AI and the Future of Law

AI recording tools can make lawyers more efficient—but what are the risks to confidentiality?
In this episode, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack examine how AI recording tools intersect with attorney–client privilege, professional responsibility rules, and the evolving skill demands of an AI-driven workforce.
Topics discussed include:
How AI recording platforms may introduce third-party privilege risks
State consent laws and the ethical limits of secret recording
New York Bar Formal Opinion 2025-6 and deceptive practices
Whether recording changes how clients communicate with their lawyers
The risk of AI-generated summaries misinterpreting legal nuance
A risk-based framework for deciding when (and when not) to record
New Wharton–Accenture research on how AI is reshaping job skills and compensation
AI tools can improve legal work—but only when lawyers understand the boundaries that protect trust, competence, and confidentiality.
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As the legal profession enters 2026, the conversation about AI is shifting. It is no longer about awareness or early adoption. It is about measurable impact.
In this episode of AI and the Future of Law, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack are joined by Zach Abramowitz for a legal market check-in on AI agents, ROI, competitive pressure, and the widening divide between AI superusers and skeptics.
They discuss:
The shift from AI assistants to AI agents
Why 2026 is about measuring ROI, not experimentation
The rise of AI-first firms and competitive pressure on traditional models
Venture capital, private equity, and renewed conversations about external ownership
The growing mindset divide within the profession
AI is no longer a side experiment in legal. It is becoming embedded in strategy, pricing, and firm structure.
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What happens when lawyers stop waiting for permission and start building with AI? Jen and Bridget explore the rise of creative associates and what tools like Claude Code reveal about the future of legal work. From agentic AI systems that refactor how coding gets done to junior lawyers who “vibe-code” solutions to everyday firm problems, this conversation looks at how innovation is increasingly bottom-up in law firms.
Topics covered include:
Claude Code and agentic AI for knowledge work
Why creative associates are driving real change
Vibe coding and lowering the barrier to innovation
Cultural shifts law firms need to support experimentation
What this means for junior lawyers and legal training
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Can lawyers really trust AI—and what does “trust” mean in modern legal practice?
In this episode of AI and the Future of Law, hosts Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack are joined by Gabe Pereyra, President and Co-Founder of Harvey AI, to explore how generative AI is moving from a productivity tool to core infrastructure for law firms.
Gabe explains how leading firms are deploying AI at scale, why hallucinations are no longer the central concern, and how governance, auditability, and human-in-the-loop systems shape real trust in legal AI. The conversation also dives into the future of the billable hour, lawyer training, and why AI is best understood as leverage—not labor replacement.
In this episode:
When lawyers will trust AI systems
Human-in-the-loop governance and supervision
AI as law firm infrastructure, not just software
Why the billable hour isn’t disappearing
Training lawyers faster in an AI-first era

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Private equity interest in U.S. law firms is accelerating, and AI is a major reason why. In this Season 3 kickoff, Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack explore how ethics rules collide with the capital demands of AI, and why the real story isn’t short-term profits but long-term investment in legal infrastructure. They unpack Rule 5.4, the rise of the MSO model as a workaround for outside investment, and what “ownership” really means when control over data, technology, and professional judgment is at stake.
The conversation also examines emerging judicial approaches to AI disclosure and what they signal for competence, evidence, and governance as AI becomes foundational to legal practice.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.