Author: TSA Press

Don’t
Expect
“Following
The
Law”
To
Be
On
His
Resolution
List:

More
failure
to
disclose
stuff.

Some
Of
The
Worst
Supreme
Court
Cases
Of
2024:

Did
your
least
favorite
make
the
list?

Biglaw
Firm
Matches!
Kinda:

Really
is
dependent
on
which
office
you
work
in.

New
Year,
New
Firm:

Big
merger
coming
through!

The
People
Have
Spoken!:

Cheers
to
the
winner
of
2024’s
Lawyer
Of
The
Year!

Ed.
Note:
Welcome
to
our
daily
feature

Trivia
Question
of
the
Day!

Which
Biglaw
firm
led
the
merger
&
acquisitions
market,
advising
on
deals
worth
an
estimated
$427
billion?

Hint:
This
firm’s
M&A
practice
focuses
on
private
equity
transactions,
which
made
up
about
half
of
its
deal
volume.

See
the
answer
on
the
next
page.

There
were
some
very
surprising
legal
outcomes
last
year:

Young
Thug
walking
away
from
a
RICO
charge
with
probation,
they

continued
the
functional
impeachment
of
Pauline
Newman,
and
people
kept
on
using
ChatGPT
to
do
their
lawyering

despite
the
obviously
clear
fault
in
its
stars.
But
what
was
the
worst
legal
outcome
from
the
Supreme
Court?
Pulling
inspiration
from

Austin
Sarat’s
write-up,
let’s
go
through
some
of
the
worst
decisions
the
Supreme
Court
handed
down
this
year.

• 1. 
  We
  have
  to
  pretend
  that
  Justice
  Kavanaugh
  knows
  more
  about
  the
  effects
  of
  alcohol
  consumption
  than
  experts
  who
  do
  chemistry
  for
  a
  living.

Loper
Bright
Enterprises
v.
Raimondo
is
a
long
case
name,
but
fret
not:
it
can
be
usefully
abbreviated
as

Chevron
is
Dead.
The
underlying
reasoning
was
that
judges
are
not
only
better
suited
to
interpret
statutes
than
field
specialists,
but
the
Constitution
requires
it.
This
idea
that
judges
know
best
might
make
sense
in
theory,
it
isn’t
the
case
in
practice.
It
didn’t
take
very
long
for
one
of
the
brightest
minds
on
the
court
to
crack
everyone
up
when
he
repeatedly
confused
Nitrogen
Oxide
(dangerous
ozone
pollutant)
with
Laughing
Gas
(the
teehee
spray
the
dentist
uses
to
make
your
root
canals
a

lot
more
pleasant).
Expect
a
rise
in
food-borne
illness
and

rat
poison
in
your
frankfurters.
As
written,
the
opinion
leaves
enough
wiggle
room
for
some
of
the
protections
gained
from
decades
of

Chevron
deference
to
stay
in
place,

but
don’t
expect
them
to
last
if
the
issue
comes
before
the
Court
again.

•  2. 
  There’s
  nothing
  cruel
  about
  arresting
  people
  for
  sleeping
  outside
  when
  they
  can’t
  do
  elsewise.

We
used
to
be
a
reasonable
country:
you
could
have
an
ordinance
preventing
loitering
or
panhandling,
but
if
a
homeless
person
was
found
sleeping
on
the
sidewalk
and
had
nowhere
else
to
go,
you
had
to
check
and
see
if
there
were
any
empty
beds
at
the
shelter
before
you
policed
them
for
being
unconscious
in
public.
What
else
could
you
do
without
being
cruel?
2024
answered:
You
don’t
have
to
worry
about
that!


City
of
Grants
Pass
v.
Johnson
rewrote
common
sensibilities
and
announced
that
there’s
nothing
cruel
about
punishing
a
person
with
nowhere
to
go
for
not
going
somewhere
else.

•  3.
  That
  whole
  Watergate
  debacle?
  Totally
  above
  board!

Trump
v.
United
States
granted
Presidents
broad
protection
against
prosecution
for
actions
that
are
official
acts
of
office.
Does
that
include
sending
the
military
to
assassinate
political
opponents?
Hell,
maybe!

