{"id":163785,"date":"2026-09-28T11:21:05","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T19:21:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/09\/28\/thinking-of-mailing-it-in-because-you-fear-ai-keep-dancing\/"},"modified":"2026-09-28T11:21:05","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T19:21:05","slug":"thinking-of-mailing-it-in-because-you-fear-ai-keep-dancing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/09\/28\/thinking-of-mailing-it-in-because-you-fear-ai-keep-dancing\/","title":{"rendered":"Thinking Of Mailing It In Because You Fear AI? Keep Dancing"},"content":{"rendered":"

I attended the 8am Kaleidoscope<\/a> conference this past week. And like most legal tech conferences, much of the talk was about AI. AI and lawyers. AI and law firms. AI and your future.<\/p>\n

But perhaps recognizing there is only so much AI we humans can absorb before it leaks out our ears, the 8am folks gave us a free night to frolic on our own. My little frolic was to go see Carlos Santana<\/a> in concert at the House of Blues. I\u2019ve always been a fan of Santana, but frankly I didn\u2019t know what to expect. I\u2019ve seen too many music acts who were at the top of the charts back in the day return to concert tours years later and mail it in. After all, Santana is pushing 80, so he could be forgiven for coasting a bit after a long career.<\/p>\n

Well, Carlos don\u2019t coast. And he sure as hell doesn\u2019t mail it in. He gave an almost two-hour show. No breaks. And those famous guitar riffs that he\u2019s known for? He himself played them all. No reliance on some guitarist back in the shadows who played the solos while the headline performer stood in the spotlight clumsily and pitifully trying to act like he was playing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One thing\u2019s for sure. By the time the show ended, the whole place was dancing.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a Connection to Legal Here Somewhere?<\/strong><\/p>\n

So, I know what you\u2019re wondering. Great, Embry went to Vegas, saw one of his childhood idols, and now we\u2019re getting a concert review. (BTW, I\u2019m not as old as Santana.) What does Carlos Santana have to do with AI and legal technology? More than you might think.<\/p>\n

The well-known podcaster and lawyer, Ruby Powers<\/a>, graciously asked Carolyn Elefant<\/a> and me to be on her Power Up Your Practice<\/a> podcast that was recorded at the conference. During our discussion, Elefant, a practicing lawyer who also advises law firms about technology among other things, said she is seeing more and more older lawyers throwing up their hands when AI comes up. They\u2019re saying, \u201cI\u2019ll just retire.\u201d Go out to pasture or the golf course. As in \u201cThat\u2019ll show \u2018em.\u201d As though ChatGPT is sitting around thinking: Dear God. Bill retired. I really screwed that up.<\/p>\n

Then there is the other group. You know the ones. They aren\u2019t retiring. (Unless retiring in place counts.) They\u2019re simply pretending none of this AI stuff is happening. They stubbornly keep trying to practice exactly as they always have.<\/p>\n

I talked to Elefant after the podcast, and she told me she is seeing the retirement option mainly from lawyers around 60 and older. They are fearful of AI and the changes it may bring. For some of them, Elefant says it\u2019s just too much. Sort of the straw that is breaking the camel\u2019s back. And from what I see, it\u2019s not helped by all the pundits harping on how AI is going to change everything and the perception that older lawyers just can\u2019t keep up.<\/p>\n

But retiring, mailing it in because you\u2019re frightened of learning something new. Come on.<\/p>\n

Yes, It\u2019s Human Nature<\/strong><\/p>\n

I do get it, sort of. I even felt some of this myself at Kaleidoscope. I sat through some sessions at the conference where a presenter talked about AI and what they were doing with it. What they outlined was over my head and probably a lot of others in the audience. It was tempting to say, \u201cI don\u2019t get it. I don\u2019t understand what they\u2019re talking about. So, I\u2019m just not going to listen.\u201d But that\u2019s a cop out as well. And just because someone can\u2019t explain in ways I can understand doesn\u2019t mean there isn\u2019t something there I might need to know.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s a big difference between thinking occasionally \u201cI\u2019m too old and tired for this shit,\u201d and then actually deciding I\u2019m too old and tired.<\/p>\n

