Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is changing the landscape of the practice of law.
From e-Discovery to A.I. contract software, A.I. is impacting legal practices. A.I. is now capable of a more involved role in litigation, such as:
- Drafting pleadings
- Legal research
- Process and analyze large volumes of data
- Manage contracts more efficiently
- Predict the likely outcomes of legal proceedings
Some law firms have been slow to adapt to the advantages that A.I. brings. The fear that they are replacing the work of attorneys is unfounded. A.I. helps reduce the amount of tedious and redundant work once done by those in the legal field.
What A.I. cannot do includes the creative and interesting parts of practicing law.
Introducing A.I.-Driven Contract Management Systems
A.I. cannot litigate, advocate, meet with clients, nor understand the subtle complexities of the law. A.I. does have the capacity to help attorneys provide more efficient service to clients. An excellent example of the role A.I. is now playing in the legal field is A.I.-driven contract management software (CMS), not to be confused with content-management systems.
Contracts are large, cumbersome documents, filled with repetitive language. They require a significant time investment in creation, understanding, and implementing.
CMS can help reduce the amount of time spent pouring over these documents. CMS, with A.I. capabilities, can also serve as a potent risk mitigator. Software companies, such as Evisort, have created algorithms capable of creating alerts.
These alerts can be set to alert to approaching deadlines as well as recognizing the uncommon language used in a contract.
A Bloomberg law survey indicates that only 1 in 4 people involved in the practice of law use A.I.-based legal technology. Studies also show that small and mid-sized law firms have been faster to implement A.I. technology. This slow change, especially among larger firms, suggests a lingering fear of A.I. capabilities.
Instead of fear, A.I. should inspire those who are passionate about the practice of law. Here is the opportunity to reduce the time spent wading through repetitive and tedious processes. This time could instead be used to provide legal analysis, develop relationships, and build a stronger practice.
Better and Faster Research
One of the most significant advantages of A.I.-driven technology is the ability to do faster and better legal research. Companies such as Westlaw and LexisNexis, which have long set the standard for research tools, are now using A.I.-enhanced capabilities. A.I. helps return more up-to-date and accurate results. These improved results save time and help attorneys and paraprofessionals find the most relevant results quickly. The less time invested in research, the more time can be spent in analyzing the research to help build your case.
Generate Automatic Pleadings
Routine, responsive litigation documents can now be generated by entering jurisdictional requirements. The software can then provide standard answers and responses. Producing these documents can now be done in a matter of minutes. Discovery requests are standard in all forms of litigation. These types of documents can now be created with A.I.-assisted software, freeing personnel time to focus on more important matters.
The legal field is not known for efficiency, but A.I. can help change that perception. Entry-level attorneys can now escape the more tedious task of things such as contract reviews. Letting A.I. do the tedious tasks creates the opportunity for them to learn the more critical aspects of practicing law. The faster new attorneys are learning essential points of law, the sooner they are capable of making a significant contribution to the growth of a firm.
A.I. is not a threat to the legal field. Rather, it is an under-utilized tool. These technological tools will even the playing field and let attorneys get back to doing the exciting and important work of practicing law.
