Legal Technology Experts Collaborate on ‘AI Efficacy Report’

Veteran legal journalist Erin Harrison joins Blickstein Group to spearhead research and expand the firm’s strategy and marketing practice

January 28, 2019­—Trusted legal industry advisor Brad Blickstein and veteran legal journalist Erin Harrison have teamed up to launch the Blickstein Group Legal AI Efficacy Report, the industry’s first comprehensive review of all AI-based legal technologies. The report will provide the independent analysis needed to evaluate what legal AI tools do—and how effective each actually is. Harrison will lead the project as its executive editor.

The Legal AI Efficacy Report will provide law firm leaders, legal operations professionals and other technology decision makers with detailed, no-holds-barred insight into each product, what problem it is designed to solve and how effective it is in solving that problem. The report will include:

  • Quantitative rankings (based on efficacy).
  • Complete, detailed reviews of each tool on their ability to solve legal and business problems, including user interviews.
  • Analysis across eight distinct technology categories: E-discovery; legal research; billing/spend management; contract/document review and analysis; contract assembly and creation; expertise automation; insight/predictive tools; and other tools.

Blickstein, principal of Blickstein Group, has published the seminal Annual Law Department Operations Survey since 2008. The annual report includes more than 100 respondents and 300 data points. Combined, Blickstein and Harrison have more than four decades of experience delivering independent information and analysis to the legal community, which makes them uniquely qualified to provide the independent thought and analysis the marketplace needs.

“I am thrilled to be collaborating with Erin as the legal industry continues to question the relevance and need for AI-based tools to advance their value and meet client expectations,” Blickstein said. “There has been too much focus on AI in the abstract and not enough on which problems AI-enabled tools can actually solve. We endeavor to fix that.”

In addition to serving as executive editor of the Legal AI Efficacy Report, Harrison will also work with legal technology companies to develop and execute communications strategies that help them achieve their business goals.

“Every legal AI company claims their technology solves a critical problem for law firms and in-house legal departments, but not all are created equal. At the same time, many buyers do not fully understand the potential use cases, let alone which AI technologies actually do as they prescribe,” Harrison said. “I am incredibly excited to partner with Brad on this vital initiative for the legal market.”

An accomplished legal journalist and content strategist, Harrison was at the helm of two of the industry’s most prominent media brands as editor-in-chief of ALM Media’s Legaltech News and InsideCounsel. Most recently, she worked with legal tech companies as a managing director at Baretz+Brunelle, a New York City-based strategic communications firm, helping them craft and deliver important messages and insights to the marketplace.

For more information, contact Brad at (847) 256-5298 or brad@blicksteingroup.com.

To schedule an interview, contact Erin at (203) 610-9492 or erin@blicksteingroup.com.

About Blickstein Group, Inc.

Founded by trusted legal industry advisor Brad Blickstein in 2002, the Blickstein Group advises legal service providers to better understand and serve their in-house legal department and law firm clients. Blickstein has spent his entire career bridging the gap between in-house counsel, law firms and legal service providers. In 2008, he launched the Annual Law Department Operations (LDO) Survey, at a time when few law departments had a legal ops function. Blickstein is a regular columnist on the topic for Above the Law and Legaltech News. For more information, please visit www.blicksteingroup.com.