Artificial intelligence has for some time been part of our everyday lives. The latest development in generative AI, led by ChatGPT is to many seen as marking a significant turning point. Legal work has for years been seen as a ripe target for AI disruption but so far technology has served more as an aide to lawyers rather than a replacement. However, it is clear that the growing development of AI will necessitate change in the legal sector in some form.
Law firms are now regularly being asked not only about the legal ramifications of these AI advancements for their own businesses going forward but also how it might affecttheir dealings with their legal teams and the day-to-day work being undertaken going forward. Clients are always keen to understand how advancements in legal technology could affect, or more importantly reduce, their legal bills going forward and it is therefore imperative that firms are carrying out the necessary due diligence into the systems and platforms on offer.
Many law firms have been using software for some time to automate tasks and drive efficiencies spurred by pressure to cut costs in a challenging market. These include predictive coding tools that speed up the e-disclosure process and AI based time logging tools that can automate how lawyers charge clients. AI tools can now in addition handle the endless reading, summarizing, creating and filing of documents ordinarily carried out by junior lawyers and paralegals and whilst there are obvious benefits to the elimination of some of the more mundane and administrative tasks it does pose challenges when needing to train young lawyers and graduates. Juniors cannot instantly be expected to advise on complex matters or do complex client meetings- this takes time and experience that is gained over many years. Law schools going forward may need to adapt their training programs to adapt to the changing landscape and ensure that the next generation of lawyers have the requisite skills required to operate in this ever changing market.
There are a number of companies such as Casetext, Latch, Harvey and others that have taken GPT-4 and other language models and are fine-tuning them for specific legal work. They can now help lawyers research relevant case law, statutesand regulations, sifting through thousands of pages in a matter of minutes to not only find documents but summarize them and highlight important passages.
AI tools can help with the review of contracts and some can generate legal documents themselves where a lawyer inputs key details into the tool and the system generates a preliminary draft which can then be reviewed and refined.
Magic circle law firms, US law firms and the Big Four accounting groups have been experimenting with AI platforms. Examples of these include, Allen & Overy, in 2023, entering into an exclusive partnership with the platform Harvey, which provides thousands of the firm’s lawyers with assistance in legal research, drafting documents and contract analysis. PwC entered in a strategic alliance with the same platform.
LexisNexis announced in May 2023 that it created a new generative AI platform using GPT technology and teamed up with some of the biggest law firms in the US, including Baker McKenzie, Foley & Lardner and Reed Smith. And several Fortune 50 companies, like Microsoft and Ford Motor, as well as top law firms like DLA Piper and Kirkland & Ellis, have tested a tool created by Casetext called CoCounsel. It is anticipated that many more law firms will follow suit and the various platforms available will continue to be developed, tested and launched.
Whilst it is clear that technology will continue to play a growing part and law firms will need to continue to investigate how they can use technologies and advances to deliver a better product it is still some way off before AI will replace lawyers.
Providing legal advice is more than just predicting words and practicing law requires a lot of uniquely human skills, so whilst AI can do certain tasks faster and more efficiently than a human could ever do there is so much that it will just never be able to replace. There will always need to be expertise on top of just pure knowledge. AI does not currently havethe judgment or critical thinking skills to be able to offer sound legal advice with any reliability.
So for now whilst it is likely that lawyers will need to combine more AI in their routine work stream as technology in this area continues to improve the majority of law firm are still eyeing potential risks of the technology and seeking more information about how generative AI systems can be used efficiently yet safely going forward.
It is anticipated that law firms will look for lawyers that are technically proficient in order to effectively leverage AI tools and systems as they continue to be developed. For lawyers looking at how to ensure they are best placed in this ever changing legal market, any knowledge or skills they can develop within this space will hold them in good stead going forward.
Camilla is the Founder and Managing Director of Worthington Legal. She has over 18 years of legal experience, initially as a lawyer in a top city law firm in London before moving to Hong Kong in 2014. Camilla regularly presents at partner strategy meetings, advises on market trends and hiring strategies and mentors lawyers at all career stages, both professionally and with the Women in Law Mentoring Programme.
