Ep 045: As Fastcase Turns 20, Founders Recount Its History and Predict Its Future

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It was 20 years ago that two Covington & Burling associates,</span> <a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/walters"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Ed Walters</span></a> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">and</span> <a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-rosenthal-55a62/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Phil Rosenthal</span></a><span style= "font-weight: 400;">, made the audacious move of quitting their jobs and launching the legal research company</span> <a href= "https://www.fastcase.com/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Fastcase</span></a><span style= "font-weight: 400;">. Their goal was to democratize the law through affordable pricing and smarter technology. Two decades later, that once-scrappy company is now a major player in the legal research market. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At the recent annual conference of the American Association of Law Libraries, Walters and Rosenthal — now CEO and president respectively — sat down for a live interview with LawNext host Bob Ambrogi. They recount the beginnings of their company, its growth over the intervening 20 years, and their successes and mistakes over the years. They also offer predictions for where Fastcase and legal research will be in another 20 years. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This episode of LawNext was produced and recorded in collaboration with the Legal Talk Network. A big thanks to them for partnering with us on this podcast. </span></p> <p><strong>NEW:</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We are now on Patreon! Subscribe to</span> <a href="https://www.patreon.com/LawNext"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">our page</span></a> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">to be able to access show transcripts, or to submit a question for our guests.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Comment on this show: Record a voice comment on your mobile phone and send it to</span> <a href= "mailto:info@lawnext.com"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">info@lawnext.com</span></a><s