An Inside Look at How Atlassian Uses Its Own Tools to Power Legal Workflows and Encourages Thoughtful Adoption of AI (Stan Shepard, General Counsel)

This episode features Stan Shepard, General Counsel of Atlassian, a leading provider of team productivity and collaboration software. Stan discusses his unique career journey from a finance journalist to the current GC of Atlassian. He shares valuable insights into how Atlassian's legal department leverages the company's productivity software products and AI for maximum efficiency.

Episode Highlights:

[00:00:09]: Introduction and Stan's background - Learn about Stan's journey from finance journalist to lawyer at Charles Schwab, and eventually to his current role at Atlassian.

[00:04:00]: Why Stan transitioned from journalism to law - Discover his motivations for pursuing a legal career, including the desire for greater impact and client interaction.

[00:07:00]: The growth of Atlassian's legal department - Hear how the legal team has expanded significantly alongside the company's rapid growth, particularly during the pandemic.

[00:12:39]: How Atlassian's legal team uses their own products - Stan explains how Atlassian's legal department utilizes Jira, Confluence, and other tools to streamline workflows and improve collaboration.

[00:14:10]: AI routing of legal requests - Discover how AI automates the process of routing incoming legal requests to the appropriate specialists.

[00:17:02]: Atlassian's new AI product, Rovo - Learn about Rovo's search, chat, and agent capabilities, designed to enhance teamwork and efficiency.

[00:23:31]: Advice for legal departments adopting AI - Stan provides practical guidance on how legal teams can effectively integrate AI into their workflows.

[00:24:29]: Responsible AI implementation - Stan emphasizes the importance of approaching AI adoption with a focus on ethical considerations and mitigating potential biases.

[00:28:16]: Atlassian's involvement with BSA | The Software Alliance - Learn about Atlassian's advocacy work in the global software industry and their efforts to shape responsible tech policy.

Key Takeaways:

• Embrace continuous learning: Stan's career path underscores the importance of adaptability and a growth mindset.
• Leverage technology for efficiency: Atlassian's legal team exemplifies how technology can optimize legal workflows and improve collaboration.
• Adopt AI responsibly: Stan highlights the need for a thoughtful and ethical approach to AI implementation.

Resources Mentioned:

• Atlassian: www.atlassian.com
• Jira: Atlassian's project management software.
• Confluence: Atlassian's knowledge management software.
• Loom: Atlassian's asynchronous video messaging tool.
• Rovo: Atlassian's new AI product with search and chat functionality.
• Responsible Tech Review Template: A guide for responsible AI development. (Available on Atlassian's website)
• BSA | The Software Alliance: bsa.org

Connect with Stan Shepard:

LinkedIn: Stan Shepard

Episode Credits

Editing and Production: Grant Blackstock

Theme Music: Home Base (Instrumental Version) by TA2MI

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Episode Credits

Editing and Production: Grant Blackstock

Theme Music: Home Base (Instrumental Version) by TA2MI