legal reform

How to Secure Your 2025 Legal Tech [Bailey at the ABA] + several other legaltech-related items

On 12/03/2024, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, Canada, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, data related items, ethics, law schools, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, policy, privacy, strategy, using teams, vendors, by Daniel Christian

How to Secure Your 2025 Legal Tech — from americanbar.org by Rachel Bailey

Summary

With firms increasingly open to AI tools, now is an exciting time to do some blue-sky thinking about your firm’s technology as a whole.
This is a chance for teams to envision the future of their firm’s technology landscape and make bold choices that align with long-term goals.
Learn six tips that will improve your odds of approval for your legal tech budget.

Also relevant, see:

Why Technology-Driven Law Firms Are Poised For Long-Term Success — from forbes.com by Daniel Farrar

Client expectations have shifted significantly in today’s technology-driven world. Quick communication and greater transparency are now a priority for clients throughout the entire case life cycle. This growing demand for tech-enhanced processes comes not only from clients but also from staff, and is set to rise even further as more advances become available.
…
I see the shift to cloud-based digital systems, especially for small and midsized law firms, as evening the playing field by providing access to robust tools that can aid legal services. Here are some examples of how legal professionals are leveraging tech every day…

Just 10% of law firms have a GenAI policy, new Thomson Reuters report shows — from legaltechnology.com by Caroline Hill

Just 10% of law firms and 21% of corporate legal teams have now implemented policies to guide their organisation’s use of generative AI, according to a report out today (2 December) from Thomson Reuters.

AI & Law Symposium: Students Exploring Innovation, Challenges, and Legal Implications of a Technological Revolution — from allard.ubc.ca

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been rapidly deployed around the world in a growing number of sectors, offering unprecedented opportunities while raising profound legal and ethical questions. This symposium will explore the transformative power of AI, focusing on its benefits, limitations, and the legal challenges it poses.

AI’s ability to revolutionize sectors such as healthcare, law, and business holds immense potential, from improving efficiency and access to services, to providing new tools for analysis and decision-making. However, the deployment of AI also introduces significant risks, including bias, privacy concerns, and ethical dilemmas that challenge existing legal and regulatory frameworks. As AI technologies continue to evolve, it is crucial to assess their implications critically to ensure responsible and equitable development.

The role of legal teams in creating AI ethics guardrails — from legaldive.com by Catherine Dawson
For organizations to balance the benefits of artificial intelligence with its risk, it’s important for counsel to develop policy on data governance and privacy.

How Legal Aid and Tech Collaboration Can Bridge the Justice Gap — from law.com by Kelli Raker and Maya Markovich
“Technology, when thoughtfully developed and implemented, has the potential to expand access to legal services significantly,” write Kelli Raker and Maya Markovich.

Challenges and Concerns
Despite the potential benefits, legal aid organizations face several hurdles in working with new technologies:

1. Funding and incentives: Most funding for legal aid is tied to direct legal representation, leaving little room for investment in general case management or exploration of innovative service delivery methods to exponentially scale impact.

2. Jurisdictional inconsistency: The lack of a unified court system or standardized forms across regions makes it challenging to develop accurate and widely applicable tech solutions in certain types of matters.

3. Organizational capacity: Many legal aid organizations lack the time and resources to thoroughly evaluate new tech offerings or collaboration opportunities or identify internal workflows and areas of unmet need with the highest chance for impact.

4. Data privacy and security: Legal aid providers need assurance that tech protects client data and avoids misuse of sensitive information.

5. Ethical considerations: There’s significant concern about the accuracy of information produced by consumer-facing technology and the potential for inadvertent unauthorized practice of law.

“Why Technology-Driven Law Firms Are Poised For Long-Term Success” [Farrar] + other items re: legaltech

On 11/27/2024, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, instructional design, law schools, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, skills, tools, United States, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Below is an excerpt from 2024: The State of Generative AI in the Enterprise — from Menlo Ventures

Legal: Historically resistant to tech, the legal industry ($350 million in enterprise AI spend) is now embracing generative AI to manage massive amounts of unstructured data and automate complex, pattern-based workflows. The field broadly divides into litigation and transactional law, with numerous subspecialties. Rooted in litigation, Everlaw* focuses on legal holds, e-discovery, and trial preparation, while Harvey and Spellbook are advancing AI in transactional law with solutions for contract review, legal research, and M&A. Specific practice areas are also targeted AI innovations: EvenUp focuses on injury law, Garden on patents and intellectual property, Manifest on immigration and employment law, while Eve* is re-inventing plaintiff casework from client intake to resolution.

Excerpt from Brainyacts #250 (from 11/22/24) — from the Leveraging Generative AI in Client Interviews section

Here’s what the article from Forbes said:

CodeSignal, an AI tech company, has launched Conversation Practice, an AI-driven platform to help learners practice critical workplace communication and soft skills.
Conversation Practice uses multiple AI models and a natural spoken interface to simulate real-world scenarios and provide feedback.
The goal is to address the challenge of developing conversational skills through iterative practice, without the awkwardness of peer role-play.