This
is
a
fearsome
power
to
hold,
especially
when
it’s
in
the
hands
of
a
person
who
campaigned
on
arresting
his
political
opposition
and
bragged
about
how
he
could
shoot
someone
in
broad
day
light
years
before
this
opinion
was
handed
down.
Four
more
years
of
greatness.

These
are
all
bad
outcomes,
but

Grants
Pass
holds
a
special,
morally
objectionable
place
in
my
heart.
I
won’t
pretend
to
play
anthropologist,
but
there’s
a
story
attributed
to
Margeret
Mead
—

likely
incorrectly
—
that
a
healed
femur
was
the
earliest
sign
of
civilization.
Veracity
aside,
I
genuinely
believe
that
you
can
learn
a
lot
about
a
person
and
a
people
by
how
they
care
for
their
worst
off.
In
other
words,
safety
nets
are
a
sign
of
a
civilization’s

strength,
and

Grants
Pass
is
just
about
the
strongest
refutation
of
“give
me
your
tired,
your
poor,
your
huddled
masses
yearning
to
breathe
free,
the
wretched
refuse
of
your
teeming
shore”
we’ve
seen
from
the
Supreme
Court.

The
Year’s
Worst
Legal
Decision:
2024
Edition
[Verdict]

Earlier:

People
Are
Scrambling
To
Understand
Presidential
Immunity,
So
Many
Of
The
Opinions
Are
Cracked

Is
This
The
Roberts
Court
Or
The
Clarence
Court?

Struggling
With
The
Status
Versus
Conduct
Distinction?
So
Are
The
Supreme
Court
Justices

SCOTUS
Just
Greenlit
The
Crime
Of
‘Sleeping
While
Homeless’
As
Totally
Fair
Game

John
Roberts
Says
Judges
Should
Decide
How
Much
Rat
Poison
Is
Too
Much
For
Your
Hot
Dogs

---

Chris
Williams
became
a
social
media
manager
and
assistant
editor
for
Above
the
Law
in
June
2021.
Prior
to
joining
the
staff,
he
moonlighted
as
a
minor
Memelord™
in
the
Facebook
group Law
School
Memes
for
Edgy
T14s.
 He
endured
Missouri
long
enough
to
graduate
from
Washington
University
in
St.
Louis
School
of
Law.
He
is
a
former
boatbuilder
who
cannot
swim, a
published
author
on
critical
race
theory,
philosophy,
and
humor,
and
has
a
love
for
cycling
that
occasionally
annoys
his
peers.
You
can
reach
him
by
email
at [email protected] and
by
tweet
at @WritesForRent.

I
do
not
check
LinkedIn
too
much
these
days.
Although
I
used
to
think
that
LinkedIn
was
a
solid
way
to
develop
new
business,
more
often
than
not,
LinkedIn
is
mostly
a
means
for
people
to
spam
my
inbox
and
post
career
accomplishments
for
the
affirmation
of
people
users
might
not
even
know.
One
interesting
phenomenon
I
often
see
on
LinkedIn
is
that
numerous
lawyers
post
about
purported
accomplishments
that
do
not
require
any
kind
of
recognition
or
skill,
seemingly
in
order
to
generate
content
for
people
to
see
and
like
on
the
platform.
I
understand
the
need
for
people
to
generate
content
on
such
platforms
as
LinkedIn
to
get
noticed,
but
I’m
not
sure
why
users
announce
certain
underwhelming
career
updates.

One
supposed
career
accomplishment
I
see
lawyers
post
all
the
time
is
when
they
are
admitted
to
a
new
state
or
federal
bar.
Of
course,
it
makes
sense
for
lawyers
to
want
to
advertise
to
others
that
they
are
now
licensed
to
practice
law
in
a
new
jurisdiction
in
case
contacts
have
referrals
in
that
state.
However,
some
lawyers
seem
to
suggest
that
becoming
admitted
to
a
new
bar
requires
some
kind
of
recognition
or
skill.
Indeed,
I
often
see
people
posting
about
how
proud
they
are
to
be
admitted
to
the
bar
of
the
Supreme
Court
of
the
United
States
even
though
the
requirements
to
have
this
status
are
relatively
minimal.
If
attorneys
need
to
pass
the
bar
exam
again
to
be
admitted
to
a
new
state
bar,
I
think
that
the
admission
is
an
accomplishment
since
it
is
genuinely
difficult
for
someone
to
take
time
out
of
their
career
to
study
and
pass
a
bar
exam.

