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:
The Mission: Eliminate Systemic Racism in the Legal System - LexisNexis' Ronda Bazley Moore (TGIR Ep. 179)
An Overview of the 2022 Partner Compensation Survey with Law360's Craig Savitzky and MLA's Jeffrey Lowe (TGIR Ep. 178)
It's Not Legal Technology That's the Problem… It's the Culture - ALM's Tomek Jankowski (TGIR Ep. 177)
Preparing for the Legal Team of the Future - Adam Curphey (TGIR Ep. 176)
What Does a Post-Pandemic Conference Look Like? Martha Breil on ILTACon (TGIR Ep.175)
A Data Diva and Two Geeks Talk Data Privacy - Debbie Reynolds
Intentional Leadership is about Owning Your Purpose - HBR's Axelle Flemming
The Future of Legal Innovation Will Be Built In By Design - Olga Mack
Teaching (and Pressuring) Law Professors to Teach Technology - Katie Brown
11 Steps Law Firms Can Take to Stop "Women Leaving Law" - Laura Leopard
Increased Revenue, Profits, and Efficiencies through "Smarter Collaboration" - Dr. Heidi Gardner
Aliza Shatzman - Turning a Horrible Judicial Clerkship Experience into the Legal Accountability Project
HyperDraft's Tony Thai and Sean Greaney - The Compatibility of BigLaw and Innovative Lawyers
Leading with Love as a Business Strategy with Jeff Ma and Frank Danna
Engineering Serendipity with The Houston Ion's Joey Sanchez
Diane Rodriguez and Beth Adelman on AALL's Preparation for an In-Person Denver Conference
Peter Baumann: There is So Much Value In Your Data… Once You Control the Risks
Law360's Kerry Benn on 2022 Summer Associate Preferences, Challenges, and Options
Colin McCarthy of Legal Operators on Building a LegalOps Community
Sonja Ebron and Ed Walters Collaborate on Courtroom5 and Fastcase to Help Pro Se Litigants Access Justice
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