What I learned about this software changed my perception about how I can prepare in the future for client meetings. Here’s what I’ve taken away from the potential use of this software in a legal practice setting:

Why Technology-Driven Law Firms Are Poised For Long-Term Success — from forbes.com by Daniel Farrar

I see the shift to cloud-based digital systems, especially for small and midsized law firms, as evening the playing field by providing access to robust tools that can aid legal services. Here are some examples of how legal professionals are leveraging tech every day:

- Cloud-based case management solutions. These help enhance productivity through collaboration tools and automated workflows while keeping data secure.
- E-discovery tools. These tools manage vast amounts of data and help speed up litigation processes.
- Artificial intelligence. AI has helped automate tasks for legal professionals including for case management, research, contract review and predictive analytics.

7 Legal Tech Trends To Watch In 2025 — from lexology.com by Sacha Kirk
Australia, United Kingdom November 25 2024

In-house legal teams are changing from a traditional support function to becoming proactive business enablers. New tools are helping legal departments enhance efficiency, improve compliance, and to deliver greater strategic value.

Here’s a look at seven emerging trends that will shape legal tech in 2025 and insights on how in-house teams can capitalise on these innovations.

1. AI Solutions…
2. Regulatory Intelligence Platforms…
…
7. Self-Service Legal Tools and Knowledge Management
As the demand on in-house legal teams continues to grow, self-service tools are becoming indispensable for managing routine legal tasks. In 2025, these tools are expected to evolve further, enabling employees across the organisation to handle straightforward legal processes independently. Whether it’s accessing pre-approved templates, completing standard agreements, or finding answers to common legal queries, self-service platforms reduce the dependency on legal teams for everyday tasks.

Advanced self-service tools go beyond templates, incorporating intuitive workflows, approval pathways, and built-in guidance to ensure compliance with legal and organisational policies. By empowering business users to manage low-risk matters on their own, these tools free up legal teams to focus on complex and high-value work.

Building the lawyer of the future [Furlong]

On 11/21/2024, in career development, change, changing business models, competency-based learning/education, Emotion, ethics, law schools, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, morals/values, workplace, by Daniel Christian

Building the lawyer of the future — from jordanfurlong.substack.com by Jordan Furlong
Here’s my latest “Future Lawyer Starter Kit.” Tell me what you think.

Building upon this knowledge foundation, I suggest that future lawyers should develop the following ten human competencies (through a completely overhauled education, training, and licensing process, but that’s a topic for another day):

Acting ethically
Advocating and negotiating
Demonstrating character
Displaying empathy
Exercising judgment
Giving advice
Reasoning legally
Relating with people
Resolving conflicts
Solving problems

“Leveraging AI to Grow Your Legal Practice” [americanbar.org] + other items re: legaltech

On 11/19/2024, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, Australia, bots, Canada, emerging technologies, future, game-changing environment, innovation, law schools, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, UK, United States, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Five key issues to consider when adopting an AI-based legal tech — from legalfutures.co.uk by Mark Hughes

As more of our familiar legal resources have started to embrace a generative AI overhaul, and new players have come to the market, there are some key issues that your law firm needs to consider when adopting an AI-based legal tech.

Licensing
Data protection
The data sets
…and others

Knowable Introduces Gen AI Tool It Says Will Revolutionize How Companies Interact with their Contracts — from lawnext.com by Bob Ambrogi

Knowable, a legal technology company specializing in helping organizations bring order and organization to their executed agreements, has announced Ask Knowable, a suite of generative AI-powered tools aimed at transforming how legal teams interact with and understand what is in their contracts.

Released today as a commercial preview and set to launch for general availability in March 2025, the feature marks a significant step forward in leveraging large language models to address the complexities of contract management, the company says.

The Global Legal Post teams up with LexisNexis to explore challenges and opportunities of Gen AI adoption — from globallegalpost.com by
Series of articles will investigate key criteria to consider when investing in Gen AI

The Global Legal Post has teamed up with LexisNexis to help inform readers’ decision-making in the selection of generative AI (Gen AI) legal research solutions.

The Generative AI Legal Research Hub in association with LexisNexis will host a series of articles exploring the key criteria law firms and legal departments should consider when seeking to harness the power of Gen AI to improve the delivery of legal services.

Leveraging AI to Grow Your Legal Practice — from americanbar.org

Summary

AI-powered tools like chat and scheduling meet clients’ demand for instant, personalized service, improving engagement and satisfaction.
Firms using AI see up to a 30% increase in lead conversion, cutting client acquisition costs and maximizing marketing investments.
AI streamlines processes, speeds up response times, and enhances client engagement—driving growth and long-term client retention.

How a tech GC views AI-enabled efficiencies and regulation — from legaldive.com by Justin Bachman
PagerDuty’s top in-house counsel sees legal AI tools as a way to scale resources without adding headcount while focusing lawyers on their high-value work.

Innovations in Legal Practice: How Tim Billick’s Firm Stays Ahead with AI and Technology — from techtimes.com by Elena McCormick

Enhancing Client Service through Technology
Beyond internal efficiency, Billick’s firm utilizes technology to improve client communication and engagement. By adopting client-facing AI tools, such as chatbots for routine inquiries and client portals for real-time updates, Practus makes legal processes more transparent and accessible to its clients. According to Billick, this responsiveness is essential in IP law, where clients often need quick updates and answers to time-sensitive questions about patents, trademarks, and licensing agreements.

