Technically Legal - A Legal Technology and Innovation Podcast

Percipient - Chad Main
  • 4.8 (25)
  • Technology
  • Updated Biweekly

Technically Legal is a legal tech podcast exploring how technology is transforming the legal landscape. Each episode features insightful interviews with legal innovators, tech pioneers, and forward-thinking educators who are leading this change. Our guests share their experiences and insights on how technology is reshaping legal operations, revolutionizing law firm practice, and driving the growth of innovative legal tech companies. We also explore the broader implication of technology on everyone involved in the legal system, from practitioners to clients. The podcast is hosted by Chad Main, an attorney and founder of Percipient, a tech-enabled legal services provider. Chad launched Percipient on the belief that when technology is leveraged correctly, it makes legal teams more effective. Technically Legal Podcast is an ABA Web 100 Best Law Podcasts Honoree.

  1. 6d ago

    AI Regulation: Where it is and Where it Might (or Should) Go (Justin Wales CLO @ Crypto.com & Author of AI Legal Handbook)

    In this episode, Justin Wales, Chief Legal Officer for Crypto.com makes a second visit to the podcast. This time around, he discusses his new book, The AI Legal Handbook, the emerging regulatory landscape, liability frameworks, and practical applications of artificial intelligence. Justin outlines how attorneys and regulators should approach modern AI models, the mechanics behind AI, and the effect of generative AI on legal education. The discussion covers key regulatory principles, the balance between strict liability and negligence frameworks, copyright issues in machine learning training, and the governance challenges of artificial general intelligence (AGI). Things We Talk About in this Episode Transitioning from cryptocurrency regulation to developing a unified framework for artificial intelligence law The importance of legal professionals understanding underlying model mechanics and token prediction to evaluate hallucination risks Generative AI's disruption of law school assessments and the pedagogical shift from written assignments to oral examinations The convergence of cryptocurrency rails, agentic AI systems, and decentralized compute infrastructure Foundational principles for AI regulation, emphasizing proportional oversight, human-centered accountability, and transparency over outright bans Managing the "black box problem" and balancing algorithm explainability with technical efficiency Comparative analysis of sector-specific guidelines versus federal mandates and the adaptability of existing rules of professional conduct Evaluating legal liability standards: applying negligence versus strict liability to autonomous vehicles, healthcare diagnostic tools, and AI chatbots Intellectual property considerations, fair use, and style mimicry in generative model training data Preparing legal, economic, and governance frameworks for artificial general intelligence (AGI) Where to buy The AI Legal Handbook: JustinWales.com or Amazon. Episode Credits Editing and Production: Grant Blackstock Theme Music: Home Base (Instrumental Version) by TA2MI

  2. Aug 6

    From Managing Partner to Intel CLO: Career Lessons and Thoughts on Modern Legal Practice (April Miller Boise)

    In this episode April Miller Boise, with stints as Chief Legal Officer at Intel and managing partner at Thompson Hine, shares insights from her career. The conversation explores the shifting dynamics between corporate legal departments and outside counsel and the necessity of embracing legal technology. April also provides advice for junior lawyers on developing long-term expertise and trusted relationships in an AI-driven environment. Things we Talk About in this Episode Career progression: From Wall Street M&A partner and law firm managing partner to Chief Legal Officer. The fundamental differences between driving P&L at a law firm versus serving on an executive leadership team in-house. Addressing the widening gap between corporate expectations and traditional law firm service delivery models. Experience navigating global manufacturing, innovation, and supply chain transformations at Eaton and Intel. Practical approaches to generative and agentic AI adoption in legal departments and outside counsel. Key attributes for modern legal talent: Intellectual curiosity, agility, and comfort with calculated risks. Career advice for young lawyers: Balancing AI efficiency tools with the 10,000-hour principle of skill-building. Why historical legal tech struggled to scale and how current enterprise AI investments are fundamentally altering the legal landscape.

