Beyond Chatbots: Using Agentic AI in Law Firm Intake, with Matt Spiegel from Lawmatics

Lawyers are understandably cautious about AI—but the real risk may be using it the wrong way. In episode 601 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Zack Glaser sits down with Matt Spiegel of Lawmatics to explore how agentic AI is changing the way law firms handle intake and evaluate potential clients. Matt breaks down why surface-level AI tools fall short, how agentic AI can make informed recommendations instead of opaque scores, and what it takes to build trust in automated decision-making. They also discuss how better intake systems can reduce wasted time, improve lead quality, and support more intentional firm growth. Listen to our other episodes on Artificial Intelligence in Legal Practice. #497: Real Talk About Artificial Intelligence in Your Office, with Ben Apple | Spotify | LTN #543: What Lawyers Need to Know About the Ethics of Using AI, with Hilary Gerzhoy Apple | Spotify | LTN #546: Unlock Law Firm Growth: AI marketing Secrets with Karin Conroy Apple | Spotify | LTN Links from the episode: https://www.lawmatics.com/ Have thoughts about today’s episode? Join the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X! If today's podcast resonates with you and you haven't read The Small Firm Roadmap Revisited yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Looking for help beyond the book? See if our coaching community is right for you. Access more resources from Lawyerist at lawyerist.com. Chapters / Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction 01:28 – Meet Matt Spiegel 03:55 – From the Cloud to AI in Legal Tech 05:38 – Why Lawyers Are Cautious About AI 06:50 – Moving Beyond Surface-Level AI 08:51 – Why Lead Scoring Misses the Point 11:14 – What Makes Agentic AI Different 14:10 – Generative AI vs. Agentic AI 15:57 – Teaching Software to Make Decisions 17:17 – Automating Outcomes, Not Steps 20:10 – Why Lawmatics Was Already Agentic 21:47 – Trust, Guardrails, and Client Data 24:20 – What Qualify AI Does Differently 25:33 – Closing Thoughts