zurich, Grnarova and Kilcher recognized lawyers needed better access to institutional knowledge rather than constantly reinventing the wheel. DeepJudge moves beyond traditional keyword searches to a deeper integration of search and generative AI models like GPT-3. Partnerships provide financial support and key insights – advisors in...2023-10-1035 min
The Geek In ReviewBreaking the Stigma: Fostering Wellbeing in the Legal Profession (TGIR Ep. 223)[Ed. Note: This episodes discusses sensitive issues including depression and suicide. -GL]
Mental health and wellbeing issues have long posed challenges in the legal profession.
However, in this thoughtful episode of The Geek in Review podcast, hosts Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert have an enlightening discussion with three experts on concrete ways to foster greater wellness.
Defining wellbeing holistically, Bree Buchanan, co-founder of the Well-Being in Law Movement, explains it encompasses mental, emotional, occupational, spiritual, and physical dimensions. She argues the profession needs “systemic, structural change” through total leadership buy-in, not just HR-led progr...2023-10-0341 min
The Geek In ReviewThomas Suh and Ken Block on How LegalMation is Revolutionizing Litigation EfficiencyOn this episode of The Geek in Review, hosts Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert interview Thomas Suh, Founder and CEO, and Ken Block, Senior Account Executive of LegalMation. The company provides AI-powered tools to help litigators automate repetitive tasks and work more efficiently. The conversation focuses on LegalMation's products, overcoming resistance to adopting new legal tech, and predictions for the future evolution of legal service delivery.
Suh provides background on founding LegalMation about seven years ago to help streamline the "scut work" litigation associates spend time on. The flagship product automates drafting responses to lawsuits, discovery requests...2023-09-2657 min
The Geek In ReviewUnleashing the Legal Monster Behind the Door - LexFusion's Christina Wojcik (TGIR Ep. 221)In this episode of The Geek in Review, hosts Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert have an illuminating discussion with Christina Wojcik, the new Managing Director of Corporate for LexFusion. Christina has over 20 years of experience pioneering innovation in the legal services and technology space.
The conversation covers Christina's diverse background and journey into legal tech, including formative experiences at companies like Pangea3, IBM, Seal Software, and Citi. She shares key lessons learned about the importance of visionary leadership, solving real client problems, and embracing a fearless, entrepreneurial spirit.
Christina provides insights into top pain points for legal departments today...2023-09-1737 min
The Geek In ReviewLINKS, Citizen Coders & Auditing Shelfware: Insights from Harbor’s Kris MartinOn this episode of The Geek in Review podcast, hosts Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert interview Kris Martin, Executive Vice President at Harbor, to discuss innovation, AI, and the future of technology in the legal industry.
They open the show by talking about Harbor's upcoming LINKS conference and its keynote focused on exploring human potential in the age of AI. Kris provides background on how the conference originated from an annual survey Harbor conducts to take the pulse of the legal community. He explains Harbor's goal is to support legal organizations through insights, research, and events like...2023-09-0934 min
The Geek In ReviewFast, Smart, and Empathetic: How DISCO's Culture Drives Legal Tech Innovation (TGIR Ep. 217)This week on The Geek in Review, hosts Greg Lambert and Marlene Gebauer spoke with Katie DeBord and Kristin Zmrhal, two vice presidents from legal tech company DISCO. Greg kicked off the episode by discussing his recent work with a Houston nonprofit called Project Remix Ventures that helps at-risk youth. He took their leader on a visit to innovation hub The Ion to showcase reinventing old spaces for new purposes, like DISCO has done with legal tech. The hosts then welcomed Katie DeBord, who moved from being Chief Innovation Officer at law firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner to DISCO...2023-08-2941 min
The Geek In ReviewDeploying Cutting-Edge Legal AI: Travers Smith's Cautious, But Open-source Approach. (TGIR Ep. 216)In this episode of The Geek in Review, hosts Greg Lambert and Marlene Gebauer interview three guests from UK law firm Travers Smith about their work on AI: Chief Technology Officer Oliver Bethel, Director of Legal Technology Sean Curran, and AI Manager Sam Lansley. They discuss Travers Smith's approach to testing and applying AI tools like generative models.
A key focus is finding ways to safely leverage AI while mitigating risks like copyright issues and hallucination. Travers Smith built an internal chatbot called YCNbot to experiment with generative AI through secure enterprise APIs. They are being cautious...2023-08-221h 05
The Geek In ReviewLaura Leopard on Law Firms' Current Succession Planning: Step One - Do NothingIn this episode of The Geek in Review, hosts Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert interview Laura Leopard, founder and CEO of Leopard Solutions, about succession planning challenges facing law firms. Leopard explains that many firms have partners nearing retirement age but no concrete plans for transitioning clients and leadership. This lack of succession planning threatens law firms' futures.
