S3, E4: Why 80% of Legal Demand Still Goes Unserved

What happens when a trial lawyer gets so frustrated with a broken legal process that he decides to rebuild it from scratch? In this episode of The Relay, Gabriel Stiritz sits down with Eric Voogt, founder of Proof and former trial lawyer, to discuss how technology is reshaping legal services, why operational efficiency matters more than ever, and what the future of law firms may look like in an era of AI, automation, and private equity investment. After spending more than two decades practicing law, Eric experienced firsthand the inefficiencies of service of process—the critical but often overlooked step of ensuring defendants receive legal notice. That experience led him to build Proof, now one of the largest service-of-process networks in the country. But this conversation goes far beyond process serving. Together, Gabriel and Eric explore how technology is expanding access to legal services, why many law firms are still resisting change, and what it will take for the profession to serve more clients in the years ahead. In this episode: Why Eric left legal practice to build Proof How technology is transforming legal operations Where AI helps law firms—and where humans remain essential The rise of legal tech, MSOs, and private equity-backed firms Why operational efficiency is becoming a competitive advantage The challenge of serving the 80% of legal demand that currently goes unmet What modern law firm leaders should be doing to prepare for the future Whether you're a solo practitioner, managing partner, or legal industry operator, this episode offers a practical look at how technology, scale, and innovation are changing the business of law.