Author: Gunjan Sharma
Introduction
With technological advancement, the legal world is also changing. It does increase the efficiency, but also poses many risks. Legal researchers have become so skilled in AI that they can instantly search legal databases, review contracts with no changes required for execution, and handle online arbitration and mediation, which is comparatively cheaper than litigation.
The other side of the picture is that there are also various risks attached. The question of the hour is whether there are going to be huge displacements of paralegals and legal professionals. AI algorithms can also tend to be unfair if not checked upon, and lead to sensitive client data being leaked and a breach of client confidentiality.
The Tools Changing the Legal World
The tools for researching and analyzing case laws, which are automated, are Manupatra and IndianKanoon. The Document Automation software Documate and Neota Logic help generate legal contracts in a fraction of a second. Relativity and Everlaw help in collecting and analyzing evidence. Blockchain is the future of legal contracts, which was earlier used for cryptocurrency and now makes smart contracts. These contracts automatically execute and ensure compliance.
AI Benefits in the Legal World
The online dispute resolution process in India is cost-effective for the citizens. Even the Indian Judiciary is recommending initiatives like the National Internet Exchange of India to merge it with ODR. AI and Machine Learning in Law. Eg, LegalZoom and Ross Intelligence use AI to provide case decisions that are based on previous historical data. Data Analytics is also useful to predict case decisions in law based on data.
The Courts use the following advanced tools.
- e-Courts ProjectÂ
- e-SCRÂ
- SUVAS (Supreme Court Vidhik Anuvaad Software)Â
- SUPACE (Supreme Court Portal for Assistance in Court’s Efficiency)
The lawyers are at ease after the introduction of AI in Legal. The Delhi High Court has established a fully paperless e-library and e-room. In his inauguration speech, Chief Justice of India Dr. Justice D.Y. Chandrachud stated, “I don’t receive any actual paperwork from Courts. Our current Chief Justice, D.Y. Chandrachud, is a strong supporter of technology in the legal profession, saying, “My Law Clerks send me all notes digitally, and my chambers are almost paperless.” In the case of Swapnil Tripathi v. Supreme Court of India, the Supreme Court of India recently recognized the concept of live broadcasting of proceedings, with the exception of specified instances such as rape, marriage, and POCSO.
Talent and Skills Development
Every individual should focus on upscaling their skills. Even in the hiring process, the HR should keep in mind the criteria. For the existing employees, the companies should recommend assigning individuals to do mandatory training. The training should be informative on how to use AI in legal work and its practical everyday usage.
AI will be inbuilt in the 90% of the software now. Be it MS Office 365, and into the products that are used by professionals every day. Thus, knowledge of the AI baseline at least is required, and the effective usage can be to grant access to AI platforms. For instance, at Deloitte Legal, the trainees are able to test and use AI technology to complete the work and provide more interesting solutions than what was expected of them.
Finally, the HR should consider a career path to progress in the AI world. The juniors will be a little uncomfortable in such settings, and the leaders should take them forward.
The Question: Will AI replace lawyers?
There are three main reasons why AI will not replace lawyers. The first one is limited accuracy, as not all AI uses current knowledge. The second one is increased risk, especially in ChatGPT, which can lead to privacy infringement of clients. Finally, the legal professionals don’t trust AI completely with sensitive information.
Conclusion
Counting on the benefits also poses some challenges in legal tech. It leads to investment in training and infrastructure. While the most prominent one is privacy infringement. While the world is becoming more efficient and accurate in providing justice. The question that it poses, whether it will replace lawyers, negates the fact, as it is not completely accurate and not fact-based.
It is crucial for corporate leaders to take the strategic implications of the technology into consideration on the wider business, the internal workings of your legal department, and on your external partners.
As stated by Richard Punt, Deloitte Legal Global Leader:
“The impact on legal will be seismic. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. ”