However,
most
states
and
federal
bars
have
reciprocity
that
allows
lawyers
admitted
in
other
jurisdictions
to
gain
reciprocal
admission
in
the
desired
area.
All
the
lawyer
must
do
is
fill
out
the
necessary
paperwork,
pay
related
fees,
and
not
run
into
character
and
fitness
problems.
Meeting
this
low
threshold
is
not
much
of
an
accomplishment.
Sure,
it
can
be
a
pain
to
assemble
all
of
the
certificates
of
good
standing,
reference
letters,
and
other
accompanying
documents
to
apply
for
such
admission.
However,
pretty
much
any
lawyer
can
submit
such
paperwork
to
be
admitted
in
a
different
jurisdiction,
so
lawyers
should
not
post
about
reciprocal
admission
as
if
it
is
a
big
accomplishment.

Lawyers
also
post
incessantly
about

chintzy
awards
that
they
were
given
and
how
the
award
proves
that
they
are
at
the
top
of
their
fields
and
have
achieved
lofty
accomplishments.
Regrettably,
many
lawyer
achievement
awards
are
not
something
to
celebrate.
Pretty
much
any
lawyer
can
usually
either
apply
or
pay
to
be
granted
such
awards,
and
most
of
these
awards
do
not
come
with
a
rigorous
selection
methodology.

Companies
make
money
selling
plaques
and
other
hardware
showcasing
that
the
lawyer
has
won
a
supposedly
prestigious
award,
and
ad
space
is
sold
in
publications
that
print
the
names
of
people
given
the
award.
The
lawyer
awards
industry
serves
the
egos
of
lawyers,
and
makes
the
public
think
that
lawyers
are
accomplished,
when
in
reality
most
lawyer
awards
are
not
a
reflection
of
the
lawyer’s
skill,
but
perhaps
on
the
size
of
the
lawyers
ego.
Some
lawyer
awards
are
true
accomplishments,
but
these
are
far
outweighed
by
the
superficial
awards
that
people
often
post
about
on
LinkedIn
and
elsewhere.

It
is
difficult
for
lawyers
to
distinguish
themselves
in
the
legal
marketplace,
and
they
may
struggle
sometimes
to
produce
content
for
social
media
in
order
to
get
their
names
in
front
of
more
people.
However,
lawyers
should
consider
highlighting
genuine
victories
and
accomplishments
rather
than
posting
about
hollow
career
milestones.

---

Jordan
Rothman
is
a
partner
of



The
Rothman
Law
Firm,
a
full-service
New
York
and
New
Jersey
law
firm.
He
is
also
the
founder
of



Student
Debt
Diaries,
a
website
discussing
how
he
paid
off
his
student
loans.
You
can
reach
Jordan
through
email
at




[email protected].

Ed.
note:
Welcome
to
our
daily
feature,

Quote
of
the
Day.

It
does
reduce
the
number
of
completed
mergers
we
see,
because
firms
are
pickier,
and
they
should
be.
They’re
looking
for
this
type
of
business
case
and
strategic
rationale.
Of
course
that
differs
from
a
defensive
merger,
where
they
have
fewer
choices
available,
and
they
are
backed
into
a
corner.

—
Kristin
Stark,
a
principal
at
Fairfax
Associates,
in
comments
given
to
the

American
Lawyer,
on
why
most
law
firm
merger
talks
are
seen
as
offensive
right
now
among
Biglaw
firms,
especially
considering
the
fact
that
the
legal
sector
is
performing
incredibly
well.
Fifty
law
firm
mergers
took
place
in
2024,
and
at
least
12
mergers
have
been
announced
for
2025
already.
“We
expect
to
see
at
least
the
same
number
of
mergers
in
2025
as
in
2024,
with
the
possibility
for
more
if
deals
currently
under
consideration
cross[]
the
finish
line,”
Fairfax
noted
in
its
year-end
merger
report.

---

Staci
Zaretsky is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to

email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on Bluesky, X/Twitter,
and Threads, or
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn.