AI-driven client management software is also part of the firm’s toolkit, enabling Billick and his team to track each client’s case progress and share updates efficiently. The firm’s technology infrastructure supports clients from various sectors, including engineering, software development, and consumer products, tailoring case workflows to meet unique needs within each industry. “Clients appreciate having immediate access to their case status, especially in industries where timing is crucial,” Billick shares.

New Generative AI Study Highlights Adoption, Use and Opportunities in the Legal Industry — from prnewswire.com by Relativity

CHICAGO, Nov. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Relativity, a global legal technology company, today announced findings from the IDC InfoBrief, Generative AI in Legal 2024, commissioned by Relativity. The study uncovers the rapid increase of generative AI adoption in the legal field, examining how legal professionals are navigating emerging challenges and seizing opportunities to drive legal innovation.

The international study surveyed attorneys, paralegals, legal operations professionals and legal IT professionals from law firms, corporations and government agencies. Respondents were located in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. The data uncovered important trends on how generative AI has impacted the legal industry and how legal professionals will use generative AI in the coming years.

It’s The End Of The Legal Industry As We Know It — from artificiallawyer.com by Richard Tromans

It’s the end of the legal industry as we know it and I feel fine. I really do.

The legal industry as we know it is already over. The seismic event that triggered this evolutionary shift happened in November 2022. There’s no going back to a pre-genAI world. Change, incremental or otherwise, will be unstoppable. The only question is: at what pace will this change happen?

It’s clear that substantive change at the heart of the legal economy may take a long time – and we should never underestimate the challenge of overturning decades of deeply embedded cultural practices – but, at least it has begun.

AI: The New Legal Powerhouse — Why Lawyers Should Befriend The Machine To Stay Ahead — from today.westlaw.com

(October 24, 2024) – Jeremy Glaser and Sharzaad Borna of Mintz discuss waves of change in the legal profession brought on by AI, in areas such as billing, the work of support staff and junior associates, and ethics.

The dual nature of AI — excitement and fear
AI is evolving at lightning speed, sparking both wonder and worry. As it transforms industries and our daily lives, we are caught between the thrill of innovation and the jitters of uncertainty. Will AI elevate the human experience or just leave us in the dust? How will it impact our careers, privacy and sense of security?

Just as we witnessed with the rise of the internet — and later, social media — AI is poised to redefine how we work and live, bringing a mix of optimism and apprehension. While we grapple with AI’s implications, our clients expect us to lead the charge in leveraging it for their benefit.

However, this shift also means more competition for fewer entry-level jobs. Law schools will play a key role in helping students become more marketable by offering courses on AI tools and technology. Graduates with AI literacy will have an edge over their peers, as firms increasingly value associates who can collaborate effectively with AI tools.

Will YOU use ChatGPT voice mode to lie to your family? Brainyacts #244 — from thebrainyacts.beehiiv.com by Sam Douthit, Aristotle Jones, and Derek Warzel.

Small Law’s Secret Weapon: AI Courtroom Mock Battles — this excerpt is by Brainacts author Josh Kubicki
As many of you know, this semester my law students have the opportunity to write the lead memo for this newsletter, each tackling issues that they believe are both timely and intriguing for our readers. This week’s essay presents a fascinating experiment conducted by three students who explored how small law firms might leverage ChatGPT in a safe, effective manner. They set up ChatGPT to simulate a mock courtroom, even assigning it the persona of a Seventh Circuit Court judge to stage a courtroom dialogue. It’s an insightful take on the how adaptable technology like ChatGPT can offer unique advantages to smaller practices. They share other ideas as well. Enjoy!

The following excerpt was written by Sam Douthit, Aristotle Jones, and Derek Warzel.

One exciting example is a “Courtroom Persona AI” tool, which could let solo practitioners simulate mock trials and practice arguments with AI that mimics specific judges, local courtroom customs, or procedural quirks. Small firms, with their deep understanding of local courts and judicial styles, could take full advantage of this tool to prepare more accurate and relevant arguments. Unlike big firms that have to spread resources across jurisdictions, solo and small firms could use this AI-driven feedback to tailor their strategies closely to local court dynamics, making their preparations sharper and more strategic. Plus, not all solo or small firms have someone to practice with or bounce their ideas off of. For these practitioners, it’s a chance to level up their trial preparation without needing large teams or costly mock trials, gaining a practical edge where it counts most.

Some lawyers have already started to test this out, like the mock trial tested out here. One oversimplified and quick way to try this out is using the ChatGPT app.

The Human in AI-Assisted Dispute Resolution — from jdsupra.com by Epiq

Accountability for Legal Outputs
AI is set to replace some of the dispute resolution work formerly done by lawyers. This work includes summarising documents, drafting legal contracts and filings, using generative AI to produce arbitration submissions for an oral hearing, and, in the not-too-distant future, ingesting transcripts from hearings and comparing them to the documentary record to spot inconsistencies.

