How Will Blockchain Technology Affect Law Firms? — from legalreader.com by Aleksandra Arsic
Blockchain and cryptocurrencies are here to stay. The technology might yet still be new when compared to the Internet as a whole, but it has already proved it’s ready for wider usage.

Excerpt:

With the dawn of the 21st century, many new and exciting technologies arrived, promising to take off the workload, streamline day-to-day operations, and improve finances. One of the hottest innovations in recent years has been the invention of blockchain.

While it may have started as a way to keep a ledger of Bitcoin transactions, blockchain has grown way beyond that. It has been adopted by many industries, including the legal. But, what is it, and how can it be implemented in a law firm environment? Let’s find out.

Also see:

You’re pretty familiar with artificial intelligence and machine learning in your everyday life. When you use a navigation app to see the fastest route to your destination – AI. When you ask your smart home device what time your favorite store opens – AI. And when your streaming device suggests shows you might like – yes, that’s AI, too.

While AI is becoming more and more mainstream in our homes, it’s also making its way into our jobs. You may be wondering what AI-enhanced legal technology can do for you and your law firm. Here are a few ways AI can (or already has) further advance your firm’s reputation and success.

So, what does AI look like for law firms?

 
 

Jeremiah 9:23-24 New International Version — from biblegateway.com

23 This is what the Lord says:

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
or the strong boast of their strength
or the rich boast of their riches,
24 but let the one who boasts boast about this:
that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,” declares the Lord.

 

What doors does this type of real-time translation feature open up for learning? [Christian]

From DSC:
For that matter, what does it open up for #JusticeTech? #Legaltech? #A2J? #Telehealth?

 

Learning from the living class room

 

Oregon Considering 2 Alternates to Bar Exam for Attorney Licensing — from lawandmore.typepad.com

Excerpt:

“In early July, the Oregon State Supreme Court took a major step in providing potential new ways to gain licensure as an attorney in the state. More specifically, it held a public hearing to consider a Oregon State Bar Board of Bar Examiners proposals to add two new ways to gain attorney licensure in the state: i) an experience-based learning pathway; and ii) a supervised practice pathway.” – Natalie Runyon, Thomson Reuters, July 23, 2021.

 

Gartner Legal Tech Hype Cycle 2021 – Some Thoughts — from artificiallawyer.com

Excerpt:

Gartner has published its annual hype cycle report for legal tech and compliance products for 2021. As with last year, this site has taken a look at the main graphic, which they have shared, and considers what it tells us.

 

 Smaller Firms Have More Advantages Than Ever Before — from abovethelaw.com by Jordan Rothman
Advances in technology have lowered barriers of entry at smaller shops.

Excerpt:

In the past, practicing law was an often onerous profession that required extensive time and resources to accomplish the most basic tasks. Since legal research and writing often involved so much work, bigger law firms had numerous advantages since they could marshal the resources needed to handle a given project. However, with technological advances in the past decade or two, law firms do not need to possess as many resources to complete work, and the cost of legal tasks has plummeted. As a result of all of these changes, smaller firms have more advantages than ever before.

Also see:

Does it Take 10,000 Hours to Become a Legal Tech Expert? — from legaltalknetwork.com
Learn how to develop a personal legal tech learning plan with Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell’s helpful tips.

20 Tips in 20 Minutes! — from legaltalknetwork.com
Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell offer up simple tips to help you make the most of your time and technology.

 

 How to apply Midyear 2021 lawsuit data to make your digital content more inclusive. — from UsableNet

Redefining the Future of Law: Alternative Legal Service Models — from clio.com by Joshua Lenon; with slides of the recording here.

Advantages of Automated and Bundled Legal Services — from clio.com

The Law Firm of the Future — from joetechnologist.com by Joseph Raczynski

The impact of blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and NFTs on the legal industry with Joseph Raczynski — from the ABA Center for Innovation

Reimagining Law: The Importance of Law Librarians in a Digital World — from legaltechmonitor.com

AI CLM Company LinkSquares Raises $40M, Says It Will Soon Release First-of-its-Kind Product — from legaltechmonitor.com by Bob Ambrogi

“Today, we’re witnessing the next major step up in power, thanks to artificial intelligence software,” Sunak wrote. “AI is creating legal solutions that can outpace and outperform traditional software in the same way steamships and diesel-powered vessels could outperform even the most impressive wind-powered tall ships.” And just as the step up to power changed what boats could do, “Linksquares is changing what a legal software solution can do and be.”

From DSC:
AI has plenty of pitfalls, no doubt. But a range of AI-based technologies continues to move forward and become further integrated into numerous industries and disciplines. The legal realm is not only using AI-based applications already, but it will also need to have the knowledge to be able to support clients who bring cases involving AI (and other emerging technologies) to them.