Laura mentions that to make matters worse, the path to equity partnership is getting longer, making it harder to retain promising senior associates and counsel. Firms have added non-equity partner roles, keeping equity partner numbers small to inflate profits...2023-08-1549 min
The Geek In ReviewTrellis' Nicole Clark on Leveraging State Court Data for Competitive Advantage (TGIR Ep. 214)The Geek in Review podcast hosts Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert interviewed Nicole Clark, CEO of Trellis, about their new Law Firm Intelligence tool (LFI). This tool allows law firms to analyze aggregated and normalized state trial court data to gain competitive intelligence across cases, practice areas, and performance. Collecting this unstructured data from county courts is very challenging, but provides valuable business insights.
The Law Firm Intelligence tool enables firms to identify growth opportunities, benchmark themselves, and drill down into the data to find strategic insights. Firms can slice and dice the data by region, practice...2023-08-0739 min
The Geek In ReviewCybersecurity in the Remote Work Era: AI, Employees and an Integrated Defense - With SessionGuardian's Jordan Ellington and Oren Leib, and Katten's Trisha SircarIn this episode of The Geek in Review podcast, host Marlene Gebauer and co-host Greg Lambert discuss cybersecurity challenges with guests Jordan Ellington, founder of SessionGuardian, Oren Leib, Vice President of Growth and Partnership at SessionGuardian, and Trisha Sircar, partner and chief privacy officer at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP.
Ellington explains that the impetus for creating SessionGuardian came from working with a law firm to secure their work with eDiscovery vendors and contract attorney staffing agencies. The goal was to standardize security practices across vendors. Ellington realized the technology could provide secure access to sensitive information from...2023-07-1146 min
The Geek In ReviewCurt Meltzer on Why Legal Tech Companies Should Give Back: The Business Case for Pro Bono, A2J, and Community OutreachThis week on The Geek in Review, Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert talk with Curt Meltzer, principal of Meltzer Consulting, LLC. Meltzer has over 40 years of experience in the legal and legal tech industry. He discusses his interest in pro bono and community outreach programs in law firms and legal tech companies. He notes that while 95% of AmLaw 200 law firms highlight pro bono work on their websites, many legal tech companies do not prioritize these efforts.
Meltzer emphasizes that pro bono and community work is good for business. It enhances company culture, helps with recruiting and retaining...2023-06-1337 min
The Geek In ReviewRichard Tromans on the Future of Legal Innovation and The Legal Innovators California Conference (TGIR Ep. 201)In this episode of The Geek in Review Podcast, hosts Greg Lambert and Marlene Gebauer interview Richard Tromans, founder of Tromans Consulting and artificiallawyer.com. Tromans shares his insights on the future of legal innovation and the upcoming Legal Innovators California conference, scheduled to take place on June 7-8 in San Francisco.
Tromans begins the conversation by highlighting the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the legal industry. He emphasizes the importance of not only adopting AI but also using it to its full potential to deliver better legal services. He also discusses the potential impact of...2023-05-0946 min
The Geek In ReviewRevolutionizing Legal Practice: The Impact of CaseText's CoCounsel on Law and Technology with Pablo Arredondo, Evan Shenkman, and Darth Vaughn (TGIR Ep. 199)In this episode of "The Geek in Review," hosts Greg Lambert and Marlene Gebauer engage in a fascinating conversation with legal technology experts Pablo Arredondo, Evan Shenkman, and Darth Vaughn. They discuss their proactive approach to incorporating AI technology, specifically CaseText's CoCounsel, into their legal practice and business operations.
Pablo shares, "I think the law is such a fascinating space for this kind of AI because it really brings together two things that are really deep in the human experience, which is language and rules." The guests discuss their experiences in using CoCounsel and its features, such...2023-04-2646 min
The Geek In ReviewThe Future of Fashion and the Law (TGIR Ep. 194)In a special episode of The Geek in Review podcast, we wanted to play a recent episode of the Future Ready Business (FRB) Podcast. FRB is a podcast that Greg Lambert produces and is hosted by Jackson Walker attorneys Art Cavazos and Erin Camp and is focused on how new ideas, regulations, laws, and overall societal changes affect the way businesses operate.
