Future & Trends
Can Lawyers Innovate If They Don’t Own It?
I came across this article from Fast Company about the 50 Best Workplaces for Innovators. Unfortunately, the article simply lists the companies rather than describing what characteristics make them innovative. And so I got to thinking: when it comes to law, can innovation truly come from within? Or do you have to own it to…
Read MoreWe Don’t Have to Trash Law’s Past to Move Forward to the Future
As I reflect back on the four years since husband’s death, I realize that one of the toughest obstacles to moving forward was my belief that any new step – whether replacing the standard with a car that our younger daughter could actually drive, or refinancing the house for a lower rate though we’d been…
Read MoreSolos & Smalls – Time to Weigh in On Changes to California
Last week, the State Bar of California released for public comment several proposals for regulatory reforms developed by the California Task Force on Access Through Innovation of Legal Services. Designed to spur innovation and expand access to justice options, the task force proposed three key reforms Narrowing restrictions on the unauthorized practice of law (UPL)…
Read MorePart III: The Role of Law Librarians in The Adoption of AI in the Legal Profession
If the length of this post has shown anything, it’s that AI in legal research and law practice is an enormous and wide-reaching topic that is rapidly changing. Moreover, while large firms have the resources to understand and leverage AI tools, solo and small firms are at a disadvantage because that they lack the time…
Read MorePART II : AI Tools for Solo and Small Law Firms
Generally, today’s AI tools for solo and small law firms break down into three categories: (1) legal research and issue spotting; (2) law practice automation and marketing tools and (3) substantive legal issues arising out of the use of algorithmic, AI-driven platforms in legal matters ranging from criminal defense, employment, insurance, custody defense and others…
Read MorePart I: The Basics – What is AI?
Let me begin this series on AI in Legal Research and Law Practice with a foundational discussion of what artificial intelligence is and why it’s such a hot topic right now. John McCarthy, a computer scientist credited as the father of artificial intelligence defined AI is “the science and engineering of making intelligent machines” –…
Read MoreLaw Librarians: The Missing Link As Solo & Small Firm Lawyers Adapt to Artificial Intelligence
Earlier this week, I lead a roundtable discussion on Artificial Intelligence in Legal Research and Law Practice at the American Association of Law Librarians (AALL) which took place in Washington D.C. I was grateful for the invitation from @robtruman, the law librarian at the Lewis & Clark Law School because the event forced me to…
Read MoreWhose Legal Data Is It Anyway?
Lawyer and legal business consultant Mark Cohen observes that the legal profession is essentially a data wasteland in the digital era , ranking behind all other private industries in utilizing big data and its uptown cousin, artificial intelligence to make decisions and serve clients. Still, both nature – and today’s clients – abhor a vacuum…
Read More