Josh Standerfer, a U.S. Army veteran with 20 years of military experience—including 5 years as a military police officer and 15 years as a JAG paralegal—brings a unique perspective to civilian legal practice. At Thomas Law Offices, a client-centered firm founded by Managing Partner Tad Thomas, Josh exemplifies how paralegals are evolving from administrative support to strategic litigation partners through innovative AI adoption.
Supporting high-stakes cases across five states, Josh helps drive the measurable results that matter: Thomas Law Offices has achieved 62% case growth without adding proportional staff costs.
The Numbers That Matter
5-10 hours saved per week
Complex discovery matters: 20+ hours saved
Case onboarding: From hours to minutes
"What used to take days, like creating detailed Bates logs, now takes minutes."
Making Discovery a Weapon, Not a Chore
Josh doesn’t just process discovery—he shapes strategy and delivers insights typically expected from counsel. His systematic approach proves paralegals can drive strategic decisions when empowered with the right tools.
Explore for checking response completeness:
"I use Explore to ensure the completeness of responses. I input the requests and answers into Explore and create a prompt like, 'Here are our questions, here are their responses. Did their responses address everything we’re asking? If not, identify what’s missing.' This helps me evaluate their responses and challenge any claims of privilege that may not hold up."
Response Builder to draft interrogatory responses:
"Supio’s Response Builder tool streamlines the process of preparing interrogatory responses. I can upload the requests, have them automatically extracted, and start with Supio-drafted answers that I can refine question by question. The built-in chat feature allows me to add details or clarify information as needed, and the preview feature lets me see the whole set before finalizing. It’s a huge time-saver for getting polished responses out the door without losing accuracy or thoroughness."
The result? Faster response times, strategic discovery management, and reduced errors in tracking and document logging.
The Information-Hunting Solution
Josh solved what he calls "the information-hunting problem" that plagues most firms:
Before Supio:
Hours digging through Dropbox, emails, and orders
Manual document review and cross-referencing
Constant back-and-forth searching for information
With Supio:
Instant, accurate answers with direct links to source documents
Attorneys freed up to focus on strategy
Better internal collaboration through shared AI-generated timelines
The Explore Advantage
Josh's favorite feature transforms how he approaches case work:
"My favorite feature, hands down, is the Explore feature. It gives me the ability to have a back-and-forth conversation with the case file. Whether I'm catching up on a case I was just assigned or digging into a complex issue, being able to ask, 'What happened before X?' or 'Where's the first mention of sepsis?' and to get an instant, relevant answer is a total game-changer. It's like having a paralegal assistant that doesn't sleep."
Quality That Judges Notice
In a recent Merit Systems Protection Board case, a judge requested a more detailed response. Josh used Supio to generate the draft and cross-reference records.
The outcome?
"The judge actually called out our filing during the next status conference as a great example of clarity and completeness. That kind of moment shows it's not just about speed, it's about quality."
Leading Change, One Colleague at a Time
While Thomas Law Offices has several Supio users, Josh recognizes the adoption challenge:
"It's just getting them to use it. The possibilities are endless. You just have to use it."
His approach works. One initially hesitant colleague later told him: "I didn't realize how much Supio could help until I used it for discovery."
Now Josh is the firm's go-to resource, though he admits with a laugh:
"Anytime they ask a question, they probably hate me. But I'm like, 'Hey, this is what Supio said.'"
Addressing the AI Fear Factor
Josh understands paralegal concerns about AI:
"People are afraid of AI and worry about losing their jobs. But Supio frees you up to do more of the parts that you really want to do."
Training Tactics That Work:
Creating an internal SOP with prompt templates by case type
Using real-time examples to train hesitant users
“Trial by error” mindset: encourages learning by doing
Replacing static tools with live AI chat during strategy sessions
His track record proves the point—demonstrating accurate, actionable results while positioning paralegals as strategic advisors.
"I always verify, but Supio has yet to be wrong."