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Steve Embry

@sembrytechlaw.bsky.social
683 followers 435 following 341 posts

Lawyer. Writer. Futurist. Publisher TechLaw Crossroads blog. Former Chair Law Practice Division, American Bar Association. Regular contributor Above the Law

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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Five judges at #RelFest offered what the AI hallucination debate badly needs: perspective. "We all make mistakes." Hallucinations are "a numerator without a denominator." Time to take a deep breath and quit hyping a problem for hype's sake. abovethelaw.com/2026/10/relf...
abovethelaw.com
RelFest’s Judicial Panel: At Last, Some Hallucination Perspective - Above the Law
To conclude AI hallucinations are just a lazy lawyer problem ignores the world lawyers work in.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Went into Jesse Cole's 8am Kaleidoscope keynote expecting celebrity-speaker BS. Wrong. His fans-first playbook is exactly how good lawyers build practices. Law firms aren't bananas. Or are they? www.techlawcrossroads.com/2026/09/the-...
techlawcrossroads.com
The Jesse Cole Keynote: Law Firms Aren’t Bananas. Or Are They?
The Jesse Cole Keynote: Law Firms Aren’t Bananas. Or Are They? You know me and celebrity keynote speakers at legal tech conferences. Sometimes they’re
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Managing partners keep asking how to retain lawyers. One answer: stop making them do work they didn't go to law school for. 73% of legal pros feel miserable from admin work. 80% get Sunday scaries before the week starts. Automate the crap. abovethelaw.com/2026/09/lawy...
abovethelaw.com
Lawyer Retention In Three Words: Automate The Crap - Above the Law
Make the office a place where lawyers spend more of their day being lawyers.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Young lawyers are commonly thought of as a disaster. Can't think, won't work, need constant hand-holding. Vanderbilt and AltaClaro have a different idea: train them like real lawyers before they graduate, using AI-simulated depositions. abovethelaw.com/2026/09/codd...
abovethelaw.com
Coddling Young Lawyers? One Law School Says Not On Our Watch - Above the Law
In today’s brave new AI world, the younger lawyers who can hit the ground running with practical skills and the ability to think through problems are going to succeed.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Your driver's license is for sale on the dark web. 150 million of them, actually. That's a good moment to ask what happens to the client data we feed into AI platforms every day. www.techlawcrossroads.com/2026/09/prot...
techlawcrossroads.com
Protecting Our Privacy When Everything That Happens Should Be Known
An interesting book by Dave Eggers came out several years ago called The Circle. It was later made into a mediocre movie, but the book has become
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
We keep worrying that AI will make lawyers all sound the same & what happens when it does. But legal is not the only profession worried about these issues. So is the ad industry & its gathered some data that answers some questions but raises other ones abovethelaw.com/2026/09/crea...
abovethelaw.com
Creativity In The Age Of AI: A Lost Art? - Above the Law
Lawyers are in the business of persuading people. That takes human skill and originality. It can’t be replicated by a bot.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
The big remote debate. It's mostly over, right? Maybe not for small and midsize firms. Smaller firms are still stuck debating, and it's tearing at the relationship between partners and associates. abovethelaw.com/2026/09/the-...
abovethelaw.com
The Remote Work Conundrum Redux - Above the Law
When older lawyers demand people come to the office, they need to make it meaningful and ensure that people aren’t there just for the sake of being there.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
If we want to somehow make a dent in the access-to-justice problem, let’s stop the hand wringing and start looking for some solutions. Even if they’re just a start. That's what the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender recently did. abovethelaw.com/2026/09/ai-f...
abovethelaw.com
AI For New Jersey Public Defenders: Solving The A2J Problem One Bite At A Time - Above the Law
The NJ Office of the Public Defender partnered with a think tank and a prestigious university to get the AI program it needed.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
The real AI tragedy in law firms is the impact on the admin staff, paralegals, & billing teams who can least afford to lose their jobs & who hold institutional knowledge no bot has. www.techlawcrossroads.com/2026/09/the-...