There’s
an
episode
of
Seinfeld
where
George
has
sex
with
a
cleaning
lady
on
his
office
desk
and
when
confronted
responds,
“Was
that
wrong?
Should
I
have
not
done
that?”
But,
since
Seinfeld
more
closely
tracks
a
universe
where
actions
have
logical
consequences,
George
got
fired
and
Clarence
Thomas
gets
to
plead
ignorance
about
a
nearly
five-decade-old
law.

Thomas,
who
has

forgotten
more
vacations
than
you’ll
ever
know,
has
been
the
subject
of
a
Senate
Judiciary
inquiry
ever
since

ProPublica
first
identified
around
half
a
million
in
luxury
travel
and
gifts
without
disclosing
any
of
it
as
legally
required
by
the
Ethics
in
Government
Act
of
1978.
Along
the
way,
we’ve
learned
about

free
tuition,

free
housing,
and

an
RV
(which
might
also
have
been
free).
The
legislators
wrote
the
Judicial
Conference
asking
the
Article
III
institution
to
do
its
job
under
the
statute
and
refer
Thomas
to
the
Department
of
Justice.
Almost
two
years
after
the
fact,
the
Conference
has
decided
to
do
nothing
instead.

In

a
letter
from
the
Judicial
Conference
to
Senator
Sheldon
Whitehouse,
Secretary
of
the
Judicial
Conference
Judge
Robert
Conrad
said
that
they’d
decided
against
doing
anything
because
Thomas
was
probably
just
confused
about
how
to
read
the
plain
meaning
of
a
law.
A
plausible
excuse
based
upon
his
jurisprudence
generally,
but
highly
suspect
here.

In
March
and
April
2023,
the
Financial
Disclosure
Committee,
with
the
approval
of
the
Judicial
Conference,
issued
guidance
that
the
personal
hospitality
gift
reporting
exemption
applies
only
to
food,
lodging,
or
entertainment.
The
exemption,
it
explained,
does
not
apply
to
gifts
of
“transportation
that
substitute[]
for
commercial
transportation,”
gifts
“extended
for
a
business
purpose,”
or
gifts
“extended
at
a
commercial
property,
e.g.,
a
resort
or
restaurant,
or
at
a
property
that
is
regularly
rented
out
to
others
for
a
business
purpose.”
The
Financial
Disclosure
Committee,
generally
speaking,
does
not
apply
new
guidance
retroactively
to
previously
filed
reports.

This
is
the
“I
didn’t
hear
anyone
say
‘Simon
Says’”
of
excuses.

The
problem
with
“not
apply[ing]
new
guidance
retroactively,”
is
that
presumes
there’s
something
“new”
about
the
guidance.
No
one
was
actually
confused
over
the
scope
of
this
exception
before
this.
No
one
thought
an
exception
for
crashing
on
your
college
roommate’s
couch
was
the
same
as
“having
a
billionaire
give
your
mom
a
house
rent
free.”
Elena
Kagan
thought

a
fucking
bagel
basket
from
her
high
school
classmates
put
her
in
breach
of
this
law!
Everyone
knew!

More
to
the
point,
when
some
of
the
allegations
in
this
matter
include

auto
loan
forgiveness
shenanigans
and

off-the-books
payments,
there’s
more
than
a
little
to
suggest
that

Thomas
knew.
At
least
enough
suggestion
that
the
case
would
benefit
from
a
DOJ
inquiry.

“Not
only
do
presidents
have
absolute
immunity
from
prosecution
for
violating
the
law,
but
now
Supreme
Court
justices
enjoy
immunity
for
law-breaking,
as
well,”
explained
Fix
the
Court’s
Gabe
Roth.
“That
is
as
shameful
as
it
is
contrary
to
the
plain-text
reading
of
the
financial
disclosure
law,
which
sets
clear
guidelines
about
the
types
of
gifts
that
need
to
be
reported
—
which
Justice
Thomas
has
obviously
and
frequently
violated
over
the
years
—
and
includes
real
consequences
for
violations.”

Alas,
the
Conference
explained
that
Thomas
has
made
some
changes
so
everyone
should
just
chill.

Justice
Thomas
has
filed
amended
financial
disclosure
statements
that
address
several
issues
identified
in
your
letter.

“Several”
is
conspicuously
not
“all.”

Which
may
sound
like
nitpicking,
but
lawyers
—
especially
judges
—
aren’t
casual
with
words
like
these.
When
he
says,
“several”
he
means
“not
all”
and
it
would
be
interesting
to
get
more
clarity
on
just
what
it
doesn’t
include.

