Tips for Incorporating AI into Your Daily Law Practice

AI might be what everyone’s talking about, but does anyone know what they’re talking about? Guest Chris Schwegmann is a trial lawyer and managing partner at the Dallas firm of Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann. He’s also a pioneer and an expert in incorporating AI capabilities into law firm operations.

AI doesn’t come with instruction manuals. So Schwegmann dove in asking, “What sorcery is this?” Natural curiosity and understanding how to parse the language correctly led to “magic,” he says. Lawyers, with their understanding of language, have the capacity to master AI, which depends on accurate, focused, prompts.

From using AI to spot logic gaps in opposing counsel’s brief to crafting arguments that resonate with a specific judge’s style, based on courtroom transcripts, Schwegmann has learned to incorporate the tool into his daily practice. There is a tremendous amount of information out there, and AI can harness and organize that information in ways lawyers never could before.

Just as Google, LexisNexis, and Westlaw transformed legal research decades ago, Schwegmann argues AI tools will once again revolutionize the profession. Get on board or be left behind. Not sure how? Schwegmann shares his insights and his unique understanding of this massive new set of tools. You don’t want to miss this.

Plus, a quick tip from Lauren Williams, focusing on being the person others rely on.

Have a question, comment, or suggestion for an upcoming episode? Get in touch at [email protected] or [email protected].

Resources Mentioned: 

“The Unguarded Mind: AI Chat Logs and a New Frontier for Discovery,” by Chris Schwegmann

ABA Litigation Journal

“Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI,” by Ethan Mollick

ChatGPT

LexisNexis

Westlaw

“Law School AI Bans Teach Exactly the Wrong Lesson,” Donald Tobin and Samuel Irwin,” Jurist.org

American Bar Association

American Bar Association Litigation Section