In this episode, Art Cavazos and Erin Camp host Courtney White and William Nilson, attorneys from Jackson Walker's Houston and Austin offices, and discuss the future of the fashion industry. The conversation touches on how...2023-03-2047 min
The Geek In ReviewBreaking Barriers: The Portia Project's MC Sungaila on the Unique Paths to Success for Women Lawyers and Judges (TGIR Ep. 192)In this episode of The Geek in Review, hosts Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert interview M.C. Sungaila, an appellate attorney and the host of The Portia Project podcast. The podcast is geared towards highlighting women in traditional and non-traditional legal careers and is set to celebrate its 100th episode during Women's History Month in March. M.C. Sungaila initially intended to highlight women appellate judges and justices in a book, but quickly realized that a podcast would be the best medium to capture the stories of these women. The podcast now includes women leaders across the industry and...2023-03-0638 min
The Geek In ReviewIntentional Leadership is about Owning Your Purpose - HBR's Axelle FlemmingThis week's guest, HBR Consulting's Axelle Flemming, stresses that "Intentional Leadership" creates leaders who "own their purpose." And a purpose is separate from a business "goal." Axelle's experience showed her that when a leader truly knew what their purpose was, the purpose they were trying to achieve, they went to that level of execution. In addition to being an Intentional Leader, that must be balanced with the wellness of the organization and its people. In today's work environment, we are in 24/7 fight or flight mode and intentional leaders understands that challenge. Leaders also see beyond their own goals and...2022-09-1348 min
The Geek In ReviewAliza Shatzman - Turning a Horrible Judicial Clerkship Experience into the Legal Accountability ProjectThis week, we talk about the experiences that law students and recent law grads have during their internships, summer associate positions, and their judicial clerkships. While most of us work very hard to make sure that these (traditionally young) associates and clerks enjoy and learn from their experiences, today's guests understands firsthand that not all of these experiences are positive. Aliza Shatzman, the co-founder of the Legal Accountability Project, talks with us about her judicial clerkship, which essentially derailed her legal career before it even gets started.
While Shatzman’s dream of becoming a Homicide Prosecutor was ta...2022-08-0431 min
The Geek In ReviewGabe Teninbaum on Productizing Legal Work / Lindsie Rank on Can I Publish This?We have a double-header of interviews this week with Marlene talking with Suffolk Law School's Gabe Teninbaum on his new book, Productizing Legal Work: Providing Legal Expertise at Scale. Greg talks with Lindsie Rank, Student Press Counsel at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) about the new website to help journalists answer the question, "Can I Publish This?"
Gabe Teninbaum's book discusses the variety of ways that processes can be productized, ranging from simple orientation tasks, to more complicated, but repetitive task which can be streamlined through technology, or even by just creating checklists or...2021-12-1639 min
The Geek In ReviewHow Mid-Level Associates Can Thrive at Law Firms - with Jennifer BluesteinWe conclude our discussion with Jennifer Bluestein, author of the book Stepping It Up: A Guide for Mid-Level Law Firm Associates, and talk about how associates mature into their roles as lawyers with law firms. As these second to sixth-year associates begin to take on more substantial legal roles, as well as leadership, mentorship, and allyship among their fellow lawyers, the stress of the job can become overwhelming. Bluestein talks through a number of examples of how mid-level associates can handle the increased workload, improve communications with partners at the firm, and realistically plan for their future. During the...2021-01-1435 min
The Geek In ReviewThe Law Firm Antiracism Alliance - Brenna DeVaneyIn the wake of George Floyd’s murder, we have seen many firms expand and publicize their diversity efforts in the community. Many of these efforts are part of pro bono programs supported by individual firms. Brenna DeVaney, Director of Pro Bono Programs and Pro Bono Counsel at Skadden and the Law Firm Anti-Racism Alliance (LFAA) have a different approach--leverage the legal and technical expertise of law firms and legal vendors as a whole while working with legal services organizations and race equity advocates to battle systemic racism long term. Brenna provides us with some insights into the mission of...2020-08-2037 minThe Geek In ReviewLet's Talk About Our Side ProjectsThere is no reason why we should let an emergency go to waste. So, we've both taken on a side project while we work remotely. Marlene's new daily ILTA blog presents a quick update on the skills we need to work on while we're working from home. Her first post, Be Sheltering: Not Sheltered discusses a number of initiatives going on which we all can contribute. You can find out more on the ILTA blog page.
Greg began his daily podcast miniseries, In Seclusion, this week. These are short, less than 15 minutes, interviews of an eclectic group...2020-03-2620 min
The Geek In ReviewThe Innovative Concept of Legal Writing in Plain EnglishThe legal industry relies upon the writings and communications of lawyers, judges, and lawmakers. For the citizens and clients who are subject to these legal writings, understanding the legalese is painfully frustrating. We were asked by a fan of the show (in full disclosure, it was Greg's sister-in-law Wendy) why lawyers can't write in plain English. We pulled together a panel of four experts on legal communications and asked them just that. It turns out that writing in plain English is not only possible, but it is the preferred method of legal writing.
