{"id":98930,"date":"2025-01-02T08:01:48","date_gmt":"2025-01-02T16:01:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/01\/02\/the-future-of-legal-will-prompting-be-a-core-skill-insights-from-laura-jeffords-greenberg\/"},"modified":"2025-01-02T08:01:48","modified_gmt":"2025-01-02T16:01:48","slug":"the-future-of-legal-will-prompting-be-a-core-skill-insights-from-laura-jeffords-greenberg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/01\/02\/the-future-of-legal-will-prompting-be-a-core-skill-insights-from-laura-jeffords-greenberg\/","title":{"rendered":"The Future Of Legal: Will Prompting Be A Core Skill? Insights From Laura Jeffords Greenberg."},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Prompt engineering might just be the skill every lawyer needs to master.<br \/>\nThe post The Future Of Legal: Will Prompting Be A Core Skill? Insights From Laura Jeffords Greenberg. appeared first on Above the Law.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-437444 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/abovethelaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/two-computer-monitors-screens-300x199.jpg?resize=300%2C199&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"two computer monitors screens\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" title=\"\">Laura Jeffords Greenberg isn\u2019t just an innovative legal mind; she\u2019s a champion of transforming how legal teams operate in the age of AI. As a senior legal director at Copenhagen-based WorkSum, Laura focuses on helping startups and scale-ups leverage AI and streamline their processes. In a recent conversation, she shared her expertise on asynchronous communication, AI adoption, and why prompt engineering might just be the skill every lawyer needs to master.<\/p>\n<p>Watch the full conversation here:<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/HCMB6MAoJQU?si=TKXQDTKnUGgXCNcP\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> <b>The Future of Legal: Will Prompting Be Required?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HCMB6MAoJQU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\"> <\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><b>Asynchronous Communication: The Foundation Of Efficiency<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Laura\u2019s journey into asynchronous communication began with a need to bridge a 9-hour time difference between her legal team in California and her location in Europe. \u201cI couldn\u2019t just walk up to someone\u2019s desk or wait a couple of hours for a response,\u201d she explained. This forced her to adopt a new way of working \u2014 documenting processes, creating knowledge banks, and setting clear expectations.<\/p>\n<p>Asynchronous communication isn\u2019t just about sending emails or Slack messages; it\u2019s about structuring information so recipients can respond meaningfully on their own time. Laura sees this as foundational for high-performing legal teams, as it minimizes delays and builds transparency. \u201cYour communication should anticipate questions and provide context,\u201d she said. \u201cThe goal is to get useful answers the first time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>The AI Connection: Why Documentation Is Key<\/b><\/p>\n<p>For Laura, the meticulous documentation required for asynchronous communication also lays the groundwork for successful AI adoption. Generative AI thrives on context, and teams that document their processes and create knowledge repositories are better positioned to leverage their capabilities.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWithout context, AI can only give you generic outputs,\u201d Laura noted. \u201cBut if you provide it with detailed, company-specific information \u2014 within compliance boundaries \u2014 it can deliver tailored results.\u201d This includes everything from generating NDAs to creating polished communications that align with a company\u2019s tone of voice.<\/p>\n<p><b>Prompt Engineering: A Skill Every Lawyer Needs?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Prompt engineering \u2014 the art of crafting effective queries for AI \u2014 has sparked a lively debate. Is it a fleeting skill or a long-term necessity? While the jury\u2019s still out, Laura argues that mastering prompting is essential for lawyers today.<\/p>\n<p>Her advice? Use the WRAPS frameworkto structure your prompts:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>What:<\/b> Define the expected output (e.g., email, contract, policy).<\/li>\n<li><b>Role:<\/b> Specify your perspective or the role of the AI (e.g., in-house counsel at a SaaS company).<\/li>\n<li><b>Audience:<\/b> Identify the target audience for the output (e.g., a client, CEO, or counterparty).<\/li>\n<li><b>Purpose:<\/b> Clarify the overarching goal (e.g., to persuade, educate, or negotiate).<\/li>\n<li><b>Scope:<\/b> Provide any additional details or context to refine the result.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Laura also highlighted the importance of iterative refinement, what she calls \u201cwrapping with a side of DIP\u201d:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Discussion:<\/b> Engage in a conversation with the AI to refine outputs.<\/li>\n<li><b>Interrogate:<\/b> Question the AI\u2019s suggestions to validate their accuracy.<\/li>\n<li><b>Pace:<\/b> Take your time and restart when necessary to avoid getting stuck in unproductive loops.