Between the Briefs

Steno

Welcome to Between the Briefs, a podcast by Steno. We share practical tips and expert insights on the pre-trial process, court reporting, and legal technology, to keep you updated on how technology is revolutionizing the litigation process and the wider legal sector.

  1. A Trial Lawyer’s Guide to Preserving the U.S. Justice System ft. Eric Weitz

    6D AGO

    A Trial Lawyer’s Guide to Preserving the U.S. Justice System ft. Eric Weitz

    The fabric of American law is changing - courts are in crisis, judges are under threat - and something needs to change. This episode of Between the Briefs by Steno reveals the ‘what’. Tune in as hosts Adrian Cea and Joe Stephens sit down with Eric Weitz, Founder of the Weitz Law Firm and President of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice, to explore why finding your authentic voice in the courtroom matters, how to leverage technology like AI-powered transcript analysis to strengthen case preparation and the key strategies to secure non-economic settlements that drive systemic change in healthcare. Trial lawyers find themselves at an inflection point. This episode reminds us how to make the best of it.

    42 min
  2. Getting People to Change is the Hardest Part About Legal Tech Adoption ft. Carolyn Humpherys

    JAN 29

    Getting People to Change is the Hardest Part About Legal Tech Adoption ft. Carolyn Humpherys

    Change is always uncomfortable. But in today’s tech-driven world, it is necessary. In this episode of Between the Briefs by Steno, hosts Joe Stephens and Adrian Cea welcome Carolyn Humpherys, Senior Consultant at Traveling Coaches, to explore the critical gap between implementing new technology and achieving genuine organizational adoption. And, most importantly - how law firms can bridge that divide. Drawing from her experience as a change management consultant and certified legal trainer with over thirty years of experience, she offers valuable insights and strategies on making adoption and innovation a reality within law firms.

    44 min
  3. Retaining Top Legal Talent in 2026: The Playbook by Karen Mesmer

    JAN 22

    Retaining Top Legal Talent in 2026: The Playbook by Karen Mesmer

    Retaining top legal talent often feels like an uphill climb. Unless you have Karen Mesmer’s playbook. In this episode of Between the Briefs, Karen, Legal Services Manager at Shook, Hardy and Bacon, joins hosts Adrian Cea and Joe Stephens to explore how premier litigation firms are evolving their operations in the face of technological disruption. Drawing on nearly four decades of experience - from paralegal to operational strategist - Karen reveals the human-centered approach to hiring, staff development and technology adoption that sustains excellence in complex litigation environments. The legal industry is nothing without its people. So, it’s time we started paying attention to them.

    38 min
  4. Why Law Firms Reject Innovation and How Ted Theodoropoulos Is Making Change Happen

    JAN 15

    Why Law Firms Reject Innovation and How Ted Theodoropoulos Is Making Change Happen

    What’s it going to take for legal companies to wholeheartedly embrace legal technology? Social proof, as Ted Theodoropoulos, CEO of Infodash, puts it. In this episode of Between the Briefs by Steno, hosts Adrian Cea and Joe Stephens, pick Ted’s brain about why law firms have historically resisted technological innovation, how generative AI is forcing a fundamental reckoning with firm economics and what structural changes must occur for large law to truly embrace the digital transformation already reshaping the industry. We’ve essentially reached the point of no return. And, that’s a good thing.

    48 min
  5. The Attorney Work Styles Framework: What Kind of Lawyer Are You, Really?

    JAN 8

    The Attorney Work Styles Framework: What Kind of Lawyer Are You, Really?

    Four lawyers. Four archetypes. One framework. In this special episode of Between the Briefs, Adrian Cea sits down with Dylan Ruga, Carly Savar, and Joe Stephens to unpack Steno’s new Attorney Work Styles Framework - a quiz that reveals whether you’re a Research Commander, Strategic Architect, Courtroom Dynamo, or Narrative Weaver. More than labels, these archetypes highlight strengths, blind spots, and how different lawyers collaborate. Through stories from practice, investor pitches, public defense clinics, and courtroom battles, this episode reveals how knowing your style can improve preparation, teamwork, persuasion and ultimately, your results for clients.

    42 min
  6. AI Can’t Take a Lawyer’s Job. We’re Going to be Okay. ft. Christina Natale

    JAN 2

    AI Can’t Take a Lawyer’s Job. We’re Going to be Okay. ft. Christina Natale

    “We’re going to be okay” - sometimes that’s all we need to hear. In the latest episode of Between the Briefs, Christina Natale, Director of Legal Strategy & Solutions at HIKE2, sends this message to all lawyers living in the age of AI. Her mantra is simple - AI cannot practice law the way lawyers do. But it can change how it is practiced. Drawing from her experience across complex litigation, the Department of Justice, and law firm operations, Christina shares a framework for technology adoption that prioritizes discovery over installation, change management over disruption, and human judgment over blind automation. This episode is the playbook you need to get legal AI/ tech right in 2026.

    47 min
  7. Adam Maxwell on Why Employment Law Is About to Explode

    12/18/2025

    Adam Maxwell on Why Employment Law Is About to Explode

    Employment law stands at the cusp of transformation in the age of AI, but poor hiring strategies could cost you everything. In this episode of Between the Briefs, hosts Adrian Cea and Joe Stephen sit down with Adam Maxwell, litigation partner at Schoenberg Finkel Beederman Bell Glazer LLC, to explore why employment law compliance shouldn't stifle business growth, how to navigate non-competes across state lines and the critical softer skills that separate good lawyers from exceptional ones. From managing high-stakes depositions to leveraging AI for legal efficiency, Adam shares battle-tested strategies for protecting your business while staying agile in today's evolving legal landscape. If you’ve been looking for actionable insights to stay ahead of compliance gaps before they become costly litigation, this is the conversation for you.

    39 min
  8. AI’s Doesn’t Just Produce Faster Legal Work, It Produces Better Work: Insights from Daniel Schwarcz

    12/11/2025

    AI’s Doesn’t Just Produce Faster Legal Work, It Produces Better Work: Insights from Daniel Schwarcz

    We’ve all heard that AI can make lawyers better at their jobs. But now there’s data-backed research to prove it. In the latest episode of Between the Briefs by Steno, hosts Adrian Cea and Joe Stephens welcome Daniel Schwarcz, Professor at University of Minnesota, to discuss the groundbreaking paper, “AI-Powered Lawyering” and its empirical findings on how certain AI tools are reshaping legal practice - specifically about retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems and reasoning models. Daniel walks us through eye-opening revelations that reveal how AI integration produces measurable improvements in both efficiency and work quality, while exploring the nuanced challenges, ethical considerations and labor market implications attorneys must navigate. Every lawyer needs proof - this study is all the evidence you could need about AI use in today’s legal landscape.

    34 min
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5
out of 5
32 Ratings

About

Welcome to Between the Briefs, a podcast by Steno. We share practical tips and expert insights on the pre-trial process, court reporting, and legal technology, to keep you updated on how technology is revolutionizing the litigation process and the wider legal sector.

Information

  • Creator
    Steno
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    51
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    Copyrights © 2024 All Rights Reserved by Steno
  • Show Website
    Between the Briefs