Damien Riehl
@damienriehl.bsky.social
Lawyer, technologist, educator, musician, speaker. Litigator for ~15 years, coding 1985+, web 1995+, also cybersecurity. Now AI-backed tools @Fastcase and @vLex
What's the value of privacy? It's $4!
November 9, 2025 at 9:40 AM
What's the value of privacy? It's $4!
a16z: "The 'best' companies have hostages, not customers." Over the decades, how has this applied to #legaltech?
youtu.be/Kw2bK_jLz8M?...
youtu.be/Kw2bK_jLz8M?...
Keith Rabois: Israel, OpenAI, Opendoor, and DOGE
YouTube video by a16z
youtu.be
October 19, 2025 at 1:32 PM
a16z: "The 'best' companies have hostages, not customers." Over the decades, how has this applied to #legaltech?
youtu.be/Kw2bK_jLz8M?...
youtu.be/Kw2bK_jLz8M?...
In defense of the em dash — punctuation making us more human!
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/m...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/m...
With the Em Dash, A.I. Embraces a Fading Tradition
www.nytimes.com
October 10, 2025 at 1:31 PM
In defense of the em dash — punctuation making us more human!
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/m...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/m...
Ex-OpenAI CTO Mira Murati's company Thinking Machines is making LLMs more #deterministic.
Open questions: Do we want *all* of our #legaltech to be deterministic? Or is "legal creativity" #probabilsm a feature, not a bug? 🤔
Open questions: Do we want *all* of our #legaltech to be deterministic? Or is "legal creativity" #probabilsm a feature, not a bug? 🤔
September 23, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Ex-OpenAI CTO Mira Murati's company Thinking Machines is making LLMs more #deterministic.
Open questions: Do we want *all* of our #legaltech to be deterministic? Or is "legal creativity" #probabilsm a feature, not a bug? 🤔
Open questions: Do we want *all* of our #legaltech to be deterministic? Or is "legal creativity" #probabilsm a feature, not a bug? 🤔
#Lawyers, #judges, #arbitrators, and #mediators use #Claude. Queries:
- #Lawyers: 0.21% = 201,600 daily (6,048,000 monthly)
- #ALJs: 0.19% = 5.4M/mo
- #Arbitrators + #Mediators: 0.10% = 2.8M/mo
- #Paralegals + #LAAs: 0.05% = 1.4M/mo
- #Judges + #Magistrates: 0.03% = 28k/mo
- #Lawyers: 0.21% = 201,600 daily (6,048,000 monthly)
- #ALJs: 0.19% = 5.4M/mo
- #Arbitrators + #Mediators: 0.10% = 2.8M/mo
- #Paralegals + #LAAs: 0.05% = 1.4M/mo
- #Judges + #Magistrates: 0.03% = 28k/mo
September 22, 2025 at 1:38 PM
#Lawyers, #judges, #arbitrators, and #mediators use #Claude. Queries:
- #Lawyers: 0.21% = 201,600 daily (6,048,000 monthly)
- #ALJs: 0.19% = 5.4M/mo
- #Arbitrators + #Mediators: 0.10% = 2.8M/mo
- #Paralegals + #LAAs: 0.05% = 1.4M/mo
- #Judges + #Magistrates: 0.03% = 28k/mo
- #Lawyers: 0.21% = 201,600 daily (6,048,000 monthly)
- #ALJs: 0.19% = 5.4M/mo
- #Arbitrators + #Mediators: 0.10% = 2.8M/mo
- #Paralegals + #LAAs: 0.05% = 1.4M/mo
- #Judges + #Magistrates: 0.03% = 28k/mo
Law firm leader on stage just now: "We've equipped each of our lawyers with the $20/month ChatGPT, telling them 'Use it for everything you can.'" How many firms are doing this? How many just don't speak about their "off the shelf #LLM use" publicly?
September 16, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Law firm leader on stage just now: "We've equipped each of our lawyers with the $20/month ChatGPT, telling them 'Use it for everything you can.'" How many firms are doing this? How many just don't speak about their "off the shelf #LLM use" publicly?
LexisNexis study: "Among these consumers who are aware of [ #LLMs ], a stunning 48% have already used some form of generative AI tool to obtain #LegalAdvice or assistance with a legal question." Wow — 48%! Oh, by the way, this was from May 2023. 🤯
www.lexisnexis.com/community/in...
www.lexisnexis.com/community/in...