techlawcrossroads.com
The Real Tragedy of AI in Law: Losing Our Soul
Neal Page: Sir, excuse me. I know this is your cab, but I'm desperately late for a plane, and I was wondering if I could appeal to your good nature and
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Trying cases is hell. So why do trial lawyers do it? It's that chance to singularly focus all your abilities & creativity on one thing. It makes us feel alive. www.techlawcrossroads.com/2026/09/want...
techlawcrossroads.com
Want to Try Cases? It’s Hell. Until You’re Standing at the Podium
I recently finished reading one of Scott Turow's legal thrillers. As most of you know, Turow is not only an author, but he was also a lawyer, and a trial
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Lots of talk these days about the ROI of AI for law firms. Certainly, when AI is used for back office tasks, the business end of law, ROI is both measurable. But when it comes to the substantive end of things, the actual practice of law, it gets dicey. abovethelaw.com/2026/09/ai-r...
abovethelaw.com
AI ROI For Law Firms: There’s Not Any - Above the Law
Clients need some ownership in how their firms use the technology. Firms and clients need to design workflows together.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
If we didn’t already know it by now, ILTACON 2026 certainly confirmed that legal tech is big business. But will it continue? And what happens if and when the bubble bursts? Here are my thoughts. abovethelaw.com/2026/08/ilta...
abovethelaw.com
ILTACON Confirms: Gradually, Then Suddenly Legal Tech Became A Big Business - Above the Law
AI made investors and vendors take notice of an industry that could be completely disrupted by a revolutionary tool.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
ILTACON 2026 is now a wrap. Four days of sessions, exhibit halls, and seeing old friends Here are five things that stood out to me. www.techlawcrossroads.com/2026/08/ilta...
techlawcrossroads.com
ILTACON 2026: Learning. Networking. Some Fun. And Some Sobering Moments
The last day of any big conference. I’m always a little sad to see things ending. Crowds thinning. Exhibitors breaking down booths. People with roller
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
AI vendors are ultimately going to move from subscription-based pricing to consumption-based pricing with expensive tokens. When that happens, the ability to analyze the cost benefit ratio may become critical. NetDocuments is looking hard at this issue abovethelaw.com/2026/08/the-...
abovethelaw.com
The Cost of AI Usage: Time To Throw In The Unrestrained Towel  - Above the Law
What NetDocuments has done is important because virtually no one has gone to the trouble of looking hard at the relationship between AI cost and accuracy.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Lots of big announcements this week at ILTACON, including from two major players, LexisNexis and Thomson Reuters. But both raise the question of the long-term consequences of replacing human capital with AI agents. abovethelaw.com/2026/08/lexi...
abovethelaw.com
LexisNexis And Thomson Reuters ILTA Announcements: Closing The Conference Room Door - Above the Law
When all is replaced by agentic AI, what are the long-term consequences?
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
A new report from Harbor seems to confirm the findings of others: law firms are spending a lot of money on AI. But they haven’t yet figured out how to benefit their clients. Or themselves. It’s a systemic problem. abovethelaw.com/2026/08/law-...
abovethelaw.com
Law Firms Are Buying AI: But Are They Really Using It? - Above the Law
Don't toss AI in the drawer alongside your gym membership card just yet.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Until you go to ILTACON & behold it w/ your own eyes, you ain’t never been nowhere & you ain’t seen nothing. The 2026 version starts next week in NashVegas, oops...Nashville.Here's my preview. I'll be there trying letting you know what I see & hear. abovethelaw.com/2026/08/ilta...
abovethelaw.com
ILTACON 2026: Separating Wheat From Chaff - Above the Law
There are no catchy, cutesy promotional themes as in years past. Instead, ILTA seems to be more focused on content.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
The more people read AI slop, the more they may prefer it. And it’s sadly going to become the norm. For those of us in the business of communicating with and persuading others, that may require us to change some things. But not others. abovethelaw.com/2026/08/to-u...
