LegalTechTalk 2026: The Lawyer of 2030: Risk, AI & Human Judgment - James Smither - E08

What happens when the brightest minds in legal, technology, and innovation come together to shape the future of our profession? Welcome to the Legally Speaking Podcast Legal Tech Talk 2026 miniseries. As the UK's number one legal podcast and show ranked in the top 1% of podcasts globally, we're delighted to be returning as the official media partner for Legal Tech Talk for the third time. Having supported this event since the beginning. We've witnessed firsthand how it has become Europe's largest legal technology conference, bringing together the people, ideas, and innovations transforming the legal industry. Across this special series, we'll be speaking with some of the world's leading legal professionals, founders, technologists, change makers to explore what's next for law. Because our mission remains the same. Inspiring legal minds, transforming legal futures. Let's get into it. 

We get to meet James Smither in this minisode. James is the global head of risk management at Freshfields. In the conversation, he comes across as thoughtful and practical, with a strong focus on how legal careers are changing and how firms should adapt. He’s especially interested in measuring value, dealing with the impact of AI on judgment and basic skills, and making sure people around the table are aligned. He also points people to LinkedIn for more updates. 

So why should you be listening in? 

You can hear Rob and James discussing:

- AI Transformation Being Unavoidable

- Insight From Data Being Valuable

- Intellectual Independence Matters Most

- Emotional Intelligence Drives Leadership

- Resilience: Organisational, Not Individual.

Connect with James Smither here - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jamessmither