Our guests on this...2020-02-2053 min
The Geek In ReviewThe Leadership Journey with Laura Toledo and Kevin IredellWhile we may have had a tough time pronouncing things correctly, this week's guests said all the right things when it comes to being a leader within their organizations. Laura Toledo, Communications and Marketing Manager at Nilan Johnson Lewis PA in Minneapolis, and Kevin Iredell, Chief Marketing Officer at Lowenstein Sandler LLP in New York, discuss their year-long experience in the SmithBucklin Leadership Institute. Both are leaders within the Legal Marketing Association, which sponsored their attendance at the institute. While people in leadership positions may feel that they need to have all the answers, Toledo says that she learned...2020-01-1536 min
The Geek In ReviewHotshot's Ian Nelson on Modernizing Attorney Professional DevelopmentIan Nelson is no stranger to introducing the legal industry to as-needed training on legal topics. He was one of the first US employees of Practical Law Company (PLC). After PLC was acquired by Thomson Reuters, Ian stayed on for a while as PLC transitioned into the Thomson Reuters portfolio of legal resources, but his days of finding better ways of presenting and teaching legal concepts were not behind him. Recently, he and his co-founder Chris Wedgeworth (anther PLC alum) created Hotshot. Hotshot is an online Professional Development resource which uses short videos, quizzes, and more to train lawyers...2019-11-0445 min
The Geek In ReviewAndre Davison - Winning with Diversity and TechnologyAndre Davison was literally a sixteen year old student when he began his career in law firm libraries. Now the Research Technology Manager at Blank Rome's Houston office, Andre has taken a leadership role both within his firm with technology and diversity programs, and has been rewarded for his efforts with multiple awards. Andre was awarded his firm's Nathaniel R. Jones Diversity Award for his diversity efforts, and he was the American Association of Law Libraries' Innovation Tournament winner for his Seamless Access to Secondary Sources (SASS) which enabled lawyers and others at his firm to dive into the...2019-09-0541 min
The Geek In ReviewAnusia Gillespie on the New Big Law's Innovation Confusion DisorderOn this episode of The Geek in Review, Anusia Gillespie, the US Head of Innovation at Eversheds Sutherland, sits down with us this week to discuss what she refers to as the "New Big Law" market's inverted approach to innovation. In a market filled with problem solvers, sometimes the innovation we create solves a problem first, and then sets out to find the problem for this solution. Gillespie finds that innovation is disciplined and structured in its approach, but broad and creative in its thinking. Innovation definitely doesn’t live in any one discipline. Innovative solutions might require technology expert...2019-07-2946 min
The Geek In ReviewvLex's Faus and Gerami on Foreign Legal Research - France's Judicial Analytics (Over)Reaction - AALL RecapAfter a week of Washington, DC heat and humidity, we are back to discuss all things legal information with a slant toward technology and management. We have a recap of the American Association of Law Libraries annual conference, #AALL19, where Marlene runs through her packed schedule of events which she attended, presented, or wished she'd attended. Greg was just happy to rotate off the AALL Executive Board, which he's been a part of for most of this decade. Don't worry.... there's still plenty of other AALL work for him to do.
On this episode, Marlene and Greg...2019-07-2239 min
The Geek In ReviewTom Gaylord on SCOTUS Taking Up Georgia's Copyright Claim Over Its StatutesThe law is the law, and should be in the public domain, right?? Well, you'd think so, but it may be up to the US Supreme Court to make that determination in its next session when it takes up The State of Georgia v. Public.Resources.org. We talk with Tom Gaylord, Faculty Services & Scholarly Communications Librarian at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, about his thoughts on why the Court granted cert. on an issue that hasn't been on its radar, and how he thinks a minimum of five justices may align on the issue. Tom breaks down...2019-07-0336 minThe Geek In ReviewThe Pros and Cons of Working RemotelyIt seems that the current workforce is looking for more flexibility in where they work, and how often that means in an office setting, a home office, or in some other remote location. We conducted a semi-Elephant Post episode this week and asked our listeners to call in and leave their stories about the pros and cons of remote working. We have a diverse group of 13 stories ranging from marketers, librarians, attorneys, techies, and more from North America and even from Europe. Key factors are trust, transparency, flexibility, and a fast Internet connection. Walk with us as we celebrate...2019-06-2649 min
The Geek In ReviewMatt Homann Says Binders of Strategy are Useless... And You Should Listen to Him!There's more to strategy than having a shelf full of binders labeled "Strategy [Insert Year]." That's what this week's guest, Matt Homann from Filament, tells us. Matt's influence in the legal market goes back a couple of decades, and he's been a voice in the blogging sphere for a number of years. At Filament, he works with legal, as well as other industries (like the St. Louis Cardinals) to help leaders better relate and guide their organizations. As he puts it, "we help smart people think together better." Matt believes that the way we tell our stories will help...2019-06-1243 min
The Geek In ReviewErin Levine on the Efficiency of Divorce as a ServiceIn our 40th Episode, Greg and Marlene interview Erin Levine, an attorney and founder/CEO of Hello Divorce, a service that makes divorce more human and accessible by offering legal help and wellness support throughout the process of dissolving a marriage. Offered in California, Hello Divorce offers access to resources and tools and different service levels, from basic to concierge to a la carte access to independent fixed fee attorneys. Erin highlights that the legal process can be confusing, dis-empowering and expensive and that Hello Divorce is a necessary guide to help people navigate the system in a way that doe...2019-05-2345 min
The Geek In ReviewJim Hannigan - SALI Alliance and Why Matter Standards … Really MatterJim Hannigan, the Director of Legal Project Management at Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP and a member of the leadership team and standards committee at SALI Alliance walks us through the importance surround data standards when it comes to legal matters. Creating standards is the first step in allowing those of us in the legal services industry to speak the same language, and create ways of comparing apples to apples when it comes to marketing pitches, prior experience, or matter pricing. Hannigan discusses why SALI was created, the release of the first set of matter standards in January of...2019-05-0939 min
The Geek In ReviewAdvice for Law Students - From Reducing Stress to Nailing Your Time as a Summer AssociateWelcome to a mini-episode of The Geek In Review. Shot on location in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Law School Stress?? No Kidding!
