Legal Quants: the Elite Legal Practitioners of the AI Era

What is a "legal quant"? According to Jamie Tso, who coined the term, it describes a new breed of elite legal practitioners operating at the frontier of tech who will be the rainmakers of the AI era.  Jamie, who is a practicing lawyer, is not a software engineer. But he does identify as a "legal quant". It's a term he coined to describe a small but growing group of lawyers who use the latest in AI to build small and usable -- and sometimes disposable -- solutions to everyday problems they encounter in their practice.  But this isn't a hobby. Jamie believes legal quants will transform what it means to be an elite practitioner by leveraging AI to design their own weapons for achieving the best outcome for clients. So he's created a community of like-minded practitioners to meet, exchange ideas, problem solve, and ... most importantly... build things.  The driver for this is curiosity and growth. But it's also market realities. AI sets a new baseline. Lawyers who generate work product that is no better than AI-generated output will lag behind. Lawyers who use AI to make better, quicker decisions for their clients will race ahead of those who do not. Organizations who build out the internal capacity and structures needed to translate lawyer ideas and needs into tailored tech solutions will take business from those who do not. Legal quants and other lawyers who are AI-fluent will be the fulcrums for this transformation, and they'll gain professionally (and be rewarded financially) for it. It's a fascinating vision of the future of AI in the practice and business of law. I had a great time talking to Jamie about this moment, and his movement, in AI. Lawyers, students, and professionals alike can learn a lot from how he views the intersection of technology and knowledge work, and what he thinks it will take to reach the top echelons of the legal industry in the AI era.    Jamie Tso | LinkedIn LegalQuants