 

The impact of blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and NFTs on the legal industry with Joseph Raczynski  — from buzzsprout.com by the ABA Center for Innovation

Today we will discuss blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and NFTs and their impact on the legal industry.  Joining us is an expert in all things blockchain and crypto, Joseph Raczynski.  Joseph Raczynski is a Technologist & Futurist with Thomson Reuters.

Also see:

The Law Firm of the Future — from joetechnologist.com by Joseph Raczynski

Excerpt:

Attorneys look to precedent to solve today’s legal problems. “Steeped in tradition” is how we often describe the legal profession.  As result, it’s no surprise that there is inherent tension between emerging technology and the legal profession. The American Bar Association’s 2020 TechReport, which surveys firms and tracks attorney use of technology in their practices, reported that only 7% of attorneys are using tech tools, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), for document review and research.  Firms with more than 100 attorneys are more likely to use AI, as well as firms that engage in mass tort litigation. Despite promises of increased efficiency, productivity, and profitability, a significant number of attorneys cite distrust of the technology and underlying algorithms.

Even though the legal services market is estimated to be a $1T industry globally, Forbes reports that it is also one of the least digitized…

 

 

How to Add a Signature in Word on a PC or Mac — from businessinsider.com by Melanie Weir

Excerpt:

  • You can add a signature to a Microsoft Word document in several ways, depending on the computer you’re using.
  • You can upload a physical signature using a scanner or a cell phone, add additional text like your job title, and then save it to be reused later.

 

 

Law Firm Deregulation Programs Pick Up Speed in Utah, Arizona  — from news.bloomberglaw.com by Sam Skolnik

Excerpt:

Efforts to allow non-lawyers to own law firms in Arizona and Utah are picking up steam, as participating companies say it’s inevitable that more states will be following similar paths.

Utah’s regulatory “sandbox” and Arizona’s “alternative business structures” program are being closely watched by the country’s largest law firms like Snell & Wilmer, which is actively weighing the possible benefits.

“Snell & Wilmer has considered and is considering opportunities that these changes may present to a traditional law firm,” said Mark Morris, a Salt Lake City-based partner with the firm, which also has offices in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona. The firm, he said, “is closely watching the successes and failures of others who are actively participating in these programs to help guide any future decisions.”

Utah's sandbox tests new legal service ownership models

 

Career Tracker: Virtual firms hit an industry milestone as hires continue — from reuters.com by Sara Merken & Arriana Mclymore

Virtual law firm FisherBroyles announced Tuesday that it has cracked the Am Law 200, saying it’s the first non-traditional, so-called distributed law firm to rank among the top 200 highest-grossing U.S. firms.

The 300-partner firm said its annual gross revenue reached $113 million in 2020, adding that in the last year alone it added 51 new partners “almost entirely from Am Law 100 and 200 ranked firms.” It cited the role of the pandemic, which upended expectations about remote work, in spurring its growth and accelerating the adoption of its mostly cloud-based approach to legal services.

 

2021 Report on the State of the Midsize Legal Market — from legal.thomsonreuters.com; with thanks to Gabe Teninbaum for this resource and the resource below

Managing through the endless changes of 2020 uncovered both challenges and opportunities for law firms. The past year was an exercise in responding swiftly and decisively to massive disruptions. 2021 may allow for a strategic reassessment of what works — or no longer works — in this new environment.

Download the “Report on the state of the midsize legal market” for a look back at midsize law firms’ performance, the strategies they employed to preserve profitability throughout the year, and the unique opportunities that exist for them.

Also see:

The fate of midsize firms in a post-pandemic world — from abovethelaw.com by Nicole Black

Excerpts:

Of course, the effect of the pandemic on the practice of law varied greatly from one firm to the next. Often, the impact was largely dependent on firm size, geographic location(s), practice area(s), and, of course, technology readiness. For example, some firms were already operating in the cloud and were able to quickly pivot to remote functionality and were easily able to communicate with clients and colleagues, accept online signatures and payments, and quickly access documents and law firm data. For other firms, the transition to remote work was a much more difficult one.

Law firms leaders quickly learned that a willingness to adopt new technologies into their firms was a requirement for survival during the pandemic.

The bottom line: we’re going to be entering a “new normal” on the other side of the pandemic and the old school ways of thinking and doing business simply won’t cut it. An innovative mindset is key, and this includes a willingness to: 1) adapt when needed, and 2) invest in cutting edge technologies that will ensure built-in efficiency and flexibility.

 

Imagine the future of law, legal technology and new law jobs — from canadianlawyermag.com by Monica Goyal
The year is 2025. The legal system was transformed by COVID-19 and the profession reflects that

Excerpt:

The question for all of us is what happens next? Some say lawyers will go back to their offices and things will operate as they did pre-pandemic. But what about the massive changes to global business and the impact of digitization on the profession? How will this new cyber-efficiency influence future legal jobs? Consider three different kinds of lawyers in the year 2025:

 

 
© 2024 | Daniel Christian