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# Lawyers who ship: How GitHub CELA used AI to rewire legal work


- **Date:** Wednesday, Sep 23, 2026
- **Time:** 16:20–16:50 (30 min)
- **Room:** Stage 2
- **Event:** World Congress 2026 North America

## Description

Legal teams aren't usually cast as builders, but at GitHub CELA, they ship. This session tells the story of how CELA used AI to rewire the way legal work gets done: automating the routine, accelerating the complex, and freeing lawyers to focus on judgment over busywork. We'll cover where we started, the wins along the way, and where we're headed next, with a live look at the tools in action. Whether you're legal, technical, or somewhere in between, you'll leave with a concrete picture of what "lawyers who ship" really means.

## Speaker

### [Bria Ford](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/@bria-ford)

Program Manager, Digital Transformation at GitHub


## Related talks at this congress

- [Lean Intelligence: Lessons from GitHub Copilot Data Science Efforts](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-north-america/sessions/1867-lean-intelligence) — Rahul Pandita
- [From Model Selection to Smart Routing: How to Use the Right LLM for Every Task](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-north-america/sessions/1433-from-model-selection) — Viktoria Semaan
- [Building an AI-Native Development Workflow](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-north-america/sessions/1842-building-an-ai) — Vanessa Minik
- [GitHub’s Team X-Ray: Your Repository Knows More About Your Team Than Your Team Does](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-north-america/sessions/1691-github-s-team-x-ray) — Andrea Griffiths

## Watch remotely

Can’t make it to San José? Watch this session live with Pro. You also get:

- All full videos, bookmarks, and playlists
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[See pricing](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/pricing)

## Links

- [Get tickets](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/world-congress-north-america/tickets)