On 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 the LINKS conference.
The discussion moves to AI trends and Jean O’Grady and Harbor's strategic start/stop survey results. The survey reveals 93% of firms are actively exploring AI tools, with top vendors being Casetext and Thomson Reuters. Kris emphasizes law librarians play a crucial role in evaluating new AI technologies and guiding procurement decisions as firms adopt these tools.
However, with tight budgets at most firms, Kris Martin points out it's also important to audit usage data of existing resources. This helps inform negotiations with vendors to find cost savings on research contracts. He notes legal research tools will inevitably integrate more tightly into lawyers' daily workflows in the future. To facilitate this, Kris introduces the concept of "citizen coders" - enabling lawyers to articulate their needs and processes in technology and code terms rather than just legal terms.
Shifting gears, Kris elaborates on Harbor's recent rebranding from HBR Consulting, which brought six previously merged companies together under one unified brand and mission. He explains that true integration requires deep alignment across the merged organizations on culture, vision, and values. This allows Harbor to provide end-to-end solutions for legal organizations.
Looking to the future, Kris predicts legal research will become even more embedded into lawyer workflows over the next 2-5 years, rather than a separate step. He sees law libraries' roles evolving as AI capabilities increasingly integrate into legal processes and tools. Rather than going to a separate platform for research, lawyers will access these AI-enhanced tools in their daily workflows.
Overall, the wide-ranging discussion provides insights into Harbor's efforts to support the legal community through conferences, research, and integrating emerging technologies. Kris highlights the importance of law librarians evaluating and implementing new AI tools while also managing costs through audits. He leaves listeners with an optimistic vision for the future where legal research and lawyers' needs are more tightly connected through technology.
Links:
Catching Up on AI Agents, and Agentic Processes
Love and Legal Tech: Alexis Hayman and Jeff Niemczura
Artificial Lawyer's Richard Tromans: Back to Work!
2024 Trends Report: Dynamics Shaping the Future of Legal w/CounselLink's Kris Satkunas
Jorn Vanysacker & Jeroen Thierens from Henchman: We Are Building the "Chief of Staff" For Each Legal Professional
Vlex Pushes Legal Tech Boundaries with New Features and Top Talent
Bloomberg Law Acquires Dashboard Legal to Enhance Legal Workflow Solutions - Joe Breda and Mat Rotenberg
Exploring the Intersection of Generative AI and Cybersecurity at ILTA EVOLVE - Ken Jones and Josh Smith
Love and Legal Tech: Karen Dunn Skinner and David Skinner of Gimbal Consulting
Love and Legal Tech - Kate Boyd and Ryan McClead of Sente Advisors
Kelly Griswold of Onna on the Fundamental Investments Needed in Data Management
Love and Legal Tech - Jillian Bommarito and Michael Bommarito of 273 Ventures
LegalWeek 2024 Special Part Five - Dan Lear from LegalTrack
Love and Legal Tech - Chris Ford and Nikki Shaver of Legal Technology Hub
Pablo Arredondo on the One-Year Anniversary of CoCounsel
Love and Legal Tech: Ab and Priti Saraswat
LegalWeek 2024 Special Part Four: Joshua Lenon from Clio
Love and Legal Tech: Sonja Ebron and Debra Slone of Courtroom5
LegalWeek 2024 Special Part Three: Bill Piwonka of Exterro
Love & Legal Tech: Cassie Vertovec and Alex Macdonald
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