Season 10, Episode 1: Too Helpful? What is the Line Between UPL and Legal Information? (with Erin Levine and Quinten Steenhuis)

Notes To My (Legal) Self

What happens when legal tech gets too helpful? In this episode of Notes to My (Legal) Self, we kick off our new series, The Future Belongs to Builders, by exploring the fine line between legal information and legal advice. In “Too Helpful? What is the Line Between UPL and Legal Information?” Erin Levine, CEO of Hello Divorce, and Quinten Steenhuis, legal tech expert at Suffolk Law School and founder of Lemma Legal Consulting, join us to dissect how technology is transforming the legal landscape—and sometimes blurring boundaries.

Erin and Quinten dive into the critical difference between providing legal advice and offering legal information, a line that has become increasingly difficult to define as automation tools and AI evolve. With legal tech offering form automation, document generation, and AI-powered tools, where exactly does information stop and advice begin? The conversation unpacks how constitutional protections for legal form books and websites fit into this gray area, and how modern technologies are pushing those boundaries.

From exploring regulatory challenges to discussing real-world examples of how legal tech is improving access to justice, this episode is a must-listen for those curious about the future of law. Erin shares how Hello Divorce uses aggregated data to guide users, helping them make better decisions without crossing into legal advice. Quinten offers insights on how lawyers and legal tech companies can build services that comply with UPL regulations while still delivering valuable information to clients.

They also dive into the evolving role of AI in legal services, touching on how tools like ChatGPT are being used to draft documents and guide users—but with cautionary notes about the importance of supervised, lawyer-vetted systems. Practical strategies for staying compliant, including keeping humans involved in automated processes and offering users the ability to customize and review their legal documents, are front and center in this conversation.

As the regulatory landscape shifts and AI plays a larger role in the legal world, Erin and Quinten offer valuable insights for anyone navigating these waters. From the use of data-driven insights to enhance user experience to strategies for steering clear of UPL violations, this episode arms you with the tools to stay ahead in legal tech innovation.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the critical difference between legal advice and legal information, and how technology blurs this line.
• Explore how constitutional protections for legal form books and websites apply in the context of modern legal tech.
• Learn how AI-powered tools, like form automation and ChatGPT, are reshaping the legal landscape.
• Discover practical strategies for staying compliant with UPL (Unauthorized Practice of Law) regulations while delivering valuable legal information.
• Gain insights on how legal tech is improving access to justice and helping consumers navigate complex legal processes.
• Learn how data-driven insights and AI can guide users in making informed decisions without crossing into legal advice.
• Understand the importance of lawyer-vetted systems and keeping human oversight in automated legal services.
• Stay informed on the evolving regulatory challenges and opportunities as legal tech continues to advance.

The future belongs to builders, and this episode shows you how to be part of it.