Governing the Machine: How Alex Tieu Is Redefining Judgment

Alex Tieu is the co-founder and chief executive officer of JLG Lawyers, one of the rapidly expanding employment law firms in California. Prior to working in the legal sector, she had a career as an executive with innovative technology and real estate companies, such as Propy, Movoto, and Keller Williams. She then served as Managing Partner at 25 Ventures, a venture capital firm that specializes in investing in and advising high-growth technology companies. Today she runs JLG Lawyers together with the firm's founding attorney, Michael Jaurigue, which gives her a unique viewpoint at the point where technology, venture capital, executive leadership, and one of the most linguistically demanding professions in the world meet.

Almost all of the work that a law firm carries out consists of language—such as legal analysis, communications with clients, negotiations, pleadings, and strategy. AI is now capable of drafting the vast majority of this. Instead of taking a position at either end of the AI discussion—either advocating for replacement or exaggerating the capabilities—Alex has focused on a more direct question: who is actually thinking —the professional or the AI —and what can leaders do to tell the difference?

JLG developed workflows, accountability mechanisms, and review procedures aimed at distinguishing real expertise from AI-produced work, as well as spotting the point at which employees moved from using AI responsibly to relying on it instead of their own judgment. Specifically, the firm's initial jobs related to AI were those of software engineers, not because AI replaces people, but because adopting AI responsibly requires creating systems that hold humans accountable for their work.

Her main point is clear: the organizations and professionals who will succeed in an economy driven by AI will not be those who shun AI or accept it without thinking; they will be those who develop the judgment and the systems needed to think more effectively when using it.