As Pendell put it, “There’s quite a bit of lawyering going on there.” So, what’s left for humans?

The common feature in all those examples is that humans must make the judgement call. Lawyers won’t just turn over a first draft of an AI-generated contract or filing to another party or court. The driving factor is that law is still a regulated profession, and regulators will hold humans accountable.

The idea that young lawyers must do routine, menial work as a rite of passage needs to be updated. Today’s AI tools put lawyers at the top of an accountability chain, allowing them to practice law using judgement and strategy as they supervise the work of AI.

Small law firms embracing AI as they move away from hourly billing — from legalfutures.co.uk by Neil Rose

Small law firms have embraced artificial intelligence (AI), with document drafting or automation the most popular application, according to new research.

The survey also found expectations of a continued move away from hourly billing to fixed fees.

Legal technology provider Clio commissioned UK-specific research from Censuswide as an adjunct to its annual US-focused Legal Trends report, polling 500 solicitors, 82% of whom worked at firms with 20 lawyers or fewer.

Some 96% of them reported that their firms have adopted AI into their processes in some way – 56% of them said it was widespread or universal – while 62% anticipated an increase in AI usage over the next 12 months.

How Legal Education Must Evolve In The Age Of AI [Mack & Borovick]

On 11/06/2024, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, future, game-changing environment, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, law schools, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, trends, United States, universities, by Daniel Christian

How Legal Education Must Evolve In The Age Of AI: Insights From An In-House Legal Innovator — from by abovethelaw.com Olga Mack
Traditional legal education has remained largely unchanged for decades, focusing heavily on theoretical knowledge and case law analysis.

As we stand on the brink of a new era defined by artificial intelligence (AI) and data-driven decision-making, the question arises: How should legal education adapt to prepare the next generation of lawyers for the challenges ahead?

Here are three unconventional, actionable insights from our conversation that highlight the need for a radical rethinking of legal education.

Integrate AI Education Into Every Aspect Of Legal Training…
Adopt A ‘Technology-Agnostic’ Approach To AI Training…
Redefine Success In Legal Education To Include Technological Proficiency…

“The end of courts?” [Furlong] + other legaltech-related items

On 10/29/2024, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, assessment, Canada, emerging technologies, experimentation, funding / grants, future, innovation, law schools, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, podcasting, UK, United States, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Introducing QuizBot an Innovative AI-Assisted Assessment in Legal Education — from papers.ssrn.com by Sean A Harrington

Abstract

This Article explores an innovative approach to assessment in legal education: an AI-assisted quiz system implemented in an AI & the Practice of Law course. The system employs a Socratic method-inspired chatbot to engage students in substantive conversations about course materials, providing a novel method for evaluating student learning and engagement. The Article examines the structure and implementation of this system, including its grading methodology and rubric, and discusses its benefits and challenges. Key advantages of the AI-assisted quiz system include enhanced student engagement with course materials, practical experience in AI interaction for future legal practice, immediate feedback and assessment, and alignment with the Socratic method tradition in law schools. The system also presents challenges, particularly in ensuring fairness and consistency in AI-generated questions, maintaining academic integrity, and balancing AI assistance with human oversight in grading.

The Article further explores the pedagogical implications of this innovation, including a shift from memorization to conceptual understanding, the encouragement of critical thinking through AI interaction, and the preparation of students for AI-integrated legal practice. It also considers future directions for this technology, such as integration with other law school courses, potential for longitudinal assessment of student progress, and implications for bar exam preparation and continuing legal education. Ultimately, this Article argues that AI-assisted assessment systems can revolutionize legal education by providing more frequent, targeted, and effective evaluation of student learning. While challenges remain, the benefits of such systems align closely with the evolving needs of the legal profession. The Article concludes with a call for further research and broader implementation of AI-assisted assessment in law schools to fully understand its impact and potential in preparing the next generation of legal professionals for an AI-integrated legal landscape.

Keywords: Legal Education, Artificial Intelligence, Assessment, Socratic Method, Chatbot, Law School Innovation, Educational Technology, Legal Pedagogy, AI-Assisted Learning, Legal Technology, Student Engagement, Formative Assessment, Critical Thinking, Legal Practice, Educational Assessment, Law School Curriculum, Bar Exam Preparation, Continuing Legal Education, Legal Ethics, Educational Analytics

How Legal Startup Genie AI Raises $17.8 Million with Just 13 Slides — from aisecret.us

Genie AI, a London-based legal tech startup, was founded in 2017 by Rafie Faruq and Nitish Mutha. The company has been at the forefront of revolutionizing the legal industry by leveraging artificial intelligence to automate and enhance legal document drafting and review processes. The recent funding round, led by Google Ventures and Khosla Ventures, marks a significant milestone in Genie AI’s growth trajectory.

In-house legal teams are adopting legal tech at lower rate than law firms: survey — from canadianlawyermag.com
The report suggests in-house teams face more barriers to integrating new tools

Law firms are adopting generative artificial intelligence tools at a higher rate than in-house legal departments, but both report similar levels of concerns about data security and ethical implications, according to a report on legal tech usage released Wednesday.

