What emerging trends or developments in legal operations do you find noteworthy or impactful?
Fully agree, and I love that you're proactively incorporating AI-based guidance into your policies already. I also agree that resources like Westlaw and LexisNexis have had elements of "AI" embedded within their systems for awhile now, but I can't wait for them to take full advantage of the growing power of LLMs. I want to spend more time lawyering, not being a hyper-technical legal search librarian, manipulating nouns and conjunctions to find the right legal resources through antiquated search bars. LLMs will, I hope, aid lawyers in reducing the amount of time we spend on non-value-added work so that we can dedicate more time to adding more value for clients.
I'm not sure which state you're in, but the California State Bar recently released "Practical Guidance for the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in the Practice of Law." It's worth the quick read, and touches on the notion that AI can be used as a cost-saving tool, but that lawyers should bill for the actual time spent on the matter, not for the amount of time saved. I think this is a healthy approach: Save time, but that should lower my bill, and I want to know which parts are generated by AI and whether or not a human lawyer reviewed and approved the final result.
More here: https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Portals/0/documents/ethics/Generative-AI-Practical-Guidance.pdf
- predictive analytics and data-driven decision-making
- incorporating generative AI and refining use cases
- emphasizing legal tech for efficiency and innovation
- shift towards client-centric services (including AFAs) and value-based billing
So, I'm navigating the challenge of incorporating AI in a beneficial and cost-efficient manner without crossing into areas where caution is warranted. It's a delicate balance, especially considering recent incidents like the individual in New York who crafted briefs using ChatGPT with inaccurate results.
AI in legal research isn't entirely new—resources like Westlaw and LexisNexis have incorporated AI in various forms for years. Still, the trend is evolving, and discussions around its application are gaining momentum. Privacy is another significant area, though it's not a novel trend. Privacy discussions and regulations have been ongoing for years, and many are still actively engaged in this realm.