But
even
if
the
Conference
hadn’t
found
a
way
to
excuse
Thomas
as
confused,
the
letter
suggests
they
might
have
tried
to
avoid
their
legal
obligations
the
old
fashioned
way
by
declaring
the
Supreme
Court
exempt
from
any
consequences:

First,
the
Judicial
Conference
has
never
taken
a
position
on
whether
its
referral
authority
under
5
U.S.C.
§
13106(b)—to
refer
judges
to
the
Attorney
General
for
investigation
into
whether
they
have
“willfully”
violated
their
reporting
obligations—applies
to
Justices
of
the
Supreme
Court
of
the
United
States.
The
question,
to
be
clear,
is
not
whether
the
Ethics
in
Government
Act
applies
to
the
Justices
of
the
Court.
It
is
whether
the
Judicial
Conference’s
referral
authority
applies
to
the
Justices.
There
is
reason
to
doubt
that
the
Conference
has
any
such
authority.
Because
the
Judicial
Conference
does
not
superintend
the
Supreme
Court
and
because
any
effort
to
grant
the
Conference
such
authority
would
raise
serious
constitutional
questions,
one
would
expect
Congress
at
a
minimum
to
state
any
such
directive
clearly.

Not
to
get
all
originalist,
but
this
is
hogwash.
Roth
explains, “The
Conference
writing
the
justices
out
of
much
of
the
disclosure
law
is
also
ahistorical,
as
the
law
was
drafted
shortly
after
two
justices
were
found
to
have
accepted
outside
—
and
arguably
unethical
—
income.
”

But,
as
Chief
Justice
Roberts
explained
earlier
this
week,

it’s
wrong
to
point
out
that
your
judicial
emperor
wears
no
clothes.

(Letter
on
the
next
page…)

Earlier: Clarence
Thomas
Has
Forgotten
More
Vacations
Than
You’ll
Ever
Know

Senators
Beg
Merrick
Garland
To
Do
His
Job
And
Investigate
Clarence
Thomas

If
You’ve
Appreciated
The
Service
You’ve
Received,
Consider
Tipping
Your
Supreme
Court
Justices!

Clarence
Thomas
Took
EVEN
MORE
Free
Trips
On
Private
Planes
That
He’s
Still
Not
Disclosed!

---

Joe
Patrice is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law
and
co-host
of

Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
Feel
free
to email
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments.
Follow
him
on Twitter or

Bluesky
if
you’re
interested
in
law,
politics,
and
a
healthy
dose
of
college
sports
news.
Joe
also
serves
as
a

Managing
Director
at
RPN
Executive
Search.

Ed.
note: This
article
first
appeared
in
an
ILTA
publication.
For
more, visit
our
ILTA
on
ATL
channel
here. 

As
law
firms
transition
from
exploring
artificial
intelligence
(AI)
to
fully
adopting and
implementing
emerging
technologies,
developing
a
deep
understanding
of
data
and
processes
is
imperative.

Buchanan
Ingersoll
&
Rooney
PC
recognized
the
value
of
partnering
with
industry
experts,
like
NetDocuments
and
3545
Consulting,
to
integrate
AI-powered
tools
into
the
firm’s
day-to-day
operations.

Through
this
collaborative
process,
Buchanan
implemented
NetDocuments’
PatternBuilder
and
App
Builder
(powered
by
PatternBuilder
MAX)
to
integrate
advanced
document
automation
and
AI
capabilities
to
streamline
processes
and
create measurable
efficiency
improvements.
 

Turning
Ambition
into
Action  

In
2023,
Buchanan
Ingersoll
&
Rooney
PC
faced
the
challenge
of
staying
ahead
in
a
rapidly
evolving
legal
industry.
Recognizing
the
increasing
importance
of
AI,
automation,
and
data
analytics,
the
firm
launched
a
bold
five-year
strategic
plan
to
transform
its
operations
and
better
serve
client
needs.
This
plan
aimed
to
align
cutting-edge
technologies
with
the
firm’s
workflows,
ensuring
seamless
integration
into
daily
practice. 

