Marla Crawford Was In The Room When Legal Technology Happened: A Journey Through Legal Tech Evolution
How did she navigate these uncharted waters, and what can her experience teach us about the future of legal practice in the age of technology?
Imagine a time when legal discovery meant sifting through thousands of paper documents in a dimly lit basement, armed with nothing more than a highlighter and a stack of Post-its. Now, picture that world being turned upside down by a digital revolution that would forever change the way law is practiced. Marla Crawford, general counsel at Simplify, was not just a witness to this transformation; she was a key player in it.
As one of the first lawyers to specialize in e-discovery during the landmark Enron case, Marla experienced the seismic shift from manual document review to the digital age of legal technology. Her journey is a testament to the power of embracing change, taking risks, and leveraging technology to stay ahead in a constantly evolving field. From the early days of e-discovery to the current wave of AI innovation, Marla has been at the forefront, shaping and adapting to every new development.
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How did she navigate these uncharted waters, and what can her experience teach us about the future of legal practice in the age of technology? Let’s dive into Marla’s story to explore the past, present, and future of legal technology.
From Paper To Pixels: The Dawn Of E-Discovery
Marla’s career began in Biglaw in the late 1980s, a time when legal discovery was a manual, labor-intensive process. Lawyers would often find themselves in basement rooms, surrounded by towering boxes of documents, painstakingly sifting through files to find the crucial piece of evidence that could make or break a case. This was the norm until the late 1990s when the Enron scandal erupted, catapulting e-discovery into the spotlight.
“I was literally in the room when we built the first systems to review emails,” Marla recalls. “We had to innovate on the fly, using technology that was never designed for legal discovery, to handle the massive amounts of data.” This experience not only defined her career but also positioned her as a pioneer in the field of e-discovery. The Enron case, with its 600,000 emails, was a watershed moment. It demonstrated the power of digital tools in managing data that would have been impossible to handle manually.
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The Challenges And Opportunities Of Being First
Embracing e-discovery was not without its challenges. “Many of my peers didn’t see the potential in this new area,” Marla explains. “They viewed it as grunt work, something that wasn’t ‘real’ law.” However, Marla saw it differently. She recognized early on that technology would transform the legal landscape, creating opportunities for those willing to adapt. Her willingness to dive into the less glamorous aspects of legal work — like sifting through data — ultimately paid off, setting her apart from her peers and positioning her as a leader in legal tech.
For Marla, the decision to specialize in e-discovery was partly practical. As a young lawyer and a mother, she found that focusing on this emerging area allowed her to balance her professional and personal life more effectively. Unlike her colleagues who traveled frequently for trials, Marla could remain involved in high-profile cases without leaving the office. This decision, driven by both career strategy and lifestyle needs, turned out to be a defining move that aligned with the technological evolution of the legal field.
Navigating The Technological Revolution: The Role Of Service Providers
As technology became more integral to the practice of law, the landscape of legal services began to change dramatically. Law firms, once the unchallenged gatekeepers of legal knowledge and expertise, found themselves sharing the stage with a new set of players: legal service providers. These companies brought with them a range of professionals — from technologists and data scientists to business strategists — whose skills were increasingly essential to managing complex legal workflows.
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“The introduction of service providers into the legal ecosystem has fundamentally changed the profession,” Marla notes. “We’re no longer just lawyers; we’re part of a broader team that includes people with diverse skills and backgrounds. This shift has made the practice of law more dynamic and, frankly, more exciting.”
However, this shift also brought challenges. Lawyers had to learn to collaborate with nonlawyers, including technologists who spoke a different language and approached problems from different angles. This was not always an easy transition. “There was a lot of resistance at first,” Marla recalls. “Many lawyers were used to being the sole experts in the room, and suddenly they had to share that space with others who brought different expertise to the table.”
Harnessing The Power Of Technology In Legal Practice
Today, Marla continues to work at the intersection of law and technology as the general counsel of Simplify, a leading legal technology services provider. In this role, she wears many hats — not only providing legal advice but also collaborating closely with the company’s tech development teams to shape products that better serve their clients.
“What’s exciting about being at Simplify is that I get to look at our technology from a user’s perspective,” Marla explains. “I can provide feedback on what would have been useful when I was in-house, and help develop solutions that make the lives of legal professionals easier and more efficient.” This dual role allows Marla to bridge the gap between legal practice and technological innovation, ensuring that the tools developed are truly user-centric and effective.
Looking Ahead: The Future Of Legal Technology And Inclusion
Marla’s career reflects a broader trend in the legal industry toward greater integration of technology and the diversification of skills within legal teams. As artificial intelligence and machine learning continue to advance, the legal profession is poised for another wave of transformation. Marla believes that embracing these changes will not only improve efficiency but also enhance the quality of legal services by allowing lawyers to focus more on strategy and less on repetitive tasks.
Moreover, Marla is passionate about fostering diversity and inclusion within the legal tech space. She is a strong advocate for initiatives like the SPLASH Pledge, which aims to combat sexual harassment in the industry and create safer, more inclusive environments for all professionals. “It’s crucial that we make the legal profession more welcoming and supportive,” she says. “Diversity isn’t just a buzzword — it’s about bringing different perspectives to the table, which ultimately leads to better outcomes for everyone.”
Embracing Change And Leading The Way
Marla’s story is a powerful reminder of the importance of embracing change and using it as a catalyst for growth. Her willingness to step into new and uncharted territories has not only defined her career but has also helped shape the evolution of legal technology. For legal professionals at all stages of their careers, Marla’s journey offers valuable lessons: stay curious, be adaptable, and never underestimate the value of being the first to step into a new space.
As the legal field continues to evolve, those who are willing to embrace new technologies and diverse teams will be best positioned to lead. Marla Crawford’s career is proof that the intersection of law and technology is not just a place of innovation, but also one of opportunity for those ready to seize it.
Olga V. Mack is a Fellow at CodeX, The Stanford Center for Legal Informatics, and a Generative AI Editor at law.MIT. Olga embraces legal innovation and had dedicated her career to improving and shaping the future of law. She is convinced that the legal profession will emerge even stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive than before by embracing technology. Olga is also an award-winning general counsel, operations professional, startup advisor, public speaker, adjunct professor, and entrepreneur. She authored Get on Board: Earning Your Ticket to a Corporate Board Seat, Fundamentals of Smart Contract Security, and Blockchain Value: Transforming Business Models, Society, and Communities. She is working on three books: Visual IQ for Lawyers (ABA 2024), The Rise of Product Lawyers: An Analytical Framework to Systematically Advise Your Clients Throughout the Product Lifecycle (Globe Law and Business 2024), and Legal Operations in the Age of AI and Data (Globe Law and Business 2024). You can follow Olga on LinkedIn and Twitter @olgavmack.
