Hello my friends and welcome to another edition of “Ten Things You Need to Know as In-House Counsel!”  Every summer for the past ten years, I have written about “cool tech” for in-house lawyers.  It is one of my favorite posts and over that time I have stumbled upon a number of great bits of technology that in-house lawyers should check out.[1]  Over the course of the past 12 months, I have been keeping my eyes open for useful technology that will make you more productive (in addition to making work easier and – hopefully – more fun and interesting).  In my latest book, productivity for in-house lawyers, I devote a lot of space to how technology can increase productivity, reduce costs, and make your life as an in-house lawyer better. Simply put, I am a big fan of technology.  I say that with full disclosure that I am not particularly skillful with it.  I just like to bang away and see what works and what doesn’t, keeping the good and moving on from the bad.  Pretty much just “Joe Average” when it comes to understanding how it works – but good at finding ways to capitalize on the stuff that does work.

I know most legal departments operate on a tight budget, so when I am putting this post together I like to find and highlight technology that is easy to use and low cost – delivering big value with little effort or expense (though I also highlight at least one bit of technology that is a bigger lift cost-wise but likely to pay big dividends – and I do that again this year).  No shock, but a lot of the technology I highlight here in 2025 has some basis in AI and I think that will pretty much be the course for next several years if not more.  As usual, I make no promises or warranties of any kind, implied or express and you assume all risks associated with reading further (and I have an army of savage litigators at my disposal should something go off the rails – so keep those lawsuits to yourself…). I can also assure you that I get nothing for recommending the technology below.  I just think these are all useful tools and worth your checking them out.  Ready to get started?  Great, here we go with my “Ten Things” cool tech 2025 edition:

1.  Podsnacks.  First up is a cool service called Podsnacks (which is not an advertisement to eat Tide pods).  If you like to listen to podcasts (and who doesn’t these days?), then this is an awesome piece of AI-based tech. Basically, it summarizes the podcasts you are interested in (a curated list or those you subscribe to) and sends you that summary in an email.  You can read the summary, read the full transcript, or go ahead and listen to the podcast.  It’s a great way to zero in quickly on what interests you most.  Oh yeah, it’s free.

2.  OmniCalculator.  I guess I will go ahead and date myself, but I remember when the first calculators came out.  They we very basic, i.e., addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. My friends and I in small town Nebraska were awestruck.  Those calculators were stone knives compared to what calculators can do now, as they put more computing power in your hand than was available to the entire Apollo program that landed a man on the moon.  Think about that. (Pause).  And while you are thinking about that, check out OmniCalculator.  With 3,747 different calculators, this free site gives you the power to calculate math, food, finance, statistics and much, much more.  It’s fun just to play with the different calculators and see what’s out there. Well, at least it is for me but I’m weird.  Check it out!

3.  TopRated.  Going on a trip and want to know what to do when you get there?  Or maybe you realize that you have never really checked out the cool things to do in your own home town?  Well, you’re in luck because now there is TopRated!  Here is the description from the website:

“Looking to discover the best spots in a new city? Top-Rated.online helps you find top-notch places without the hassle. We collect highly reviewed places, from well-known favorites to hidden gems, so you can easily explore. Just enter your destination, and we’ll lead you to the best-reviewed spots worth visiting while advising caution about places with poor reviews or tourist traps.”

I was just checking it out while writing this and see there is a car and toy museum in Dallas.  I have lived here 30+ years and never knew that.  New plans for the weekend!

4.  Quick Assist.  If you have parents,[2] siblings, children, total strangers, or anyone else who needs help with their Windows-based computer, you can now easily and seamlessly obtain remote access with Quick Assist.  Or if you need help from them, it works the other way as well. It’s a simple free download from the Microsoft store.  All you need to use Quick Assist is internet connectivity. No roles, permissions, or policies are involved. Neither party needs to be in “a domain.” The helper must have a Microsoft account. The sharer doesn’t have to authenticate anything.  It’s super easy and less hassle than previous “Cool Tech” winner, TeamViewer (which is still a good choice by the way).