Scott
Angelo,
the
firm’s
Chief
Information
Officer,
emphasized
the
importance
of
a
holistic
approach:
“We
felt
that
it
was
very
important
to
build
out
centers
of
excellence
that
covered
all
three
areas
[AI,
automation,
data
&
analytics].
Because
we
realized
that
in
order
to
come
up
with
comprehensive
solutions,
we
were
going
to
have
to
use
…
two
to
three
of
those
working
together
to
provide
the
best
solution
possible.” 

Angelo
added,
“We
really
doubled
down
on
AI
because
it
was
just
so
new
—
not
just
to
the
legal
industry,
but
to
the
world.”
Under
his
leadership,
Buchanan’s
efforts
to
embrace
AI
have
garnered
significant
attention,
earning
the
firm
recognition
as
one
of
the
“Best
of
the
Best
for
Generative
AI”
in
the
2024
BTI
“Leading
Edge
Law
Firms”
survey. 

This
acknowledgment
reflects
more
than
ambition;
it
highlights
the
firm’s
ability
to
translate
innovative
ideas
into
actionable
results.
By
focusing
on
collaboration
and
leveraging
technology
to
address
client
demands,
Buchanan
has
set
a
benchmark
for
what
is
possible
in
legal
technology
innovation. 

The

NetDocuments
App
Builder

quickly
became
integral
to
the
firm’s
strategy,
enabling
them
to
automate
complex
legal
workflows
with
AI.
By
generating
documents,
extracting
data,
and
streamlining
legal
processes,
the
tool
delivered
immediate
efficiency
gains
and
allowed
the
firm
to
focus
on
higher-value
work.  

A
key
advantage
of
the
App
Builder
and
PatternBuilder
lies
in
their
secure
operation
within
the
firm’s
existing
NetDocuments
environment.
This
integration
ensures
that
all
workflows
and
data
comply
with
the
robust
security
standards
already
established
in
the
document
management
system.
Leveraging
this
trusted
infrastructure,
firms
like
Buchanan
can
confidently
explore
AI-driven
automation
without
risking
sensitive
client
or
case
information. 

App
Builder
offers
an
approachable
starting
point
for
firms
new
to
AI.
Its
low-code
interface
and
integration
with
familiar
platforms
reduce
the
learning
curve,
making
the
transition
to
AI
and
automation
more
accessible.
Its
unique
combination
of
security,
usability, and
seamless
integration
positions
App
Builder
as
an
ideal
tool
for
incorporating
AI-driven
technology
into
legal
operations.  

To
ensure
they
fully
utilized
App
Builder’s
capabilities,
Buchanan
partnered
with
3545
Consulting,
a
firm
known
for
its
expertise
in
legal
technology,
to
bridge
the
gap
between
vision
and
execution.
Together,
the
team
set
out
to
modernize
workflows,
reduce
inefficiencies,
and
ultimately
enhance
client
service
—
all
while
maintaining
the
highest
data
security
standards. 

Time
Savings
and
Consistent
Work
Product  

Buchanan’s
journey
started
with
a
focus
on
small,
high-impact
initiatives.
Collaborating
with
3545
Consulting,
they
identified
key
use
cases
where
AI
and
automation
could
deliver
immediate
value,
utilizing
NetDocuments’
App
Builder.
One
of
the
first
successes
was
using
the

Summarize
app,
which
automated
the
process
of
summarizing
legal
documents.
This
tool
quickly
became
a
favorite
among
the
firm’s
attorneys,
saving
hours
of
manual
work.  

Buchanan
shifted
from
built-in
apps
to
customizing
a
Litigation
Master
Caption
File
app
that
automates
the
creation
of
master
caption
files
for
litigation
matters.
The
app
leverages
AI
to
extract
caption
data
points
from
an
initial
court
filing
and
automation
to
generate
a
master
caption
file
with
jurisdiction-specific
formatting.
The
master
caption
file
can
then
be
used
as
the
starting
point
for
all
court
filings,
ensuring
consistency,
accuracy,
and
proper
formatting,
all
while
streamlining
the
drafting
process.  