I Don\u2019t Like Your Attitude<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a piss-poor attitude, frankly. You spend years mastering your craft. Years cultivating your clients. Decades protecting them. And now, when you have something that really challenges you again, a challenge the likes of which you may not have seen in a long time, you just throw up your hands and quit?<\/p>\n

Or maybe worse, you mail it in, determined to keep working while ignoring AI. That\u2019s insanity, not to mention a malpractice bomb set to explode.<\/p>\n

But I\u2019m Entitled<\/strong><\/p>\n

But after all, you deserve it, you say. Elefant says many, in fact, do have a sense of entitlement that contributes to their desire to leave. Maybe so. But do your clients deserve it? Do the younger lawyers in your firm who need your help and guidance now more than ever deserve it? Do your partners deserve it?\u00a0What about the profession that gave you a pretty damn good living for all those years?<\/p>\n

Think back to your first trial. Do you remember how stressed you were? How the challenges of it seemed insurmountable? I\u2019m sure the thought crossed your mind then to just give up. I know it did mine. But we didn\u2019t, did we? We didn\u2019t walk away right before the opening statement. We didn\u2019t say, \u201cYour Honor, this is all a little overwhelming. I\u2019ve decided to retire.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nor did we mail it in. And when the next trial came along, it wasn\u2019t quite so terrifying. Nor was the next one, and the one after that. We survived. We persevered.<\/p>\n

Your Firm and Your Future<\/strong><\/p>\n

Elefant brought up another good point: the \u201cI\u2019m just hanging it up\u201d approach deprives your firm and colleagues of any kind of succession plan. A plan the implementation of which, she says, could ironically be made much easier by engaging with AI. Succession planning is often put off because frankly it\u2019s hard to figure out how to get at and transfer all the knowledge and experience of the departing lawyer. But Elefant is right. Using AI and automation to do that can make the process a whole lot easier.<\/p>\n

Retire to What?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Think of this. Yes, there are lots of reasons to retire. Lifestyle. Family. Sitting on a beach drinking something with an umbrella sticking out of it. Like me, the desire to pursue another career. But chickening out? Do you seriously think you will be happy when you quit out of fear? That\u2019s not a plan.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And this: approaching so-called retirement ought to be like approaching your next career. Ask yourself the question: I am leaving my current career to do what? Good lawyers who practiced for 35 years fighting fires day in and day out aren\u2019t going to be to happy sitting around watching TV all day.<\/p>\n

Fear is a lousy career counselor.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s Just One More Challenge\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

AI and technology are just another challenge we as a profession must step up to. It\u2019s a challenge that threatens to upend what we do and how we do it. So, the profession needs you, your experience, and your steady hands. It\u2019s a challenge we can\u2019t walk away from.<\/p>\n

We All Have Doubts \u2014 Even Carlos<\/strong><\/p>\n

Maybe you\u2019re a bit long in the tooth. But that doesn\u2019t mean you shouldn\u2019t give back in some way to clients, younger lawyers, partners, and to the profession for what it\u2019s given you. Sure, you have doubts whether you can sufficiently master AI to be relevant and credible. I wonder that about myself.<\/p>\n

Then I think of Carlos Santana. He may have sat down for much of the show and played some of those glorious riffs from a chair. And God knows he probably didn\u2019t need to be giving two-hour flawless concerts. But I like to think he did it for his fans. For his band. For himself.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When he decided to do this tour, I\u2019m sure the thought occurred to him: Can I still do this? Can I still perform at a high level? Can I still be relevant and credible? Can I still make the audience dance to\u00a0Smooth<\/em>? To\u00a0Oye Como Va<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Wednesday night in Las Vegas, I got my answer. It\u2019s hell yes. So, if you\u2019re thinking about mailing it in because of AI, or because you\u2019re too old, sit down if you need to. But keep playing. And keep dancing.<\/p>\n

\n

Stephen Embry is a lawyer, speaker, blogger, and writer. He publishes\u00a0TechLaw Crossroads<\/a>, a blog devoted to the examination of the tension between technology, the law, and the practice of law.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

