AI Doesn’t Just Produce Faster Legal Work, It Produces Better Work: Insights from Daniel Schwarcz

December 11, 2025 Joe Stephens

We’ve all heard that AI can make lawyers better at their jobs. But now there’s data-backed research to prove it.

Hosts Adrian Cea and Joe Stephens welcome Daniel Schwarcz, Professor at University of Minnesota, to discuss the groundbreaking paper “AI-Powered Lawyering” and its empirical findings on how certain AI tools are reshaping legal practice.

What You’ll Learn:

How retrieval-augmented generation transforms legal research
Why reasoning models like O1 Preview outperform traditional language models for legal analysis
The critical distinction between efficiency gains and quality improvements
How to identify tasks where AI adds meaningful value versus areas requiring caution
Why relying on AI without domain expertise creates ethical liability
The emerging labor market realities for junior attorneys

Every lawyer needs proof. This study is all the evidence you could need about AI use in today’s legal landscape.

Want to watch this episode of Between the Briefs instead? Get the full video on YouTube.

About the Contributors

Joe Stephens

Joe Stephens, J.D., is Steno's Director of Legal Solutions as well as a Clinical Lecturer at Texas Tech University School of Law. With over 15 years of experience in criminal defense and public service, he founded and led Texas' largest rural public defender office, which serves a 12-county area. A graduate of The University of Texas School of Law (cum laude) and Vanderbilt University (B.A.), Stephens currently serves as a Board Member of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer's Association (TCDLA) and sits on multiple State Bar of Texas committees. His expertise spans the intersection of legal practice and technological innovation in the justice system.

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Adrian Cea

Adrian Cea is Steno's Social Media Manager, leading content strategy, audience engagement, and digital brand-building across platforms. He also produces and co-hosts Between the Briefs, Steno's podcast covering the intersection of legal technology, court reporting, and the future of litigation. With a background spanning content creation, field marketing, and sales at companies like Sell Better and Chili Piper, Adrian brings a multi-disciplined lens to making complex legal tech topics accessible and engaging.

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