cool tech

Ten Things: “Cool Tech” for In-House Counsel (2025 Edition)

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:

(more…)

Ten Things: I Am On Two Podcasts This Month – How The Hell Did That Happen?!

It has been a fun month or so for me because I had the true pleasure of appearing on two of the best podcasts for in-house lawyers.  The first is “The Legal Department” hosted by Stacy Bratcher, CLO at Cottage Health.  The second is the “Legal Leaders” podcast hosted by David Lancelot, CLO at LawVu.  Stacy and I chatted in depth about productivity for in-house lawyers, including slaying the email monster and escaping meeting hell (as well as my go-to pump-me-up song).  David and I spoke about a variety of topics about practicing in-house, including technology and the keys to being an effective in-house lawyer (and if you listen closely you can hear my dog snoring blissfully in the background).  Both hosts asked outstanding questions and made it very easy for me to engage with them (and covering up my blathering).  So, grab some coffee and Oreos and give them a listen.  I think you will find a lot to like in both podcasts – mostly from the hosts.

(more…)

Ten Things: “Cool Tech” for In-House Counsel (2024 Edition)

Hello everyone and welcome to another edition of “Ten Things You Need to Know as In-House Counsel!”  This is one of my favorite posts of the year because every summer for the past nine years or so, I have written about “cool tech” for in-house lawyers – and this year is no exception.  If you would like to see past editions of the “cool tech” edition, check out footnote 1 below.[1]  As always, I have been scanning the technology horizon like Captain Ahab, searching for the most elusive prize of all – useful technology that will make in-house lawyers more productive (in addition to making work easier and – hopefully – more fun and interesting).  In my new book on productivity for in-house lawyers, I have chapters on technology generally and ChatGPT specifically.  And if you have been reading my other books, this blog, or my LinkedIn posts over the years, you know that I am a big fan of technology, especially technology that enhances the productivity of the legal department and its value to the business.

As always, I like to find and highlight technology that is easy to use and low cost – delivering big value with little effort or expense (though occasionally – like today – I will highlight something that is a bigger lift cost-wise but likely to pay big dividends).  As usual, I make no promises or warranties of any kind, implied or express (got to cover my ass when I can) and 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 time checking them out.  Ready to get into it?  Great, here we go with my “Ten Things” cool tech 2024 edition:

(more…)

Ten Things: Cool Tech for In-House Counsel (2023 Edition)

Hello again everyone and welcome to another edition of “Ten Things You Need to Know as In-House Counsel.”  This is one of my favorite posts of the year because every August for the past eight years (really?) I have written about “cool tech” for in-house lawyers – and this year is no exception![1]  Once again, I have been scanning the (virtual) horizon for the most useful technology that will – hopefully – make you more productive, make your life easier, or may just be fun and interesting.  If you have been reading my books, this blog, or my LinkedIn posts over the years, you know that I am a big fan of technology as a way to increase productivity and enhance the value of the legal department.  The good news is that the technology needed to make this happen does not have to be overly complicated or expensive.  In fact, I deliberately try to find low-cost – or free – solutions that are easy to adopt and use.  As usual, I make no promises or warranties of any kind, implied or express (sorry, just covering my bases here – you can’t be too careful, especially with the ABA breathing down my neck about some book I’m “supposed” to be sending their way soon).  I can assure you, however, that I get nothing for recommending the technology below.  I just think these are all useful tools and worth checking out.  So, with no further ado, this edition of “Ten Things” sets out my cool tech for in-house lawyers in 2023:

(more…)

Ten Things: “Cool Tech” for In-House Counsel (2022 Edition)

Well, it’s August and that means lots of things.  If you live in Texas, it means you are seriously regretting your decision to move here because it is just stupid hot and humid.  Apparently, housing lots in Hell are sold out as Texans look to move someplace cooler.  August also means it is time for my annual “Cool Tech” blog – one of my favorites.  Somehow, this is the eighth year in a row where I will share technology and tech-related ideas that can make life easier (or a smidge better) for in-house counsel.  If you want to check out past editions of my “Cool Tech” blog, here you go:

There is a lot of great technology discussed in these past editions and they are worth reading to find a gem or two that works best for you.