Outcomes:   

• 
  1500+
  practice
  assistant
  and
  paralegal
  hours
  saved
  annually
  (approx.
  $80,000
  value)  
• 
  Risk
  avoidance
  and
  reputational
  benefit
  via
  accurate,
  consistent
  automation  
• 
  Improved
  consistency
  for
  10,000+
  court
  filings
  annually  

Buchanan
also
created
a
Durable
Power
of
Attorney
App
to
streamline
the
drafting
process
for
durable
powers
of
attorney.
The
app
guides
users
through
client-specific
questions,
such
as
selecting
appointees,
defining
their
powers,
and
determining
whether
the
document
should
take
effect
immediately
or
upon
incapacity.
By
automating
this
process,
the
app
reduces
drafting
time
from
hours
to
minutes,

enabling
attorneys
to
focus
on
each
case’s
unique
complexities.   

Ensuring
that
measurements
were
in
place
to
access
each
app’s
value
was
critical
to
Buchanan’s
approach.
The
firm
worked
with
3545
Consulting
to
develop
a
simple
yet
effective
solution:
by
integrating
a
counter
in
each
app’s
data
table,
the
firm
could
track
the
app’s
usage.
This
tracking
system
allowed
them
to
quantify
the
time
savings
and
other
benefits
generated
by
each
app.   

For
example,
one
app
saved
the
firm
five
hours
of
attorney
time
each
time
it
ran.

Its
utilization
increased
productivity
and
improved
the
consistency
and
quality
of
the
final
documents.
Other
apps
provide
less
tangible
benefits,
such
as
reducing
errors
and
ensuring
compliance
with
standard
formats
across
all
outputs.  

It
is
also
easier
for
attorneys
to
adopt
since
the
apps
are
built
within
the
familiar
NetDocuments
platform.
Attorneys’
familiarity
with
the
existing
platform
reduced
the
learning
curve,
making
AI
and
automation
feel
less
intimidating
and
encouraging
greater
adoption
across
the
firm’s
practice
areas.  

Turning
Use
Cases
into
Working
Apps     

Buchanan’s
success
was
not
an
accident
—
it
stemmed
from
a
well-defined
process
critical
to
the
success
of
implementation
and
execution.
The
collective
team
followed
these
essential
steps
for
app
development:  

1. 
   Identify
   and
   Prioritize
   Use
   Cases:
   
   Workshop
   with
   attorneys
   and
   staff
   to
   identify
   tasks
   ripe
   for
   automation,
   such
   as
   repetitive
   document
   drafting.
   “We
   started
   with
   smaller
   groups
   to
   get
   quick
   wins
   and
   build
   excitement,”
   said
   Jared
   Gullbergh,
   Director
   of
   Practice
   Solutions
   and
   IG
   at
   Buchanan.   
2. 
   Define
   App
   Requirements:
   
   Collaboratively
   create
   clear
   goals
   and
   workflows.
   PatternBuilder’s
   low-code
   interface
   allowed
   for
   quick
   iterations
   and
   user
   involvement.
3. 
   Leverage
   Pre-Built
   Studio
   Apps
   and
   Templates:
   
   Customize
   templates
   to
   match
   the
   firm’s
   needs.
   This
   step
   reduced
   development
   time
   and
   increased
   overall
   value.
4. 
   Incorporate
   AI
   and
   Automation:
   
   Design
   apps
   to
   output
   consistent,
   high-quality
   documents
   by
   combining
   AI-driven
   data
   extraction
   with
   automation.
5. 
   Test
   and
   Iterate:
   
   Involve
   end
   users
   early
   to
   refine
   solutions.
6. 
   Deploy
   and
   Train:
   
   To
   foster
   adoption,
   create
   training
   sessions
   for
   end
   users
   to
   ensure
   they
   understand
   the
   apps’
   value
   and
   functionality.
7. 
   Measure
   Success:
   
   Track
   usage
   and
   time
   savings
   to
   quantify
   impact
   and
   identify
   additional
   opportunities
   for
   improvement.  

“The
apps
available
in
ndMAX
make
it
easy
to
iterate,”
Gullbergh
noted.
“We
can
adapt
quickly
to
meet
new
needs,
which
is
critical
in
a
fast-changing
environment.”  

Building
a
Long-Term
Strategy
Through
Collaborative
Thought
Leadership

Buchanan
Ingersoll
&
Rooney’s
thoughtful,
collaborative
approach
to
AI
can
deliver
lasting
results.  

