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The Tech Savvy LawyerAuthor: Michael D.J. Eisenberg
The Tech Savvy Lawyer interviews Judges, Lawyers, and other professionals discussing utilizing technology in the practice of law. It may springboard an idea and help you in your own pursuit of the business we call "practicing law". Please join us for interesting conversations enjoyable at any tech skill level! Language: en Genres: News, Tech News, Technology Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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TSL.P Labs đ§Ş: Legal Tech Wars, Client Data, and Your Law License: An AI-Powered Ethics Deep Dive âď¸đ¤
Friday, 6 February, 2026
đ To Busy to Read This Week's Editorial? Join us for an AI-powered deep dive into the ethical challenges facing legal professionals in the age of generative AI. đ¤ In this Tech-Savvy Lawyer Page Labs Initiative episode, AI co-hosts walk through how highâprofile "legal tech wars" between practiceâmanagement vendors and AI research startups can push your client data into the litigation spotlight and create real ethics exposure under ABA Model Rules 1.1, 1.6, and 5.3. We'll explore what happens when core platforms face federal lawsuits, why discovery and forensic audits can put confidential matters in front of third parties, and how API lockdowns, stalled product roadmaps, and forced sales can grind your practice operations to a halt. More importantly, you'll get a clear fiveâstep action planâinventorying your tech stack, confirming dataâexport rights, mapping backup providers, documenting diligence, and communicating with clientsâthat works even if you consider yourself "moderately techâsavvy" at best. Whether you're a solo, a smallâfirm practitioner, inâhouse, or simply AIâcurious, this conversation will help you evaluate whether you are the supervisor of your legal techâor its hostage. đ In our conversation, we cover the following 00:00:00 â Setting the stage: Legal tech wars, "Godzilla vs. Kong," and why vendor lawsuits are not just Silicon Valley drama for spectators. 00:01:00 â Introducing the Tech-Savvy Lawyer Page Labs Initiative and the use of AI-generated discussions to stress-test legal tech ethics in real-world scenarios. 00:02:00 â Who's fighting and why it matters: Clio as the "nervous system" of many firms versus Alexi as the "brainy intern" of AI legal research. 00:03:00 â The client data crossfire: How disputes over data access and training AI tools turn your routine practice data into high-stakes litigation evidence. 00:04:00 â Allegations in the ClioâAlexi dispute, from improper data access to claims of anti-competitive gatekeeping of legal industry data. 00:05:00 â Visualizing risk: Client files as sandcastles on a shelled beach and why this reframes vendor fights as ethics issues, not IT gossip. 00:06:00 â ABA Model Rule 1.1 (Competence): What "technology competence" really entails and why ignorance of vendor instability is no longer defensible. 00:07:00 â Continuity planning as competence: Injunctions, frozen servers, vendor shutdowns, and how missed deadlines can become malpractice. 00:08:00 â ABA Model Rule 1.6 (Confidentiality): The "danger zone" of treating the cloud like a bank vault and misunderstanding who really holds the key. 00:09:00 â Discovery risk explained: Forensic audits, thirdâparty access, protective orders that fail, and the cascading impact on client secrets. 00:10:00 â Dataâexport rights as your "escape hatch": Why "usable formats" (CSV, PDF) matter more than bare contractual promises. 00:11:00 â Practical homework: Testing whether you can actually export your case list today, not during a crisis. 00:12:00 â ABA Model Rule 5.3 (Supervision): Treating software vendors like nonâlawyer assistants you actively supervise rather than passive utilities. 00:13:00 â Asking better questions: Uptime, security posture, and whether your vendor is using your data in its own defense. 00:14:00 â Operational friction: Rising subscription costs, API lockdowns, broken integrations, and the return of manual copyâpasting. 00:15:00 â Vaporware and stalled product roadmaps: How litigation diverts engineering resources away from features you are counting on. 00:16:00 â Forced sales and 30âday shutdown notices: Dataâmigration nightmares under pressure and why waiting is the riskiest strategy. 00:17:00 â The fiveâstep moderateâtech action plan: Inventory dependencies, review contracts, map contingencies, document diligence, and communicate with nuance. 00:18:00 â Turning risk management into a clientâfacing strength and part of your value story in pitches and ongoing relationships. 00:19:00 â Reframing legal tech tools as members of your legal team rather than invisible utilities. 00:20:00 â "Supervisor or hostage?": The closing challenge to check your contracts, your dataâexport rights, and your practical ability to "fire" a vendor. Resources Mentioned in the episode ABA Model Rule 1.1 â Competence (Technology Competence Comment) â https://www.americanbar.org/groups/professional_responsibility/publications/model_rules_of_professional_conduct/rule_1_1_competence/ ABA Model Rule 1.6 â Confidentiality of Information â https://www.americanbar.org/groups/professional_responsibility/publications/model_rules_of_professional_conduct/rule_1_6_confidentiality_of_information/ ABA Model Rule 5.3 â Responsibilities Regarding Nonlawyer Assistance â https://www.americanbar.org/groups/professional_responsibility/publications/model_rules_of_professional_conduct/rule_5_3_responsibilities_regarding_nonlawyer_assistance/ Tech-Savvy Lawyer Page (February 2, 2026, Editorial & Show Notes Hub) â https://www.thetechsavvylawyer.page/blog/2026/2/2/mtc-clioalexi-legal-tech-fight-what-crm-vendor-litigation-means-for-your-law-firm-client-data-and-aba-model-rule-compliance- Software & Cloud Services mentioned in the conversation Clio â Cloud-based legal practice management platform â https://www.clio.com Alexi â AIâdriven legal research platform â https://www.alexi.com AWS (Amazon Web Services) â Cloud infrastructure provider â https://aws.amazon.com Google Cloud â Cloud infrastructure provider â https://cloud.google.com
