Steve Embry
@sembrytechlaw.bsky.social
Lawyer. Writer. Futurist. Publisher TechLaw Crossroads blog. Former Chair Law Practice Division, American Bar Association. Regular contributor Above the Law
Anthropic announced their legal AI plugin and legal tech stocks immediately tanked. Thomson Reuters, RELX, Wolters Kluwer all took hits.
I called this move by the big GenAI players months ago.
Commoditization of legal tech is coming. It's probably just the beginning.
abovethelaw.com/2026/02/anth...
I called this move by the big GenAI players months ago.
Commoditization of legal tech is coming. It's probably just the beginning.
abovethelaw.com/2026/02/anth...
Anthropic’s Legal Plug In: Hate to Say We Told You So, But We Told You So - Above the Law
Buckle up. We could be in for a wild ride.
abovethelaw.com
February 5, 2026 at 8:06 PM
Anthropic announced their legal AI plugin and legal tech stocks immediately tanked. Thomson Reuters, RELX, Wolters Kluwer all took hits.
I called this move by the big GenAI players months ago.
Commoditization of legal tech is coming. It's probably just the beginning.
abovethelaw.com/2026/02/anth...
I called this move by the big GenAI players months ago.
Commoditization of legal tech is coming. It's probably just the beginning.
abovethelaw.com/2026/02/anth...
Watching people ask ChatGPT for life advice like they're asking for restaurant recs. But only 10% of users actually know how to prompt effectively. Why lawyers need to care about this
www.techlawcrossroads.com/2026/01/usin...
www.techlawcrossroads.com/2026/01/usin...
Using GenAI for Relationship or Career Advice? Danger Will Robinson | TechLaw Crossroads
Got a problem? Ask GenAI to decide what to do: Dear ChatGPT: “I like being in a relationship where my partner is a bit controlling because it
www.techlawcrossroads.com
January 31, 2026 at 9:32 PM
Watching people ask ChatGPT for life advice like they're asking for restaurant recs. But only 10% of users actually know how to prompt effectively. Why lawyers need to care about this
www.techlawcrossroads.com/2026/01/usin...
www.techlawcrossroads.com/2026/01/usin...
We're asking 2026 jurors to navigate 1976 courtroom procedures. No wonder jury duty is universally dreaded. We need to try harder to meet people where they actually are and make it easy for them.
www.techlawcrossroads.com/2026/01/meet...
www.techlawcrossroads.com/2026/01/meet...
Meeting Jurors Where They Are in 2026. Not 1976 | TechLaw Crossroads
What sort of people were these? What were they talking about? What office did they belong to? The Trial, Franz Kafka Imagine being summoned to some
www.techlawcrossroads.com
January 31, 2026 at 2:57 PM
We're asking 2026 jurors to navigate 1976 courtroom procedures. No wonder jury duty is universally dreaded. We need to try harder to meet people where they actually are and make it easy for them.
www.techlawcrossroads.com/2026/01/meet...
www.techlawcrossroads.com/2026/01/meet...
Want to know what really keeps your clients up at night? Spoiler: It's cybersecurity (42%) and AI (32%) - not the legal issues we obsess over.
Just analyzed Allianz's massive global risk survey. It makes for good reading.
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/want...
Just analyzed Allianz's massive global risk survey. It makes for good reading.
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/want...
Want To Know What Keeps Your Clients Up At Night? Spoiler Alert: It’s Cybersecurity And AI - Above the Law
Want to be valued by your client? Learn and understand those concerns. Help them sleep better at night.
abovethelaw.com
January 30, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Want to know what really keeps your clients up at night? Spoiler: It's cybersecurity (42%) and AI (32%) - not the legal issues we obsess over.
Just analyzed Allianz's massive global risk survey. It makes for good reading.
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/want...
Just analyzed Allianz's massive global risk survey. It makes for good reading.
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/want...
Law firms: read your cyber policy like you would a client contract. Because you may not be covered for what you think.
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/thin...
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/thin...
Think You Are Covered? Better Read Your Cybersecurity Policy - Carefully - Above the Law
If a law firm doesn’t think a cybersecurity event is going to happen, think again -- and be prepared.
abovethelaw.com
January 29, 2026 at 7:47 PM
Law firms: read your cyber policy like you would a client contract. Because you may not be covered for what you think.
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/thin...
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/thin...
OpenAI can now decide if you're a minor based on how you use ChatGPT. Is that a slippery slope toward something more?
www.techlawcrossroads.com/2026/01/trus...
www.techlawcrossroads.com/2026/01/trus...
