Today we’d like to introduce you to Travis Keil.
Hi Travis, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I am a trial attorney specializing in the development of AI solutions for the legal profession and beyond.
For over 15 years, I have stood in the gap for Minnesotans facing the most serious allegations imaginable—from DWIs and drug offenses to criminal sexual conduct and first-degree murder. At Keil Defense, my practice is built on a foundation of aggressive advocacy and constitutional accountability. By holding law enforcement to the highest standards and relentlessly pursuing the suppression of illegally obtained evidence, I have secured acquittals in cases ranging from First-Degree Murder and First-Degree Assault.
The Evolution: Why I Built “Second Chair”
After representing thousands of clients and managing mountains of discovery, I realized the traditional “big firm” model was broken. Over the past year, I stopped looking for a third-party solution and started building my own.
I integrated custom-built AI into every phase of my casework—discovery review, motion drafting, trial prep, and client communication. The results were transformational. Work that previously consumed hours now takes minutes, and the quality of my output has never been higher.
This is the new reality of practice: With the right AI, your “Second Chair” has read every case, every statute, and every medical treatise. It doesn’t get tired at 2 AM. It can analyze a 500-page police report and a toxicology panel before you finish your morning coffee. It is a force multiplier that provides an “unfair” advantage over opposing counsel still tethered to 20th-century workflows.
Second Chair Solutions
When colleagues began asking how I was achieving these results, I founded Second Chair Solutions. We help attorneys across all practice areas harness AI to work faster, cut costs, and deliver better results. I don’t just sell software; I offer hands-on consulting and custom tool development tailored to the actual, messy, high-pressure reality of practicing law.
Professional Profile
Education
Hamline University School of Law, J.D., St. Paul, Minnesota
University of East Anglia, M.A. (Upper Second Class Honors), Norwich, England
Jönköping International Business School, Jönköping, Sweden
Saint Cloud State University, B.A. (Cum Laude), St. Cloud, Minnesota
Admissions & Affiliations
Supreme Court of Minnesota
U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (MACDL)
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)
Proof Alliance (Specialist in FASD-related defense)
Member: Hennepin & Ramsey County Bar Associations
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s been anything but a smooth road, to be honest. I entered the legal field during the height of the Great Recession, a time when the market was essentially frozen and no one was hiring. That lack of opportunity forced me to sharpen my entrepreneurial teeth early on, as I had to build my own practice from the ground up out of sheer necessity. Those early years were a gauntlet of “first-time” business struggles—navigating the financial ‘valley of death,’ managing unpredictable cash flow, and handling every role from lead counsel to the guy fixing the office printer. I wasn’t doing it alone, though; my future wife was right there in the trenches with me. She was absolutely instrumental in those early days (and still is), providing the support and operational backbone I needed to keep the lights on and the doors open. That experience of being “under-resourced but over-driven” is actually what laid the groundwork for my transition into AI. I learned how to be efficient because I had to be, and those same pressures of being buried by discovery or drowning in document drafting—strains we felt intensely starting out—are exactly the problems I now solve with Second Chair Solutions. It wasn’t the path I initially planned, but the friction of the recession and the trial-by-fire of running a firm is what gave me the grit to innovate.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Keil Defense and Second Chair Solutions?
At its core, my work is about bridging the gap between elite trial advocacy and the future of legal technology. I operate at the intersection of two distinct but deeply connected worlds: Keil Defense, my criminal defense practice, and Second Chair Solutions, where I build AI tools for the legal industry.
What We Do & Our Specialization
For over 15 years, I’ve been known as a “boots-on-the-ground” trial lawyer. I specialize in defending Minnesotans against the most serious allegations—ranging from first-degree murder and criminal sexual conduct. I am also widely recognized for my work representing individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and those with serious and persistent mental health issues, a niche that requires deep empathy and a nuanced understanding of medical forensics.
