deep dive

legal tech can be segmented as solving three types of service problems in the united states:

1. consumerization of once complex services
2. access to fundamental human rights — safety, freedom, housing
3. productivity-increasing tools for incumbents

consumerization of once complex services.

• in the 2000s, online legal template platforms like LegalZoom, Rocket Lawyer, and later Clerky made it easier and more affordable for individuals and small businesses to create legal documents like wills, trusts, incorporation papers, and contracts without the need for expensive lawyers.
• in the 2010s, platforms like LegalVision and Atrium offer[ed] subscription-based legal services that provide startups and small businesses with on-demand access to lawyers for various legal needs, from contract review to employment law advice, at a predictable monthly cost.

for consumerization to occur it is important to understand who uses online legal services

future.

hyper-personalized legal solutions - every American can provide information regarding their financial situation, family structure, and estate planning goals, and have a fine-tuned model generate a fully customized will, trust, and power of attorney documents tailored to their specific needs.

use existing channels for reaching clients:

• AI lawyer you can hop on zoom calls with
• AI lawyer in your iMessage chats
• AI lawyer as a gmail extension - using inbox as context for risk + opportunity

instant niche service coordination - specialized legal service marketplaces that connect individuals and businesses with lawyer-backed work-product. these marketplaces must have custom workflows underpinning them for near-instant transactions.

think Uber for [insert specific practice area task].

for example:

• “push a button - get terms of service docs for startups in minutes”.
• “push a button - get tenant eviction responses in minutes”
• “push a button - start a real estate SPV in minutes”

Each niche consumerized practices is worth $20M - $1B. There are 30-50 practices/tasks that can be productized similarly.

What would interactions look like?

https://www.apriora.ai/ - AI interviewer. AI Lawyer or intake assistant interactions could look similar

Fiverr has licensed attorneys willing to do this work for $30

coordination can occur for same-day if not same-hour legal services for 2x-3x cost. with higher quality lawyers with reviews/social proof

access to fundamental human rights — safety, freedom, housing.

existing legal aid organizations:

• free or low-cost legal representation and advice for individuals and families who cannot afford a private attorney.
• focus in areas like housing, family law, consumer issues, and public benefits.
• self-help resources (forms, how-tos, blogs, education)
• hotlines and legal clinics for speedy advice or counseling on specific legal issues.
• funded mostly by government grants (federal, state, and local)
• according to Legal Services Corporation (LSC), the average basic field grant to legal aid organizations in 2021 was around $4.7 million.

total funding for all legal aid orgs in USA is $1.4 billion every year. Including pro-bono work by attorneys, the number rises to $8 billion.

94 legal aid orgs in california — avg. funded $8 million of taxpayer money

agentic legal aid organization.