Bird Bolt Law's Nicole Biros-Bolton on forging her own path, embracing tech, and making a difference
This article was produced in partnership with Alexi
With a strong focus on technology, Nicole Bolton-Biros’s feminist law firm Bird Bolt Law exemplifies how embracing innovation helps smaller firms thrive in a competitive industry. As technology continues to change the legal profession, solo practitioners and small firms are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) tools to enhance efficiency and deliver better client service. As principal lawyer at her firm, Biros-Bolton sees firsthand how AI transforms the legal landscape especially for lawyers like herself.
“I came at it differently from most,” Biros-Bolton shares of her journey to founding Bird Bolt Law. “I worked in court with survivors of gender-based violence who were falling through the cracks of a system that wasn’t built for them. That experience integrated into my purpose — how I was going to change the world and eradicate violence.”
After law school and articling with LEAF doing “great feminist appellate-type work,” Biros-Bolton dove right into a big law firm doing human rights and employment law. Through her presence on TikTok (@empathylawyer), she garnered a wonderful community that helped her take the leap to start her own practice. Fueled by her passion for social justice and innovation, the self-proclaimed tech nerd hung out her shingle and from the start saw technology as an integral — and practical — part of what she does.
“Why not embrace technology? It makes us more efficient, gives clients better value for less, and makes the law more accessible.”
Solo practitioners like Biros-Bolton face unique challenges, from limited resources to the demands of managing all aspects of their practice. AI tools have emerged as invaluable resources, particularly for tasks like legal research, drafting, and client communication.
“Solo and small firms don’t have the luxury of tons of staff or a dedicated research lawyer,” she explains. "We’re doing it all — preparing for mediations, managing court appearances, drafting pleadings and responding to clients. AI helps fill that gap.”
One tool that stands out in her practice is Alexi, an AI-driven legal research platform. While ChatGPT is a go-to for many tasks, Alexi does something ChatGPT can’t yet do — it pulls real case law reliably and provides a high-level summary. This feature is particularly useful in time-sensitive situations.
“If I’m in a pinch and need to solve a complex legal problem quickly, Alexi can pull together the cases I need in minutes,” Biros-Bolton says, adding that if she’s on her toes in a hearing and opposing counsel raises an argument she didn’t anticipate, a quick search in Alexi gets her the cases she needs faster and more efficiently than starting from scratch on CanLII or Google.
With clients becoming increasingly tech-savvy, AI also helps lawyers meet growing expectations around efficiency and responsiveness. Clients don’t see the behind-the-scenes work a lawyer does, so there’s frustration when a reply or a draft comes later than anticipated. Alexi automates many of the more time-consuming tasks such as the aforementioned case summaries and also drafting legal memos.
“What used to take 10-times longer now takes minutes, and that efficiency translates into better client satisfaction,” Biros-Bolton says. “But it also raises questions about how lawyers value our work versus our time.”
The capabilities of AI are prompting firms to rethink traditional billing models, and Biros-Bolton calls the billable hour “a struggle.” Fundamentally, if lawyers are doing things faster, “can we also streamline fees without undervaluing what we deliver?”
That question reflects broader changes in how legal services are delivered and priced, with AI playing a central role in shaping the future of the profession. But while AI offers significant benefits, it’s important to keep its limitations in mind. She underscores the importance of understanding legal concepts and the limits of AI before relying on it in any capacity — “If you don’t know what legal output needs to look like, you can’t properly instruct the tool,” she notes. “Play around with it, use it for fun at first. Learn its strengths and limitations so you can use it effectively in your practice.” — and stresses that above all, it’s a tool, not a substitute for human judgment.
“AI doesn’t do your job for you,” she says. “It’s not perfect; you have to double-check everything — and the mistakes are yours, not the AI’s.”
As AI continues to expand its capabilities, Biros-Bolton believes it will become an essential tool for lawyers, particularly in smaller firms. While there is lingering resistance to AI in the legal sector, she warns that if you don’t get on board soon, you’ll be left behind: AI tools like Alexi and ChatGPT are becoming the norm, and they’re helping solo practitioners deliver value and stay competitive.
Biros-Bolton’s tech-forward approach demonstrates how to harness AI to stay agile, delivering exceptional service while maintaining the human touch — a key to remaining competitive. Her advice to hesitant lawyers? Don’t be afraid. Take advantage of the many free demos that a variety of tools offer, try them out, and see how they can help both you and your clients.
“The point isn’t perfection, it’s about figuring out how these tools fit into your practice,” Biros-Bolton says. “AI isn’t here to replace us — it’s here to help us do what we do best, even better.”