New Survey Identifies How Consumers Would Be Willing to Use Generative AI to Address Legal Needs
By Steve Carroll
If it feels to you like generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools have gone from a sci-fi idea to a transformational tech in a matter of months, it’s because they have....
www.lexisnexis.com
September 16, 2025 at 6:22 PM
LexisNexis study: "Among these consumers who are aware of [ #LLMs ], a stunning 48% have already used some form of generative AI tool to obtain #LegalAdvice or assistance with a legal question." Wow — 48%! Oh, by the way, this was from May 2023. 🤯
www.lexisnexis.com/community/in...
www.lexisnexis.com/community/in...
Google: AI's environmental impact appears overestimated
AI QUERIES: 0.24 Wh vs earlier estimates (3-7 Wh) — like watching TV for <9 seconds
TRUE ENERGY: far lower than claims (0.24 vs 3-7 Wh)
OLD STUDIES missed cooling/infrastructure
33x efficiency (44x carbon ↓ )
youtu.be/aarDw3sooYE?...
AI QUERIES: 0.24 Wh vs earlier estimates (3-7 Wh) — like watching TV for <9 seconds
TRUE ENERGY: far lower than claims (0.24 vs 3-7 Wh)
OLD STUDIES missed cooling/infrastructure
33x efficiency (44x carbon ↓ )
youtu.be/aarDw3sooYE?...
Calculating our AI energy consumption
YouTube video by Google Sustainability
www.youtube.com
August 22, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Google: AI's environmental impact appears overestimated
AI QUERIES: 0.24 Wh vs earlier estimates (3-7 Wh) — like watching TV for <9 seconds
TRUE ENERGY: far lower than claims (0.24 vs 3-7 Wh)
OLD STUDIES missed cooling/infrastructure
33x efficiency (44x carbon ↓ )
youtu.be/aarDw3sooYE?...
AI QUERIES: 0.24 Wh vs earlier estimates (3-7 Wh) — like watching TV for <9 seconds
TRUE ENERGY: far lower than claims (0.24 vs 3-7 Wh)
OLD STUDIES missed cooling/infrastructure
33x efficiency (44x carbon ↓ )
youtu.be/aarDw3sooYE?...
Reposted by Damien Riehl
Visions of the future with AI for people, the courts, and lawyers. I'm very excited for this article from Washington State Bar Association. With thanks to @damienriehl.bsky.social, Jayne Reardon, and J. Scott Schlegel who I have been bouncing ideas off for a year or so wabarnews.org/2025/07/16/t...
The Bright Legal Future - Washington State Bar News
Jordan Couch offers a positive vision for the future AI, of more people having access to help with their legal problems.
wabarnews.org
July 30, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Visions of the future with AI for people, the courts, and lawyers. I'm very excited for this article from Washington State Bar Association. With thanks to @damienriehl.bsky.social, Jayne Reardon, and J. Scott Schlegel who I have been bouncing ideas off for a year or so wabarnews.org/2025/07/16/t...
Microsoft: AI beats human physicians in diagnoses (Humans = 2/10, Machines = 8/10)
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Microsoft says AI system better than doctors at diagnosing complex health conditions
Firm says results of research create ‘path to medical superintelligence’ but plays down job implications
www.theguardian.com
July 1, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Microsoft: AI beats human physicians in diagnoses (Humans = 2/10, Machines = 8/10)
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Lovely London event with Reena SenGupta of #RSGI at the @financialtimes.com FT Innovative Lawyers event!
June 24, 2025 at 8:39 AM
Lovely London event with Reena SenGupta of #RSGI at the @financialtimes.com FT Innovative Lawyers event!
Great fun chatting #music + #Copyright
• Copyright protects expressions, not ideas
• AI extracting uncopyrightable #ideas (vectors), not #expressions (jettisoned)?
• #MLC style royalties statute for #AI ingested works?
youtu.be/1UjXTRw2Yck?...
• Copyright protects expressions, not ideas
• AI extracting uncopyrightable #ideas (vectors), not #expressions (jettisoned)?
• #MLC style royalties statute for #AI ingested works?
youtu.be/1UjXTRw2Yck?...
Are We Doing Copyright Wrong in Music?
YouTube video by Music Tectonics
youtu.be
June 20, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Great fun chatting #music + #Copyright
• Copyright protects expressions, not ideas
• AI extracting uncopyrightable #ideas (vectors), not #expressions (jettisoned)?