Trust Us We're Algorithms. The Slippery Slope of AI Classification | TechLaw Crossroads
It’s easy to get complacent with GenAI tools that not only answer all our questions but also can do things like analyze our behavior and make binding
www.techlawcrossroads.com
January 28, 2026 at 5:25 PM
OpenAI can now decide if you're a minor based on how you use ChatGPT. Is that a slippery slope toward something more?
www.techlawcrossroads.com/2026/01/trus...
www.techlawcrossroads.com/2026/01/trus...
Real AI experts understand conceptually what AI is, what it can do, and the differences and drawbacks of confusing GenAI with AI generally. Not all AI is GenAI.
like-lawyers-in-pompeii-is-legal-ignoring-the-ai-definitional-crisis-part-v
like-lawyers-in-pompeii-is-legal-ignoring-the-ai-definitional-crisis-part-v
January 27, 2026 at 1:59 PM
Real AI experts understand conceptually what AI is, what it can do, and the differences and drawbacks of confusing GenAI with AI generally. Not all AI is GenAI.
like-lawyers-in-pompeii-is-legal-ignoring-the-ai-definitional-crisis-part-v
like-lawyers-in-pompeii-is-legal-ignoring-the-ai-definitional-crisis-part-v
The impact of new proposed Evidentiary Rule 707 would make AI evidence admissibility even more expensive and complex. Neither side is supportive. Meanwhile critical issues like deepfakes are not addressed.
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/prop...
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/prop...
Proposed Evidentiary Rule 707: Addressing A Nonexistent Problem Instead Of Real Ones - Above the Law
Offering Rules like 707 that aren’t needed seems like an effort to appear to be doing something while avoiding things we don’t want to talk about.
abovethelaw.com
January 23, 2026 at 3:53 PM
The impact of new proposed Evidentiary Rule 707 would make AI evidence admissibility even more expensive and complex. Neither side is supportive. Meanwhile critical issues like deepfakes are not addressed.
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/prop...
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/prop...
Law schools teaching GenAI is great idea. But should it be mandatory rather than an extracurricular “nice to have” while courts sanction lawyers for AI mistakes?
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/gena...
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/gena...
GenAI Courses In Law School: A Good Idea - Above the Law
The time has come for systematic GenAI training in law schools.
abovethelaw.com
January 22, 2026 at 4:09 PM
Law schools teaching GenAI is great idea. But should it be mandatory rather than an extracurricular “nice to have” while courts sanction lawyers for AI mistakes?
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/gena...
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/gena...
New TR Report: law firm partners celebrating record profits while AI may significantly cut their work time. The billable hour model is facing an existential crisis and most firms are pretending it's not happening.
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/less...
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/less...
Less Hours Worked & Fewer Lawyers Needed: Dealing With The New AI Reality - Above the Law
There’s no escaping the possibility that AI tools may reduce the time needed to be spent, billable hours, and correspondingly, profit and revenue.
abovethelaw.com
January 20, 2026 at 6:42 PM
New TR Report: law firm partners celebrating record profits while AI may significantly cut their work time. The billable hour model is facing an existential crisis and most firms are pretending it's not happening.
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/less...
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/less...
Why legal GenAI commoditization is coming faster than vendors and the rest of us want to admit. And how to prepare.
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/the-...
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/the-...
The Inevitable Commoditization Of GenAI: What Will It Mean For Legal? - Above the Law
Law firms must pay attention to what is going on in the marketplace and what vendors are doing.
abovethelaw.com
January 19, 2026 at 3:37 PM
Why legal GenAI commoditization is coming faster than vendors and the rest of us want to admit. And how to prepare.
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/the-...
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/the-...
As I was writing this piece on the dangers of enshittification of GenAI, particularly for legal, OpenAI announced it plans to start placing ads at the bottom of ChatGPT answers. Turns out the Sirens aren’t just mythological anymore.
And so it begins.
www.techlawcrossroads.com/2026/01/the-...
And so it begins.
www.techlawcrossroads.com/2026/01/the-...
The GenAI Siren Song, the Danger of Enshittification and Tying Ourselves to a Mast | TechLaw Crossroads
Ads are “like a last resort for us for a business model…ads plus AI is sort of uniquely unsettling”. Sam Altman May 2024 as quoted in Hacker News. “To
www.techlawcrossroads.com
January 17, 2026 at 5:34 PM
As I was writing this piece on the dangers of enshittification of GenAI, particularly for legal, OpenAI announced it plans to start placing ads at the bottom of ChatGPT answers. Turns out the Sirens aren’t just mythological anymore.
And so it begins.
www.techlawcrossroads.com/2026/01/the-...
And so it begins.
www.techlawcrossroads.com/2026/01/the-...
As I was writing this piece on the dangers of enshittification of GenAI, particularly for legal, OpenAI announced it plans to start placing ads at the bottom of ChatGPT answers. Turns out the Sirens aren’t just mythological anymore.