Legal tech company Appara surveyed 443 legal professionals in Canada across law firms and in-house legal departments over the summer, including lawyers, paralegals, legal assistants, law clerks, conveyancers, and notaries.

Twenty-five percent of respondents who worked at law firms said they’ve already invested in generative AI tools, with 24 percent reporting they plan to invest within the following year. In contrast, only 15 percent of respondents who work in-house have invested in these tools, with 26 percent planning investments in the future.

The end of courts? — from jordanfurlong.substack.com by Jordan Furlong
Civil justice systems aren’t serving the public interest. It’s time to break new ground and chart paths towards fast and fair dispute resolution that will meet people’s actual needs.

We need to start simple. System design can get extraordinarily complex very quickly, and complexity is our enemy at this stage. Tom O’Leary nicely inverted Deming’s axiom with a question of his own: “We want the system to work for [this group]. What would need to happen for that to be true?”

If we wanted civil justice systems to work for the ordinary people who enter them seeking solutions to their problems — as opposed to the professionals who administer and make a living off those systems — what would those systems look like? What would be their features? I can think of at least three:

Fair: …
Fast: …
Fine: …

100-Day Dispute Resolution: New Era ADR is Changing the Game (Rich Lee, CEO)

New Era ADR CEO Rich Lee makes a return appearance to Technically Legal to talk about the company’s cutting-edge platform revolutionizing dispute resolution. Rich first came on the podcast in 2021 right as the company launched. Rich discusses the company’s mission to provide a faster, more efficient, and cost-effective alternative to traditional litigation and arbitration, the company’s growth and what he has learned from a few years in.

Key takeaways:

New Era ADR offers a unique platform for resolving disputes in under 100 days, significantly faster than traditional methods.
The platform leverages technology to streamline processes, reduce costs, and enhance accessibility for all parties involved.
New Era ADR boasts a diverse pool of experienced and qualified neutrals, ensuring fair and impartial resolutions.
The company’s commitment to innovation is evident in its use of data and technology to drive efficiency and transparency.

AI should significantly help with Access to Justice [Sonday] + other AI/legaltech-related items

On 10/22/2024, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, change, changing business models, emerging technologies, law schools, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, new business models, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, tools, trends, UK, United States, vendors, by Daniel Christian

DC: I’m really hoping that a variety of AI-based tools, technologies, and services will significantly help with our Access to Justice (#A2J) issues here in America. So this article, per Kristen Sonday at Thomson Reuters — caught my eye.

***

AI for Legal Aid: How to empower clients in need — from thomsonreuters.com by Kristen Sonday
In this second part of this series, we look at how AI-driven technologies can empower those legal aid clients who may be most in need

It’s hard to overstate the impact that artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to have on helping low-income individuals achieve better access to justice. And for those legal services organizations (LSOs) that serve on the front lines, too often without sufficient funding, staff, or technology, AI presents perhaps their best opportunity to close the justice gap. With the ability of AI-driven tools to streamline agency operations, minimize administrative work, more effectively reallocate talent, and allow LSOs to more effectively service clients, the implementation of these tools is essential.

Innovative LSOs leading the way

Already many innovative LSOs are taking the lead, utilizing new technology to complete tasks from complex analysis to AI-driven legal research. Here are two compelling examples of how AI is already helping LSOs empower low-income clients in need.

#A2J #justice #tools #vendors #society #legal #lawfirms #AI #legaltech #legalresearch

Criminal charges, even those that are eligible for simple, free expungement, can prevent someone from obtaining housing or employment. This is a simple barrier to overcome if only help is available.
…
AI offers the capacity to provide quick, accurate information to a vast audience, particularly to those in urgent need. AI can also help reduce the burden on our legal staff…

A legal tech executive explains how AI will fully change the way lawyers work — from legaldive.com by Justin Bachman
A senior executive with ContractPodAi discusses how legal AI poses economic benefits for in-house departments and disruption risks for law firm billing models.

Everything you thought you knew about being a lawyer is about to change.

Legal Dive spoke with Podinic about the transformative nature of AI, including the financial risks to lawyers’ billing models and how it will force general counsel and chief legal officers to consider how they’ll use the time AI is expected to free up for the lawyers on their teams when they no longer have to do administrative tasks and low-level work.

Legaltech will augment lawyers’ capabilities but not replace them, says GlobalData — from globaldata.com

Traditionally, law firms have been wary of adopting technologies that could compromise data privacy and legal accuracy; however, attitudes are changing
Despite concerns about technology replacing humans in the legal sector, legaltech is more likely to augment the legal profession than replace it entirely
Generative AI will accelerate digital transformation in the legal sector

Fresh Voices on Legal Tech with Megan Ma — from legaltalknetwork.com by Dennis Kennedy, Tom Mighell, and Dr. Megan Ma

Episode Notes
As genAI continues to edge into all facets of our lives, Dr. Megan Ma has been exploring integrations for this technology in legal, but, more importantly, how it can help lawyers and law students hone their legal skills. Dennis and Tom talk with Dr. Ma about her work and career path and many of the latest developments in legal tech. They take a deep dive into a variety of burgeoning AI tools and trends, and Dr. Ma discusses how her interdisciplinary mindset has helped her develop a unique perspective on the possibilities for AI in the legal profession and beyond.

