Innovation Is More Than AI ft. John Koss

October 1, 2026 Adrian Cea

AI is not a strategy. Sure, it’s a powerful tool but still, only one piece of the puzzle.

In this episode of Between the Briefs by Steno, Adrian Cea and Joe Stephens sit down with John Koss, Chief Innovation and AI Officer at Mintz, for a practical conversation on legal AI, innovation strategy, knowledge management, law firm data, legal education, vendor relationships and what it actually takes to make new technology useful inside a law firm.

What You'll Learn:

Why John sees innovation as much broader than AI
How people, process, and technology shape real law firm change
How Mintz measures early ROI on AI tools through adoption, usage, and engagement
Why usage is only the baseline, not the full ROI story
How experimentation becomes a repeatable “Mintz way” of doing legal work
Why chasing every new AI tool creates scattered results
Why AI adoption has become easier than earlier legal tech shifts like technology-assisted review
What law schools should and should not be expected to teach about AI
Why mentorship and judgment still need to be taught inside firms
Why a single source of truth for firm data is foundational but deeply unglamorous work
What legal tech vendors need to understand before pitching law firms
Why nobody has the future of legal AI fully figured out yet

The big takeaway: AI strategy is not about panic-buying tools. It is about knowing your problems, choosing your path, building the workflow, and bringing people with you.

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

About the Contributors

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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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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