The post Thinking Of Mailing It In Because You Fear AI? Keep Dancing<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n

I attended the 8am Kaleidoscope<\/a> conference this past week. And like most legal tech conferences, much of the talk was about AI. AI and lawyers. AI and law firms. AI and your future.<\/p>\n

But perhaps recognizing there is only so much AI we humans can absorb before it leaks out our ears, the 8am folks gave us a free night to frolic on our own. My little frolic was to go see Carlos Santana<\/a> in concert at the House of Blues. I\u2019ve always been a fan of Santana, but frankly I didn\u2019t know what to expect. I\u2019ve seen too many music acts who were at the top of the charts back in the day return to concert tours years later and mail it in. After all, Santana is pushing 80, so he could be forgiven for coasting a bit after a long career.<\/p>\n

Well, Carlos don\u2019t coast. And he sure as hell doesn\u2019t mail it in. He gave an almost two-hour show. No breaks. And those famous guitar riffs that he\u2019s known for? He himself played them all. No reliance on some guitarist back in the shadows who played the solos while the headline performer stood in the spotlight clumsily and pitifully trying to act like he was playing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One thing\u2019s for sure. By the time the show ended, the whole place was dancing.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a Connection to Legal Here Somewhere?<\/strong><\/p>\n

So, I know what you\u2019re wondering. Great, Embry went to Vegas, saw one of his childhood idols, and now we\u2019re getting a concert review. (BTW, I\u2019m not as old as Santana.) What does Carlos Santana have to do with AI and legal technology? More than you might think.<\/p>\n

The well-known podcaster and lawyer, Ruby Powers<\/a>, graciously asked Carolyn Elefant<\/a> and me to be on her Power Up Your Practice<\/a> podcast that was recorded at the conference. During our discussion, Elefant, a practicing lawyer who also advises law firms about technology among other things, said she is seeing more and more older lawyers throwing up their hands when AI comes up. They\u2019re saying, \u201cI\u2019ll just retire.\u201d Go out to pasture or the golf course. As in \u201cThat\u2019ll show \u2018em.\u201d As though ChatGPT is sitting around thinking: Dear God. Bill retired. I really screwed that up.<\/p>\n

Then there is the other group. You know the ones. They aren\u2019t retiring. (Unless retiring in place counts.) They\u2019re simply pretending none of this AI stuff is happening. They stubbornly keep trying to practice exactly as they always have.<\/p>\n

I talked to Elefant after the podcast, and she told me she is seeing the retirement option mainly from lawyers around 60 and older. They are fearful of AI and the changes it may bring. For some of them, Elefant says it\u2019s just too much. Sort of the straw that is breaking the camel\u2019s back. And from what I see, it\u2019s not helped by all the pundits harping on how AI is going to change everything and the perception that older lawyers just can\u2019t keep up.<\/p>\n

But retiring, mailing it in because you\u2019re frightened of learning something new. Come on.<\/p>\n

Yes, It\u2019s Human Nature<\/strong><\/p>\n

I do get it, sort of. I even felt some of this myself at Kaleidoscope. I sat through some sessions at the conference where a presenter talked about AI and what they were doing with it. What they outlined was over my head and probably a lot of others in the audience. It was tempting to say, \u201cI don\u2019t get it. I don\u2019t understand what they\u2019re talking about. So, I\u2019m just not going to listen.\u201d But that\u2019s a cop out as well. And just because someone can\u2019t explain in ways I can understand doesn\u2019t mean there isn\u2019t something there I might need to know.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s a big difference between thinking occasionally \u201cI\u2019m too old and tired for this shit,\u201d and then actually deciding I\u2019m too old and tired.<\/p>\n

I Don\u2019t Like Your Attitude<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a piss-poor attitude, frankly. You spend years mastering your craft. Years cultivating your clients. Decades protecting them. And now, when you have something that really challenges you again, a challenge the likes of which you may not have seen in a long time, you just throw up your hands and quit?<\/p>\n

