This 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 top talent, and strengthens customer relationships. He argues that legal tech companies should consider emulating their law firm clients' community programs. This could include donating software or services, allowing employees paid time off for volunteer work, or collaborating directly with organizations that law firm clients support.
Meltzer highlights LexisNexis and Thomson Reuters as leaders in the legal tech industry for their work promoting access to justice and the rule of law around the world. However, he notes that companies of any size can contribute, whether through recognizing employees who volunteer or donating resources. He published a list of 41 legal tech companies that do highlight community outreach on their websites to raise awareness, though he found 39 companies with no mention of such efforts.
Meltzer sees both opportunities and challenges ahead. Private equity investment in legal tech companies may prioritize short-term profits over community programs. However, companies that do not respond to customer interest in their pro bono and corporate social responsibility initiatives risk losing business to competitors. Overall, Meltzer aims to foster conversations about strengthening the relationship between the legal tech community and the broader community. Corporations that embrace ESG programs and give back to the communities they serve will thrive.
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Music: Jerry David DeCicca
Transcript
Josh Kubicki and the Brainyacts Newsletter - Helping You Keep Up with the Advancements of Generative AI in the Legal Industry (TGIR Ep. 198)
The Future of AI within LexisNexis and the Legal Industry with Lexis CTO Jeff Reihl - TGIR Ep. 197
From Pain to Creativity: How AI Helped Kristina Kashtanova Illustrate Her "Zarya of the Dawn" Story - featuring Richmond Law's Ashley Dobbs and Roger Skalbeck (TGIR Ep. 196)
Revolutionizing Legal Technology Design with T&P Studios' Nicole Bradick (TGIR Ep. 195)
The Future of Fashion and the Law (TGIR Ep. 194)
The Legal Singularity and the Future of Legal Research - Benjamin Alarie and Abdi Aidid (TGIR Ep. 193)
Breaking Barriers: The Portia Project's MC Sungaila on the Unique Paths to Success for Women Lawyers and Judges (TGIR Ep. 192)
Johannes Scholtes: AI Is Finally Here. Now the Hard Work Begins for the Legal Industry (TGIR Ep. 191)
Colin Lachance on Jurisage's MyJr and How He's Looking at AI to Assist in the Synthesis and Reading of Legal Cases (TGIR Ep. 190)
The Bullshitter, The Searcher, and The Researcher - Damien Riehl on the Dynamic Shift in How the Legal Profession Will Leverage Standards and Artificial Intelligence
Successful Brand Awareness for Legal Professionals - Tips from Stefanie Marrone (TGIR Ep. 188)
The Secret Weapon: Leveraging Patent Agents to Gain a Competitive Edge - Shayne Phillips (TGIR Ep. 186)
The (ALMOST) Completely AI Generated Podcast (TGIR Ep. 186)
ChatGPT - If It Sounds Too Good To Be True... - Tony Thai and Ashley Carlisle (TGIR Ep. 185)
Redgrave Data's Mollie Nichols on the De-Commoditizing of Data in the Legal Industry (TGIR Ep. 184)
APIs are the LEGO Building Blocks of Data - API Panel Discussion with Emily Rushing, Pam Noyd, Chris O'Connor, Keli Whitnell, and Erik Adams (TGIR Ep. 183)
Creating Actual Transparency Between Law Firms and Clients - Litify's Ari Treuhaft and Pam Wickersham
Nearly Two-Thirds of Legal Contracts are Gender-Biased and Why That Matters - Alex Denne and Caroline Hill (TGIR Ep. 181)
LinkSquares' Tim Parilla and Juliette Kopecky: These Aren't Legal Problems or Tech Problems, These Are Business Problems
The Mission: Eliminate Systemic Racism in the Legal System - LexisNexis' Ronda Bazley Moore (TGIR Ep. 179)
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