abovethelaw.com
To Use AI Slop, Or Not To Use AI Slop - Above the Law
We may already be at the point of no return.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
How many times does it have to be said: data breaches are going to happen to law firms. And they will be expensive and disruptive. Now AI is making the attacks faster, cheaper and some $1 million more expensive. IBM’s 2026 Data Breach Report: Houston, We Have A Problem - Above the Law
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
The well known document management provider, NetDocuments, recently waded into the plaintiffs’ contingency fee legal market with three new apps. And how it got there is an interesting story. Here’s my discussion of both. abovethelaw.com/2026/08/netd...
abovethelaw.com
NetDocuments For Plaintiffs’ Lawyers: It’s Pretty Cool - Above the Law
It will be interesting to see where NetDocuments goes in the plaintiffs’ market
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
It seems like lawyers are jumping ship and moving to new firms on what feels like an hourly basis. Why is the lateral market exploding and what does it mean for law firm management? Here are my thoughts for Above the Law. abovethelaw.com/2026/08/lawy...
abovethelaw.com
Lawyer Laterals: Free Agents With No Comp Caps  - Above the Law
In today's world, many of the headaches associated with making a lateral move can now be alleviated with artificial intelligence and technology.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Recent study by the Blickstein Group of COOs in law firms confirms there’s still a gap between the way businesspeople think and the way lawyers who think they are businesspeople think. abovethelaw.com/2026/07/the-...
abovethelaw.com
The Blickstein Group Law Firm COO Survey: The More Things Change, The More Some Things Stay The Same  - Above the Law
The businesspeople say one thing, the lawyers another. Just like always.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
We’ve all been to them: presentations w/ interactive sessions & table exercises. As a tool for training lawyers how to actually use technology, they don’t work. Why and what will? Take a look at my post. abovethelaw.com/2026/07/inte...
abovethelaw.com
Interactive Exercises For Lawyer Training: Get Off My Lawn - Above the Law
If you start a lawyer training session by saying we are going to start with a little fun game, you have lost your audience already.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Ever wonder why there aren’t more specialized legal tech platforms for criminal defense lawyers? I was never one but have some ideas after talking to a few. It’s a question of priorities. And money. Here are my thoughts for Above the Law. abovethelaw.com/2026/07/ai-f...
abovethelaw.com
AI For Criminal Defense: It’s An Issue Of Priorities. And Money. - Above the Law
There just aren’t that many criminal defense customers with the funds to buy a lot of tech and AI stuff.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
What does Major League Baseball banning AI in the dugout have to do with legal? It turns out it’s a lot. Read my post to find out. abovethelaw.com/2026/07/bann...
abovethelaw.com
Banning Technology: A Balk That Should Be Called - Above the Law
Banning things people use in everyday life won’t work.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
AALL panel tackles whether vibe coding for lawyers is the next big thing, or just a big dud? See what you think. abovethelaw.com/2026/07/vibe...
abovethelaw.com
Vibe Coding For Lawyers: Next Big Thing Or Just A Big Dud? - Above the Law
Not sure vibe coding is ready for legal prime time, at least not yet.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
While at AALL2026, I ran into a platform from Courtroom View Network. CVN videos trials and then indexes the video ao you can find and observe real lawyers in real trials. Great new training tool for trial skills abovethelaw.com/2026/07/cour...
abovethelaw.com
Courtroom View Network: Learning Trial Skills By Watching Real Lawyers In Real Trials - Above the Law
Courtroom View Network is a great example of using AI appropriately and in its proper place and combining it with non-AI tools.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Instead of a celebrity in a white chair talking about themselves, the AALL opening keynote featured Federal district Judge Micah Smith talking about what he called "Aloha leadership". Leadership based on empathy and care for others. Lots to think about. abovethelaw.com/2026/07/aall...
abovethelaw.com
AALL 2026: An Aloha Keynote For Lasting Impact, Not Glitz - Above the Law
Law librarians are 'uniquely positioned to wield influence' because their job is to help others, not to win.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Deloitte Legal’s new survey reveals the continuing gap between what legal departments want and expect from outside counsel when it comes to AI and what they are getting. abovethelaw.com/2026/07/the-...