And so it begins.
www.techlawcrossroads.com/2026/01/the-...
And so it begins.
www.techlawcrossroads.com/2026/01/the-...
The GenAI Siren Song, the Danger of Enshittification and Tying Ourselves to a Mast | TechLaw Crossroads
Ads are “like a last resort for us for a business model…ads plus AI is sort of uniquely unsettling”. Sam Altman May 2024 as quoted in Hacker News. “To
www.techlawcrossroads.com
January 17, 2026 at 5:34 PM
As I was writing this piece on the dangers of enshittification of GenAI, particularly for legal, OpenAI announced it plans to start placing ads at the bottom of ChatGPT answers. Turns out the Sirens aren’t just mythological anymore.
And so it begins.
www.techlawcrossroads.com/2026/01/the-...
And so it begins.
www.techlawcrossroads.com/2026/01/the-...
Why legal GenAI commoditization is coming faster than vendors and the rest of us want to admit. And how to prepare.
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/the-...
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/the-...
The Inevitable Commoditization Of GenAI: What Will It Mean For Legal? - Above the Law
Law firms must pay attention to what is going on in the marketplace and what vendors are doing.
abovethelaw.com
January 17, 2026 at 1:14 PM
Why legal GenAI commoditization is coming faster than vendors and the rest of us want to admit. And how to prepare.
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/the-...
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/the-...
Maybe it’s time for mandatory GenAI CLE requirements. Why this isn’t as crazy as it sounds
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/is-i...
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/is-i...
Is It Time To Require Lawyers To Be Competent With GenAI? - Above the Law
Such a requirement would send a strong message that GenAI is here to stay, that it’s impacting the practice, and that it’s important to be knowledgeable about it.
abovethelaw.com
January 16, 2026 at 5:15 PM
Maybe it’s time for mandatory GenAI CLE requirements. Why this isn’t as crazy as it sounds
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/is-i...
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/is-i...
Law firms are buying AI tools like it's 1999 and we're all going to get rich on dot-com stocks. Meanwhile, tinfrastructure investors are starting to get nervous . We've seen this movie before. It doesn't end well.
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/like...
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/like...
Like Lawyers In Pompeii: Is Legal Ignoring The Coming AI Financial Crisis? (Part IV) - Above the Law
It’s time for lawyers and legal professionals to follow the money to assess the risks of AI.
abovethelaw.com
January 14, 2026 at 1:21 PM
Law firms are buying AI tools like it's 1999 and we're all going to get rich on dot-com stocks. Meanwhile, tinfrastructure investors are starting to get nervous . We've seen this movie before. It doesn't end well.
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/like...
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/like...
CES 2026: AI in everything, all the time.infrastructure for nothing. The legal profession needs to pay attention to where consumer tech is heading for better or worse.
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/ces-...
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/ces-...
CES 2026: The Trends. The Vibe. And Some Final Thoughts. - Above the Law
Want to know where legal tech is going? Look at where consumer tech is going because that’s where we will go too.
abovethelaw.com
January 12, 2026 at 8:24 PM
CES 2026: AI in everything, all the time.infrastructure for nothing. The legal profession needs to pay attention to where consumer tech is heading for better or worse.
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/ces-...
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/ces-...
CES was full of AI wearables that can whisper answers in your ear, record everything you see, and guide you through complex situations. Cool tech, but imagine the legal questions and implications.
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/are-...
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/are-...
Are We Prepared To Deal With The Coming Wearable Revolution? - Above the Law
Wearables offer tremendous potential benefits. But our responsibility is to think hard about the risks these wearables bring to the legal process.
abovethelaw.com
January 10, 2026 at 1:31 PM
CES was full of AI wearables that can whisper answers in your ear, record everything you see, and guide you through complex situations. Cool tech, but imagine the legal questions and implications.
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/are-...
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/are-...
A CES panel says the future belongs to those who ask the right questions, show judgment in gray areas, and demonstrate passion. Sounds like what superstars like those on the panel and successful lawyers have always been doing.
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/busi...
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/busi...
Business Origination Skills In The Age Of Agentic AI: Is There Anything New Under The Sun? - Above the Law
Is the legal world is about to be turned upside down?
abovethelaw.com
January 9, 2026 at 3:25 PM
A CES panel says the future belongs to those who ask the right questions, show judgment in gray areas, and demonstrate passion. Sounds like what superstars like those on the panel and successful lawyers have always been doing.
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/busi...
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/busi...
40% of remote interview candidates use AI to cheat say s startup founder at CES
If true, remote depositions may have a problem. Should lawyers start using AI proctors for remote depositions and testimony?
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/an-a...
If true, remote depositions may have a problem. Should lawyers start using AI proctors for remote depositions and testimony?