  3. Jul 23

    When Machines Have the Answers, Build Better Humans With AI Augmentation Not Automation (Vivienne Ming, Scientist, Professor, Author)

    In this episode, theoretical neuroscientist Vivienne Ming discusses her new book, Robot Proof - When Machines Have All the Answers, Build Better People.  The conversation examines the intersection of artificial intelligence and knowledge work, exploring how professionals can adapt to an increasingly automated economy. The discussion contrasts the limitations of basic AI task automation with the advantages of human-AI collaboration—the "cyborg" model—for solving complex, ill-posed problems. Ming highlights her research on forecasting market outcomes, the critical role of endogenous motivation, and how the legal industry and other elite professions must rethink entry-level training. Key Topics Discussed Theoretical Neuroscience and Early AI: Ming's background and the evolution of machine learning models from early academic research to modern agentic AI. The Polymarket Experiment: An analysis comparing the forecasting accuracy of standalone AI, unassisted humans, and human-AI collaborators, revealing the superiority of deep human-machine integration. Automation vs. Augmentation: The pitfalls of the traditional "human-in-the-loop" model and why replacing menial tasks often neglects essential human problem-solving skills. Well-Posed vs. Ill-Posed Problems: Identifying the specific areas where AI excels (algorithmic, factual answers) and where human intelligence remains superior (navigating uncertainty and undefined parameters). Labor Disruption and Economic Shifts: Examining historical technological revolutions, the Jevons paradox, and the future demand for specific, highly adaptable human skill sets. Endogenous Motivation: How internal drivers like curiosity, resilience, and perspective-taking predict professional success more accurately than standard extrinsic incentives. Practical AI Strategies: Actionable methods for professionals to refine their skills, including using AI as a critical "nemesis" to challenge assumptions and encourage deep, effortful processing. The Future of Elite Professions: The macro-level challenges facing organizations in developing junior talent—such as associate attorneys—when the entry-level tasks traditionally used for training are automated. Things We Talk About in this Episode Socos: Vivienne Ming's philanthropy and research newsletter (socos.org). Thinking, Fast and Slow: Authored by Daniel Kahneman. Anthropic Research: A study published in Science detailing the productivity of AI-assisted programmers. BCG AI Study: Research analyzing AI integration and performance among management consultants. Raj Chetty: Economic research regarding peer role modeling, education, and socioeconomic mobility.

  4. Jul 9

    Inside Microsoft Legal: A Look at AI Use Built for Scale (Rebecca Anderson - Head of Legal EMEA Microsoft)

    This episode features a discussion between host Chad Main and Rebecca Anderson, Head of Legal EMEA, Associate General Counsel at Microsoft, regarding the integration of artificial intelligence in corporate legal departments. The conversation covers Rebecca's career progression from a law firm associate to an international in-house counsel role. The core of the discussion examines Microsoft's internal AI deployment strategies, including the shift from personal productivity to intent engineering. Additionally, the episode addresses changing expectations for outside counsel regarding AI adoption and outlines the necessary skills for future legal professionals. Episode Highlights AI Deployment Phases: AI integration in legal departments progresses through three stages: personal productivity (prompt engineering), context engineering (curating institutional knowledge), and intent engineering (autonomous agents operating with human guardrails). Scaling Legal Support: Corporate legal teams can manage high volumes of client requests by utilizing AI-driven triage systems overseen by paralegals, which allows senior lawyers to focus on complex, high-value legal work. Expectations for Outside Counsel: Corporate clients expect law firms to implement AI strategies to improve efficiency, which will likely shift the industry's economic focus from billable hours to value-based billing. Future Legal Skills: While AI literacy and data curation are critical, foundational skills such as human judgment, emotional intelligence, and strategic business context remain essential for legal professionals. Things we talk about: Copilot for Legal

  5. Jun 25

    Cost, Speed and Quality - One Law Firm's Quest to Deliver All Three (Laurence Brown, Partner EIP and Head of Visser AI)

    In this episode of Technically Legal, veteran patent lawyer Laurence Brown and Partner at the UK-based intellectual property firm EIP discusses the evolving concept of the "AI-native" law firm and how EIP is actively navigating this transition through their hybrid intelligence service, Visser AI.   Laurence shares insights from his 25-year career, discussing how EIP uniquely integrates litigators and patent attorneys to provide comprehensive IP services. The core of the conversation centers on Visser AI, named after the renowned European patent attorney Derk Visser, which leverages specialist AI tools to accelerate patent drafting and prosecution. The discussion covers the shifting economics of legal billing, the transition from billable hours to fixed fees, and how AI is actively redesigning traditional, linear patent workflows. Laurence also believes AI not only delivers faster, more cost-effective results for clients without compromising quality, but also makes the day-to-day work of attorneys more engaging.   Things We Talk About in this Episode Defining AI-Native: A true AI-native firm goes beyond simply prompting a frontier model; it involves fundamentally redesigning workflows to fully leverage AI technology. The Economics of AI: The efficiency gained through AI allows firms to offer competitive fixed fees, providing cost reductions for clients while maintaining law firm profitability. Redesigning Workflows: AI tools enable parallel workflows in patent drafting, such as senior attorneys structuring claims while juniors draft the description, breaking the traditional linear process. Specialist vs. Generalist AI: When it comes to complex patent law, purpose-built platforms like Patently significantly outperform general-purpose LLMs in quality and contextual understanding. European AI Regulation: The European patent industry's conservative nature has led to risk-centered AI guidelines, but the conversation is shifting toward the potential disservice of not utilizing these tools to assist clients.

