Podcast Summary: The Law Entrepreneur – Ep. 464

AI and the Law: Building a Future-Proof Practice with Tom Martin
Date: October 10, 2025
Host: Mike Smith (guest hosting for Sam Mollaei & Neil Tyra)
Guest: Tom Martin (Founder/CEO of LawDroid)

Overview:

This episode explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the legal profession, featuring insights from Tom Martin, a legal tech pioneer, founder/CEO of LawDroid, adjunct professor, and active practicing attorney. The discussion covers practical applications, adoption challenges, AI’s future in the industry, and actionable ways lawyers can leverage tech to build efficient, client-centered practices.

Main Topics and Key Insights

1. The Legal AI Revolution – Context & Opportunity

• Unprecedented Transformation:

  • AI is the legal profession’s biggest shift since digital law libraries. Adoption has skyrocketed: per the 2024 Clio Legal Trends Report, AI use by lawyers grew from 19% to 79% in a single year ([00:22]).
  • "That's not the sort of typical slow adoption of technology that we usually see with lawyers. So a lot is changing out there." – Mike Smith [00:41]

• Guest’s Credibility:

  • Tom Martin brings a unique perspective as both a tech entrepreneur (LawDroid, multiple AI conferences), educator, and practicing probate lawyer.
  • Notably, he started applying technology in his law practice over 25 years ago, with a background as a Yale philosophy major ([01:08]).

2. How AI Enhances Legal Practice Efficiency

• Automating Tedious Legal Work:

  • AI eliminates busywork—drafting similar communications, press releases, and tailored correspondence for conferences and events ([04:14]).
  • "If there's anything where I need to tweak it, I do before I send it off. But it really does save a lot of time." – Tom Martin [05:18]

• Choosing the Right AI Tools:

  • LLMs for Text: Claude (Sonnet 4.1) preferred for communication-oriented tasks ([05:36]).
  • Image Generation: GPT-5 + Canva for iterative design needs ([05:44]).
  • Importantly, AI is a collaborator, not a push-button tool: "You say to the AI 'draft a letter that says xyz,' it gives you a first draft, then you modify from there." – Mike Smith [07:12].

3. The Origins & Value Proposition of LawDroid

• Inspired by Early Legal Tech Experiments:

  • Tom describes the evolution from his early 2000s immigration form startup, to being catalyzed by news about Joshua Browder’s parking ticket chatbot ([09:25]).
  • The importance of experimentation is emphasized: "Now when it's easier to do, just get out there, experiment, find what makes you excited." – Tom Martin [10:10]

• We No Longer Have ‘The Luxury of Skepticism’:

  • With legal work being fundamentally knowledge and language-based, AI is now "9/10 of the way" to replicating it ([12:35]).
  • "For a lawyer, I think at this point to object to AI because it's not perfect—they're just missing the boat. You have to get on the boat and make it work for you." – Tom Martin [12:57]

4. Risks, Best Practices, & Ethics Around AI in Legal Work

• Hallucinations & Vetting Outputs:

  • Lawyers must know AI’s limitations—stories abound of erroneous AI-made citations ([14:05]).
  • "It's no different than when you work with an associate: you're not going to just turn that into the court." – Mike Smith [14:19]

• Strategies for Safer, Reliable AI Use:

  • Restricting AI models to reliable sources, disabling web searching, instructing LLMs to only draw from provided documents, and careful model selection ([25:33]).
  • Transparency with clients and users about AI’s capabilities and sources is key ([26:09]).

• Data Security Advice:

  • For LawDroid, no vendor (OpenAI, Anthropic) trains on user data—this is guaranteed by TOS ([39:25]).
  • Consumer-facing AI (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude):
    • Turn off ‘improve the model for everyone’ in settings to prevent data from being used for training ([40:00]).
    • Watch out as some providers previously ‘baked in’ good privacy practices but have changed policies ([41:06]).

5. AI in Law Practice Management & Client Experience

• Automating the Routine, Prioritizing the Human:

  • Tech can handle repetitive, structured legal work, freeing up lawyers to focus on high-touch, personal client service ([34:10]).
  • "If you have AI helping you, you can spend more time on those things...it's the number one source of bar complaints, at least in California: lack of communication. More communication, that should be a good thing." – Tom Martin [36:39]

• Process Mapping & Workflow Automation:

  • Emphasis on mapping the client journey, engaging all team members, specifying ideal workflows, then layering in automation/AI for efficiency ([37:26], [38:20]).