• #MLC style royalties statute for #AI ingested works?
youtu.be/1UjXTRw2Yck?...
• Copyright protects expressions, not ideas
• AI extracting uncopyrightable #ideas (vectors), not #expressions (jettisoned)?
• #MLC style royalties statute for #AI ingested works?
youtu.be/1UjXTRw2Yck?...
Dark day, here in Minnesota. Democrats shot and killed: How will POTUS respond? 🤷
kstp.com/kstp-news/to...
kstp.com/kstp-news/to...
Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, husband shot and killed; Sen. John Hoffman and wife also shot
Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband have died after they were shot at their home in Brooklyn Park.
kstp.com
June 14, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Dark day, here in Minnesota. Democrats shot and killed: How will POTUS respond? 🤷
kstp.com/kstp-news/to...
kstp.com/kstp-news/to...
RIP Brian Wilson
youtu.be/9a7TENaM7mE
youtu.be/9a7TENaM7mE
In My Room | Beach Boys (arr. Riehl) | Schola Diffusa (Virtual Choir)
YouTube video by Damien Riehl
youtu.be
June 12, 2025 at 8:55 PM
RIP Brian Wilson
youtu.be/9a7TENaM7mE
youtu.be/9a7TENaM7mE
Legal tech "learning" through redlines? This interview with Cursor engineers discusses doing reinforcement learning (RL) on PRs (pull requests), to allow the LLM to "learn" like a Jr. coder might.
Equally applicable to lawyers? Maybe RL on Track Changes redlines? 🤔
youtu.be/sLaxGAL_Pl0?...
Equally applicable to lawyers? Maybe RL on Track Changes redlines? 🤔
youtu.be/sLaxGAL_Pl0?...
Training superhuman coding models at Cursor
YouTube video by Cursor
youtu.be
June 7, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Legal tech "learning" through redlines? This interview with Cursor engineers discusses doing reinforcement learning (RL) on PRs (pull requests), to allow the LLM to "learn" like a Jr. coder might.
Equally applicable to lawyers? Maybe RL on Track Changes redlines? 🤔
youtu.be/sLaxGAL_Pl0?...
Equally applicable to lawyers? Maybe RL on Track Changes redlines? 🤔
youtu.be/sLaxGAL_Pl0?...
Estonia's FutureLaw Conference was wonderful — filled with old friends and new ones. Tallinn is lovely, and its people are great hosts. Last year was a joy, and this year might have even been better. Thanks to Team #FutureLaw25 for an excellent meeting of smart legal minds!
June 2, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Estonia's FutureLaw Conference was wonderful — filled with old friends and new ones. Tallinn is lovely, and its people are great hosts. Last year was a joy, and this year might have even been better. Thanks to Team #FutureLaw25 for an excellent meeting of smart legal minds!
Poor people, veterans, seniors, and children rely on LSC to fund #LegalAid organizations nationwide.
The White House budget would eliminate the LSC — harming 5M low-income families. Civil legal aid helps returns $7 for every $1 invested.
Support LSC here:
americanbar.quorum.us/campaign/457...
The White House budget would eliminate the LSC — harming 5M low-income families. Civil legal aid helps returns $7 for every $1 invested.
Support LSC here:
americanbar.quorum.us/campaign/457...
Support Robust Funding for the Legal Services Corporation
Support Robust Funding for the Legal Services Corporation
americanbar.quorum.us
June 2, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Poor people, veterans, seniors, and children rely on LSC to fund #LegalAid organizations nationwide.
The White House budget would eliminate the LSC — harming 5M low-income families. Civil legal aid helps returns $7 for every $1 invested.
Support LSC here:
americanbar.quorum.us/campaign/457...
The White House budget would eliminate the LSC — harming 5M low-income families. Civil legal aid helps returns $7 for every $1 invested.
Support LSC here:
americanbar.quorum.us/campaign/457...
Hey, M&A lawyers: CEO said he used #LLM for #M&A deal, saving him $100k. Harbinger of the future? Or today? If you're not using LLMs, will this client stop hiring you? Or will you not know why the phone didn't ring? See 32:37 mark.
youtu.be/JMYQmGfTltY?...
youtu.be/JMYQmGfTltY?...
AI AGENTS EMERGENCY DEBATE: These Jobs Won't Exist In 24 Months! We Must Prepare For What's Coming!