Or maybe worse, you mail it in, determined to keep working while ignoring AI. That\u2019s insanity, not to mention a malpractice bomb set to explode.<\/p>\n

But I\u2019m Entitled<\/strong><\/p>\n

But after all, you deserve it, you say. Elefant says many, in fact, do have a sense of entitlement that contributes to their desire to leave. Maybe so. But do your clients deserve it? Do the younger lawyers in your firm who need your help and guidance now more than ever deserve it? Do your partners deserve it?\u00a0What about the profession that gave you a pretty damn good living for all those years?<\/p>\n

Think back to your first trial. Do you remember how stressed you were? How the challenges of it seemed insurmountable? I\u2019m sure the thought crossed your mind then to just give up. I know it did mine. But we didn\u2019t, did we? We didn\u2019t walk away right before the opening statement. We didn\u2019t say, \u201cYour Honor, this is all a little overwhelming. I\u2019ve decided to retire.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nor did we mail it in. And when the next trial came along, it wasn\u2019t quite so terrifying. Nor was the next one, and the one after that. We survived. We persevered.<\/p>\n

Your Firm and Your Future<\/strong><\/p>\n

Elefant brought up another good point: the \u201cI\u2019m just hanging it up\u201d approach deprives your firm and colleagues of any kind of succession plan. A plan the implementation of which, she says, could ironically be made much easier by engaging with AI. Succession planning is often put off because frankly it\u2019s hard to figure out how to get at and transfer all the knowledge and experience of the departing lawyer. But Elefant is right. Using AI and automation to do that can make the process a whole lot easier.<\/p>\n

Retire to What?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Think of this. Yes, there are lots of reasons to retire. Lifestyle. Family. Sitting on a beach drinking something with an umbrella sticking out of it. Like me, the desire to pursue another career. But chickening out? Do you seriously think you will be happy when you quit out of fear? That\u2019s not a plan.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And this: approaching so-called retirement ought to be like approaching your next career. Ask yourself the question: I am leaving my current career to do what? Good lawyers who practiced for 35 years fighting fires day in and day out aren\u2019t going to be to happy sitting around watching TV all day.<\/p>\n

Fear is a lousy career counselor.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s Just One More Challenge\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

AI and technology are just another challenge we as a profession must step up to. It\u2019s a challenge that threatens to upend what we do and how we do it. So, the profession needs you, your experience, and your steady hands. It\u2019s a challenge we can\u2019t walk away from.<\/p>\n

We All Have Doubts \u2014 Even Carlos<\/strong><\/p>\n

Maybe you\u2019re a bit long in the tooth. But that doesn\u2019t mean you shouldn\u2019t give back in some way to clients, younger lawyers, partners, and to the profession for what it\u2019s given you. Sure, you have doubts whether you can sufficiently master AI to be relevant and credible. I wonder that about myself.<\/p>\n

Then I think of Carlos Santana. He may have sat down for much of the show and played some of those glorious riffs from a chair. And God knows he probably didn\u2019t need to be giving two-hour flawless concerts. But I like to think he did it for his fans. For his band. For himself.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When he decided to do this tour, I\u2019m sure the thought occurred to him: Can I still do this? Can I still perform at a high level? Can I still be relevant and credible? Can I still make the audience dance to\u00a0Smooth<\/em>? To\u00a0Oye Como Va<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Wednesday night in Las Vegas, I got my answer. It\u2019s hell yes. So, if you\u2019re thinking about mailing it in because of AI, or because you\u2019re too old, sit down if you need to. But keep playing. And keep dancing.<\/p>\n

\n

Stephen Embry is a lawyer, speaker, blogger, and writer. He publishes\u00a0TechLaw Crossroads<\/a>, a blog devoted to the examination of the tension between technology, the law, and the practice of law.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I attended the 8am Kaleidoscope conference this past week. And like most legal tech conferences, much of the talk was about AI. AI and lawyers. AI and law firms. AI and your future. But perhaps recognizing there is only so much AI we humans can absorb before it leaks out our ears, the 8am folks […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":163786,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-163785","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163785","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=163785"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163785\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/163786"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=163785"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=163785"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=163785"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}