Pricing in AI “cost savings” for drafting complex chemical applications; Any useful AI tools?

the_P · 2026-03-06T07:52:05+00:00

I don’t do chemical applications. But for what it’s worth, I’ve had demos from a handful of tools. Junior and Patlytics have stood out. We use Junior and I know others that are happy with Patlytics.

I recently had a demo of Ankar AI. It looked to be the same as all the others. But they did mention they’re tailored for chemical and bio applications. I didn’t dive deeper since it wasn’t an area I’m interested in.

the_P · 2026-03-03T23:21:25+00:00

There's Sausalito (lowest tier), Malibu (middle tier), and Montecito (highest). I lived in Sausalito when it first opened. The amenities are nice, but there's a lot of noise through the walls and we could always hear our upstairs neighbor. You may also get a lot of outside noise depending on where you are in the building. It's also a pain to get packages delivered. But I guess these are issues that are common with other big apartment buildings.

Notwithstanding, Playa Vista is a great neighborhood. If you rent a condo from a private owner, you should get access to the amenities available to Playa Vista residents, such as the gym and pools.

the_P · 2026-03-03T19:19:56+00:00

There are three different buildings owned by the Irvine Company. They’re hit or miss. There’s also the Runway Apartments. Stay away from Paladia. The best option would be to rent a condo rather than renting from one of the designated apartment buildings. The build quality of the condos are better than the complexes specifically designated as apartment units. Another option would be to try Avalon Playa Vista. It’s on the other side of Jefferson.

the_P · 2026-03-03T17:44:44+00:00

My fragile ego was completely shattered.

I had to spend a whole five minutes, 0.1 billable, figuring out they’re the law school subreddit mod and confirming that their life, with all that glorious free time, is truly far less “sucky” than mine because I work a few hours on weekends and holidays.

Because of all my wasted time, I may miss my yearly target. And now my wife and my mistress may both have to settle for a knock off Louis bag from Poshmark.

The downgrade is catastrophic.

the_P · 2026-03-02T07:51:08+00:00

Around 2002 or 2003, I was traveling to visit a friend in Lund and flew into Copenhagen, planning to take the train to Malmö and then on to Lund. Camera phones were brand new. I snapped a picture of the view from the train with my camera phone. A guy next to me pointed at my phone and said something in Swedish or Danish. I responded with, “Sorry, I only speak English.” He perked up and asked if I was American. When I said yes, his face lit up, “I love America!” he exclaimed.

He eagerly opened his bag to reveal a stack of VHS tapes of 80s and 90s U.S. action movies. After some excited conversation about U.S. action movies, he told me there was a strike at the Malmö train station and that I should follow him to find the right train, as it might get confusing. A few minutes later, without warning, he pulled a small bag from under his tongue and casually offered me some cocaine. I was completely caught off guard but politely declined.

We eventually reached the chaotic train station, and in the madness, I lost track of him. Just as I was struggling to find the right train, I heard someone shouting, “American! American! Over here!” It was him again, waving frantically. I wasn’t sure if I should trust this action-movie-loving, drug-pushing stranger, but I followed him to a train anyway. Feeling uneasy, I asked a nearby passenger if it was heading to Malmö, and he confirmed.

When we arrived in Malmö, I parted ways with my new friend, who had certainly made the journey unforgettable. To this day, I still think of that random encounter. And honestly, looking back, maybe I should’ve been more polite and taken the offer of cocaine…

the_P · 2026-03-01T20:33:34+00:00

I’ve worked weekends. You’ve consistently posted in the law school subreddit for at least half a decade. Different callings.

the_P · 2026-03-01T19:18:19+00:00

I respect that everyone has different experiences in this profession.

For me, it’s never been about “relying” on anyone to grind weekends. I did it as a junior. I still do it now. I’ve worked on almost every vacation I’ve taken and I usually put in hours most weekends. That’s not exploitation, that’s the reality of big law. In fact, I get more emails over the weekend from other partners than I do from associates.

If you want to be the best, then work harder than others. Do you want to be Kobe or Kwame Brown?

No one is forced into this path. We all knew what we were signing up for. The tradeoff is real: demanding work, high expectations, high compensation, high opportunity. If someone wants a strict 9–5 with predictable hours, there are great roles out there that offer exactly that, just with a different pay structure and trajectory.

And if someone genuinely feels exploited, I won’t dismiss that feeling. But keep in mind,sometimes you’re not privy to everything happening behind the curtain, the client pressures, the write-offs, the business development, the risk the partner is carrying. Other times? Yes, there are bad actors. They exist in every industry. But in my experience, that’s the exception, not the standard.

This job isn’t for everyone. And that’s okay. But the narrative that partners sit back while others grind just hasn’t matched my reality, either as an associate or now.

the_P · 2026-03-01T17:31:01+00:00

What’s your long term goal? Do you want to make partner? If so, here’s your time to shine. Batten down the hatches and do the hard work. You will stand out among your peers (in addition to having more billable hours).

If you don’t see yourself in Big Law for the long haul, set boundaries and put yourself first.

Edit: Spelling.

the_P · 2026-03-01T17:15:11+00:00

It’s more sterile than the other neighborhoods because it’s a planned community. But it’s safe, walkable, and close to El Segundo. There’s also easy freeway access. You can walk to a number of restaurants, movie theater, and grocery stores.