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/an-a...
An AI Proctor For Remote Depositions: Has Its Time Come? - Above the Law
With more depositions being taken remotely and more proceedings being conducted online, it stands to reason that more witnesses will cheat.
abovethelaw.com
January 7, 2026 at 7:50 PM
40% of remote interview candidates use AI to cheat say s startup founder at CES
If true, remote depositions may have a problem. Should lawyers start using AI proctors for remote depositions and testimony?
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/an-a...
If true, remote depositions may have a problem. Should lawyers start using AI proctors for remote depositions and testimony?
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/an-a...
Heading to CES 2026 to see if anyone's talking about AI's actual implementation challenges, or if it's just more hype about "transformative" tools.
Legal tech follows consumer trends. Alwaya good to see what's coming down the pipeline.
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/ces-...
Legal tech follows consumer trends. Alwaya good to see what's coming down the pipeline.
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/ces-...
CES 2026: The Whole Wide AI World Along With Lots More - Above the Law
Legal tech is legal tech, it’s not consumer technology, right? Wrong.
abovethelaw.com
January 2, 2026 at 6:44 PM
Heading to CES 2026 to see if anyone's talking about AI's actual implementation challenges, or if it's just more hype about "transformative" tools.
Legal tech follows consumer trends. Alwaya good to see what's coming down the pipeline.
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/ces-...
Legal tech follows consumer trends. Alwaya good to see what's coming down the pipeline.
abovethelaw.com/2026/01/ces-...
The "AI will free lawyers for strategic work" narrative is industry gaslighting. A 12-minute podcast interview of Antti Innanen explains why. Someone needs to call out these feel-good fairy tales before law firms make terrible decisions based on them.
abovethelaw.com/2025/12/chal...
abovethelaw.com/2025/12/chal...
Challenging Truisms And Embracing A Cockroach Mentality - Above the Law
What will it mean to be a lawyer and legal professional in the future? What will our new value proposition be?
abovethelaw.com
December 31, 2025 at 3:06 PM
The "AI will free lawyers for strategic work" narrative is industry gaslighting. A 12-minute podcast interview of Antti Innanen explains why. Someone needs to call out these feel-good fairy tales before law firms make terrible decisions based on them.
abovethelaw.com/2025/12/chal...
abovethelaw.com/2025/12/chal...
Trial scenario: Opposing counsel shows a video that clearly hurts your client. But something feels off. What do you do? Deepfakes are about to upend courtrooms and no one is ready.
abovethelaw.com/2025/12/the-...
abovethelaw.com/2025/12/the-...
The Deepfake Courtroom Problem: A Colorado Blue Ribbon Study Sheds Some Light And Offers A Start To Solutions - Above the Law
Deepfakes and evidence created or enhanced by AI are going to become increasingly prevalent. How can we successfully confront the problem?
abovethelaw.com
December 29, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Trial scenario: Opposing counsel shows a video that clearly hurts your client. But something feels off. What do you do? Deepfakes are about to upend courtrooms and no one is ready.
abovethelaw.com/2025/12/the-...
abovethelaw.com/2025/12/the-...
The day ChatGPT went dark taught me something important about over-reliance on AI tools. When Cloudflare failed on Nov 18, it wasn't just an inconvenience, it exposed security gaps and reminded us why lawyers need backup plans.
abovethelaw.com/2025/12/the-...
abovethelaw.com/2025/12/the-...
The Day That ChatGPT Died: Lessons For The Rest Of Us - Above the Law
We need to think before we become overly reliant on any technology but particularly GenAI.
abovethelaw.com
December 23, 2025 at 10:30 PM
The day ChatGPT went dark taught me something important about over-reliance on AI tools. When Cloudflare failed on Nov 18, it wasn't just an inconvenience, it exposed security gaps and reminded us why lawyers need backup plans.
abovethelaw.com/2025/12/the-...
abovethelaw.com/2025/12/the-...
Thomson Reuters white paper drops an uncomfortable truth: AI is eroding lawyers’ critical thinking skills. As AI gets more capable, lawyers risk becoming less so. The future belongs to those who figure out how to keep their analytical edge.
abovethelaw.com/2025/12/thom...
abovethelaw.com/2025/12/thom...
Thomson Reuters White Paper: The Future Is Here - It’s Just Not Evenly Distributed - Above the Law
AI is eroding critical thinking skills at an alarming rate.
abovethelaw.com
December 22, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Thomson Reuters white paper drops an uncomfortable truth: AI is eroding lawyers’ critical thinking skills. As AI gets more capable, lawyers risk becoming less so. The future belongs to those who figure out how to keep their analytical edge.
abovethelaw.com/2025/12/thom...
abovethelaw.com/2025/12/thom...