Can Law Firms Redesign Themselves for AI? Jen Leonard on Unprecedented

Can law firms redesign themselves for a world shaped by generative AI?

In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack are joined by Sharon Crane, president of Practising Law Institute, for a conversation about Jen’s new book, Unprecedented: Designing a Human-Centered Law Firm When Everything Is Changing. Together, they explore why law firm transformation is difficult, how storytelling can make change feel more accessible, and why collaboration, human-centered design, and practical experimentation matter in the AI era.

The conversation also covers PLI’s AI competency framework, the value of business fables, the history of the Cravath system and the billable hour, how Jen used AI as a writing partner, and what the future of junior lawyer training might look like.

Learn more about Unprecedented: Designing a Human-Centered Law Firm When Everything Is Changing:

https://www.pli.edu/catalog/publications/treatise/unprecedented-designing-a-human-centered-law-firm-when-everything-is-changing/447974

In this episode:

  • Why law firm change requires human buy-in
  • How storytelling can make transformation more usable
  • Why the current legal business model is not inevitable
  • How AI can act as a co-intelligence, not a shortcut
  • What junior lawyer training might look like in the AI era

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.