6. LawDroid’s AI Product Suite

• LawDroid CoPilot:

  • Designed for average lawyers (“not knee-deep in AI”) as an intuitive on-ramp—curated prompt workflows are triggered at the push of a button ([15:15]).
  • E.g., “Create Chronology” button for deposition transcripts.
  • "I've taken prompts...and I basically put them behind a button." – Tom Martin [16:32]

• LawDroid Builder:

  • For advanced users, allows building custom legal AI workflows combining conditional logic (decision tree) with generative AI ([20:20]).
  • Applications: client interviews, document generation, automated lead capture, AI “receptionist” answering calls ([22:27]).

• Law Answers AI:

  • Public-facing legal information tool for consumers—real-time, self-help (not advice), with robust safeguards against hallucinations ([23:41]).

• SiteCheck AI:

  • Automated citation checker for legal documents to prevent AI-generated hallucination errors—a “must-have” to avoid embarrassment or court sanctions ([47:48]).

• Depositron:

  • Consumer tool to automate legal demand letters for renters seeking deposit returns; launched in NY, rolling out in CA/IL ([47:33]).

7. Strategic Adoption: What Do Law Firms Need to Do?

• Redefining Adoption:

  • Merely using ChatGPT is not enough; lawyers must redesign process and service delivery models “from the ground up” ([28:46]).

• Areas of Practice Most Affected:

  • Transactional & “cookie-cutter” work (wills, basic contracts, etc.) is most susceptible to AI automation ([44:03], [45:31]).
  • Specialization & Human Expertise are the new moats—“ultra-specialists” and those adding value via counseling, empathy, strategy, and truly bespoke legal work will thrive ([44:52]).

• Actionable Recommendations for Lawyers:

  • Find trusted sources to track AI developments (see resource recommendations below).
  • Map existing workflows; optimize them for both efficiency and improved client interaction, then integrate tech ([43:01], [43:35]).

8. Forward Thinking – Who/What To Follow

• Tom’s Information Sources:
  • Nikki Shaver (Legal Tech Hub)
  • Damien Riehl (now at Velex/Clio)
  • Dazza Greenwood (MIT)
  • Dr. Megan Ma (Stanford)
• Connect with Tom via LinkedIn (“Tom Martin AI”) or subscribe to his Substack newsletter/podcast, LawDroid Manifesto ([49:18], [48:55]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We don’t have the luxury of skepticism anymore when it comes to AI adoption in law.”
  — Tom Martin [11:09]

• “If you’re not using AI in your practice, you are going to get left behind.”
  — Mike Smith [14:19]

• “Lawyers’ real value is not in the ‘cookie-cutter’ but in expertise, empathy, and specialization.”
  — Tom Martin [44:52]

• “I think the way to make this happen is mapping the client journey. Sit down and think through, step by step, what is their interaction with us at every stage?”
  — Tom Martin [37:26]

• “Tech lets us focus more on the human aspect...I can spend time talking to the family and understanding their emotional needs, not just get it done as a commodity.”
  — Mike Smith [34:10]

• “AI is a collaborator—the same way a good paralegal is.”
  — Mike Smith [06:54]

Key Timestamps

• 00:22: Introduction to the guest and topic—AI transforming legal practice
• 04:14: How Tom uses AI automation for event management and communication
• 05:36 - 07:46: Practical LLM recommendations; AI as collaborator
• 09:25 - 10:28: Inspiration to start LawDroid; origin story
• 11:09 - 13:20: “No more luxury of skepticism”; legal knowledge work and AI
• 15:15 - 16:32: LawDroid CoPilot—who it's for and how it works
• 20:20 - 22:27: LawDroid Builder—deeper legal workflow automation
• 24:12 - 26:09: Hallucinations risk and transparency strategies
• 29:38: Using AI & law changes for efficient, affordable probate
• 32:58 - 34:10: Rethinking legal practice for new value-adds, subscription services
• 37:26 - 38:20: Deep dive on workflow mapping and process improvement
• 39:25 - 41:17: Data privacy and security advice for AI tools
• 44:03 - 45:31: What areas of law are most (and least) at risk from AI
• 47:33 - 48:24: New consumer tools: Depositron, Law Answers AI, SiteCheck AI
• 49:18 - 51:07: Who to follow for legal AI news and expertise

Final Takeaways

• AI is a non-negotiable competitive advantage in the modern legal world:
  Early adopters are seeing outsized gains in efficiency, client satisfaction, and practice growth.

• The path forward:

  • Start with workflow, not technology.
  • Specialize or add high-level human value to withstand commoditization.
  • Embrace transparency in how you use AI—trust is enhanced, not diminished, by candor.

Further Resources:

• LawDroid Manifesto – Tom Martin’s Substack Newsletter/Podcast
• LinkedIn: Tom Martin (AI)
• Recommended Experts: Nikki Shaver, Damien Riehl, Dazza Greenwood, Dr. Megan Ma

This summary captures the guiding principles and practical guidance discussed in the episode, offering a roadmap for lawyers navigating the AI-powered legal future.