By Chris Caesar
law of technology
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winter 2026
technology of law
By Kara Baskin
Julia Rodgers, JD ’16, walked onto the set of Shark Tank, not to pitch a gadget, but rather a new way to deliver legal services. Her company, HelloPrenup, is part of a small but growing segment of legal tech aimed at consumers. Rodgers, a Forbes contributor and affiliate sponsor of Suffolk Law’s Legal Innovation & Technology (LIT) Lab, says the next frontier includes AI tools.
You launched HelloPrenup to make prenuptial agreements more affordable and accessible. How does this fit into the future of law?
Prenups used to be reserved for the wealthy, but we’re changing that—nearly half of millennials and Gen Zers now have one. That shift, spurred by innovations like document automation and e-notarization, signals a future where legal protection is more accessible and less intimidating. HelloPrenup is one example of how innovation can markedly reduce costs and complexity—and start to close a gap in the justice system. I like to remind people that, if you don’t have a prenup, you’re essentially letting the state decide how your assets will be divided in a divorce. Legal tech is booming, but most venture capital (VC) funding in that area targets lawyers, not consumers.
Why does that matter?
Because it means the people who need legal help the most are being left behind. Less than 5% of legal-tech VC dollars go to consumer-access platforms like HelloPrenup; the rest is aimed at making lawyers more efficient. That’s great for firms, but it doesn’t close the justice gap—70% of family law cases involve at least one unrepresented person. Legal protection is power, and too few people have access to it. If we don’t build tools for consumers, we’re reinforcing a system where affordability determines who has legal rights.
What’s next for HelloPrenup?
We’re adding AI-driven features to help couples customize agreements and understand legal implications in plain language; for example, complex issues like embryo clauses, the provisions that specify what happens to frozen embryos [created through IVF or other technologies] if the couple divorces or separates. Or business-ownership terms—if one spouse owns a company before marriage, and the business grows during the marriage, the tool can help the couple come to an agreement on the extent to which that growth is considered marital property.
What role did Suffolk Law play in shaping your approach to legal tech?
Suffolk challenged me to think beyond traditional practice. In Professor Gabe Teninbaum’s Lawyering in an Age of Smart Machines course, I learned how automation could transform client intake and service delivery. That mindset—using tech to reduce friction—became the foundation for HelloPrenup.
Julia Rodgers
Photography: Adam DeTour
Julia Rodgers, JD ’16, walked onto the set of Shark Tank, not to pitch a gadget, but rather a new way to deliver legal services. Her company, HelloPrenup, is part of a small but growing segment of legal tech aimed at consumers. Rodgers, a Forbes contributor and affiliate sponsor of Suffolk Law’s Legal Innovation & Technology (LIT) Lab, says the next frontier includes AI tools.