This week, we continue our discussion on how law students can have a stressful time in the three years they are in law school. We can't change what happens during law school, but we've asked some experts to tell us what they do to help law students reduce stress as they prep for finals, and what they can do to be successful as summer associates in law firms.
We finish our series about h...2019-05-0214 min
The Geek In ReviewDr. Carla Rydholm on the Value of Legal Data AnalyticsNot many people can make the transition from Ph.D. in Genetics and Genomics, and then to the legal analytics field, but Dr. Carla Rydholm is someone who did just that. For nearly the past decade, Dr. Rydholm has been leading the charge of data analytics at Lex Machina. She is charged with not only acquiring the data large amounts of data but also maintaining that data as it is updated. Dr. Rydholm stopped by Greg's Houston office, along with episode 10's guest, Kyle Doviken to tell us about transitioning from pure scientist, to her current role, and what...2019-04-1243 min
The Geek In ReviewStephen Embry - The Passion Behind Legal Blogging On this episode of The Geek in Review Podcast, we have a wonderful conversation with Steve Embry of the TechLaw Crossroads blog. Embry walked away from his AmLaw 200 partnership almost a year ago to follow his passion to become a full time legal blogger. He discusses how there is an art to storytelling, and as a lawyer, there are different ways to present those stories. Storytelling is a skill which needs to be honed, whether that is through legal blogging, or through leveraging technology to present your story in a courtroom environment. Embry's passion in this new phase of h...2019-04-0537 min
The Geek In ReviewJoe Lawson on How a 3% Increase in Lawyer Efficiency Can Solve a Pro Se ProblemOn this episode of The Geek In Review, we talk with Joe Lawson, Deputy Director of the Harris County Law Library in Houston, Texas. With Harris County being the third largest county in the United States, there is a large number of attorneys, judges, and citizens who use the law library for various reasons. In 2018, there were over 24,000 filings of self-represented petitioners. That is a lot. Dallas County, by comparison, had 6,000 in the same time period. Lawson believes that there is a duty of the law library to help train lawyers, not to just be more efficient in their...2019-03-2639 min
The Geek In ReviewVishal Agnihotri on Legal Hackathons and her 'Femme LeGALs' teamIt only took us 31 episodes, but Marlene decided that what the show lacked was a phone number for listeners to call in. So, we now have one, and we have a question for you to vote on.
"Should The Geek In Review create a video promo for upcoming episodes?" (Greg says he has the face for radio, so vote no... Marlene says it's a great idea, so vote yes.
Call 713-487-7270 and leave your voicemail of "YES" or "NO" and what other ideas you may have for the show.
This week we have a g...2019-03-1241 min
The Geek In ReviewChicago-Kent's Debbie Ginsberg on the Value of Women in Legal TechOn the 30th episode of The Geek In Review, we talk with Debbie Ginsberg, Educational Technology Librarian at the Chicago-Kent Law Library. Debbie was recently quoted in law.com's "Where Are All the Women in Legal Tech?" So we cut right to the chase and ask that question to Debbie. She says that there are lots of women in legal tech, but that those putting on tech conferences need to take more action toward actively recruiting women for speaker and presenter opportunities. One profession where women are a majority, and are heavily involved in legal tech, is law librarians...2019-03-0634 min
The Geek In ReviewEpisode 28: Jennifer Roberts - Data Science SuperheroNot all Data Scientists wear lab coats to work. Intapp's Jennifer Roberts wears a cape!
