They say lawyers are sharks, looking for blood in the water. Harmony Oswald J.D. ’16 and her company are tossing small business owners a life raft.
As founder and CEO of Legalucy, an interactive, virtual pre-lawyer assistant, she’s helping small business owners tackle legal issues on their own, before they unintentionally venture into deep water. “If you look at other [legal tech] companies, it’s often about matching people with a lawyer, but people aren’t looking for a lawyer. They’re actually avoiding them, if at all possible,” Oswald says. “There’s a trust issue.” The tools Legalucy provides help business owners learn how a lawyer might bring value to the business and understand the risks of acting without one. They can even select and hire a lawyer right on the platform.
Descended from a long line of business owners and entrepreneurs, Oswald created Legalucy as a way to offer small business owners on-demand tools to identify “common issues in typical business scenarios,” such as hiring and onboarding employees or selecting and trademarking a business name. The name “Legalucy,” Oswald says, is a subtle way of honoring women and maintaining a commitment to the advancement of ALL business owners .
“We actually listen to better understand the small business owner’s needs and meet them where they are, then provide them with educational tools and support so that they can be in a more empowered position,” she says. So when their first consultation with a lawyer rolls around, they’ll be that much more prepared and confident before taking the plunge into the shark tank.
The Legalucy team includes Oswald, CEO; CTO Michele Ellie Ahi M.S. ’08, an adjunct professor in global technology management at SCU’s engineering graduate program; Kendall MacRostie J.D. ’15, chief lawyer advocate; and business advisor George Bravo J.D. ’16.