YouTube video by The Diary Of A CEO
youtu.be
June 1, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Hey, M&A lawyers: CEO said he used #LLM for #M&A deal, saving him $100k. Harbinger of the future? Or today? If you're not using LLMs, will this client stop hiring you? Or will you not know why the phone didn't ring? See 32:37 mark.
youtu.be/JMYQmGfTltY?...
youtu.be/JMYQmGfTltY?...
Another study showing that #LLMs are more persuasive than humans:
- GPT-4 improved persuasion 64.4% of time
- 81.2% higher post-debate agreement
- 95% confidence interval
Study used GPT-4: Reasoning models = even better? 🤔
#Lawyers #LawFirms: How long before NOT using an LLM = malpractice?
- GPT-4 improved persuasion 64.4% of time
- 81.2% higher post-debate agreement
- 95% confidence interval
Study used GPT-4: Reasoning models = even better? 🤔
#Lawyers #LawFirms: How long before NOT using an LLM = malpractice?
May 20, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Jeff Dean (renowned Google engineer) says that an AI will operate 24/7 at a "junior engineer" level — and that'll happen in the "next year-ish."
youtu.be/dq8MhTFCs80?...
youtu.be/dq8MhTFCs80?...
Google’s Jeff Dean on the Coming Era of Virtual Engineers
YouTube video by Sequoia Capital
youtu.be
May 13, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Jeff Dean (renowned Google engineer) says that an AI will operate 24/7 at a "junior engineer" level — and that'll happen in the "next year-ish."
youtu.be/dq8MhTFCs80?...
youtu.be/dq8MhTFCs80?...
Rest in peace, "Prompt Engineering" field. 🪦
www.fastcompany.com/91327911/pro...
www.fastcompany.com/91327911/pro...
'AI is already eating its own': Prompt engineering is quickly going extinct
Three years into the boom, it looks like AI is reshaping existing jobs more than creating new ones.
www.fastcompany.com
May 8, 2025 at 11:26 PM
Rest in peace, "Prompt Engineering" field. 🪦
www.fastcompany.com/91327911/pro...
www.fastcompany.com/91327911/pro...
Reposted by Damien Riehl
ICYMI, the good folks at @free.law have added a feature to the Court Listener pages called "Pray & Pay" where you can click the pray icon next to a document you want & they list it for other RECAP users to contribute it w/ unused free allowance or generous $$$.
www.courtlistener.com/help/pray-an...
www.courtlistener.com/help/pray-an...
April 30, 2025 at 4:10 AM
ICYMI, the good folks at @free.law have added a feature to the Court Listener pages called "Pray & Pay" where you can click the pray icon next to a document you want & they list it for other RECAP users to contribute it w/ unused free allowance or generous $$$.
www.courtlistener.com/help/pray-an...
www.courtlistener.com/help/pray-an...
Superstar panel — talking Access to Justice #A2J — at the @suffolklitlab.org #LITCon 2025!
- Bob Ambrogi @bobambrogi.bsky.social
- Sateesh Nori — Just-Tech — @theaugmentedlawyer.bsky.social
- Ben Jackson — Upsolve
- Nicole Bradick @nbradick.bsky.social
- Bob Ambrogi @bobambrogi.bsky.social
- Sateesh Nori — Just-Tech — @theaugmentedlawyer.bsky.social
- Ben Jackson — Upsolve
- Nicole Bradick @nbradick.bsky.social
April 7, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Superstar panel — talking Access to Justice #A2J — at the @suffolklitlab.org #LITCon 2025!
- Bob Ambrogi @bobambrogi.bsky.social
- Sateesh Nori — Just-Tech — @theaugmentedlawyer.bsky.social
- Ben Jackson — Upsolve
- Nicole Bradick @nbradick.bsky.social
- Bob Ambrogi @bobambrogi.bsky.social
- Sateesh Nori — Just-Tech — @theaugmentedlawyer.bsky.social
- Ben Jackson — Upsolve
- Nicole Bradick @nbradick.bsky.social
Important discussion of #AI + #Law + #A2J (Access to Justice) by @karajp.bsky.social Kara Peterson and Jess Bednarz at #ABATECHSHOW
April 3, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Important discussion of #AI + #Law + #A2J (Access to Justice) by @karajp.bsky.social Kara Peterson and Jess Bednarz at #ABATECHSHOW