Second Chair Solutions was born directly out of that practice. We specialize in developing custom AI-driven workflows and tools that handle the “heavy lifting” of law—discovery review, motion drafting, and case analysis—allowing attorneys to focus on strategy and advocacy rather than being buried in paperwork.
What Sets Us Apart
What truly sets me apart is that I am a practitioner, not just a programmer. There are plenty of tech companies trying to sell software to lawyers, but they’ve never stood in front of a jury or stayed up until 2:00 AM before a trial trying to find a needle in a 10,000-page discovery production.
I didn’t buy a subscription; I built my own tools because I needed them to win cases. When you work with Second Chair Solutions, you aren’t getting a generic “tech product”—you’re getting a system designed by a lawyer who understands the constitutional stakes, the ethical requirements, and the specific pressures of the courtroom.
What I’m Most Proud of (Brand-wise)
I am most proud of our resilience and results. I started my practice during the Great Recession when the market was frozen, and I had to build everything from scratch with my future wife by my side. That “scrappy” DNA is still in the brand today.
Brand-wise, I’m proud that we maintain a trial success rate of over 80%. In the legal world, results are the only currency that matters. To have that track record while simultaneously innovating in the AI space shows that technology, when used correctly, doesn’t dilute the quality of legal work—it enhances it.
What I Want Readers to Know
I want other attorneys and firms to know that AI isn’t here to replace the lawyer; it’s here to replace the drudgery. The legal profession is notorious for burnout and inefficiency. My brand is built on the idea of the “Force Multiplier.” Whether I am representing a client in a high-stakes trial or helping a firm integrate AI, my goal is the same: to give you an “unfair” advantage. With our tools, your “Second Chair” has read every case and never forgets a detail. We help you work faster, cut costs, and—most importantly—deliver better results for your clients. We are here to help you take your practice back.
What are your plans for the future?
My plans for the future are built on a dual-track mission: I am deepening my commitment to the “human” side of the law while simultaneously scaling the technology that makes that advocacy possible. I don’t see these as separate paths—they are two sides of the same coin.
The Practice: Advocacy for the Vulnerable
First and foremost, I will continue practicing law. My heart has always been in the courtroom, particularly representing those who are often overlooked by the system.
Championing Mental Health & FASD: I am planning to expand my work with individuals facing mental health challenges and those with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). These cases are notoriously complex and document-heavy. My goal is to use my experience to set a new standard for how these clients are defended, ensuring the court sees the person behind the diagnosis.
A Voice for the “Under-Resourced”: Having started my firm during the Great Recession when no one was hiring, I remember what it’s like to fight from the bottom. I will continue to ensure that high-level, private defense remains accessible to those in desperate need, maintaining the same “scrappy” grit that defined my early years.
The Innovation: Growing Second Chair Solutions
While I continue to litigate, I am focused on evolving Second Chair Solutions from a consulting project into a cornerstone of the legal industry.
Building “Force Multipliers”: I am moving beyond general AI advice and into the development of custom, “push-button” solutions for specific legal hurdles—like automated discovery synthesis and instant motion drafting. I want to give solo practitioners the same technological “firepower” as a downtown skyscraper firm.
Redefining the Workday: I’m planning to help more firms move away from the “billable hour” grind. By showing them how to use AI to handle the drudgery, I’m helping my colleagues get back to the reason they went to law school: to actually practice law and help people, not to be buried in paperwork.
The Big Picture
I’m looking forward to a future where my two worlds feed each other. My work in the courtroom tells me exactly what tools lawyers need, and the tools I build at Second Chair Solutions allow me to be a more present, effective advocate for my clients at Keil Defense.
I’m not looking to leave the law; I’m looking to lead it into a version of the profession that is more efficient, more humane, and more just. I want to look back in five years and know that I didn’t just survive the “AI revolution”—I helped build the tools that made it work for the “good guys.”
Contact Info:
- Website: keildefense.com and https://secondchairsolutions.ai/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keildefense/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KeilDefense/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travis-keil-26308a10/
- Twitter: https://x.com/keildefense