“We’ve
only
scratched
the
surface
of
what’s
possible,”
said
Gullbergh.
“With
NetDocuments’
AI
capabilities,
we’re
not
just
keeping
up
—
we’re
leading.”
 

Beyond
the
immediate
wins,
Buchanan’s
collaboration
with
NetDocuments
and
3545
Consulting
set
the
stage
for
sustained
success.
By
equipping
Buchanan’s
IT
team
to
develop
and
maintain
apps
independently,
the
firm
ensured
it
could
scale
its
automation
capabilities
while
still
having
access
to
external
support
from
3545
when
needed.  

The
knowledge
gained
from
this
collaborative
project
is
incredibly
valuable
for
other
firms
transitioning
from
the
theoretical
ideation
phase
to
the
practical
implementation
stage
of
AI-powered
technology
deployment.
The
right
technology,
a
strategic
approach,
and
a
focus
on
measurable
outcomes
can
transform
legal
workflows.
Buchanan’s
journey
is
an
inspiring
example
of
embracing
the
future
while
prioritizing client
needs
and
upholding
firm
values. 

As
legal
technology
evolves,
the
firm’s
proactive
approach
is
a
valuable
case
study
for
other
firms
looking
to
implement
AI
and
automation.
The
lessons
learned
from
this
collaboration
—
such
as
the
importance
of
having
an
intelligent
DMS,
the
proper
training,
measuring
success,
and
building
internal
and
external
capacity
—
offer
a
roadmap
for
firms
seeking
to
modernize
their
workflows
while
delivering
value
to
their
clients.  

---

Scott
Angelo
is
Buchanan
Ingersoll
&
Rooney
PC’s
Chief
Information
Officer.
He
handles
the
design,
implementation,
and
management
of
information
technology
and
risk
management
platforms.
Scott
manages
the
firm’s
IT
team
to
further
develop
technologies
to
drive
creative
solutions
for
the
firm
and
its
clients.
He
brings
more
than
30
years
of
experience
to
the
firm’s
high-performing
culture
and
efficient
client
service
through
an
innovative
digital
infrastructure.
Scott
was
recognized
by
the
Pittsburgh
Technology
Council
as
the
winner
in
the
2024
CIO
of
the
Year
Awards
and
by
The
Legal
Intelligencer
as
a
Law
Firm
Innovator
Finalist
for
the
2024
PA
Legal
Awards.  

Jared
Gullbergh
serves
as
Buchanan
Ingersoll
&
Rooney
PC’s
Director
of
Practice
Solutions
and
Information
Governance.
Jared
partners
closely
with
the
firm’s
legal
and
government
relations
practices
to
deliver
technology
and
data-driven
solutions
to
maximize
process
efficiencies,
profitability
and
to
deliver
unique
client-value.
He
also
directs
and
oversees
the
Records
and
Information
Governance
functions
of
the
firm.
Jared
brings
to
bear
more
than
19
years
of
IT
and
information
governance
experience
in
the
full-service
legal
industry.

Nancy
Griffing
is
a
seasoned
legal
technology
consultant
and
a
driving
force
at
3545
Consulting,
where
she
combines
decades
of
industry
experience
with
a
forward-thinking
approach
to
innovation.
With
a
deep
understanding
of
the
legal
sector’s
unique
challenges,
Nancy
has
become
a
thought
leader
in
the
adoption
and
integration
of
artificial
intelligence.
She
specializes
in
helping
law
firms
leverage
AI
to
enhance
existing
tools,
streamline
workflows,
and
drive
efficiency
at
scale.
As
a
Partner
at
3545
Consulting,
Nancy
empowers
firms
to
achieve
transformative
results
while
navigating
the
complexities
of
modern
legal
practice.

Michael
Owen
Hill
has
nearly
two
decades
of
experience
in
the
legal
tech
industry
in
roles
ranging
from
product
management
to
product
marketing
to
product
portfolio
strategy.
He
has
worked
with
small
firms,
corporate
legal
departments
and
the
world’s
largest
law
firms
to
advance
client
development,
legal
research
and
know-how,
financial
and
practice
management
and
legal
document
management
goals.
As
Director
of
Product
Marketing
at
NetDocuments,
Michael
focuses
on
helping
customers,
partners
and
employees
navigate
the
complexities
of
the
rapidly
evolving
legal
tech
landscape.