5.  There’s An AI For That.  Okay, this isn’t tech in and of itself, but it does one thing really well – it helps you sort through all of the AI tech out there which makes it a winner in my book.  Sign up for There’s An AI For That (it’s free) and you get a weekly newsletter highlighting all of the newest and coolest AI tech.[3]  It’s an easy way to stay on top of what’s out there.  It’s mission is to “offer the most complete set of tools for anyone who is planning to use AI to improve their lives and work performance.” This is what I use to stay up to date and I am a tech dummy, so you know it has to be helpful!

6.  DeltaHub Carpio 2.0.  Yeah, that’s a mouthful but this is really cool, inexpensive tech.  What does it do?  It helps keep you from getting carpal tunnel syndrome, a painful problem that develops due to bad posture and bad wrist placement when you use a keyboard a lot (like we all do). DeltaHub Carpio 2.0 is a small, low-tech brace that sits on your desk and keeps your wrist in the proper position while you type. There is also a version for gamers (which I am not but if I was, I would buy one of these).  If you type a lot, spend the $35 to save your wrists and a lifetime of pain.  Or go nuts and buy two!

7.  Perplexity.  I know that most of you are going to cringe at the thought of another AI search tool, but Perplexity should be on your list to try out – especially if you are a Google search fan like me.  Why? Here are several reasons: (a) it answers your questions using just online sources, (b) you get concise responses with citations that allow you to verify and go deeper, (c) you can search incognito and turn off data retention so your searches are not used to train models, (d) the free version is great (and there are – of course – paid versions), and (e) no long list of links or uber-long articles – just straight forward answers. Here is a great article by Jeremy Caplan of Wonder Tools setting out all the goodness Perplexity brings to the table.  Check it out (and subscribe to Wonder Tools[4] while you are at it)!

8.  Napkin.  I love Napkin!  Basically, it lets you turn text into diagrams – just as if you were doodling an idea on a napkin.  It’s super simple to use and the results are amazing, i.e., easily create auto-generated infographics, diagrams, mind maps, flowcharts, data charts, and more. Start by entering your text (using just about any sources, i.e., Word, PDF, PowerPoint, etc.).  No prompting needed.  Then click to generate results.  Pick the one (out of several presented) that best suits your needs.  Clean it up using the editing tools.  Download the result and use it in your own materials.  Even better, it’s free.  Try it one time and you’ll love it!  In fact – here is one I just made by pasting the text of this section into Napkin.  Pretty cool, right?

9.  Linq Card.  Okay, I admit it.  I still carry around business cards.  I just find them a very useful tool to make connections.  That said, I know I am among the last of shrinking pool.  Most attorneys (in-house or outside counsel) don’t carry business cards.  Usually, they just tell you that they will connect with you later on LinkedIn or drop you an email.  Enter Linq Card.  Linq is a super-easy way to create your own electronic business card with built-in NFC and QR technology that instantly shares and saves contact information.  It is a physical card (like a credit card) and it does cost you some dough to get one (not much).  But it works with iOS and Android devices and if you are willing to shell out more dough, you can customize the card so it looks awesome (you can even get a mini-card that sticks on the back of your phone).  I am still holding on to my paper cards, but this is a pretty awesome tool for when I forget or someone laughs when I pull out the paper cards (yes, that has happened).[5]

