AI Can’t Take a Lawyer’s Job. We’re Going to be Okay. ft. Christina Natale

“We’re going to be okay” - sometimes that’s all we need to hear. In the latest episode of Between the Briefs, Christina Natale, Director of Legal Strategy & Solutions at HIKE2, sends this message to all lawyers living in the age of AI. Her mantra is simple - AI cannot practice law the way lawyers do. But it can change how it is practiced. Drawing from her experience across complex litigation, the Department of Justice, and law firm operations, Christina shares a framework for technology adoption that prioritizes discovery over installation, change management over disruption, and human judgment over blind automation. This episode is the playbook you need to get legal AI/ tech right in 2026.

What You’ll Learn:

How to map your current workflow before selecting technology

Why niche, single-purpose tools often outperform comprehensive case management platforms

The strategic discovery phase that prevents failed implementations

How to translate complex technology concepts for non-technical legal teams

Why workflow mapping reveals opportunities for AI and automation beyond initial assumptions

The business case for junior associates learning technology literacy alongside

This episode is the playbook you need to get legal AI/ tech right in 2026.

Highlights:

00:00 Introduction

01:57 From Complex Litigation to Legal Operations: Christina's Career Journey

03:37 Case Management Solutions for Every Firm Size

05:30 What’s So Special About Operations?

10:57 Map Your Workflow Before Selecting Technology

14:07 Start with Niche, Single-Purpose Solutions First

17:04 When Your Team Gets Overwhelmed, Implement Technology

23:52 Translating Complex Technology Concepts for Legal Teams

27:33 Hike2's Full-Stack Approach: Strategic Advisory Through Implementation

32:33 Vetting and Recommending the Right Tools for Your Firm

37:18 Why Junior Associates Need Technology Literacy as Core Competency

41:01 The Future of Legal Operations: Agentic AI and Human Judgment

44:38 Christina’s Hot Take: AI Cannot Replace Lawyers

46:16 Key Takeaways & Final Thoughts

Quotes:

“If I'm gonna be back in the weeds and I really love and want to litigate at a high level and service my clients, how can I do that if we're not leveraging technology in a way that makes our lives easier and takes some of the tedious or repetitive tasks that are really important?”
“There has to be a better way and understanding it from that level of depth of knowing what we mean when we say law firm operations are managing cases, what really goes into the day to day, what resources our teams need.”
“I do think that innovation is critical to our profession. I think that it makes us better at serving our clients. I think that we're going to get to a really good place where we can hopefully find that and optimize that.”
“I've mentored law students since I've graduated. And, you know, the questions are always like, I don't know what I want to do, like what type of law do I want to practice, et cetera. And like almost any lawyer you know, or anyone who's come from being a lawyer into some transition could tell you that they're not doing anything that they thought they'd be doing when they were in law school. I don't mean this in a negative way, they're probably not doing anything they learned in law school.”
“I don't think we'll ever be in a place where AI is capable of practicing law in the way that we think of. I keep seeing stuff on Reddit every day. It's like, look at all these people who are using AI to fight traffic tickets and break their leases and they're winning. But as lawyers, I do think again, and especially in more complex matters and matters that require expertise and experience, there's no substitute for that. There really just isn't.”