How artificial intelligence is transforming legal research — from abovethelaw.com by David Lat
Excerpt:
Technology and innovation are transforming the legal profession in manifold ways. According to Professor Richard Susskind, author of The Future of Law, “Looking 30 years ahead, I think it unimaginable that our legal systems will not undergo vast change.” Indeed, this revolution is already underway – and to serve their clients effectively and ethically, law firms must adapt to these changing realities.
One thing that remains unchanged, however, is the importance of legal research. In the words of Don MacLeod, Manager of Knowledge Management at Debevoise & Plimpton and author of How to Find Out Anything and The Internet Guide for the Legal Researcher:
As lawyers, you need to be on top of the current legal landscape. Legal research will allow you to advise your client on the standards of the law at this moment, whether they come from case law, statutes, or regulations.
The importance of legal research persists, but how it’s conducted is constantly advancing and evolving. Just as attorneys who used hard-copy books for all of their legal research would be amazed by online legal research services like Westlaw, attorneys using current services will be amazed by the research tools of tomorrow, powered by artificial intelligence and analytics.