10.  GC AI.  Last but not least, it’s time to unveil my “big tech” choice for 2025.  If you have read past editions of my Cool Tech post, you know that I like to focus on tech that is inexpensive and easy to use with little training.  But I also like to pick one bit of technology that will cost you some money and time but is worth the effort and the cost.  Last year, I picked LawVu, which is still an awesome pick.  Similarly, I picked Practical Law a while back as well (and you all know how much I love Practical Law).  This year, I am picking a piece of technology that I have heard about from a number of in-house lawyers singing its praises.  I am talking about GC AI.  Created by in-house lawyers for in-house lawyers it is simply one of the best tools I have seen in a very long time. Super powerful AI that does not train LLMs on your data – a critical point when confidentiality and attorney-client privilege issues are table stakes problems with a lot of AI tools. I was going to list the features but it’s actually easier to give you a link to a YouTube video where co-founder, Cecilia Ziniti, gives you a demo: GC AI Demo.  Stop what you are doing and watch this video. Prepare to have your mind blown.[6]  If you have the dollars (it’s not cheap), GC AI needs to be in your legal department tech stack.[7]

*****

Crap.  That’s ten.  I could easily write down a dozen more bits of cool tech for you.  But there is always 2026 and these are the winners for 2025!  I hope you find a few things on the list above to help you (and your team) become more productive or make your work life a bit easier.  As Aristotle once said, “Technology is your buddy.  Don’t be afraid to try it.  Stay away from the hemlock.”  He was a wise man.  In my experience, just start bashing away (and do stay away from the hemlock).  Technology is hard to break, and you can always unplug it or uninstall it and start over (that’s what I do when things get weird or the AI looks like it might be sentient…).  And if any technology doesn’t really help you do things better or faster, just drop it and move on quickly – like you did with your first middle school boyfriend or girlfriend.  Well, enough philosophizing and whatever I’m doing here.  That’s all for now.  Now, go hug it out with some tech!

Sterling Miller

September 19, 2025

My new book (number 6), The Productive In-House Lawyer: Tips, Hacks, and the Art of Getting Things Done, is available for sale!  While they don’t agree on much, Republicans and Democrats agree that it makes a great paper weight.  You may not think you need a paper weight, but you do.  So, buy several copies to keep all of your paper properly weighted.  You can buy it here: Buy The Book!

My fifth book, Showing the Value of the Legal Department: More Than Just a Cost Center is available now, including as an eBook!  You can buy a copy HERE.

Two of my books, Ten Things You Need to Know as In-House Counsel – Practical Advice and Successful Strategies and Ten (More) Things You Need to Know as In-House Counsel – Practical Advice and Successful Strategies Volume 2, are also on sale at the ABA website (including as e-books).

I have published two other books: The Evolution of Professional Football, and The Slow-Cooker Savant.  My second cookbook, More Slow Cooker Savant, is at the publisher and should be available to buy in October or early November – just in time for the holidays!  I am also available for speaking engagements, webinars/CLEs, coaching, training, pet sitting, bartending, and consulting.

Connect with me on Twitter @10ThingsLegal and on LinkedIn where I post articles and stories of interest to in-house counsel frequently.  

“Ten Things” is not legal advice nor legal opinion and represents my views only.  It is intended to provide practical tips and references to the busy in-house practitioner and other readers.  If you have questions or comments, or ideas for a post, please contact me at sterling.miller@sbcglobal.net, or if you would like a CLE for your in-house legal team on this or any topic in the blog, contact me at smiller@hilgersgraben.com.

[1] If you would like to see past editions of the “cool tech” edition, check out the links below:

2024

2023

2022

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

[2] Mom – if you are reading this sorry for ratting you out but you really need to up your game on the computer.

[3] It was also a 2023 winner in my annual “Best Blogs and Other Media for In-House Lawyers” post.  This may be the first double winner in “Ten Things” history (though I am way too lazy to look any further back than 2023 so you’ll just have to trust me on this).

[4] Another 2023 “Best Blogs and Other Media” winner.  What is going on here?!

[5] Mom – you didn’t have to be so mean about it.

[6] Remember: no guarantees or warranties of any kind…

[7] Which is a good place for me to tell you check out this great article by Shanti Ariker, CLO of JFrog, “How to Stack Legal Tech Without Losing Your Mind (or Budget).”