In this episode, M.C. Sungaila interviews an esteemed panel of female legal tech founders: Nicole Clark of Trellis Research, Inc., Dorna Moini of Documate, and Jacqueline Schafer of Clearbrief. They discuss their respective businesses and the pain points that pushed them to move from law into the legal tech space. This standout trio is working on ways to use emerging tech to accelerate court processes, and impact access to justice. Tune in for practical tips and insights from the ones paving the way in the tech industry, where female founders still face significant barriers.
Watch Podcast: https://bit.ly/3O4us8l
About Dorna Moini:
Dorna Moini is the CEO and co-founder of Documate, a no-code platform for building document automation and client-facing legal products. Prior to starting Documate, Dorna was a litigator at Sidley Austin. There, in her pro bono practice, she worked with legal aid organizations to build a web application for domestic violence survivors to complete and file their paperwork, which led to the idea for Documate. Dorna is on the LSC Emerging Leaders Council and a member of LAFLA’s Advisory Board. She has been named an ABA Legal Rebel and a Fastcase 50 honoree. She also teaches the Legal Innovations Lab at USC Law School.
Nicole Clark
Nicole Clark is a business litigation and labor and employment attorney who has handled litigation in both state and federal courts. She’s worked at a variety of law firms ranging from mid-size litigation boutiques to large firms, and is licensed to practice law in three states. She has defended corporations and employers in complex class action and wage and hour disputes, as well as individual employment matters ranging from sexual harassment to wrongful termination. Additionally, Nicole is the CEO and co-founder of Trellis Research, a legal analytics platform that uses AI and machine learning to provide litigators with strategic legal intelligence and judicial analytics. Nicole has an intuitive understanding of technology and is deeply committed to helping lawyers leverage technology to gain a competitive advantage and achieve a more favorable outcome for their clients.
About Jacqueline Schafer:
Jacqueline Schafer is the founder and CEO of Clearbrief, the 2021 Legal Tech Startup of the Year. She won the 2021 WA State Bar Award for Legal Innovation for her work founding Clearbrief as well as her 2020 law review article, Harnessing AI for Struggling Families. Schafer began her career as a litigation associate at the New York law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton, & Garrison, and spent the majority of her career as an Assistant Attorney General in the Washington and Alaska Attorney General’s Offices, where she specialized in appellate practice and complex litigation. Before joining the startup world, Jacqueline also served as in-house counsel for the national nonprofit Casey Family Programs, where she negotiated agreements with state courts across the country and managed impact litigation. In addition to her pro bono appellate advocacy for several nonprofits in the Northwest, she serves as a founding board member of the Washington State CASA Association, a board member of the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, and an advisor to the startup X4Impact.