Meet the legal minds of LawY: Jessica Culver

LawY is committed to remaining a platform that’s truly purpose-built for law. That’s why incredible legal minds are embedded in our global team to ensure we stay laser-focused on helping our users.

Meet Jessica Culver, one of the attorneys in our team. She joined LawY in August 2024 and has been one of the many lawyers driving the evolution and adoption of the platform.

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Hi Jessica, tell us a bit about yourself and your experience in family law.

I came to law a little differently than most. I didn’t head straight to law school after undergrad—instead, I spent about five years working - first in a PR firm in New York City, and then moved into the green building arena in environmental consulting. I really enjoyed that work, but around the time of the Global Financial Crisis, the industry slowed down dramatically. Businesses weren’t investing in sustainable construction at that time, so I found myself considering other options.

I found great potential in the legal field. I took the leap, went to law school, and got my first taste of criminal law through an internship with the District Attorney’s office. While I appreciated the courtroom experience, I realized prosecution wasn’t quite the right fit for me. What did resonate, though, was how criminal law intersected with family law—and I felt a strong pull toward work that helped children and families more directly.

After graduating, I joined a small firm where I was the first and only family lawyer. It was a steep learning curve but an incredible opportunity to be involved in the foundation and growth of the department. Eventually, I moved to a firm with an established family law department, which gave me more resources and room to grow. That path led me to a larger firm, where I joined in 2017 and later became Partner. Over six years, I helped expand the family law department by 600%, opened new domestic-dedicated offices, and built and mentored a strong team of lawyers.

By mid-2024, I hit a personal milestone—10 years in practice, multiple thriving offices under my belt, and a growing desire to step back from the hustle and spend more time with my son and family. I left the firm not quite sure what was next, but the stars aligned. That’s when I discovered the world of legal tech and AI. It was a natural fit—blending my legal background, leadership experience, and passion for innovation. I’m excited to be part of a space that’s transforming how legal professionals work, and to contribute to building tools that genuinely support and empower lawyers.

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What inspired you to get involved in building a platform specifically for lawyers?

My journey into legal tech—and ultimately to LawY—was inspired by equal parts curiosity and a desire to make a real difference in the legal profession. When I was in practice, I didn’t have access to many tech tools. I occasionally used ChatGPT for general tasks like researching non-legal topics or drafting casual content, but nothing tailored for legal work. As I began learning more about how AI was being applied in other fields like medicine and engineering, I started to wonder: why not law?

Practicing law is incredibly rewarding, but it’s also demanding—mentally, emotionally, and timewise. The idea that technology could help alleviate some of that burden really struck a chord. If there’s a tool that can reliably shave even an hour off a lawyer’s day, that’s not just a productivity boost—it’s more time with family, less stress, and potentially, better outcomes for clients. I knew I wanted to be part of building something that could deliver that kind of impact.

That’s how I found LawY. And it’s been exactly what I hoped for. It’s exciting to meet lawyers across the country, to show them what LawY can do during webinars and demos, and to help them integrate it into their workflow in a way that actually makes a difference. I’ll admit—I’m a little jealous I didn’t have a tool like this when I was practicing. But I’m proud to be shaping it now, knowing first-hand the value it brings to legal professionals.

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Thinking back to your time in private practice, what day-to-day frustrations did you face that you wish this platform had solved back then?

Thinking back to my time in private practice, one of the biggest day-to-day frustrations was the sheer volume of repetitive yet essential communication—especially client emails. A classic example? Explaining equitable distribution to a client via email. It’s straightforward enough once you’ve done it a few times, but the time it takes to re-draft or find a past version of that email adds up fast. That’s why I always like to show attorneys how this platform can generate a clean, professional draft with just a simple prompt. It might seem minor, but it’s a huge timesaver and helps maintain quality and consistency across client communications.

Another challenge was the constant stream of questions from junior lawyers and associates. The familiar image of a queue outside your office door isn’t an exaggeration. There’s an old joke in law firms—partners love to say, “Just read the statute.” But I never wanted to be that kind of mentor. I always preferred to sit down and walk through the issue with them. Still, it would’ve been a game changer to have access to LawY back then. If an associate could come to me saying, “LawY says 1, 2, 3,” we could jump straight into refining their understanding, not starting from scratch. It’s like having an extra resource in the room—one that doesn’t get tired or busy.

From a business owner’s perspective, there's another layer to AI’s value. Investing time in training and mentoring your team is critical to building a strong practice. But that time isn’t billable. There’s no direct financial return on explaining a legal concept to an associate so they can, in turn, help a client. Tools like LawY shift that balance. They help teams get up to speed independently, while still allowing space for nuanced discussion. It’s a win for client service and firm efficiency.

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How does being a lawyer yourself influence the way you approach the platform?

Having practiced law for over a decade—across a range of firms and ultimately as a partner and business owner—I bring a deep, first-hand understanding of what legal professionals truly need. That experience gives me a clear picture of the everyday pressures attorneys face, especially in small to mid-sized firms, and the kinds of tools that can genuinely make a difference in their practice.

This perspective means I'm not just guessing what lawyers might want—I’ve lived it. I know the workflows, the bottlenecks, and the nuances of legal practice that are often overlooked in tech solutions. When it comes to talking about product evolution or to presenting a webinar, I’m constantly thinking about practical usability, time-saving efficiencies, and how to align with the way lawyers actually work.

At the same time, I know my own experience isn’t universal. That’s why I actively engage with attorneys across the country to understand their specific challenges and goals. Whether it’s a solo practitioner in a rural area or a growing mid-sized firm in a metro region, I can bring those diverse insights to every team discussion. It’s a collaborative process—combining lived legal experience with direct user feedback—to ensure we’re building something that truly serves the profession.

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What are you most excited about in the future of LawY?

What excites me most about the future of LawY is how rapidly and meaningfully it's evolving—truly, it changes day to day. We're not just watching the technology grow; we're part of shaping it. And that pace of change opens up limitless possibilities.

At its core, LawY isn't about replacing attorneys—it's about freeing us up to actually practice law. It handles the heavy lifting: the repetitive drafting, summarizing large volumes of text, explaining common legal concepts. These tasks can consume hours, and LawY gives that time back to you. It’s transformative, especially in a profession where so much of our value lies in the time and empathy we give to our clients.

In practice, we often wear many hats—lawyer, counselor, realist. Managing client expectations, guiding them through emotional decisions—that’s hard enough without also being weighed down by the grunt work of legal research and documentation. LawY lightens that load, and in doing so, improves not just efficiency but quality of life across the firm. When you can focus more on your clients and less on admin, everyone wins.

And beyond the serious benefits, there's a fun side too. It’s been amazing to hear how much personality people bring to their interactions with the platform—even a bit of banter. That’s a great sign. It sounds like people are really engaging with the technology not just as a tool, but as something they enjoy using. I can’t wait to see where we go next.

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In conclusion

A big thank you to Jessica for sharing her journey in law and her role in shaping the future of LawY.

Our in-house attorneys are essential to ensuring we’re not just creating tech—we’re building the right tech for legal practitioners.

Keep an eye out for more stories from the team, and discover how you can start using LawY in your firm.

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