1. An American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld. I’m a sucker for historical fiction. It reads like a good biography as well. It was one of those books that me and my mom both loved. 
2. I see myself in a nice beach front house but still working hard at Smokeball. Work life balance, I am right. 
3. I think AI will help. I mean isn’t everyone’s favorite feature about Smokeball the activity section? Every minute counts. I also think AI will allow for further time tracking and more billing opportunities. 
    

Hi Ben,

Here is my attempt at 'Breaking the Ice'’

1. What is one fiction book that you recommend everyone adds to their reading list? 

The Alchemist 

2. If all goes to plan-where do you see yourself in 5 years time? 
Somewhere a-m-a-z-i-n-g 

3. Everyone is talking about AI these days. Do you think AI will be a help or a hindrance to the legal profession? 

It will help the Legal Profession, however, long-term, will it help people in the Legal Profession and mankind as a whole ? Hard to say
As Elon Musk says, Universal Income here we come ….. 

1. What is one fiction book that you recommend everyone adds to their reading list? 
Ender’s Game and Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card. 

2. If all goes to plan-where do you see yourself in 5 years time? 
I’d like to be living overseas with my family- perhaps working with Smokeball in Chicago! 

Hoping to have a second bub by then too 

3. Everyone is talking about AI these days. Do you think AI will be a help or a hindrance to the legal profession? 
I was fortunate to speak with Terri Mottershead- Executive Director at the Centre for Legal Innovation during Smokeball Spark. Her view on this really stuck with me:

“Humanity will increasingly be a differentiator in a technology and data-driven industry”

I think this is already happening across many sectors, not just the legal sector. AI will only hasten the value placed on genuine human interaction and all the deep insight and intuition that comes with talking to a real person.

I’ve worked on a few AI projects over my career and I’m currently learning how to train models in my spare time. From what I have seen so far I’m not convinced AI is going to replace that human interaction itself without some revolutionary breakthroughs.

I could easily be wrong though. I hope I’m not!  

1. What is one fiction book that you recommend everyone adds to their reading list? 

The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andric.

2. If all goes to plan-where do you see yourself in 5 years time? 

Completing my Ph.D. I would also love to be living in beautiful Amsterdam though that is more of a pipe dream.

3. Everyone is talking about AI these days. Do you think AI will be a help or a hindrance to the legal profession? 

I definitely think it will be a help. We need to let technology work for us!

Greetings,

I’m a family law attorney at Wechsler Becker, LLP in Seattle, WA and excited to join this community. I’ve been practicing family law for 30 years and have used some form of contact management from almost the beginning (does anyone remember Sidekick?).

1. What is one fiction book that you recommend everyone adds to their reading list? 

Emergence, by David Palmer

2. If all goes to plan-where do you see yourself in 5 years time? 
Right here. Enjoying the opportunity to help people (and getting paid to do it).

3. Everyone is talking about AI these days. Do you think AI will be a help or a hindrance to the legal profession? 

Both. People will use AI for good purpose, for bad purpose, and in yet to be unanticipated ways. The machines won’t be replacing lawyers, but I’m sure some lawyers will rely too heavily on the machine to do their thinking. Other lawyers will use this tool to improve how they gather, analyze, and communicate information.

Hello! 

My name is Jennifer. I am Special Education Attorney (parent side) from Texas. 

Hi Ben:

Excited to join the Smokeball Community.  Spent the last 17 using Tabs3/Practice Master suite of program's that all integrated (Tabs3, Practice Master, Trust, General Ledger and Accounts Receivable). I am sure I will have a huge learning curve and lots of questions so bear with me.  

Book recommendation: The Guardian by John Grisham

Five Year Goal: Sipping chianti in Chianti.

I agree with “Funkytown” . Will be both good and bad.

Hi All

1. What is one fiction book that you recommend everyone adds to their reading list? 

    Anything Steven King! - He is a classic! 
2. If all goes to plan-where do you see yourself in 5 years time? 

    Law School? I am currently a paralegal/office manager. A friend and I just opened up a family      law firm. 
3. Everyone is talking about AI these days. Do you think AI will be a help or a hindrance to the legal profession?

   I think it will help!