Legal tech disruption: Doing it on purpose — from localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Thomson Reuters looks at the role that a legal technology roadmap can play in improving the operations of in-house legal departments.

Disruption in the legal industry remains a powerful force – from the death of the billable hour to robot lawyers and generative AI. Leaders are facing weighty issues that demand long-term, visionary thinking and that will change the way legal professionals do their jobs.

With half of in-house legal departments increasing their use of legal technology tools, many GCs are taking the initiative to address continued, growing expectations from the business for systems that can make operations better. How can you prepare for a tech or process change so that people come along with you, rather than living in constant fire-fighting mode?

How can judges handle deepfakes? [Linna]

On 10/14/2024, in A/V -- audio/visual, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, change, computer science, digital photography, digital video, emerging technologies, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, society, the downsides of how people use tech, by Daniel Christian

How can judges handle #deepfakes under the Federal Rules of Evidence and Federal Rules of Civil Procedure?

Great to work on this interdisciplinary CS+Law project with computer scientists, lawyers, and judges!https://t.co/TXEVuA5de9 @vssubrah
Maura R. Grossman@gcyzsl…

— Daniel W. Linna Jr. (@DanLinna) September 16, 2024

Great audience questions today when presenting with @Andrew_Perlman about the benefits and risks of judges and lawyers using AI for legal tasks. Andy and I agree that we are just scratching the surface of what can be done with AI systems.

We need to train everyone to use AI… pic.twitter.com/eH2hoCrRFu

— Daniel W. Linna Jr. (@DanLinna) September 11, 2024

How far should we go in allowing technology to aid our decision-making processes? [Schlegel] + other legaltech-related items

On 10/11/2024, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, future, game-changing environment, Google, innovation, law schools, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, Open AI, platforms, podcasting, by Daniel Christian

The Future of Umpiring in Baseball: Balancing Tradition and Technology — from judgeschlegel.com by Judge Scott Schlegel
This article is not about baseball.

As we look to the future of umpiring in baseball, a balanced approach may offer the best solution. Rather than an all-or-nothing choice between human umpires and full automation, a hybrid system could potentially offer the benefits of both worlds. For instance, automated tracking systems could be used to assist human umpires, providing them with real-time data to inform their calls. This would maintain the human element and authority on the field while significantly enhancing accuracy and consistency.

Such a system would allow umpires to focus more on game management, player interactions, and the myriad other responsibilities that require human judgment and experience. It would preserve the traditional aspects of the umpire’s role that fans and players value, while leveraging technology to address concerns about accuracy and fairness.

Navigating the Intersection of Tradition and AI: The Future of Judicial Decision-Making — from judgeschlegel.com by Judge Scott Schlegel

Introduction
Continuing with our baseball analogy, we now turn our focus to the courtroom.

The intersection of technology and the justice system is a complex and often contentious space, much like the debate over automated umpires in baseball. As Major League Baseball considers whether automated systems should replace the human element in calling balls and strikes, the legal world faces similar questions: How far should we go in allowing technology to aid our decision-making processes, and what is the right balance between innovation and the traditions that define the courtroom?

AI and the rise of the Niche Lawyer — from jordanfurlong.substack.com by Jordan Furlong
A new legal market will create a new type of lawyer: Specialized, flexible, customized, fractional, home-based and online, exclusive, balanced and focused. This could be your future legal career.

Think of a new picture. A lawyer dressed in Professional Casual, or Business Comfortable, an outfit that looks sharp but feels relaxed. A lawyer inside their own apartment, in an extra bedroom, or in a shared workspace on a nearby bus route, taking an Uber to visit some clients and using Zoom to meet with others. A lawyer with a laptop and a tablet and a smartphone and no other capital expenditures. A lawyer whose overhead is only what’s literally over their head.

This lawyer starts work when they feel like it (maybe 7 am, maybe 10; maybe Monday, maybe not) and they stop working when they feel like it (maybe 4 pm, maybe 9). They have as many clients as they need, for whom they provide very specific, very personalized services. They provide some services that aren’t even “legal” to people who aren’t “clients” as we understand both terms. They have essential knowledge and skills that all lawyers share but unique knowledge and skills that hardly any others possess. They make as much money as they need in order to meet the rent and pay down their debts and afford a life with the people they love. They’re in complete charge of their career and their destiny, something they find terrifying and stressful and wonderful and fulfilling.

While We Were Distracted with the New ChatGPT Model, Google Quietly Dropped an AI Bombshell — from judgeschlegel.com by Judge Scott Schlegel

While the latest ChatGPT model is dominating tech headlines, I was unexpectedly blown away by Google’s recent release of a new NotebookLM feature: Audio Overview. This tool, which transforms written content into simulated conversations, caught me off guard with its capabilities. I uploaded some of my blog posts on AI and the justice system, and what it produced left me speechless. The AI generated podcast-like discussions felt remarkably authentic, complete with nuanced interpretations and even slight misunderstandings of my ideas. This mirrors real-life discussions perfectly – after all, how often do we hear our own thoughts expressed by others and think, “That’s not quite what I meant”?

