How is technology being used in law?

Jan 23, 2023

Written By Lawrence Topley

For the past decade change had been stirring with the strong external influence and popularity of ever changing technology. This was accelerated by the pandemic which pressed a need to work and collaborate digitally. Nowadays, nearly every top law firm is learning to embrace technology to improve their service. With the technology they can take on more clients and complete work more cost-effectively.

Examples of technology in law

Technology has been implemented gradually into many facets of a law firm, from data management to research to automated contract reviews.

Data Management

Due to the nature of legal work, new data and case management platforms help keep sensitive data secure and support online collaboration and storage.

The most common platform for this is called Clio. This easy to use platform is used in law firms big and small, and helps store substantial amounts of data, all of which are accessible with an internet connection. With large quantities of information ready and available, this allows lawyers and paralegals to spend more time on technical legal issues. In addition to this, the platform also allows for a visual and clear progression of clients cases. So, lawyers and paralegals can quickly identify the next steps for a client.

Similar to this platform is the online data room. The online data room is more commonly used in larger firms who handle Mergers and Acquisition, although its use could be applicable in most practice areas. This allows lawyers and clients to place sensitive documents in one ‘room’ to be checked and collaborated on. This enables a more efficient process than physically mailing papers to one another.

Using these online platforms allows lawyers and paralegals to spend more time on technical legal issues by incorporating technology into their client communications. This allows firms to take on more clients and thus increase the profitability of the firm, whilst providing premium value for clients.

Research

One of the key positives of technology is its ability to make processes more efficient. The ability to do this has had a profound effect in research . New technology allows paralegals and lawyers to quickly locate cases and precedents that can be used to support their arguments. This has been advanced to show which precedents are likely to be overturned or which are currently being reviewed.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become an increasingly powerful tool in the legal industry and revolutionised the working process of firms. It works by recognising patterns in documents. AI has been used in the form of both contract reviewing and drafting.

By using this technology, the AI can quickly detect clauses, contractual anomalies, areas of non-compliance and contractual obligations. AI is also developing processes which can then identify precedents, important to a case or contract. It is important to remember, most of these contracts are hundreds of pages long. In times gone by, lawyers would be expected to read these in their entirety, which no matter how much attention one has, is open to human error.

This allows the work of the firm to be as accurate and of the highest quality for the client. Whilst also, saving lawyers time to work on other contractual features such as negotiation. Thus reducing the number of billable hours to the client and the cost. Highest quality work at a lower cost ultimately provides the best possible value for the client.

The Challenges of Technology

There are several challenges that come with using technology in the workplace. The first problem firms may have is deciding which pieces of technology they need. It would be wrong to think every firm needs the same technology in order to maximise its efficiency.

Due to the relatively recent introduction of technology, firms must carefully weigh up which would be the most beneficial to them. After all, they will need to be able to both afford the technology and have the skills in place to make the most of its use. This is an expensive process in both buying the technology and training or employing staff to work it.

Secondly, law firms must ensure they do not lose sight of providing a personal experience to clients. It is no secret that legal advice is not cheap and clients pay large amounts of money, and so they expect a personal service to be provided, something that is difficult to do using technology.

In addition to this, legal matters are very personal to clients and some are rightly wary of the use of technology on such sensitive information. These clients need to be assured of the security and the accuracy of their work.

Legal Technology