In the first episode of Legal Soundings, a new podcast from Harbor, Harbor’s Chris Ryan sits down with Matt Peters, National Leader of Transformation at McCarthy Tétrault, and Lauren Chung, Practice Lead of Strategy & Transformation at Harbor. They discuss the shifting landscape of the legal profession, exploring how AI is not just changing the tools lawyers use, but reimagining the very foundations of talent development and client value.
In this episode:
- The Future of the Apprenticeship Model: Why AI is automating the traditional "first-year" tasks like research and drafting, and how firms are pivoting to simulated environments to train the next generation.
- The "Human" Side of AI: Why the panel believes AI will counterintuitively make the legal profession more human by elevating the importance of EQ, strategic partnership, and complex problem-solving.
- Upskilling for the New Norm: Moving beyond routine work to retool junior and senior practitioners as strategic business partners.
- The ROI vs. Value Debate: Why chasing short-term ROI might be the wrong measure for AI, and how firms should instead focus on driving long-term value and shifting the client conversation.
- Policy as a Foundation for Freedom: How creating clear AI policies and frameworks removes fear, allows for democratization of the technology, and empowers staff to experiment safely.
- Survival Skills for 2026 and Beyond: Advice for the next generation on building resilience, adaptability, and the "problem-solving DNA" that technology cannot replace.
For leaders across the legal ecosystem—from law firm C-suites to in-house legal operations—this conversation offers a roadmap for moving beyond the AI hype and into meaningful, action-oriented transformation.
Listen to the full episode on
- Legal Soundings
- AI
- Talent
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