AI Should Give You More Capacity to Be Human

Live from ILTACON | Sponsored by Steno What if the real value of AI isn't how much more work you can do, but what you can do with the time it gives back? Live from ILTACON, David Cowen sits down with Rachel Shields-Williams, Director of AI and Knowledge Management at Bass, Berry & Sims, to explore how AI is changing not only the work of lawyers, but the way they learn, lead and develop. For Rachel, AI should help people show up at the highest and best use of themselves. That means more capacity for judgment, creativity, curiosity and the human moments that matter. But as AI takes on more of the work, the skills lawyers need are changing too. In this episode: Why AI should give us more capacity to create, explore and be human How AI can reduce anxiety, not just save time Why client value should drive innovation, knowledge and data strategy How a nine-week Summer AI Lab helped future lawyers learn AI through real problems Why AI training should teach workflows, not just tools How junior lawyers can learn technology while senior lawyers continue teaching judgment Why human intervention still matters in agentic workflows The emerging roles appearing around Legal AI Why the traditional lawyer training model needs to evolve Why coaching, feedback and difficult conversations will become more important How peer networks can help emerging leaders navigate new responsibilities Why successful transformation begins with understanding culture and relationships Chapters 00:10 | Using AI Without Letting AI Use You 01:03 | AI Should Help Us Live Better, Not Just Work More 01:46 | The Humanity Behind the Technology 02:03 | Why Curiosity Matters More Than Ever 02:35 | How AI Can Give You Time and Reduce Anxiety 04:45 | Stepping Into a New AI and Knowledge Leadership Role 05:06 | Putting the Client at the Center of Innovation 05:49 | Inside the Nine-Week Summer AI Lab 06:57 | Reverse Mentorship With AI in the Middle 07:25 | Teaching Workflow, Not Just How to Use the Tool 08:14 | How Future Lawyers Are Already Thinking in Agents 08:41 | Keeping the Human in the Loop 09:39 | The New Roles Emerging Around Legal AI 10:07 | Why the Lawyer Training Model Needs to Change 11:14 | From Managing Junior Lawyers to Coaching AI-Enabled Teams 12:35 | How to Prepare for Difficult Conversations 13:54 | Build Your Own Panel of Trusted Advisors 14:48 | Leading Change Through Relationships and Culture 16:28 | What the ILTACON Floor Says About What's Coming Next 17:04 | Why Legal AI Investment Means Demand for New Talent The Big Idea AI isn't just giving lawyers more capacity to work. It can give them more capacity to be human. As technology takes on more tasks, the differentiators shift toward curiosity, judgment, creativity, communication and leadership. That changes how the next generation of lawyers needs to be trained. Junior lawyers will increasingly learn the law while working with AI. More experienced lawyers will need to become better coaches, giving feedback, guiding judgment and helping people understand when human intervention matters. The technology may be accelerating. But the skills required to lead through that acceleration are deeply human. Follow SOLID for more conversations with the leaders shaping what comes next in legal: https://solid.legal/ 🎧 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Share this episode and take your career from now to next! Never eat alone!