On the latest episode of The Geek in Review, Marlene and Greg dive into the wonderfully geeky world of data science and its application within law firms and the legal industry. Jennifer Roberts, Manager, Strategic Research at Intapp, discusses exactly what it means to be a data scientist, and why law firms are leveraging them to help run their legal operations. When it comes to "the business of law," Roberts says this is where the results of data science steps in and...2019-02-1938 min
The Geek In ReviewEpisode 27: Heather Ritchie on Marketing, BD, KM, and Library Collaboration "All Problems Are Communications Problems."
This is Greg's go-to phrase when it comes to working with and leading others. Marlene actually beats Greg to the punch this week when they talk with this week's guest, Heather Ritchie. Heather is the Chief Knowledge and Business Development Officer at Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie LLP in Toronto, and as her title suggests, she wears multiple leadership hats at her firm. In her recent ILTA KM article, "12 Ways Marketing & Business Development Can Leverage Library & Knowledge Management Teams," Ritchie walks us through the value of collaborating between the Marketing/Business Development, Kno...2019-02-1447 min
The Geek In ReviewEpisode 26: Cat Moon on Legal Problem Solving for the 21st Century
Vanderbilt Law School Professor, Cat Moon, doesn't just have one of the coolest names in the legal industry, she also brings insights and a perspective on the human element of legal project management. Human centered design thinking is a core function of her teaching. It all goes back to the fact that you can teach law students, lawyers, and legal managers all the concepts in the world, but it's all for naught if you leave out the human element. Professor Moon also gives a brutally honest view of why women in the legal field tend to leave l...2019-02-0548 min
The Geek In ReviewEpisode 25: Ivy Grey on Curiosity and Creativity's Role in Business
On our 25th episode of The Geek In Review, Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert sit down and talk with Ivy Grey, Director of Business Strategy for WordRake. Ivy's recent Above the Law article, “Curiosity Is The Foundation For Innovation” discusses the disconnect between employers who think they promote creativity in their employees, versus employees who think that their bosses actually stifle creativity in the workplace. Ivy breaks down the nuances between creativity and innovation. Ivy points to law firms like Reed Smith, who are actually giving their attorneys and others (approved) time to come up with creative processe...2019-01-2539 min
The Geek In ReviewEpisode 24: What Does the Federal Government Shutdown Mean for Legal Information?With the partial government shutdown approaching one month, Marlene and Greg attempt to make some sense of what this means for those of us who rely upon the information produced by the US Government. On this episode, we have an extended talk with Emily Feltren, to uncover what's working and what's shutdown. While the federal courts are still functioning, they are running on borrowed time, and are scheduled to run out of funds on January 25th. The Pew Research Center has listed a number of data sources which are not being updated during the shutdown. The OMB also has...2019-01-1827 min
The Geek In ReviewEpisode 23: The Technology Twilight ZoneOn this mini-episode of The Geek In Review, Greg talks about three eerie/interesting/scary instances where the technology seems to be ahead of us humans. Can Amazon be tracking us in a craft store? Are automated computer game players AI? Should guidance apps like WAZE, create a dangerous situation? Well, all three happened. Is it purely happenstance, or is it the technology going beyond our understanding. Probably happenstance... but still eerie.
Marlene explored a number of unique holiday drinks, music, and customs. So, if you're still in the holiday mood... check out ¿Donde Esta Santa Claus? b...2019-01-0923 min
The Geek In ReviewEpisode 22: Marcie Borgal Shunk on Teaching Leadership Skills to LeadersJust because someone is a really good lawyer, doesn't necessarily mean they are ready for the leadership positions of a large law firm. Marcie Borgal Shunk, President and Founder of The Tilt Institute Inc., talks with us this week about how she helps partners and others in law firms understand the leadership roles they take on. Whether it is a seasoned equity partner, or a newly christened associate just starting out, everyone should have a strong understanding of what it means to lead others. A good succession plan can help ease people into the role, rather than thrusting everything...2018-12-2440 min
The Geek In ReviewEpisode 21: Courtney Selby on Beer LawIt's the episode of The Geek In Review that Greg has dreamed about. Beer law!
