AI, Access to Justice & the Future of Legal Research W/ Will McCartney, Founder of HABEAS

What happens when a law student decides the traditional research grind is broken… and builds something better?In this episode Lofty sits down with William McCartney, founder of HABEAS, a next-generation AI legal research platform designed to make the law more accessible, intuitive, and commercially viable for modern lawyers.William shares his unconventional path from humanities student to legal tech founder, why he stepped away from law school to go all-in on building HABEAS, and how AI is reshaping legal research, access to justice, and the future of the profession itself.This is not hype-driven AI chatter. It’s a grounded, lawyer-to-lawyer conversation about where AI actually helps, where it still falls short, and how lawyers who learn to work with it will outpace those who ignore it.If you’re a sole practitioner, small firm lawyer, law student, or simply curious about how AI will impact justice and the business of law, this episode is essential listening.00:00 – Welcome & intro to Will McCartney02:00 – From humanities to law to legal tech05:00 – Why entrepreneurship isn’t taught (and why it matters)08:30 – Dropping out of law school to build HABEAS12:00 – What’s broken about traditional legal research15:30 – AI, semantic search & natural language law queries19:00 – Hallucinations, accuracy & why lawyers still matter24:00 – AI as a “first-year lawyer” vs a senior practitioner28:00 – What AI means for grads and junior lawyers32:00 – Small firms, leverage & the future of legal practice36:00 – Access to justice: promise vs risk40:00 – HABEAS x League Loot offer43:00 – Where to find HABEAS & final thoughtsAI doesn’t replace legal judgment, it compresses time and removes frictionThe future lawyer is part practitioner, part strategist, part technologistLegal research is shifting from keyword hunting to conversational discoveryAccess to justice improves when research costs drop, but only if deployed responsiblyGrads who learn AI and fundamentals early will move faster than prior generationsSmall firms now have enterprise-level research power at their fingertipsHABEAS AI Legal Research Platform👉 Free trial + demos available via the Habius websiteSelf-Employed Lawyers League (SELL)👉 Members receive 25% off HABEAS subscriptions⏱️ Episode Chapters & Timestamps🧠 Key Takeaways🛠️ Tools & Resources Mentioned