You're Fine: AI, Anxiety, and the Future of Law Firms

He published more than 100 articles while practicing law full time, then walked away from the firm to build a job that barely existed yet. Meet Ari Kaplan, a former McDermott Will & Emery attorney who has spent nearly 20 years as a legal industry analyst studying how the profession actually works.In this episode of The Mostly Legal Podcast, Amanda Koplos and Rob Joyner sit down with Ari for a candid and very funny conversation about why most firms are not as far behind on AI as they fear, why efficiency is the wrong thing to measure, and why the firms that win will sell judgment instead of manpower.Topics Covered:Why "you're fine" might be the most honest thing anyone has told legal about AIThe shift from selling manpower to selling judgment, and what it does to associate hiringWhy 2026 is the pivotal year firms stop dabbling and start disrupting themselvesWhat Ari learned interviewing Anthropic's general counsel, and why character beats any toolThe AI sweet spot, and why midlevel and senior associates see the biggest gainsHow junior lawyers can steal time, upskill, and leapfrog their peersWhy great client service still beats licensing the newest toolThe Virtual Lunch, the very exclusive Best Behavior Club, and fixing a washing machine with an AI chatbot