Law is About to Grow 50x and Most Lawyers Don’t Know It ft. David Cowen

March 12, 2026 Joe Stephens

Legal Technology Legal AI Legal Industry Trends

Can legal technology be a catalyst for access to justice while preserving what makes legal work meaningful in the first place? That depends on how you use it.

In this episode of Between the Briefs, hosts Adrian Cea and Joe Stephens sit down with David Cowen, Founder of the Solid Legal Summit and President of the Cowen Group, to explore why the legal industry stands at an unprecedented inflection point.

What You’ll Learn:

Why the dinner table remains the most powerful predictor of professional success
How to identify and invest in the radically curious 20%
The art of curation as competitive advantage
Why AI will expand, not contract, demand for legal services
How to leverage self-serving altruism to build unbreakable professional networks
Why wrestling with AI (rather than accepting it) is essential for attorneys

Tune in for expert insights on building meaningful professional connections, asking better questions and positioning yourself at the forefront of legal practice transformation.

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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