In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re excited to see the American Bar Association’s Legal Technology Resource Center honor some extraordinary women involved in the legal tech industry. The ABA’s Women of Legal Tech was started in 2015 by Heidi Alexander, a Law Technology Today contributor and practice management advisor. Building upon the initial list, the Legal Technology Resource Center highlights 15 women in legal tech every year. For 2019, we’re proud to share with you the honorees that help make the legal industry a better place.
Katia Alcantar, Text A Lawyer, Inc.
Katia Alcantar, co-founder, of Text A Lawyer, Inc., helps lawyers generate free client leads using a business to consumer mobile app available for both Android and iOS devices. Consumers receive affordable answers to their legal questions while lawyers gain valuable contact information for individuals they talk with through the platform.
Kimberly Bennet, K Bennett Law LLC
Kimberly Bennet runs K Bennett Law LLC, a virtual practice that provides on-demand and subscription based legal services. She provides both trademark assistance and business strategy for her clients. She relies on technological advancements to continue to provide her clients with the services they need, when they need it. Kim also hosts The Modern Legal Collective which teaches lawyers how they can incorporate subscription-based legal services into their practices.
Kunoor Chopra, Elevate
Kunoor Chopra is the Vice President of Legal Services for Elevate. She uses legal tech to create more effective and efficient methods lawyers can use in their practices. Kunoor doesn’t use a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, she focuses on providing the right tools and resources for each client. Elevate works with both law firms and legal departments.
Felicity Conrad, Paladin
Felicity Conrad is the co-founder and CEO of Paladin. Paladin is a pro bono platform that is designed to improve access to justice. Felicity is also the recipient of the 2019 NYU Law Pro Bono Award. Paladin made the NYC’s 2019 Startups to Watch list published in Inc.
Kim Craig, Bold Duck Studio
Kim Crag is the co-founder of Bold Duck Studio. Bold Duck Studio provides legal service innovation and strategy. She uses her experience in technology, KPI, and project management to help law firms better prepare for the future.
Katie DeBord, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
Katie DeBord is the Global Chief Innovation Officer of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner. She leads the international Innovation Team. Her goal is to drive innovation while also adopting the appropriate technology and best practices to support the legal industry.
Erin Gerstenzang, EHG Law Firm Collective
Erin Gerstenzang is a criminal defense lawyer in Atlanta. She’s also the facilitator of EHG Law Firm Collective, a mentorship-focused women’s group that helps others develop the legal, technological, and business skills necessary to grow a successful law firm. Erin also hosts the Atlanta Legal Tech Meet Up Group for Atlanta.
Debbie Hoffman, Symmetry Blockchain Advisors, Inc.
Debbie Hoffman is the founder and CEO of Symmetry Blockchain Advisors, Inc. She helps her clients understand blockchain and how it could be implemented while remaining in compliance with ethics rules as well as with legal regulations. She is also the Associate Editor of Blockchain Media Magazine.
Catherine Krow, Digitory Legal
Catherine Krow is the founder of Digitory Legal. Her goal is to help law firms and legal departments manage and thrive in the legal industry. She focuses on solving problems in ways that promote both trust and collaboration while addressing issues surrounding the cost of choosing and implementing legal tech solutions.
Erin Levine, Hello Divorce
Erin Levine is the founder of Hello Divorce. She uses legal tech to provide an affordable and easier way to help couples go through the divorce process in California. Erin’s use of automation highlights exactly how legal tech can be used to benefit consumers without the dreaded, and misunderstood, notion that AI will take away the need for lawyers.
Laura O’Bryan, MyVirtual.Lawyer
Laura O’Bryan came to work alongside of Brooke Moore at MyVirtual.Lawyer in 2017. In 2018, they co-founded MVL Licensing to share the practice model used by MyVirtual.Lawyer in other jurisdictions. Laura truly enjoys helping lawyers find ways they can use legal tech to improve the attorney-client relationship and to make law firm life just a little bit easier.
Hari M. Osofsky, Dean of Penn State Law
Hari M. Osofosky is the Dean of Penn State Law and the Penn State School of International Affairs. She is a Distinguished Professor of Law, Professor of International Affairs, and Professor of Geography. Dean Osofsky believes in using collaboration to build legal and international relationships through mentoring, technology, and strategic partnerships.
Tanina Rostain, Georgetown Iron Tech Lawyer Competition & Access to Justice Initiative
Tanina Rostain created a course in which students would work together with a non-profit legal service to provide apps that would improve access to justice in 2012. This led to the creation of the Georgetown Iron Tech Lawyer Competition. Additionally, Tanina co-founded the Access to Justice Initiative at Georgetown Law and created the Justice Lab. She was named by the ABA Journal as one of the “Ten Women to Watch in Legal Technology.”
Joy Heath Rush, International Legal Technology Association
Joy Heath Rush is the CEO of the International Legal Technology Association (ILTA). The organization supports more than 24,000 international legal tech professionals. Joy uses her deep understanding of law firm needs and operations to help legal tech professionals create and maintain the proper technological environment for their respective law firms.
Natalie Worsfold, CounterMeasure
Natalie Worsfold is the co-creator of CounterMeasure, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) litigation analysis tool that uses legal judgment and expertise along with automation to assist with case analysis, strategies, and predictions. Natalie is also the co-host of the podcast Building NewLaw.
Congratulations Ladies of Legal Tech!
While the above named women are just a small portion of those involved in legal tech, we’re so grateful to see so many fantastic contributions to the industry. Congratulations to the ladies of legal tech!