abovethelaw.com
The Deloitte Legal Report: Trouble For Ostriches - Above the Law
Smart firms will read the Deloitte report and the tea leaves and prepare for change. But large law firms may not make the change until it’s too late.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
AALL26 kicks off Saturday in Cleveland. This year’s theme focuses on leading with Aloha: leading with empathy and collaboration, Here’s my take for Above the Law going in. abovethelaw.com/2026/07/aall...
abovethelaw.com
AALL 2026: Focusing On The Aloha - Above the Law
It’s good to pay attention to what AALL is focused on. That’s why this year’s theme was eye-catching.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
If you (or your client) thinks what is said to a chatbot is private, think again. Under the Stored Communications Act, the government can get a search warrant and force the AI provider to produce your AI conversations. And there is not much you can do about it. abovethelaw.com/2026/07/surp...
abovethelaw.com
Surprise, Surprise: More Evidence That What You Say To Your Chatbot Isn’t Always Private - Above the Law
Those of us in the legal profession have a responsibility to sound the alarm about what our clients and the public as a whole put in chatbots
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Fractional GCs are a solution for businesses that don’t need and can’t justify full time in house counsel. And for lawyers with judgment and experience and who can use AI effectively, it’s an attractive option. A potential win-win. abovethelaw.com/2026/07/frac...
abovethelaw.com
Fractional General Counsel: A Win-Win Proposition For Certain Clients, And Certain Lawyers - Above the Law
With the advent of AI, it becomes much more realistic for a fractional GC concept to work.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Our court reporting systems is in crisis. There is a shortage of reporters, on the one hand, & a demand to use technology to create transcripts cheaper & faster on the other. We need new ways of thinking about the role to preserve the value court reporters bring. abovethelaw.com/2026/07/whit...
abovethelaw.com
Whither The Court Reporters? - Above the Law
Like so many things with technology, the time and expense saved often trumps human accuracy and accountability.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
A recent Clio survey suggests that while solos and small firms are using AI, they are not using it effectively or profitably. Nor have many changed their billing model. As a result, they may be ripe for disruption. abovethelaw.com/2026/07/solo...
abovethelaw.com
Solos And Small Law Firms: A Market Ripe For Disruption? - Above the Law
It’s pretty clear that the solo and small law market is not capitalizing on the opportunities AI holds.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
New Thomson Reuters survey confirms what has long been the case. In-house counsel want better use of technology and innovation from their outside counsel, but don’t seem to be demanding it. abovethelaw.com/2026/06/in-h...
abovethelaw.com
In-House Counsel Say They Want More From Outside Counsel But Don’t Demand It - Above the Law
The more things change ...
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Thomson Reuters announcement of a rebuilt CoCounsel marked a pivot to a fiduciary grade AI for complex legal matters where precision and verification are critical. It also suggested a subtle shift in approach. abovethelaw.com/2026/06/thom...
abovethelaw.com
Thomson Reuters Rebuilt CoCounsel: A Pivot - Above the Law
The TR announcement felt a little different.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
If the Apple Intelligence and Siri app perform as represented at WWDC, it could offer a secure and confidential platform for some types of legal work for many lawyers and law firms. Particularly for smaller firms that can’t afford enterprise AI platforms. abovethelaw.com/2026/06/appl...
abovethelaw.com
Apple Intelligence: A New Sheriff In Town For Legal AI? - Above the Law
I’m not betting against Apple this time.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Amara’s law: We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run. That was clearly the case with the interstate highway system and its application has some important lessons for legal. abovethelaw.com/2026/06/less...
abovethelaw.com
Lessons From Interstate Highways: AI’s Impact On Legal Is A Known Unknown - Above the Law
Just like with the advent of interstates, an entire culture may be lost.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
For many, it’s still a good time to be a lawyer. Jobs and profits are up. But for how long, especially if the economy tanks? Best not get too comfortable… abovethelaw.com/2026/06/its-...
abovethelaw.com
It’s Still A Good Time To Be A Lawyer. So Far. - Above the Law
Let’s not get too comfortable.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Federal District Court Judge has sanctioned and disqualified all the lawyers in a case over the use of hallucinated cases. It could well be the seminal opinion on these issues. abovethelaw.com/2026/06/a-po...
