Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

Drop a quarter in the slot and dig into the nontraditional career of Chrissie Scelsi who specializes in the law of video gaming. Scelsi forged her own way, untangling the intersection of entertainment, marketing, technology, and law. 

Games aren’t all fun and games. Scelsi deals with licensing, advertising, intellectual property, transactions, e-sports, content clearance, privacy law, and even influencer relations. “I lean something new every day, and that’s great,” she says. Throughout her career, she’s become a self-described legal Swiss army knife (and she’s a master at Pokémon Go).

Among the topics she encounters both in her practice and as the first woman president of the Video Game Bar Association is the impact of AI, from game development to game play. Working independently, hear how Scelsi has found her community, networks with others, and keeps current on the latest issues affecting not only legal aspects but also trends across the video gaming industry, an industry expected to approach $200 billion in annual revenue this year. 

Questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at [email protected]. 

Topics:

Have a passion? There’s a legal field for that! Hear how guest Chrissie Scelsi turned her love for entertainment and video gaming into a full-time practice.

Video gaming is big business not just in the U.S. but around the world, and that means a web of legal needs to help game developers and marketers navigate copyright, legal protections, liability, and intellectual property issues.

In a rapidly evolving field, it’s important for solo practitioners and consultants to build a community through associations, conferences, and networking to share ideas and understand ever-changing legal issues and challenges.

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And the DOJ had an atrocious week.

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Rapper turned First Amendment hero Afroman took his frustration over a heavy-handed police raid on his Ohio home and turned it into music. When the officers sued him for millions for hurting their feelings, a jury told them to take their $3.9 million demand and pound it like lemon pound cake. Unfortunately, what happened to Afroman happens all the time in America and there's not a lot being done to stop it. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice had a rough week, catching headlines for lowering hiring standards and running interference to protect Jeffrey Epstein's accomplices. That's before a judge literally tossed a DOJ lawyer from the courtroom over the U.S. Attorney's Office operating without any legal oversight. And Elon Musk went into court to argue that he wasn't fraudulent, he's just stupid. Jurors decided it's possible to be both. 

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AI is more than just another tool for lawyers. It may fundamentally change how law firms make money. In episode #607 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Stephanie Everett talks with legal industry analyst Jordan Furlong about the shifting economics of law practice and what happens as AI begins doing work lawyers once billed for. 

Jordan explains why the traditional law firm model built on billable hours and human effort is starting to break down as legal workflows become automated. Together, they explore how AI may shift lawyers away from producing legal work and toward supervising systems, validating outcomes, and delivering the one thing machines cannot easily replicate: judgment under uncertainty. 

The future of law practice may depend less on expertise and more on qualities machines struggle to replicate such as judgment, character, and the ability to guide clients through uncertainty. The conversation also explores why hourly billing may no longer make sense in an AI-driven world, how firms can rethink pricing around outcomes and client experience, and why smaller firms may adapt more quickly. 

If the billable hour fades and AI begins handling the routine “widgets” of legal work, the real question becomes what a lawyer’s value is now, and how firms should prepare for what comes next. 

Listen to our previous episodes on Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Legal Practice. 

#601 – Beyond Chatbots: Using Agentic AI in Law Firm Intake, with Matt Spiegel Apple | Spotify | LTN 

#590 – Innovating Without Overwhelm: Practical AI Tips for Lawyers, with Graydon Trusler Apple | Spotify | LTN 

#587 – Future-Proofing Your Firm in the Age of AI, with Jack Newton Apple | Spotify | LTN 

#577 – Rethinking Law Firm Growth in the Age of AI, with Sam Harden Apple | Spotify | LTN  

Links from the episode: 

https://jordanfurlong.substack.com. 

 

Have thoughts about today’s episode? Join the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X! 

If today's podcast resonates with you and you haven't read The Small Firm Roadmap Revisited yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Looking for help beyond the book? See if our coaching community is right for you.  

Access more resources from Lawyerist at lawyerist.com. 

 

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Chapters / Timestamps:  

00:00 – Introduction 

01:45 – Why Everyone Is Talking About AI in Law 

04:20 – Meet Jordan Furlong 

06:40 – The Real Disruption AI Brings to Law Firms 

09:30 – The Economics Behind the Billable Hour 

12:50 – What Happens When Software Does the Work 

16:05 – The Shift from Expertise to Judgment 

19:20 – What Lawyers Still Do Better Than AI 

22:40 – Client Value in an AI-Driven Profession 

26:00 – Why Smaller Firms May Have an Advantage 

29:10 – What This Means for New Lawyers 

32:45 – Preparing for the Next Version of Law Practice 

36:10 – Closing Thoughts 
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In this jam-packed episode, host Tony Sipp welcomes four outstanding paralegal professionals and educators to share tips on balancing mindfulness, wellness, and self-care in today’s world of rapid tech advancements. 

If it seems like the profession is bolting forward at light speed, you’re not wrong. It’s important to take care of yourself. Let tech work for you, not wear you down. At times, you need to plug back into yourself before you plug into the latest technology. 

With a race to incorporate that latest in AI, it is important to keep learning, but also to learn how to embrace “the power of the pause,” taking a moment to step back. Don’t just survive, thrive! 

Mentioned in This Episode:

American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE)

AAfPE Legal Luminaries podcast

Paralegals on Fire podcast

Adam Grant, speaker

Los Angeles Paralegal Association

NALA, The Paralegal Association

NALA Conference & Expo 2026

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Succession planning has never been more critical for corporate legal departments. In this episode of The Legal Report from Robert Half, host Jamy Sullivan talks with Ami Rodrigues, Deputy General Counsel at Under Armour, about developing the next generation of legal leaders. They discuss why succession planning is a business imperative, how to transfer institutional knowledge and strategies for building future-ready teams. Tune in for practical insights on how legal departments can build strong leadership pipelines and prepare for long-term success.

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