Texas Family Law Insiders – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Unlock AI's Potential in Your Legal Practice
Guest: Alex Shahrestani (Managing Partner, Promise Legal PLLC)
Host: Holly Draper
Release Date: February 26, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Holly Draper sits down with Alex Shahrestani, an attorney and computer science expert, to demystify artificial intelligence (AI) for legal professionals. Alex shares practical insights on what AI is, how attorneys can begin using it, best practices for prompt-writing, and key ethical considerations. Throughout, the discussion maintains a focus on empowering lawyers to approach AI with confidence, adaptability, and caution, illustrated with concrete examples and actionable advice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Alex Shahrestani’s Background and Legal-Tech Focus

• Alex’s Journey: Combined early interests in law and technology; founded the Journal of Law and Technology at UT Law; leader in the State Bar’s Computer and Technology section.
• Unique Law Firm Model: Alex acts as his own programmer, integrating AI and software projects into his practice, particularly for high-tech startups, educational technology, and regulated industries.

  “I always said my first hire is going to be a computer programmer…But instead, because I enjoyed it so much, I became the computer programmer for my firm.” (Alex, 02:33)

2. Demystifying AI: Definitions and Practical Analogies

• Types of AI: Reinforces generative AI (like ChatGPT) as the current hot topic, but notes there are various forms (e.g. self-driving cars use a different structure).
• Machine Learning Layer: Explains AI’s fundamental process—feeding lots of data (e.g., intake forms), finding mathematical relationships, and using them to generate output.
• Analogy for Lawyers:
  • Google vs. AI: Unlike search engines that retrieve actual documents, generative AI finds and combines patterns from many documents to predict probable answers.
  • Transparency Projector Analogy: Comparing stacking overlays on a projector to how AI ‘sees’ patterns across documents.

    “Whereas with a database…you might have a stack of papers that you're searching through for a particular paper…generative AI is…looking at what's projected up onto the wall and it's looking for patterns there.” (Alex, 12:28)

3. How Lawyers Can Begin Using AI in Practice

• Start Small: Recommends experimenting with ChatGPT—but not using client information right away.

  “If you have no idea what you're doing, don't start using client data…Just use it for other stuff, and just see what sort of answers you get, see where the problems arise, and you'll start to get a feel for it.” (Alex, 14:57)

• Benefits of Paid Versions:
  • Paid ChatGPT models grant advanced features, latest updates, and contractual options for privacy.
  • Paid users can access features like memory and “chaining” (breaking complicated prompts into manageable parts).
  • For beginners: free versions suffice until higher limits or specialty functions are needed.

    “If you start running up to limitations…that would be a perfectly fine time to start paying for it.” (Alex, 17:12)

4. Alternatives and DIY Solutions

• Other AI Tools:
  • Major competitors: Claude (Anthropic), Mistral, Llama (Meta).
  • Hugging Face: Platform for experimenting with cutting-edge AI models and fun use cases (e.g. comic book generators).
• Legal Tech Products: Warns some legal AI products quickly become outdated and may be expensive; encourages custom, in-house setups for cost and functionality.

  “I’m a big advocate for actually getting your own system set up, which…is actually not that expensive in the grand scheme.” (Alex, 21:46)

5. Transforming Law Practice Efficiency with AI

• Identifying Process Pain Points: Use time tracking to pinpoint where most time is wasted (e.g., email).
• Automating Tasks:
  • AI-driven draft responses and template automations reduced email burden from 50% to 25% of firm’s time.
  • “As a flat fee practice, that's an increase in our…bottom line.” (Alex, 25:44)
• General Advice:

  “Don’t put yourself in a box here. Like, what are the things that frustrate you in your practice? There's almost certainly a way you can apply AI to make that a little bit better.” (Alex, 24:11 / 00:00 [repeated phrase])

6. Lawyer Skills and Attitude in the Age of AI

• Developing an AI Mindset:
  • Emphasize understanding AI’s boundaries—where it works, where it fails—to guide creative solutions.
  • Encourages lawyers to stay current, experiment, and avoid being intimidated.
• Prompt Writing Tips:
  • Be as specific and granular as possible to get better answers.

    “Basically, the more granular the question, the better the response is going to be.” (Alex, 28:20)

  • Break questions into discrete, logical steps (“chaining”), rather than asking broad questions.
  • Use legal signals in prompts (e.g., section symbols, citation language) to access relevant info.
  • Recognize and check for hallucinations—AI confidently inventing plausible but inaccurate facts.

7. Personalized AI: Training and Memory Features

• Using AI “Memory”: Store basic facts (e.g., user’s name, location) for context continuity in conversations.
• Feeding Practice-Specific Data: Uploading PDFs, docs, or instructions; instructing the AI to answer from these sources for tailored results.
• Cautions:
  • Over-reliance may limit flexibility or interfere with other users.
  • Best to compartmentalize memory features based on use case.

8. Risks and Ethical Considerations

• Attorney Responsibility:
  • “You are still the one responsible for the piece of paper that you're submitting to a client or the court or whoever. And so that's…something to really bear in mind.” (Alex, 39:07)
• Privacy and Confidentiality:
  • Most tech tools (not just AI) pose confidentiality risks; check contracts for protections.
  • Avoid free services for client data; ensure data is not used to train models.
  • End-to-end encrypted solutions minimize risk but lose recovery/service options.
• Accuracy Checks:
  • Lawyers must verify all outputs (avoid “hallucinated” cases/rulings).
  • AI is most reliable on fixed facts, least on dynamic, context-dependent questions.
  • Use AI for efficiency, but always review sources and double-check legal citations.

9. Will AI Replace Lawyers?

• No Full Replacement Expected:
  • Anticipates a shift: smaller firms, fewer “worker bees,” lawyers as tech “quarterbacks” overseeing tools and outputs.
  • Lawyers likely to collaborate with AI, not be supplanted by it.
  • AI supplements research and repetitive tasks, but human judgment and oversight remain critical.
  • “I think attorneys are primarily going to be eventually quarterbacks for a number of tech tools and making sure they all play nicely and reviewing the work and collaborating with AI…” (Alex, 44:17)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On AI Becoming a Tool, Not a Threat:

  “It's about an approach to technology. It's not like math. It's not like figuring out how to use your computer. I think it's like a different flavor of thing to address…” (Alex, 26:35)

• On Ethical Diligence:

  “That kind of mistake [AI-faked case citations] makes me think that there were other ethical issues going on already…” (Alex, 43:43)

• On Experimenting and Being Open to Change:

  “Giving yourself a chance to try new things and…not knee jerk ‘no’ I think will serve well.” (Alex, 46:12)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• What is AI? – 05:46 to 14:35
• Getting Started with ChatGPT – 14:56 to 19:59
• Other AI Options and DIY Systems – 20:09 to 23:59
• Transforming Practice Tasks (Efficiency, Email Automation) – 24:07 to 26:23
• Developing AI Skills and Prompt Strategies – 26:31 to 35:11
• Customizing AI/Training to Your Practice – 35:31 to 38:44
• Ethical & Privacy Considerations – 38:44 to 43:43
• Will AI Replace Lawyers? – 44:04 to 45:55
• Advice for Young Lawyers – 46:05 to 46:50

Resources & Contact

• Alex’s Blog: Blog.PromiseLegal.com
• Discord Community (TXHQ): txhq.org/discord

This episode offers a clear, approachable pathway for lawyers interested in integrating AI into their practice, balancing enthusiasm for innovation with a respect for ethical and practical realities.