abovethelaw.com
A Pox On Everyone’s House: Mississippi Court Disqualifies All 4 Attorneys In Major Hallucination Scandal - Above the Law
Never piss off a judge.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Are midsize law firms in trouble? A recent Thomson Reuters report reveals some troubling findings. abovethelaw.com/2026/06/trou...
abovethelaw.com
Trouble For Midsize Law Firms: Is The Titanic Sinking? - Above the Law
Several factors got midsize firms to this point.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
The reality is that most lawyers' clients are going to be using AI before and during the relationship. That means we need to be knowledgable about AI to protect our clients and generate and maintain their trust. Here's some ideas abovethelaw.com/2026/06/meet...
abovethelaw.com
Meeting Clients Where They Are In An AI World - Above the Law
Using AI in an educational way moves the relationship more to one of a team with a lawyer, client, and AI tools all working together to get better results.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Legal Geek 2026. A day packed with 10 minute presentations, roundtables, and workshops directed at trying to figure out where we are as a profession and what the impact of AI will ultimtely be. Here’s my summary of one fast paced day. abovethelaw.com/2026/06/lega...
abovethelaw.com
Legal Geek 2026: We Caught The Car, Now What Do We Do With It? - Above the Law
Legal Geek is one of the few conferences that actually stops and tries to holistically figure out what the impact of AI will be.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
The times may be changing for traditional big law firms according to Gina Passarella’s powerful 10 minute talk at Legal Geek 2026. abovethelaw.com/2026/06/gina...
abovethelaw.com
Gina Passarella’s Powerful Talk At Legal Geek: Law Firms That Don’t Face Change May Soon Run Out Of Gas - Above the Law
More sophisticated in-house counsel are not waiting on outside providers to make changes in light of the efficiencies AI and automation can bring.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Another law firm sued for a data breach. This time it’s not the firm’s clients but a class action brought by those who had no relationship with the firm other than their PII was in the firm’s files & exposed. Cybersecurity risks to law firms is growing. abovethelaw.com/2026/06/the-...
abovethelaw.com
The Wiley Rein Data Breach Lawsuit: Yet Another Cybersecurity Wake-Up Call  - Above the Law
There’s a potential for greater liability and claims.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
AI is changing the work collaberation that so essential to lawyers, particularly litigators. It’s time we quit relying on the water cooler training notion. abovethelaw.com/2026/05/its-...
abovethelaw.com
It’s Time To Say Goodbye To Water Cooler Training - Above the Law
We have to start by recognizing that we actually have a problem.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
AI may be revolutionizing plaintiffs' personal injury practice. Here’s why. abovethelaw.com/2026/05/tech...
abovethelaw.com
Technology And AI: Turning Personal Injury Litigation Upside Down - Above the Law
If defense firms aren't keeping up, what were once their advantages may well become liabilities as plaintiffs’ lawyers become more sophisticated.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Courts are banning “smart glasses” without defining what smart glasses are. They’re allowing mobile phones that can do the same thing. And they’re completely ignoring glasses that can feed you AI intel in real time. Judges need to better tech educated. abovethelaw.com/2026/05/wear...
abovethelaw.com
Wearables In The Courtroom: Let’s Educate, Not Knee Jerk - Above the Law
An educated judge can impose meaningful and appropriate penalties when lines are crossed concerning wearable technology.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Spent the week at CLOC Global Institute last week . Legal ops people are less interested in parties, and more interested in tackling the hard questions. abovethelaw.com/2026/05/the-...
abovethelaw.com
The CLOC Global Institute: For The Legal Ops Adults In The Room - Above the Law
The Global Institute is for serious legal ops professionals who want to learn and talk about the issues most relevant to their teams.
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Steve Embry @sembrytechlaw.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
When a room full of legal ops professionals was asked what they wished outside counsel knew about legal ops.First answer: “that it exists.” My CLOC recap on why outside counsel still doesn’t get legal ops and why it may cost them abovethelaw.com/2026/05/lega...
abovethelaw.com
Legal Ops And Matter Management By Outside Counsel: The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same - Above the Law
AI is only one part of what legal ops will use to better serve their clients. Firms first need to embrace legal ops to be successful.
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