John Alber

Today we speak with John Alber—retired lawyer, businessperson, and legal futurist. Like many of our guests, John’s career path has taken some fascinating turns. He was a partner at Bryan Cave LLP when he was given the opportunity to buy a company, which ultimately became Alber Leland, Inc., a database and software publisher in the transportation sector. John would later return to Bryan Cave as Strategic Innovation Partner—one of the first in the industry—applying his business skills and experience to find innovative ways for the firm to deliver legal services through new technology. Over time, he developed what we now might consider one of the first captive ALSPs. Additionally, John was a futurist for the International Legal Technology Association, where he served as a consultant on different programs and helped the organization focus on business strategies. Today, John dedicates himself to conservation in Florida, particularly the Apalachicola River, which has been called America's most endangered wild river. In our conversation, John tells us about his experience innovating at Bryan Cave, the ways he convinced lawyers to adopt technology, the advice he would give to legal professionals on tech and innovation, and his recent conservation efforts.