If time is indeed money, then it only makes sense to squeeze the most out of each working day to maximize profitability and ensure future growth.
There is no questioning the impact of technology on the business world. In a short time, we’ve seen incredible advances in computing, with ever-increasing processing power allowing users to accomplish tasks at speeds once thought unimaginable.
The computer opened new doors and possibilities. Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989 and few knew what to make of it. But by 2017, it was believed that half the world's population was on the Internet.
As technology continues to evolve, we are presented with new ways to work smarter, not harder, and artificial intelligence (AI) is just one more potential path to profitability.
Law practices, like all businesses, have evolved over the years and successful lawyers have learned that keeping up with the times also means looking to the future.
“It is not the most intellectual or the strongest species that survive, but the species that survives is the one that is able to adapt to or adjust best to the changing environment in which it finds itself.” That quote is often wrongly attributed to Charles Darwin. But whether he actually said it or not, its relevance cannot be denied.
Long gone are the days when lawyers hung out a shingle and relied on word of mouth to prosper. Today, the smart and proactive actively search out ways to grow their client base.
Lawyers can also hire marketing agencies, such as dNOVO Group, to enhance their online presence, generate social media exposure and attract the attention of new clients.
DNOVO Group says that artificial intelligence, when used properly, can also provide meaningful benefits to any law firm, taking on time-consuming and tedious research tasks.
A traditional law firm typically relies on a team of paralegals and researchers to decipher and process information, which can be expensive, and that’s where AI comes in.
AI can be described as the simulation of human intelligence in computers programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions.
Compared to other technological advances, AI can be more complex and less user-friendly depending on the application. Technical expertise is required, which comes with a cost. For large firms with vast financial resources, implementing AI solutions is less of an issue than for smaller firms.
According to a report by Thomson Reuters, an increasing number of lawyers are embracing AI. The report predicts the technology “will become ubiquitous, an indispensable assistant to practically every lawyer,” and that those who don’t get on board will be left behind.
For a profession that is rooted in legislation, precedent, statutes and codes, artificial intelligence can be a blessing, providing software that can eliminate hours of reading and fact-checking.
AI can also be used as a predictive tool, anticipating how courts will rule in a given case. However, the question then becomes, is a lawyer prepared to risk their client’s fate on an algorithm?
Robo-Lawyers have also arrived, taking the legal profession into new realms and opening up even more possibilities. Still, despite constant innovation, artificial intelligence is far from an infallible science.
“People often view AI and algorithms as being objective without considering the origins of the data being used in the machine-learning process,” Song Richardson, dean of the University of California-Irvine School of Law, tells Forbes.
“Biased data is going to lead to biased AI. When training people for the legal profession, we need to help future lawyers and judges understand how AI works and its implications in our field.”
The question of fairness and responsibility arises when considering the use of artificial intelligence with the concern that the developers’ and trainers’ bias and prejudices may lead to skewed results.
The Canadian Bar Association notes that lawyers’ “ethical and legal obligations are governed by the code of professional conduct.”
“Technology has become an important part of contemporary legal practice. Lawyers should be able to recognize when using technology is needed to provide a legal service effectively and understand how to use technology responsibly and ethically,” the association states.
“Given the range of ethical questions raised by using technology in a law practice, and the diversity among law practices, we do not claim to offer a comprehensive resource or to be prescriptive. Our goal is to help you spot potential ethical issues related to the use of technology and to direct you to resources to determine best practices and solutions that are appropriate for your situation.”
