What exactly do I get?

You get the anonymized synthesis of what peer firms are actually doing about the decisions you're facing, grouped by firm profile. The more members reply, the sharper it gets.

Nothing. Sidebar is free to join. No dues, no upsells.

No other member ever sees your reply. Replies are synthesized into anonymized intelligence grouped by firm profile. Your name and firm are never attached to what anyone else reads.

Is my firm's identity protected?

Yes. Your firm name is never shared with members or included in any synthesis. Replies are grouped by firm size range, practice area mix, and tech stack. Peers see patterns, not identities.

Is my reply used to train AI?

No. Your reply goes to Anthropic's Claude only to write that week's synthesis, with your name, email, and firm stripped out first. Anthropic does not train its models on it, and it is never sold.

How does the AI synthesize replies?

When the week closes, every reply to that question goes to Claude at once, labeled only by firm size, practice area, and tech stack. It surfaces the themes, the tensions, and the points of agreement, and a founder reviews the draft before it goes out. You get the patterns across the room, never a list of individual answers.

How do I know the members are real?

Every member is a verified legal management professional at a US firm with 10 to 200 attorneys. We manually review every applicant before approval, so no bots, vendors, or drive-by sign-ups shape the synthesis.

A private think tank for legal management professionals

Know what firms like yours are actually doing.

Every week, legal management professionals answer one question, often about AI. The synthesis of what they said becomes peer intelligence in your inbox each Tuesday.

AI-powered peer intelligence for legal management professionals at mid-size firms. One question per week, anonymous peer replies synthesized by AI.

How a week of Sidebar runs

You apply. Sign in with LinkedIn, then a two-minute profile of your firm. Verified before you're approved.
We review it by hand. Every application gets a real look, not a rubber stamp. You'll hear back within 48 hours.
The question lands. Every Tuesday. One sharp question about what's actually running the room right now, AI included.
You reply. Click a private link. Five minutes to write what your firm is doing. No login, no app. Your name and firm are stripped off before another member sees a word.
You see what peers decided. The next Tuesday, the synthesis arrives: what peer firms said, broken down by firm size, practice area, and tech stack.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly do I get?: You get the anonymized synthesis of what peer firms are actually doing about the decisions you're facing, grouped by firm profile. The more members reply, the sharper it gets.
What does it cost?: Nothing. Sidebar is free to join. No dues, no upsells.
Who sees my replies?: No other member ever sees your reply. Replies are synthesized into anonymized intelligence grouped by firm profile. Your name and firm are never attached to what anyone else reads.
Is my firm's identity protected?: Yes. Your firm name is never shared with members or included in any synthesis. Replies are grouped by firm size range, practice area mix, and tech stack. Peers see patterns, not identities.
Is my reply used to train AI?: No. Your reply goes to Anthropic's Claude only to write that week's synthesis, with your name, email, and firm stripped out first. Anthropic does not train its models on it, and it is never sold.
How does the AI synthesize replies?: When the week closes, every reply to that question goes to Claude at once, labeled only by firm size, practice area, and tech stack. It surfaces the themes, the tensions, and the points of agreement, and a founder reviews the draft before it goes out. You get the patterns across the room, never a list of individual answers.
How do I know the members are real?: Every member is a verified legal management professional at a US firm with 10 to 200 attorneys. We manually review every applicant before approval, so no bots, vendors, or drive-by sign-ups shape the synthesis.

Who is behind Sidebar

Amanda Koplos runs a firm, Debbie Foster advises them, Rob Joyner builds their tools. Together they built Sidebar. Founded by Rob Joyner, Amanda Koplos, CLM, CPA, Debbie Foster.