Innovative Law Schools: Aspirational or Unattainable?
By Shundra Crumpton • May 29, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Law School, Curriculum and Classroom Dynamics
UPDATE: I graduated from law school on May 11, 2018, so I am now Ms. Innovative Psychic, J.D.! I cannot believe that three years of the Socratic method, curved grades, and outlines are finally behind me. I still remember my first day of law school. As commonly experienced by many beginning law students, but rarely uttered, my main concern at the time was whether I should wear a suit to my first class or jeans. Over the years, I went from dreading cold calling to wishing that the professor would call on me so that I could be “off the…
Out with the Old E-Discovery, In with the New
By Shundra Crumpton • April 28, 2018 •Writers in Residence
The discovery process has changed drastically over the years. The days of shipping a hundred boxes of paperwork are long gone and electronic discovery or “e-discovery” is the current frontrunner. What exactly is e-discovery? E-discovery is the electronic process of identifying, collecting, and producing electronically stored information. Electronically stored information can include items such as emails, text messages, instant message chats, presentations, voicemails, videos, websites, and social media content. E-discovery can also include data that forensic investigators can review for hidden evidence. It is no longer acceptable to just produce written documents during the discovery process. But wait . .…
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Artificial Intelligence
By Shundra Crumpton • March 28, 2018 •Writers in Residence
The phrase “artificial intelligence” brings fear to many. If you thought screaming fire in a crowded theater would cause a ruckus, try screaming artificial intelligence (“AI”). But why? Why are so many people afraid of new technology that could help us do everyday tasks smarter, quicker, and cheaper? I have a prediction . . . most people have no idea what artificial intelligence means. When people think of AI, images of robots taking over the world is their first thought. However, there are at least three different types of AI: Artificial SuperIntelligence (“ASI”), Artificial General Intelligence (“AGI”), and Artificial Narrow…
A World Without Lawyers
By Shundra Crumpton • February 28, 2018 •Writers in Residence
If you read my last blog post, "If It ISn’t Broke, Don't Fix It," then you know that the legal field is changing. Rates are going up, but demand is going down, corporate clients are demanding efficiency through fixed rates, and collection realization has decreased. These bleak statistics are only the tip of the iceberg. Imagine a situation where a teacher uses Word to create a chart for her class. The teacher is so proud of the chart that she saves it as a template. The teacher then uses the template over and over again for many years. At some…
If It ISn’t Broke, Don’t Fix It
By Shundra Crumpton • January 27, 2018 •Writers in Residence
We’ve all heard the maxim, “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” It appears that a majority of the people within the legal field misheard this piece of advice and instead opted for a “if it is broke, STILL don’t fix it” mentality. In order to fully understand this concept we must travel back a decade. A lot of important events happened in 2008. Barack Obama was elected as the first African-American President of the United States. Teenagers all over the world engaged in a vampire versus werewolf feud as the fourth book in the “Twilight Saga” was published. The…