At 40 years old, Aurora Bryant found herself at a pivotal crossroads in her career. Having dedicated fifteen years to the legal profession—including more than ten years serving as a trial attorney for the US Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division—she made the unconventional choice to leave legal practice behind. Today, Bryant occupies the position of senior legal data intelligence lead at Relativity, a company that leverages artificial intelligence to address complex legal challenges.
Reflecting on the trajectory that brought her to this point, Bryant recalled her early inspiration. Reading John Grisham novels well into late nights during her fifth-grade years planted the seed for her legal ambitions. The novels’ themes of justice resonated profoundly with her, shaping a lifelong aspiration to enter the legal field.
Following this dream, Bryant pursued a law degree at Northwestern University, graduating in 2010 after studying economics at Tulane University, where she also worked as a file clerk at a law firm. Her initial professional experiences included a stint at the same New Orleans law firm, transitioning to a nonprofit, then moving on to litigate housing and lending discrimination cases in Louisiana for a civil rights organization.
Her career peaked when she secured a trial attorney position with the Department of Justice (DOJ) in 2015, fulfilling what she considered her dream job. This role allowed her to engage with nationwide civil rights issues rather than localized cases, enabling her efforts to impact people across the country. Bryant described the position as both fulfilling and rewarding, with the greatest satisfaction derived from delivering relief to victims of unlawful discrimination.
However, Bryant also encountered frustration due to limited resources within the DOJ, especially regarding modern technology needed to work efficiently. This lack of adequate technological support created operational bottlenecks that hampered the effectiveness of her work, motivating her to explore technological applications within the legal profession.
Initially, Bryant's knowledge of artificial intelligence (AI) was minimal. Around three years ago, she was primarily aware of concerning headlines suggesting lawyers were submitting briefs with fabricated cases — a notion that conflicted with the respectability inherent in legal submissions. Her involvement in eDiscovery — the process of gathering, reviewing, and producing electronically stored information relevant to legal cases — provided an entry point into engaging with technology in law. Starting in 2018, she attended conferences focused on AI integration in legal settings, gradually becoming more familiar with how AI could enhance legal processes.
By 2023, Bryant’s career began shifting as she assumed the role of eLitigation Counsel at the DOJ. In this newly created role, she developed templates, guides, and best practices designed to streamline eDiscovery activities within the Civil Rights Division. Yet, restrictions on introducing cutting-edge technology persisted due to resource limitations.
This realization prompted her to reevaluate her career path. Early in 2025, Bryant decided her future no longer lay within the DOJ’s constraints. Midway through the year, she accepted an opportunity with Relativity, fully committing to the legal technology sector.
At Relativity, Bryant’s work intersects with data scientists, engineers, product leaders, designers, and customers to develop generative AI solutions tailored to the needs of attorneys and legal teams. She emphasizes ongoing learning, even sharing that she recently wrote some computer code — something once outside her traditional legal expertise.
Her transition highlights the broader necessity for legal professionals to adapt to emerging technologies. Bryant notes that just as mastering computers became imperative two decades ago, proficiency with AI and similar tools is poised to become equally vital for legal practitioners. Her own professional evolution reflects this momentum toward integrating technology with legal expertise.
Central to Bryant’s experience is the understanding of personal and professional goals. She stresses the importance of clarifying what one enjoys and what value one can offer before undertaking a major career shift. For her, advancing civil rights by enabling teams with effective technological solutions became a more sustainable and rewarding pursuit than constant courtroom litigation.
Despite potential apprehension about leaving a familiar field—especially among lawyers, who tend to be risk-averse—Bryant views her pivot not as a risk but as an exciting opportunity to develop new expertise. She encourages openness to leaving comfort zones, recognizing that innovation and growth often require such steps.
Finally, Bryant expresses enthusiasm for the unpredictable nature of her new role. With an eagerness to continue learning and adapting, whether through enhancing coding skills or embracing other emerging challenges, she looks forward to what lies ahead in the evolving intersection of law and artificial intelligence.