#553: AI Tools and Processes Every Lawyer Should Use with Catherine Sanders Reach

Catherine Sanders Reach, Director of the Center for Practice Management at the North Carolina Bar Association, joins Zack Glaser to answer pressing questions about integrating AI into legal operations. Catherine explains how to identify breakdowns in workflows, choose purpose-built AI tools, and calculate the return on investment for tech solutions like Microsoft Copilot. She also shares practical advice on automating tasks like document templates, client intake, and email management while emphasizing the importance of documenting processes for efficiency. This episode is packed with actionable insights for lawyers looking to streamline their practice with AI. Hear Catherine’s other appearance on Lawyerist Podcast:  #444: Streamlining Legal Operations for Success, with Catherine Sanders Reach: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube   Listen to our other episodes about artificial intelligence: #551: Becoming the AI Driven Leader, with Geoff Woods: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Lawyerist #550: Beyond Content: How AI is Changing Law Firm Marketing, with Gyi Tsakalakis and Conrad Saam: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Lawyerist #546: Unlock Law Firm Growth: AI Marketing Secrets with Karin Conroy: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Lawyerist Have thoughts about today’s episode? Join the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X! If today's podcast resonates with you and you haven't read The Small Firm Roadmap Revisited yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Looking for help beyond the book? See if our coaching community is right for you. Access more resources from Lawyerist at lawyerist.com. Chapters / Timestamps:  0:00 Introduction 6:17 Meet Catherine Sanders Reach 7:19 How to Kickstart Generative AI Processes 10:53 Microsoft Copilot  13:00 AI Tools Lawyers Should Consider Using 14:36 Agentic AI 20:14 Why You Need a Needs Assessment  23:49 Evaluating Productivity 27:11 Let Go of Perfectionism  28:44 Image Generation 31:46 Why You Need Policies and Systems 35:38 Dictation Tools 38:22 The AI Tool to Watch