You probably know that I am a bit of a technology geek.  Not that I have any special powers (I am as afraid of screwing something up as you are), but rather because I wholeheartedly believe that technology can make an in-house lawyer’s job easier, improve the capabilities of the legal department, and help show the value generated by the legal team.  In my “Cool Tech” posts, I generally try to discuss technology that is free (or very low cost) and adds immediate value.   While I think e-billing systems, matter management systems, document management systems, electronic signatures, and so forth, are table stakes for legal departments today, that is not my focus here.  If you do want to read about this type of big tech (and all in-house lawyers should), I suggest you check out this really cool fairly new site, LawNext.  LawNext is a comprehensive directory of legal technology products and buyer’s resources.[1]  I also recommend the CCBJ 2022 Directory of Leading Legal Technology and Project Management Solutions available here.  But, with one exception, we’ll stay small and focused, i.e., technology you can buy and start using today, much of which is free.  As always, I received nothing for recommending this technology to you.  I just think in-house lawyers will find the technology useful.  But, enough yapping, let’s get to the fun stuff.  Here is my Cool Tech for In-House Lawyers 2022 Edition:

(more…)

Ten Things: Cool Tech for In-House Counsel (2021 Edition)

It’s August and that means three things: it’s very hot here in Texas, the Nebraska Cornhuskers have already lost a football game, and it’s time for my annual “Cool Tech” for in-house counsel blog post.  As you can imagine, I am pretty excited about the last one.  Not so much the first two. Regardless, this is the seventh year in a row where I will be sharing technology and tech-related ideas that can make life easier for in-house counsel (well, at least better).  If you want to check out past editions (and I hope you do), you can find them here:

If you have followed this blog and my posts on LinkedIn, then you already know that I am a big believer in the power of technology to improve the capabilities of the legal department and, more importantly, help show the value generated by the legal team.  That said, for my annual Cool Tech edition I generally try to discuss technology that is free (or very low cost) and adds immediate value.  So, if you are looking for an evaluation of e-billing systems, matter management systems, document management systems, electronic signatures, and so forth, you’re at the wrong movie.  If you do want to read about this type of “big tech’ (and all in-house lawyers should), I suggest the annual LawGeex 2021 contract technology buyer’s guide or Deloitte’s technology in the legal department guide.[1] Packed with great information, they are both free!  But, for today’s purposes, we’ll stay small and focused, i.e., technology you can buy and start using today, some of which is free.  As usual, I received nothing for recommending this technology to you.  I just think in-house lawyers will find the technology useful.  I also realized as I was writing this that because I am spending so much time working from home (thanks Delta variant), a lot of my suggestions work especially well for your home office.  And with that, let’s dig into Cool Tech for In-House Lawyers 2021 Edition:

(more…)

Ten Things: Cool Tech for In-House Counsel (2019 Edition)

Well, it’s that time of year again.  Every August for the last several years I have devoted a “Ten Things” blog post to talking about super useful technology for in-house lawyers.  Fortunately, there is always more cool tech to talk about and this year is no different.  That said, if you want to go back and revisit some of the past cool tech blogs click here (2016, 2017, 2018).  The ground rules are the same as always: (1) I receive no compensation for these recommendations, they’re just things I think in-house lawyers (any lawyers really) will find useful and helpful; (2) I try to focus mostly on free or low-cost technology – no breaking the bank for the most part; and (3) generally, everything I discuss should work for in-house lawyers anywhere in the world, not just the USA (if there is an exception, I’ll note it).[1]

With that in mind, this edition of “Ten Things” discusses some of the coolest technology out there for in-house lawyers, things that will make your life a little easier and, hopefully, more productive:

(more…)

Ten Things: “Cool Tech” for In-House Lawyers (2017)

I was a panelist at the 16th Annual Advanced In-House Counsel Course in San Antonio, Texas on August 18, 2017.  I was joined once again by Jason Smith of Apttus and Jane McBride of Optimus Legal to discuss ways lawyers can work smarter and not harder – a worthy goal if ever there was one!  Of course, one of the main ways to accomplish this is through the use of technology which we all touched on at some point during the discussion.  If you follow this blog regularly, you know that I have recently written on the impact of artificial intelligence on in-house legal departments as well as ways to slay the “Email Jabberwocky.”  Both highlight ways technology (and common sense) can help you do more in the same or less time.  You also know that I enjoy writing about the use of technology generally by in-house lawyers.  And now that I have gotten back in the General Counsel game after two years of private practice, I am focusing even more intently on ways technology can make my and my team’s lives easier.  What all of this means is that it is time for my annual “Cool Tech” blog post.  You can read my past posts for Cool Tech 2015 and Cool Tech 2016 (and I still recommend all of the technology mentioned there), but this edition of “Ten Things” will discuss an all-new list of cool tech for in-house lawyers.  As always, I do not receive any compensation or anything to endorse these products, it’s just my opinion about technology I think in-house lawyers might find useful:

(more…)