  6. Jun 11

    Affordable & Accessible: The Democratization of Legal Tech (Tyler Foreman VP of AI - Rocket Lawyer)

    Tyler Foreman, the Vice President of AI at Rocket Lawyer, joins the show to discuss the intersection of artificial intelligence and the legal industry. Foreman shares his untraditional legal tech career path, spanning engineering at Intel, drone data analytics, and ultimately making the move to legal via contract lifecycle management (CLM) at DocuSign, before diving into his current work at Rocket Lawyer helping to provide legal resources for small-to-medium businesses and individuals. The conversation focuses on how modern generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) act as a legal operating system to simplify contract reviews, document drafting, and client intake, while maintaining essential connections to human attorneys.

  7. May 28

    Building Software for Less: The Death of Expensive SaaS in the AI Era? (Nathan Wenzel - LegalOperatorAI)

    We catch up with legal tech entrepreneur Nathan Wenzel to discuss his journey from founding and exiting SimpleLegal to launching his newest venture, LegalOperator.ai (formerly Lexiomatic). Nathan shares insights on the evolution of private equity (PE) structures, the shifting economics of the enterprise software market, and how artificial intelligence is disrupting traditional software development and corporate legal operations. Key Takeaways The Reality of Private Equity: Nathan breaks down the differences between growth PE, transition PE, and dividend-focused PE, highlighting his experience with operational scaling post-acquisition. The Death of Overpriced SaaS: With AI lowering the barrier to entry for building software, traditional $100,000+ enterprise software pricing models are facing immense pressure to become lean, affordable, and transparent. The "Vibe Coding" Phenomenon: While "vibe coding" (loosely describing an app to an AI) works for quick prototypes, building enterprise-grade software still requires meticulous specifications, security infrastructure (like SOC 2 compliance), and robust edge-case testing.

  8. May 14

    The Rise of the Legal Quants (Jamie Tso & Raymond Sun)

    Jamie Tso and Ray Sun, the founders of LegalQuants, discuss a fundamental shift in the legal profession: the transition from legal engineering to "legal quant" work. The conversation explores how technically fluent lawyers are using vibe coding, frontier AI models, and first-principles thinking to move beyond mere efficiency and toward the complete redesign of legal services. Jamie and Ray share their backgrounds in Big Law and their journeys into building custom legal tech tools. They delve into the origins of the LegalQuants community—an exclusive, invitation-only network of "builders"—and discuss the future of the billable hour in an era where AI can automate routine intellectual labor. Episode Highlights Jamie and Ray's origin stories: From annotating mutual fund prospectuses to early experiments with machine learning and TensorFlow. Ray's background as one of the world's first Legal Engineers and the creation of his Global AI Regulation Tracker. Defining the Legal Quant: How they differ from traditional Legal Engineers by seeking "alpha" and redesigning legal workflows from first principles. The growth of the LegalQuants community: From a small WhatsApp group to a global network of elite lawyer-builders. The "Unicorn Talent" gap: Why the next generation of elite legal work is defined by the operator, not the tool. The death of the friction-based pricing model and the future of value-based billing. Stress-testing Claude and Anthropic's Legal Plugin: Why the "ceiling" of AI utility is set by the lawyer's ability to design custom skills. Things We Talk About in this Episode LegalQuants Substack: legalquants.substack.com – Weekly digests and deep dives into legal AI strategy. Global AI Regulation Tracker: techieray.com – Ray Sun's interactive map of worldwide AI laws and policies.

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4.8
out of 5
25 Ratings

About

Technically Legal is a legal tech podcast exploring how technology is transforming the legal landscape. Each episode features insightful interviews with legal innovators, tech pioneers, and forward-thinking educators who are leading this change. Our guests share their experiences and insights on how technology is reshaping legal operations, revolutionizing law firm practice, and driving the growth of innovative legal tech companies. We also explore the broader implication of technology on everyone involved in the legal system, from practitioners to clients. The podcast is hosted by Chad Main, an attorney and founder of Percipient, a tech-enabled legal services provider. Chad launched Percipient on the belief that when technology is leveraged correctly, it makes legal teams more effective. Technically Legal Podcast is an ABA Web 100 Best Law Podcasts Honoree.

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