Introduction
The legal profession is also undergoing transformation due to the rapid advancements in technology impacting various industries. Recently, the introduction of legal technology, also known as “legal tech,” has generated both enthusiasm and apprehension. Supporters view it as a strong tool to increase the effectiveness of legal procedures, lower expenses, and enhance availability of justice. Critics caution that it has the potential to weaken core principles of justice by bolstering prejudices or eliminating the personal element from critical legal judgments. This article delves into the intricacies of legal technology, outlining its range, sorting its various types, and examining the potential consequences for the legal system and society in general. Understanding these technologies allows us to evaluate their worth and potential dangers, ensuring they enhance rather than weaken the legal system.
Legal technology includes a wide range of new ideas created to help legal professionals, automate duties, and even manage parts of legal decision-making. From e-discovery tools that simplify case data collection to artificial intelligence (AI) applications that anticipate legal results, these technologies are increasingly important in the legal field.
Legal Technology Defined
Legal technology, in essence, refers to any technology utilized for improving the legal process. This refers to instruments utilized by legal experts for overseeing cases, performing legal investigations, or streamlining recurring duties. Yet, as legal technology advances, its possible uses are increasing. AI is currently being utilized in drafting contracts, forecasting case results, and aiding in legal investigations. This classification of technologies is based on their direct interaction with the law and their specialization in legal tasks.
There are four primary categories in which legal technologies can be categorized.
- Basic Technology: These are general technologies, like computers or word processors, that can be indirectly useful in legal work but are not tailored specifically for legal purposes.
- Basic Legal Tech: These tools are designed for legal use but do not directly interact with legal guidelines or statutes. Examples of this comprise document management systems and tools used for tracking cases.
- Generic Legal Tech refers to technologies that engage with the law directly, although they are not specifically tailored for legal purposes. For example, self-driving vehicles that adhere to traffic ordinances fit into this group, as they interact with the established rules that oversee highway security.
- Advanced Legal Technology or Shallow legal tech: These tools interact extensively and intimately with the legal field. AI systems are created to interpret or enforce legal rules, like predicting case outcomes or producing legal documents from input data.
Possibilities in Legal Technology:
Legal technology has the capability to transform the field of law in many different ways. For example:
- Enhancing Productivity: Legal technology can streamline tasks such as document review and data analysis, allowing lawyers to dedicate more time to intricate and valuable work. AI-driven tools, such as those powered by artificial intelligence, can analyze extensive case data to pinpoint important details, ultimately cutting down on the time needed for legal research.
- Improving Access to Justice: Legal technology can also assist in making legal services more readily available to the public. For instance, services such as chatbots and virtual legal assistants on the internet enable people to receive legal guidance or complete legal documents without the necessity of retaining a lawyer, thereby lowering expenses for customers and enhancing the availability of legal resources.
- Decreasing Human Error: AI systems can assist in minimizing the chance of human error in tasks such as contract drafting and regulatory compliance. Legal tech can enhance accuracy in legal processes by using algorithms that are not affected by fatigue or cognitive bias.
Summary
Legal technology has the potential to revolutionize the legal industry by improving productivity, cutting expenses, and enhancing access to justice. With the ongoing development of legal technology, cooperation among legal professionals, technologists, and policymakers is crucial in creating ethical standards that protect the legal system’s integrity and leverage the advantages of technology advancements.
References
¹ See Roger Brownsword, Law 3.0: Rules, Regulation, and Technology (Routledge 2020); Jim Leason, Abigail Connor and Jimmy Vestbirk, ‘Legaltech Startup Report 2019: A Maturing Market’ (2019), https://blogs.thomsonreuters.com/legal-uk/2019/10/18/a-new-report-legaltech-startup-report-2019-a-maturing-market/ .
² Julian Webb, ‘Legal Technology: The Great Disruption?’ in Richard L Abel and others (eds), Lawyers in 21st Century Societies (vol II, Hart Publishing 2021).
³ Anthony J Casey and Anthony Niblett, ‘Self-Driving Laws’ (2016) 66 UTLJ 429.
⁴ Charles Galunic and Simon Rodan, ‘Resource Recombinations in the Firm: Knowledge Structures and the Potential for Schumpeterian Innovation’ (1998) 19 Strategic Mgmt J 1993; Martin L Weitzman, ‘Recombinant Growth’ (1998) 113 Q J Econ 331.
⁵ Andrew Arruda, ‘An Ethical Obligation to Use Artificial Intelligence? An Examination of the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Law and the Model Rules of Professional Responsibility’ (2017) 40 Am J Trial Advoc 443; John O McGinnis and Russell G Pearce, ‘The Great Disruption: How Machine Intelligence Will Transform the Role of Lawyers in the Delivery of Legal Services’ (2013–2014) 82 Fordham L Rev 3041; Richard Susskind, Tomorrow’s Lawyers: An Introduction to Your Future (Oxford University Press 2013).