Courtney Selby, Associate Dean for Information Services, Director of the Law Library, and Professor of Law at Hoftra University Law School, walks us through the strange and interesting topic of beer laws. Selby has immersed herself in the topic for years, and has an upcoming publication with W.S. Hein on Brewery Law including a national survey of state laws on the topic. Not only does Courtney Selby explain some of the more bizarre rules around beer, ciders, and other alcohol laws, she also give s...2018-12-1637 min
The Geek In ReviewEp. 20 - Ryan McClead, CEO of Sente Advisors - Legal Innovation is not a One-Stop ShopThis week, we talk with CEO and Principle of Sente Advisors, Ryan McClead. Ryan is also a frequent contributor to 3 Geeks. His new venture into consulting and solution building is unique, in that his team builds across multiple platforms to find creative solutions for the problems we all face in the legal industry. Just as in life, very few solutions to our problems are found in one place. Ryan discusses what Greg refers to as Legal Jazz Innovation - the combining of things which have never been combined before. Listen as Ryan takes us through the twists and turns of...2018-12-0932 min
The Geek In ReviewE18 - Nicholas Alexiou - Professional Development Needs for Law StudentsThe Geek In Review - Episode 18 is ready just in time for your Thanksgiving travel enjoyment. Don't forget to subscribe on iTunes or Google (or where ever you listen to your podcasts) so that you automatically get the latest episodes. Comments can be sent to @glambert or @gebauerm. Also, if you like our new theme music, check out Jerry David DeCicca's new album on Spotify, or iTunes,
https://jerrydaviddecicca.bandcamp.com/
Nicholas Alexiou, Director of LL.M and Alumni Advising at Vanderbilt University Law School joins us for an in-depth discussion of what law schools are teaching students in the thre...2018-11-1937 min
The Geek In ReviewEpisode 17 - Scott Mozarsky on Litigation Financing and Its Ties to Knowledge ManagementSometimes when you drop by Greg's office, he will ask if you'll sit down for an interview for the Geek In Review Podcast. This week, Scott Mozarsky, Managing Directory for North American at Vannin Capital fell into that trap, and even Marlene jumped in on Skype and joined the conversation. Scott was the former President of Bloomberg Law and has been in the legal media industry for decades. During the discussion, Mazarsky talks about how the Knowledge Management skills found in law firms can be applied to some of the same analytics and processes found in Litigation Finance. He also...2018-11-1241 min
The Geek In ReviewEpisode 15 - Brandi Hester and the Modern Role of a Legal Applications DeveloperBrandi Hester, Applications Development Manager for Hunton Andrews Kurth, discusses how the modern Applications Development team focuses less on actually developing applications from scratch to providing a services, security, access, and connecting the dots on all that data. She walks us through the plethora of “AAS” (as a service) options which law firm IT departments use, and she talks about “Shadow IT” groups found in law firm departments and practice areas. Brandi also shares some great insights on being a woman in a field that historically has favored men in app dev roles.
Marlene (@gebauerm) and Greg (@glambert) enjoyed their week off...2018-10-2242 min
The Geek In ReviewEpisode 13 - Laurent Wiesel on Litigation AnalyticsLaurent Wiesel, Founder and CEO of Justly, talks with us about leaving his BigLaw partnership to create a startup focused on litigation analytics. Wiesel discusses how he saw that there was a growing gap between what clients were asking on issues of pricing and process, and what law firms were able to deliver. (https://justly.com)
Greg (@glambert) talks about his ability to post an actual written blog post this week about who is the customer (https://bit.ly/2OXZIIc)
If you haven't checked out Jason Barnwell's podcast "The Business of Law" yet (https://bit.ly/2xXDCOO), Marlene (@gebauerm) suggests...2018-09-3038 min
The Geek In ReviewEp.12 - Augmented Eternity, Engineered Epiphany, and AlamedaOn this episode, we interview Alameda County Law Library Director, Mark Estes, and get his insights on how modern county law libraries support their communities, and how their communities support them.
Marlene and Greg were interviewed for The Digital Edge Podcast (https://is.gd/VtMVi5)
Marlene (@gebauerm) discusses the creepy ideas behind Augmented Eternity (https://is.gd/YlI7uS), as well as the proper methods behind YouTube apology videos (https://is.gd/9f4q9z).
Greg (@glambert) recommends listening the CBC's new podcast, Undercover: Escaping NXVIM (https://is.gd/nkPHFw), and the ideas behind a manipulation process called "Engineered Epiphanies."...2018-09-2135 min
The Geek In ReviewEpisode 11 - Jae Um on Innovation, Emotions, and EmojisMarlene (@gebauerm) and Greg (@glambert) talk with Legal Rebel, Jae Um (@jaesunum), Founder & Executive Director at Six Parsecs, about her unique writing style (it involves the use of emojis), and her ideas behind her series on Legal Innovation Woes.
Greg breaks down a conversation which amplified the idea of why it's important to be seen as a driver for the firm's bottom line, and how he deleted Facebook and twitters apps from his phone, as well as how didn't melt while in Arizona over the weekend.
