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. In her current role, Katie focuses on leveraging technology like AI to improve the litigation process for lawyers. She drew experience from her past analyst role at the CIA, where she honed her skills in synthesizing complex data sources.
The hosts also introduced Kristin Zmrhal, who has over 20 years of experience in the legal tech space. At DISCO, she helped build their eDiscovery products and services. Kristin explained that DISCO's vision is to create great legal technology that helps lawyers find evidence faster. Their product suite now covers the entire litigation lifecycle, from intake to discovery to case management. DISCO uses AI tools like their new Celia application to automatically surface insights from case documents, allowing lawyers to review documents more efficiently. They are also careful to cite sources to ensure transparency.
In terms of company culture, Katie and Kristin discussed how DISCO values rapid experimentation, quick decision-making, and collaborating as a team. They also emphasize empathy in how they treat each other and design products for users. Being a public company also gives employees a sense of ownership. On the innovation side, Katie sees billable hours changing due to advancing legal technology, which will impact law firm profitability models. Kristin predicts AI adoption will reach a tipping point in legal tech within 2-5 years, drastically improving processes like eDiscovery. However, regulating AI poses challenges for the legal industry.
For giving back, DISCO has community service and pro bono programs. DISCO Cares allows employees to volunteer locally. Through DISCO Pro Bono, they donate their technology to support pro bono legal matters. This aligns with their mission of making legal services more accessible. When asked for parting thoughts, Katie emphasized lawyers needing to leverage professionals from adjacent disciplines as part of their teams. Kristin reiterated that this is the most exciting time in her 20 year legal tech career, with AI poised to transform legal workflows.
This engaging discussion provided insights into DISCO's innovative products and empathetic culture. With seasoned experts like Katie and Kristin leading the way, DISCO seems well-positioned to help shape the future of legal technology. Listeners can connect with Katie and Kristin on LinkedIn and find out more about DISCO's offerings at csdisco.com. Be sure to stay tuned to The Geek in Review for more insights from leaders in legal tech.
Listen on mobile platforms: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube (NEW!)
Contact Us:
Twitter: @gebauerm, or @glambert
Threads: @glambertpod or @gebauerm66
Voicemail: 713-487-7821 Email: geekinreviewpodcast@gmail.com
Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Transcript
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
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Commercial Edge: Unleash the Power of People
The emPOWERed Half Hour
U.S Property Podcast
Aligned Money Show
Gorse Culture PODcast : The H.R. Detective Agency!
The Ramsey Show
Planet Money