1. Interview with Katy, Founder of Ad Astra Law Group (San Francisco)

Conversation hosted by Sandro Tuzzo

The Short Version

Katy didn’t adopt AI because it was exciting or experimental.

She did it because her firm was at an inflection point — and the old model wasn’t sustainable.

After losing her most junior associate, she made a deliberate decision not to replace the role. Instead, she rebuilt her workflow using AI tools for drafting, discovery, and depositions.

The result: lower staffing costs, faster turnaround, better client outcomes, and a more sustainable (and enjoyable) practice.

Why She Turned to AI

• Her firm had gone through a structural change (partnership → professional corporation)
• A junior associate left, and hiring a replacement didn’t make financial sense
• Senior attorneys weren’t the right fit for first-draft work
• Client budgets couldn’t support traditional staffing models

In her words: her back was against the wall.

AI wasn’t a curiosity — it was a practical solution to a real business problem.

What She Actually Uses AI For

Katy integrated AI in specific, bounded ways, not everywhere at once:

Drafting