Marlene talks about CIVIL, a new cryptocurrency model helping to rebuild trust and integrity...2018-09-1334 min
The Geek In ReviewEpisode 8 - Emily Rushing Covers CI, CRM, and CollaborationOn this episode of The Geek In Review, Marlene (@gebauerm) and Greg (@glambert) talk with long time friend and colleague Emily Rushing, Competitive Intelligence Director at Haynes and Boone in Dallas, Texas. In Emily's decade at Haynes and Boone, she has implemented a stellar competitive intelligence process and has found a method of encouraging partners to share information and to build trust among throughout the firm. In addition to traditional CI tools, Emily has leveraged her firm's CRM tool in ways that would make most of us in other firms envious.
Once again, Marlene and Greg get to record this...2018-08-2429 min
The Geek In ReviewEpisode 7 - Tom O'Connor Wonders What's Going on at ILTAOn this episode of The Geek In Review, Tom O'Connor, Independent Litigation Technology Consultant, talks to us about his recent blog post, What in the Wide World of Sports is Going on at ILTA? bit.ly/2Bi3FVM
In addition to ILTA's woes, Tom covers other issues regarding member associations, and how new entries into the legal vendor market are changing the vendor-customer relationship… and not for the better.
Greg discusses his role as the "World's Okayist Dad" and his inability to find his rental car's gas door release switch while in New Jersey.
Marlene is on a trip to Te...2018-08-1731 min
The Geek In ReviewEpisode 6 - Law Librarian Helps Streamline a Texas CourtOn this week’s episode, Greg speaks the couple of words of French he learned on vacation.
Marlene talks about mentor/mentee relationships and Sheryl Sandberg’s discussion on how the #MeToo era places an external strain on promoting these relationships. Marlene touches on the three founders of Black Women Talk Tech, Esosa Ighodaro, Regina Gwynn, and Lauren Washington, as well as Sophia Amouruso and others on the importance of mentoring.
Greg also covers the “psychological safety” of having trust between team members (https://is.gd/a0ZBYk), and somehow connects airport malls to Bob Ambrogi’s recent interview (https://is.gd/wbWB...2018-08-0820 min
The Geek In ReviewEpisode 5 - AALL Conference, Vendors, Privacy, & John WatersMarlene Gebauer (@gebauerm) and Greg Lambert (@glambert) review the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) Conference in Baltimore, along with a review of products launched at the conference, privacy concerns surrounding mega-information vendors and the government, and the wonderful filthiness of keynote speaker, John Waters.2018-07-2626 min
The Geek In ReviewEpisode 4 - Understanding How to Place the Focus on OthersMarlene Gebauer interviews Ayelette Robinson about her transition from KM Attorney to award-winning actress and voice-over specialist. Ayelette discusses how acting isn't about "pretending" but rather it's about showing our real selves and injecting our own unique perspectives.
Marlene discusses the five training modules on security awareness. Technology and security all go hand-in-hand. But it wasn't all work. Somehow Marlene discusses not one, but two articles regarding technology, ethics, and individuality. Both straight out of fashion magazines.
Greg recaps his conversation with LexisNexis in Chicago last week, and about the harmful affects that tying unrelated products together has on the...2018-07-1028 min
The Geek In ReviewEpisode 3 - Let’s Discuss Impact-Conscious DesignGreg Lambert and Marlene Gebauer talk with Duke Law School's Cas Laskowski about software and applications designers moving away from simple User-Centered Design, and think more about Impact-Conscious Design models. This is a follow up to Cas' 3 Geeks' blog post back in April.
Marlene also discusses new games for the summer, and flexible space utilization in libraries. Her dog, Georgie, also makes a guest appearance.
Greg went to Alabama over the weekend and got a lesson in leadership from his brother-in-law on being a leader and letting the experts be the experts. He is also finishing up his AALL presidency...2018-07-0526 min
The Geek In ReviewEpisode 2 - Being a Legal Information StartupMarlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert interview Casetext's Chief Legal Research Officer and co-founder, Pablo Arredondo. Pablo describes his beginnings as a Kirkland & Ellis attorney who thought his research tools should do much more than they did... and then he went out and created those tools.
Greg and Marlene discuss their busy weeks and a few things that caught their attention. For Greg, it was mainly serving on a jury, and drinking a beer (or two) with LexBlog's Kevin O'Keefe. Not at the same time, of course. Marlene made her way into Brooklyn and caught up with the NYC law librarian...2018-06-2629 min
The Geek In ReviewEpisode 1 - Living the "Non" Life in Law FirmsMarlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert launch The Geek in Review with a discussion of legal information publisher's push to kill print and make a de facto operating system where you have to go to get your legal information. Marlene also discusses her attendance at a legal management conference. Plus, Greg celebrates his 10th anniversary on Twitter.
Zena Applebaum also joins in and discusses her recent article about "My Non Life." Life working inside of law firms as a "non-lawyer" and how it is actually good to be a "non" and the diversity and experience that comes along with it.
Zena's...2018-06-2024 min