The Next Era of Between the Briefs

Between the Briefs has officially crossed 75 episodes and 1,200+ followers, so join hosts Joe Stephens and Adrian Cea as they take a moment to look back before the show steps into its next era. Recorded live at ILTACON 2026, this special episode revisits the biggest themes that have shaped the podcast so far: AI adoption, legal education, storytelling, soft skills, attorney-client privilege, changing billing models, remote firms, private equity and the human judgment that still sits at the center of legal work. And, the metaphorical hot sauce, that is our hot take special, obviously.

75+ episodes. 1,200+ followers. A new look. A bottle of hot sauce. And a legal industry that is changing faster than most people can keep up with.

In this special episode of Between the Briefs by Steno, hosts Joe Stephens and Adrian Cea record live from ILTACON 2026 to reflect on the conversations, guests, hot takes and recurring themes that have shaped the show so far.

Join them as they revisit standout guests including Elaine Barsom, Colin Levy, Eric Friedman, Andrew Finkelstein, Matthew Pringle, Bob Simon, Katie DeBorde, and others, while also introducing the show’s new Hot Takes hot sauce.

What You’ll Learn:

Why “go slow to go fast” keeps coming up in legal AI conversations
Why AI is better understood as leverage, not a lawyer replacement
How legal tech is changing firm structures, billing models, hiring, training and education
Why law schools are still figuring out which AI skills actually matter
Why empathy, relatability and storytelling remain major legal advantages
How guest conversations have shaped Joe and Adrian’s view of the industry
Why attorney-client privilege and consumer AI use are becoming urgent client-counseling issues
Why judges and clerks keep coming back to the same advice: be brief
How private equity, remote-first firms, and AI-driven models are shifting the business of law
Why the rebrand marks a new chapter for Between the Briefs, not a reset

This episode is a milestone, a reintroduction and a reminder that the future of legal innovation will not be built by technology alone. It will be built by people who know how to use it well.

Quotes:

“We’ve hit over 75 episodes now. We’ve had some amazing guests.”
“It’s not about matching that pace. It’s actually about being methodical and thoughtful about how you adopt, when you adopt, how you change.”
“AI is there to assist, free up space, allow you to do the job that you spent a lot of time preparing to be brilliant at, which is exercise judgment.”
“You can use AI to optimize, change the way things are done, but you’re still working with people.”
“Sometimes you want to say a million things, but the best thing that you can say can live in three paragraphs or three pages instead of 10.”