? Breaking barriers isn’t just for athletes! Discover how Roger Bannister’s sub-4-minute mile can inspire a revolution in the justice system. ?? Read my latest article here: https://t.co/CCiWcqX6ri #schLegalTech #LegalTech pic.twitter.com/cjPCB4zM3b

— Judge Scott Schlegel (@Judgeschlegel) September 25, 2024

Here are a variety of legaltech related items — showing change in the legal industry

On 10/01/2024, in Access to Justice (A2J), change, Cost of legal services - including access, Google, innovation, law schools, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, podcasting, productivity / tips and tricks, tools, UK, United States, vendors, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

I uploaded 200 pages of raw court documents to NotebookLM.

It created a true crime podcast that is better than 90% of what’s out there now…

And ends with the hosts debating the ethics of the genre ? pic.twitter.com/AHJ0fN4yXj

— Olivia Moore (@omooretweets) September 29, 2024

RIP To Human First Pass Document Review? — from abovethelaw.com by Joe Patrice
Using actual humans to perform an initial review isn’t gone yet, but the days are numbered.

Lawyers are still using real, live people to take a first crack at document review, but much like the “I’m not dead yet” guy from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, it’s a job that will be stone dead soon. Because there are a lot of deeply human tasks that AI will struggle to replace, but getting through a first run of documents doesn’t look like one of them.

At last week’s Relativity Fest, the star of the show was obviously Relativity aiR for Review, which the company moved to general availability. In conjunction with the release, Relativity pointed to impressive results the product racked up during the limited availability period including Cimplifi reporting that the product cut review time in half and JND finding a 60 percent cut in costs.

Ernie The Attorney: A Tech Whisperer Shares His Legal Tech Secrets — from legaltalknetwork.com by Ernie Svenson
Guest Ernie “The Attorney” Svenson is dedicated to helping small and solo firms get the most out of today’s tech tools. Work smarter, not harder.

When it comes to efficiencies, automation plays a big role. In a solo or small firm, resources come at a premium. Learn to reduce wasted input through standardized, repeatable operating procedures and automation. (There are even tech products that help you create written standard processes learning from and organizing the work you’re already doing).

Imagine speaking into an app as you “brain dump” and having those thoughts come out organized and notated for later use. Imagine dictating legal work into an app and having AI organize your dictation, even correct it. You don’t need to type everything in today’s tech world. Maximize downtime.

It’s all about training yourself to think “automation first.” Even when a virtual assistant (VA) located in another country can fill gaps in your practice, learn your preferences, match your brand, and help you be your most efficient you without hiring a full-tie employee. Today’s most successful law firms are high-tech hubs. Don’t let fear of the unknown hold you back.

Here’s the Video of Our Legaltech Week Panel Recorded Live Friday at RelativityFest in Chicago — from lawnext.com by Bob Ambrogi

Several of our regular Legaltech Week panelists were in Chicago for RelativityFest last week, so we took the opportunity to get together and broadcast our show live from the same room (instead of Zoom squares).

If you missed it Friday, here’s the video recording.

LexisNexis legal AI adoption report shows sharp increase in use of Gen AI — from legaltechnology.com

Today (24 September) LexisNexis has released a new report – Need for Speedier Legal Services sees AI Adoption Accelerate – which reveals a sharp increase in the number of lawyers using generative AI for legal work.

The survey of 800+ UK legal professionals at firms and in-house teams found 41% are currently using AI for work, up from 11% in July 2023. Lawyers with plans to use AI for legal work in the near future also jumped from 28% to 41%, while those with no plans to adopt AI dropped from 61% to 15%. The survey found that 39% of private practice lawyers now expect to adjust their billing practices due to AI, up from 18% in January 2024.

Robin AI’s James Clough: ‘Don’t Skate To Where The Puck Is’ — from artificiallawyer.com

‘What if legal review cost just $1? What if legal review was 1,000X cheaper than today?’ he muses.

And, one could argue we are getting there already – at least in theory. How much does it actually cost to run a genAI tool, that is hitting the accuracy levels you require, over a relatively mundane contract in order to find top-level information? If token costs drop massively in the years ahead and tech licence costs have been shared out across a major legal business….then what is the cost to the firm per document?

Of course, there is review and there is review. A very deep and thorough review, with lots of redlining, back and forth negotiation, and redrafting by top lawyers is another thing. But, a ‘quick once-over’? It feels like we are already at the ‘pennies on the dollar’ stage for that.

What Is Legal Tech Convergence + Why It Matters — from artificiallawyer.com

In some cases the companies on the convergence path are just getting started and only offer a few additional skills (so far), in other cases, large companies with diverse histories have almost the same multi-skill offering across many areas.

Here are some examples:

Callidus
vLex
Thomson Reuters and LexisNexis
BRYTER
Harvey
Leya
…and others

Legal budgets will get an AI-inspired makeover in 2025: survey [Bachman]

On 09/17/2024, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, bots, corporate / business world, emerging technologies, innovation, intelligent systems, law schools, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, skills, by Daniel Christian

Legal budgets will get an AI-inspired makeover in 2025: survey — from legaldive.com by Justin Bachman
Nearly every general counsel is budgeting to add generative AI tools to their departments – and they’re all expecting to realize efficiencies by doing so.