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Practical Applications For In-House Legal Teams<\/b><\/p>\n<p>When it comes to in-house legal teams, Laura sees AI as a game-changer for improving efficiency and reducing workload. From drafting contracts to creating internal policies and even helping with Excel formulas, AI can save significant time. \u201cFor tasks like structuring a brain dump into polished communication, AI is invaluable,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Laura\u2019s favorite use case? Training AI to adopt a company\u2019s specific tone of voice for consistent messaging. \u201cIt\u2019s a huge time-saver and ensures alignment across all communications,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n<p><b>Creating A Culture Of Experimentation<\/b><\/p>\n<p>One of Laura\u2019s key insights is the importance of fostering a culture of experimentation. \u201cUsing AI isn\u2019t just about efficiency; it\u2019s about creativity,\u201d she said. Leaders must give their teams the time and psychological safety to explore AI\u2019s potential, make mistakes, and innovate.<\/p>\n<p>She emphasized that this mindset shift requires moving away from traditional legal perfectionism. \u201cIt\u2019s okay to fail as you experiment with AI,\u201d Laura said. \u201cWhat matters is learning from those failures and adapting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>Key Takeaway: Start Playing And Keep Learning<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Laura\u2019s message is clear: don\u2019t wait to start experimenting with AI. Whether you\u2019re exploring basic tools like ChatGPT or diving into more-advanced use cases, the time to learn is now. Use frameworks to guide your prompts and approach AI with a mindset of curiosity and continuous improvement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAI isn\u2019t going anywhere,\u201d Laura concluded. \u201cThe sooner you start experimenting, the more prepared you\u2019ll be to leverage its full potential.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Watch the full conversation here:<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/HCMB6MAoJQU?si=TKXQDTKnUGgXCNcP\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> <b>The Future of Legal: Will Prompting Be Required?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong><em><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-504327 size-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/abovethelaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Olga-Mack-150x150.jpg?resize=150%2C150&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Olga Mack\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" title=\"\">Olga V. Mack <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>is a Fellow at CodeX, The Stanford Center for Legal Informatics, and a Generative AI Editor at law.MIT. Olga embraces legal innovation and had dedicated her career to improving and shaping the future of law. She is convinced that the legal profession will emerge even stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive than before by embracing technology. Olga is also an award-winning general counsel, operations professional, startup advisor, public speaker, adjunct professor, and entrepreneur. She authored\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Get-Board-Earning-Ticket-Corporate\/dp\/1949991407\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em>Get on Board: Earning Your Ticket to a Corporate Board Seat<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em>,\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Fundamentals-Smart-Contract-Security-Richard-ebook\/dp\/B07S8YF27G\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em>Fundamentals of Smart Contract Security<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong>, and\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Blockchain-Value-Transforming-Business-Communities\/dp\/1952538246\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em><strong>Blockchain Value: Transforming Business Models, Society, and Communities<\/strong><\/em><\/a><strong><em>.\u00a0She is working on three books: <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>Visual IQ for Lawyers (ABA 2024),\u00a0The Rise of Product Lawyers: An Analytical Framework to Systematically Advise Your Clients Throughout the Product Lifecycle (Globe Law and Business 2024), and Legal Operations in the Age of AI and Data (Globe Law and Business 2024). You can follow Olga on <\/em><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/olgamack\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em>LinkedIn<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em> and Twitter @olgavmack.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Prompt engineering might just be the skill every lawyer needs to master. The post The Future Of Legal: Will Prompting Be A Core Skill? Insights From Laura Jeffords Greenberg. appeared first on Above the Law. Laura Jeffords Greenberg isn\u2019t just an innovative legal mind; she\u2019s a champion of transforming how legal teams operate in the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":98931,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98930","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above_the_law","category-legal_matters"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/xira.com\/p\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/two-computer-monitors-screens-w5adJD.jpeg?fit=725%2C482&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98930","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"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98930"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98930\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98931"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98930"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98930"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98930"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}