I’m an adjunct professor of legal entrepreneurship at the University of Connecticut School of Law, and I've never been more excited about the future of law. This year, I simplified my reading list to just two books: "The E-Myth Revisited" by Michael Gerber and "Unreasonable Hospitality" by Will Guidara. Not because I'm dumbing things down, but because these books capture what matters most right now: we can finally build the legal services our communities actually need.
For decades, we've known the problems. Most people can't afford lawyers. Small businesses operate without legal guidance. Tenants face eviction without representation. We've wrung our hands about the justice gap, written reports, held conferences. But we couldn't solve it within the traditional model.
AI changes everything.
The Opportunity That Changes Everything
What excites me most isn't what AI can do today. It's what my students will build with it tomorrow. When you combine legal knowledge with entrepreneurial thinking and AI tools, you can create services that were impossible just two years ago.
Think about what held us back before. To serve low-income clients at scale, you needed massive infrastructure. Office space, support staff, filing systems, research databases. The economics never worked. Now, one lawyer with the right AI tools can serve hundreds of clients at a price point that makes sense for everyone.
But it goes beyond just making existing services cheaper. We can create entirely new ways of delivering legal help. Interactive tools that guide people through complex processes. Systems that monitor regulatory changes and automatically alert affected businesses. Platforms that match people with exactly the right legal resource at exactly the right time.
My students aren't learning to be traditional lawyers. They're learning to be builders, problem-solvers, and yes, entrepreneurs. Because that's what our communities need.
There is someone out there who is going to build a multi-billion dollar company in the legal space with a very small team. I would love for that person to be in my class.
Why These Two Books Matter
"The E-Myth Revisited" teaches students to think in systems. Most lawyers get trapped doing everything themselves. They become the bottleneck. The book shows how to build processes that scale, that work without you touching every single task. When you combine this thinking with AI, you can create legal services that reach everyone who needs them.
"Unreasonable Hospitality" reminds us why we're doing this. Legal services have been designed for lawyers, not clients. Forms are confusing. Processes are opaque. Communication is minimal. The book challenges students to flip that entirely. What if legal services were actually pleasant? What if clients felt heard, valued, respected? What if lawyers actually had more time to connect to the clients and communities that they serve?
These aren't just nice ideas. They're competitive advantages. When anyone can use AI to draft a contract, the lawyers who thrive will be those who make the experience remarkable.
Building the Future in Real Time
In my class, students don't theorize about the future. They build it. Using AI, they create actual tools that solve real problems in our community.
I will encourage students to actually build models to address the needs of real people with real legal issues. To meet them where they are, add value, and serve them well.
These aren't law school exercises. They're prototypes of real businesses. Students test them with actual users. They iterate based on feedback. They learn what works and what doesn't.
The best part? They're not competing with traditional law firms. They're serving people those firms never could. They're creating access where none existed before.
The Skills That Actually Matter
When you have AI that can research cases and draft documents, what's left for lawyers to do? Everything that matters most.
Understanding what clients actually need, not just what they ask for. Building relationships and trust. Designing solutions that work in the real world. Creating sustainable business models. Leading teams. Communicating complex ideas simply. And leveraging experience to navigate the toughest of challenges.
These are the skills I focus on. Not because traditional legal skills don't matter, but because AI handles those now. My students need to be great at everything AI can't do.
They need to see opportunities where others see problems. When someone says "people can't afford lawyers," they need to hear "let's build something people can afford." When someone says "the law is too complicated," they need to think "let's make it simple."
The Revolution is Already Starting
Across the country, lawyers are using AI to transform how they serve their communities. Legal aid organizations are handling ten times more cases. Solo practitioners are competing with big firms. New models are emerging that we couldn't have imagined before.
But we're just getting started. The real transformation will come from the next generation. The students who grew up with technology, who see AI as a tool rather than a threat, who understand both law and business.
They're not waiting for permission. They're not protecting the old ways. They're building the legal services our communities deserve.
In my classroom, I see the future of law. It's not about billable hours or corner offices. It's about solving problems that matter. It's about serving people who've been shut out. It's about using every tool available to make justice accessible.
Two books. A room full of creative students. And AI tools that let us build what we've always known we needed.
This is the best time in history to be a legal entrepreneur. The opportunities are endless. The impact is real. And I hope to put some wind in the sails of those looking to seize it all.