Dive Brief:

Nearly all general counsel say their budgets are up slightly after wrestling with widespread cuts last year. And most of them, 61%, say they expect slightly larger budgets next year as well, an average of 5% more, according to the 2025 In-House Legal Budgeting Report from Axiom and Wakefield Research. Technology was ranked as the top in-house investment priority for both 2024 and 2025 for larger companies.
Legal managers predict their companies will boost investment on technology and real estate/facilities in 2025, while reducing outlays for human resources and mergers and acquisition activity, according to the survey. This mix of changing priorities might disrupt legal budgets.
Among the planned legal tech spending, the top three areas for investment are virtual legal assistants/AI-powered chatbots (35%); e-billing and spend-management software (31%); and contract management platforms (30%).

“8 Legal Tech Trends Transforming Practice in 2024” [lawyer-monthly.com] + several other legaltech-related items

On 08/28/2024, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, Blockchain, business, data related items, law schools, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, research, surviving, trends, UK, United States, vendors, Virtual courts and law firms, by Daniel Christian

8 Legal Tech Trends Transforming Practice in 2024 — from lawyer-monthly.com

Thanks to rapid advances in technology, the entire scenario within the legal landscape is changing fast. Fast forward to 2024, and legal tech integration would be the lifeblood of any law firm or legal department if it wishes to stay within the competitive fray.

Innovations such as AI-driven tools for research to blockchain-enabled contracts are thus not only guideline highlights of legal work today. Understanding and embracing these trends will be vital to surviving and thriving in law as the revolution gains momentum and the sands of the world of legal practice continue to shift.

Below are the eight expected trends in legal tech defining the future legal practice.

Building your legal practice’s AI future: Understanding the actual technologies — from thomsonreuters.com by
The implementation of a successful AI strategy for a law firm depends not only on having the right people, but also understanding the tech and how to make it work for the firm

While we’re not delving deep here into how generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and large language models (LLMs) work, we will talk generally about different categories of tech and emerging GenAI functionalities that are specific for legal.

Ex-Microsoft engineers raise $25M for legal tech startup that uses AI to help lawyers analyze data — from geekwire.com by Taylor Soper

Supio, a Seattle startup founded in 2021 by longtime friends and former Microsoft engineers, raised a $25 million Series A investment to supercharge its software platform designed to help lawyers quickly sort, search, and organize case-related data.
…
Supio focuses on cases related to personal injury and mass tort plaintiff law (when many plaintiffs file a claim). It specializes in organizing unstructured data and letting lawyers use a chatbot to pull relevant information.

“Most lawyers are data-rich and time-starved, but Supio automates time-sapping manual processes and empowers them to identify critical information to prove and expedite their cases,” Supio CEO and co-founder Jerry Zhou said in a statement.

ILTACON 2024: Large law firms are moving carefully but always forward with their GenAI strategy — from thomsonreuters.com by Zach Warren

NASHVILLE — As the world approaches the two-year mark since the original introduction of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, law firms already have made in-roads into establishing generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) as a part of their firms. Whether for document and correspondence drafting, summarization of meetings and contracts, legal research, or for back-office capabilities, firms have been playing around with a number of use cases to see where the technology may fit into the future.

Thomson Reuters acquires pre-revenue legal LLM developer Safe Sign Technologies – Here’s why — from legaltechnology.com by Caroline Hill

Thomson Reuters announced (on August 21) it has made the somewhat unusual acquisition of UK pre-revenue startup Safe Sign Technologies (SST), which is developing legal-specific large language models (LLMs) and as of just eight months ago was operating in stealth mode.
…
There isn’t an awful lot of public information available about the company but speaking to Legal IT Insider about the acquisition, Hron explained that SST is focused in part on deep learning research as it pertains to training large language models and specifically legal large language models. The company as yet has no customers and has been focusing exclusively on developing the technology and the models.

Supio brings generative AI to personal injury cases — from techcrunch.com by Kyle Wiggers

Legal work is incredibly labor- and time-intensive, requiring piecing together cases from vast amounts of evidence. That’s driving some firms to pilot AI to streamline certain steps; according to a 2023 survey by the American Bar Association, 35% of law firms now use AI tools in their practice.

OpenAI-backed Harvey is among the big winners so far in the burgeoning AI legal tech space, alongside startups such as Leya and Klarity. But there’s room for one more, says Jerry Zhou and Kyle Lam, the co-founders of an AI platform for personal injury law called Supio, which emerged from stealth Tuesday with a $25 million investment led by Sapphire Ventures.

Supio uses generative AI to automate bulk data collection and aggregation for legal teams. In addition to summarizing info, the platform can organize and identify files — and snippets within files — that might be useful in outlining, drafting and presenting a case, Zhou said.

Learning Ecosystems

Building the lawyer of the future [Furlong]

How far should we go in allowing technology to aid our decision-making processes? [Schlegel] + other legaltech-related items

Here are a variety of legaltech related items — showing change in the legal industry

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