What impact has technology had on the legal profession?

Jan 23, 2023

Written By Dhevina Maaran

Technology is present in almost every aspect of our lives, and its reach is having an impact on the legal world. The introduction of technology in the legal profession had previously been a gradual process, but the recent pandemic has seen law firms adopt legal technology at a much faster pace. This article will explore the different types of technology used within the legal profession today, as well as look at its impacts within the legal profession.

What is legal technology?

To understand the implication of technology in the legal world, we must first understand what is meant by the term 'legal technology'. Legal technology is software that is used in practising law and includes digital tools that help legal professionals provide high quality legal services.

Types of legal technology

While this is not an exhaustive list of the diverse types of legal technologies available, this section does provide a helpful insight into some of the tech used to help improve the legal profession:

The cloud

For instance, legal professionals and firms have begun using the cloud to store files and copies of documents digitally. This allows them to access and make changes to documents whenever and wherever they please. The use of this technology adds a degree of flexibility to what might have been previously considered a ‘rigid’ profession.

Furthermore, by having digital copies of all documents stored in one place, less time is spent organising piles of physical paper and collaboration becomes easier – an indication that legal technology can be seen to improve efficiency within the legal profession.

Search engines

Additionally, search engines such as LexisNexis and Westlaw have made legal research much more efficient. Filtered search options make looking for preceding cases and articles on a topic much simpler than rifling through a mountain of papers. This is another great example of how technology is helping the legal profession become much more productive and cost-effective.

E-signature software

In line with making the legal profession more digital, certain software has even allowed for documents to be signed digitally. This prevents excessive paper printing, and also helps firms become more mindful of what needs to be printed. This also makes justice more accessible as it opens the possibility that clients and legal professionals alike can sign important documents despite not being in the same room, or even in the same country.

Virtual legal services

Following the aftermath of the pandemic, the legal profession has seen a drastic change in the way conferences and courts can be held in the future. With everything from court hearings to client meetings being held online, the legal world became accessible to more people. Another benefit of having virtual court hearings is that it increases the likelihood of litigants appearing for their hearing, allowing justice to be administered.

Furthermore, the virtual nature of these meetings makes it easier for witnesses and experts to take part in the court proceedings, regardless of where they are located. However, there are concerns that virtual hearings are less accessible, given that they require a strong internet connection and a personal device.

Artificial Intelligence technology

The legal profession is still a very labour-intensive career, with many processes still being done manually. Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology has the potential to digitise many of the legal processes currently being done manually. Developing AI technology could help many law firms strike a balance between offering a high quality of legal services and reducing the costs of these services.

AI technology has already made its presence known within the profession. For one, AI can be used to evaluate past decisions on similar cases that a lawyer is working on. Furthermore, AI can be utilised as a mechanism to help lawyers perform due diligence (gathering important information about a company, a business or assets), which is often a time-consuming and taxing task. Additionally, AI has even been used to help legal professionals electronically bill their hours. This is helpful in ensuring that accurate receipts are being produced.

The future of the legal profession

There is no doubt that the legal profession will continue to change as more technology is developed to help simplify the way legal services are provided. It is clear that the use of technology in the modern legal world has benefited the industry massively by making it more efficient.

However, there are some notable concerns that have been brought up with the use of technology such as the cloud and e-signature software. Some firms are wary of legal technology due to cyber-security concerns. The risk that comes with storing documents digitally is that there is always a chance it can become unrecoverable or unusable.

While legal technology has amazing benefits: making legal services move at a faster pace and produce results of a greater quality, it is important to critically consider the pitfalls of these technologies, and how they can be best mitigated.

Legal technology will not cease to grow and there is no doubt the future of the legal profession will look very different to what it is now. With advanced search engines being currently used, perhaps the future of the legal profession will result in the automation of certain administrative roles.

There is a need to strive for more efficient, accessible, and flexible legal services. With the way the industry is progressing this appears only possible with legal technology. We currently live in a world where court hearings can be held virtually, and contracts can be signed digitally. While it is hard to imagine what the future holds, there is no doubt that the future of technology within the legal profession is set to be an exciting one.

Legal Technology