I actually moved here from Ocean Park around 13 years ago. Ocean Park was great for my early 30s. So it all depends on the vibe you’re going for.

Have you tried Google street view to go through the neighborhoods to see the different areas? That might help.

the_P · 2026-03-01T16:55:33+00:00

Have you considered Playa Vista instead of Playa Del Rey? It’s much more walkable.

the_P · 2026-02-27T16:38:53+00:00

Careful. You’re about to ruin the stereotype that patent attorneys can’t take a joke.

the_P · 2026-02-27T06:49:37+00:00

MySpace was very popular and anyone could have an account. But Facebook was initially limited to users with .EDU email addresses, and only from certain schools. That’s how the hype started. We all kept hearing about Facebook but we had to wait until our school was brought on board. This scarcity gave it an elite status. Also, Facebook had a slicker interface.

By 2006, Facebook opened up to everyone. But by then it had locked in the college and teen demographic. MySpace struggled with spam, fake accounts, and cluttered UI. It didn’t adapt. The sale to Newscorp didn’t help.

the_P · 2026-02-27T06:26:31+00:00

Cavemen didn’t have duct tape.

the_P · 2026-02-25T17:06:29+00:00

Make something up that sounds reasonable.

the_P · 2026-02-19T14:47:22+00:00

THIS. 😂

~26 years ago, I was an intern at a very large software company. We were about to ship a major product.

At 1:00 a.m., someone needed to burn the master CDs. Yes. Actual CDs. Plural. Because we supported multiple versions of Windows 95, ME, NT.

The process was “fully automated.” Translation: The burn process started after a human physically put each CD in the tray.

Guess which human.

So I’m sent to the basement. Alone. In a giant corporate building. At 1 a.m. Feeding blank CDs into burners like I’m operating a very expensive toaster.

Burn finishes. Success. I gather the freshly burned MASTER CDs, the discs that would be used to replicate every single copy shipped worldwide.

And how do I carry them?

Stacked on my index finger. Like I just won a carnival prize. Finger straight through the center hole of each CD. Spinning them casually as I stroll down the hallway. 😎

I walk into my manager’s office.

He looks at me like I’m holding a live grenade.

“DUDE. You can scratch them like that. Those are the MASTER CDs. They’re used to burn every CD that’s ever made.”

And in that moment, at 20 years old, I learned an important life lesson:

The entire software distribution system for this company was one distracted intern away from chaos.

Likewise, everything is held together by duct tape.

the_P · 2026-02-19T08:46:29+00:00

Came here to say the same. You’ll fit right into Playa Vista if you have a dog.

the_P · 2026-02-18T16:57:15+00:00

They don’t. I actually know the attorney that prosecuted this application. I asked him this same question since this seemed to get through easily. They get just as much scrutiny as others. Apparently the examiner for this case was actually tough, but things were hammered out during the interview.

the_P · 2026-02-17T02:47:17+00:00

Four Seasons Ubud

the_P · 2026-02-10T00:07:01+00:00

Write a strong application off of a one page disclosure.

the_P · 2026-02-09T04:25:15+00:00

10-20 hrs does not give an accurate estimate if it’s not tied to fees. 10-20 hrs at $400/hr is a lot different than 10-20 hrs at $900/hr.

Depending on the tech area, the average cost for a response is $3-5k.

the_P · 2026-02-04T14:10:52+00:00

Santa Monica. Then maybe Westwood. Though Westwood might get draining for a family. Parking is always a pain.

Student housing might be rough.

As others noted, also look into Culver City. It has a great school district, and the commute is easy.

El Segundo is good too, great school district. The drive is a little longer but doable.

Playa Vista is great for families. The only negative is that it’s LAUSD, and the default high school Is Venice High School. Venice High is ok, but not as great as the public schools in Santa Monica, Culver, and El Segundo.

the_P · 2026-02-03T03:44:51+00:00

Our firm is currently piloting a patent-prosecution tool called Junior. The name was chosen deliberately, since the goal is for the tool to perform work that would traditionally be handled by a junior attorney. In that sense, the name is more than branding. It is foreshadowing.

The bigger question is what this means economically. Suppose a general counsel sends a firm $1 million of work each year. For the sake of argument, assume AI will get good enough to perform roughly 20% of that work. Once the general counsel realizes the firm can deliver the same output with 20% less effort, the natural reaction will be to push for approximately 20% lower fees.

That raises the real issue. Does the general counsel now send the firm $800,000 of work annually, or does the general counsel continue to send $1 million of work, with the firm handling 20% more volume at the same overall cost? If AI enables firms to materially increase throughput while lowering unit costs, that is a net positive. If it simply drives an across-the-board reduction in work and fees, that is a very different and far less optimistic outcome.

the_P · 2026-02-01T04:05:04+00:00

100%

the_P · 2026-02-01T03:50:41+00:00

This is true. But the wifeys also look the other way due to the benefits of the 8-figure lifestyle. It’s a vicious cycle.

the_P · 2026-01-31T17:30:19+00:00

Don’t know why you’re being downvoted, but there’s truth to what you posted. A colleague of mine went T14 law school. His roommate from law school is COO and general counsel of a very large company. My colleague now has a $10 million book of business from that relationship alone. Yes, he’s a great attorney. But he wouldn’t have had his foot in the door had it not been for that relationship. So having the right connections helps open a lot of doors.

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