As founder and CEO of Legalucy, an interactive, virtual pre-lawyer assistant, Harmony Oswald JD ’16 is 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 MS ’08, an adjunct professor in global technology management at SCU’s engineering graduate program; Kendall MacRostie JD ’15, chief lawyer advocate; and business advisor George Bravo JD ’16.
