Lawyers Consider A World With Generative AI

Conventional wisdom says lawyers hate change, particularly when it comes to something as advanced as AI. Thoughts of a risk-averse, traditional profession are all too familiar. After all, a profession that studies centuries-old case law may not seem like a natural fit for cutting edge AI technology. But a recent survey on generative AI might challenge that presumption. 

The March LexisNexis report, Generative AI Captures Imagination of Lawyers, Law Students, Consumers Alike, paints a more nuanced picture of the legal community, one that understands the significance of AI in theory even if it hasn’t yet fully adopted it in practice. Headlines have focused on the 32% who claim to have used generative AI. But this doesn’t mean that members of the legal profession aren’t interested in what AI can do for them. According to the survey, 88% of the legal market is significantly aware of generative AI as compared to just 57% of the general population. Among those aware of this technology, 84% of respondents feel generative AI can help increase efficiency. This along with benefits for research, drafting documents, streamlining work, and document analysis mark the top areas attorneys and law students aware of generative AI either are or would most like to use it to assist their work.

According to the LexisNexis report, 61% of lawyers who were aware of generative AI either are using or wish to use this technology to increase efficiency. That’s a hopeful sign for anyone wishing to see legal professionals keep pace with the rest of the modern world. The benefit of increased efficiency may yield increased opportunities. This means attorneys can better serve clients, increase business opportunities or even go into business for themselves. But calls for greater flexibility and efficiency are not new to the legal profession.

Six years ago, lawyer Noory Bechor, founder of the AI-driven contract review automation company LawGeex, lamented his profession’s lack of efficiency. In his 2017 interview with the Florida Bar Association, Bechor shared his frustration:

“I was a commercial lawyer working at the biggest law firm in Israel. I did that for close to eight years. And while doing that, I realized two things. One was that I wanted to become an entrepreneur. And the other one, more importantly, I was very frustrated by how inefficient the legal world is. I was very frustrated by the fact that lawyers, unlike many other professionals, don’t really have sophisticated technological tools to allow them to do their job better and more efficiently.” 

Speaking generally on the matter of adaptability in 2015, then Greenberg Traurig CEO Richard Rosenbaum described a profession too slow to get out of its own way:

“[T]hese non law firms that are providing certain types of lawyers, these technology companies that are providing certain types of services, they only exist because the law firms that otherwise were being relied upon by clients were not providing efficient services in those areas.”

Need more convincing? A 2022 Wolters Kluwer report revealed that, when it comes to hiring legal counsel, 70% of legal departments ask prospective law firms to describe the technology they’ll use to be more efficient, a number that is expected to hit 97% by 2025. As expectations evolve, so too does preparation. And if the LexisNexis report is any indicator, the legal market can appreciate generative AI as a sound business investment.

Take AI-based legal research tools as an example. Law clerks, paralegals, first year associates—they’re all resources. And to varying degrees, they’re relied upon to conduct extensive research on a host of legal topics. The bigger the law firm, the larger the legal team. No wonder that, according to the LexisNexis report, 59% of lawyers who are aware of generative AI are either currently or would like to use it to assist with research and 53% of lawyers who are aware of generative AI either are or would like to use this technology when drafting documents. 

Anyone who’s ever conducted legal research can appreciate the time consuming needle-in-a-haystack task of finding the answer to a very narrow legal question. But with generative AI, less wasted energy can mean more time spent on what matters most to your client.

As for drafting documents, there are similar benefits for increased efficiency and focus on more important tasks. In its YouTube demonstration, A.I. vs. Traditional Brief Drafting: Head to Head, Casetext showcased its platform, Compose, as a tool for legal writing. Simply put, AI speeds the normal process of preparing a legal brief. The time consuming process of gathering prior briefs, comparing legal arguments, shepardizing case law, checking jurisdiction, and even soliciting responses from colleagues on a given legal issue is streamlined with AI. And in turn, attorneys can use the time they save to focus attention on the application of the law to the specific needs of their clients.

When it comes to deposition reporting, Readback takes a similar approach to help attorneys achieve their best performance. In his presentation to the 2021 MaxLaw Conference, InfraWare CEO Nick Mahurin debuted this revolutionary service to empower attorneys to exercise greater control over their deposition experience. Readback uses AI safeguarded by humans to create the transcript. A human Guardian assists the parties to ensure the proceeding runs smoothly while a team of human transcribers with a live feed simultaneously ensures the accuracy and truthfulness of the record. Readback’s flagship service, Active Reporting, provides certified transcripts in one day, rough drafts in one hour, and access to near-time text in a matter of seconds through its Viewer where attorneys can see the transcript as it’s being created. Speaking before the MaxLaw Conference, Mahurin explained how this gives attorneys the choice and peace of mind to focus on legal analysis and strategy without having to worry about missing a key part of the testimony:

“[W]hat I was fascinated about was to see that the lawyers saw it as not a linear movement, that just getting the draft faster is a little better, but having that access to the text during the deposition and so forth was a lot better. And so it depended on the litigator. Some people say, ‘I don’t need to see it, I find it distracting. Maybe someday, but, you know, keep doing what you’re doing. I just love getting the draft very quickly.’ Some others say, ‘Hey, it’s a game-changer for me. I go on mental walkabouts from time to time while I’m deposing a witness. I’ve got my list of things I want to catch and stuff. But by having this Active Reporting,’ that we call it, ‘basically, the system, the technology, and the people do the active listening for me. Because if I go on a little mental walkabout and think about a theory in my mind or something, the testimony is still captured, even if I missed it in my ears, and I can just take a moment and look at the screen and see it.’”

It stands to reason that, as generative AI continues to advance performance and increase efficiency, more attorneys will turn their intrigue into investment. For its part, Readback understands the importance of combining advanced technology with human guardrails to steer AI in the right direction. Want to experience Readback for yourself? Visit our website and join a live demonstration. Consider how generative AI can make your deposition experience work for you.

*Disclaimer:  Readback is neither a law firm nor a substitution for legal advice. This post should not be taken as legal opinion or advice.