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The Role of AI in legal Tech: Navigating the Landscape

By Liza Pestillos-Ocat, Opus 2.

AI is increasingly becoming a staple in the legal tech industry. Its applications range from summarizing legal records and enhancing document reviews, to drafting memos and surfacing key facts that can reshape the legal landscape. The advent of AI promises to revolutionize the efficiency and effectiveness of legal work. As standalone tools and integrated features become more abundant, the options for legal experts are expanding rapidly.

The Challenge Ahead: Finding Useful AI Solutions

Despite the proliferation of AI technologies, not all tools are useful or appropriately designed for the unique workflows of legal teams. Most law firms are not questioning whether they should adopt AI; rather, they are acknowledging that they already are utilizing AI in some capacity. The pressing question now is: what comes next? How can legal teams broaden the scope of AI across multiple teams, cases, and workflows while minimizing risk, complexity, and cost?

legal professionals must discern which AI tools address genuine problems and bring real value to their practices. This process begins with asking more insightful questions, including those outlined below, before making your next AI investment.

1. What is the Vendor’s AI Philosophy?

The mere inclusion of AI in a legal tech product is no longer a differentiator; it has become a standard expectation. The focus now lies in whether your vendor has a coherent rationale for integrating AI and a thoughtful framework guiding its implementation.

Superior solutions adopt a purposeful approach, designed to enhance specific aspects of legal work. For instance, what goals is the AI aiming to achieve, and equally important, what areas is it deliberately not designed to tackle? Vendors who cannot clearly articulate this vision may be more inclined to follow fleeting trends rather than addressing actual problems.

Seek partners that prioritize long-term value over fleeting advancements. The incorporation of AI should be a strategic and intentional effort.

2. How Transparent is the AI Solution?

legal teams cannot afford to depend on tools that lack clarity. When an AI system presents an answer, it is crucial for your team to have a clear understanding of how that conclusion was reached. This is where transparency, often referred to as "white box" AI, becomes critically important.

The ability for lawyers to verify results is imperative, rather than merely accepting them at face value. Whether through linked citations, contextual explanations, or editable suggestions, AI must clarify its reasoning rather than obscure it.

Designing with transparency in mind is not just about user experience; it is a foundational principle of trustworthy AI. Tools that explain their functionality foster greater trust, facilitate user adoption, and simplify the defense of work products.

3. How Does the AI Manage Client Data?

Client confidentiality is non-negotiable; it serves as a cornerstone of legal practice. Any AI solution implemented within your firm must rigorously adhere to your data protection standards.

This involves ensuring that there is no data sharing between clients or cases, no third-party model training using your documents, and complete clarity surrounding where your data resides and how it is utilized. Secure systems should isolate data by default, ensuring robust protection.

Moreover, the platform should allow for clear control over data access and usage, complete with boundaries and audit trails. An AI platform that prioritizes privacy is not only more secure but also aligns more closely with the demands and expectations of contemporary legal service delivery.

4. Does the AI Address a Genuine Challenge?

Every tool in your current tech stack likely claims to incorporate AI, but this does not mean that all are a worthy investment. An effective AI must deliver tangible value. Does it streamline tedious tasks? Does it enhance how your team produces work products or communicates with clients?

The potential applications of AI are immense, especially in tasks such as chronology building, issue spotting, and document retrieval, particularly relevant in litigation and arbitration scenarios. However, not all applications are equally beneficial. For instance, while scanning thousands of documents using AI may seem efficient, the inclusion of irrelevant or duplicate documents can introduce unnecessary complications without enhancing outcomes.

Ultimately, prioritize AI solutions that simplify your work rather than complicate it.

5. Is Human Oversight Incorporated?

Regardless of how sophisticated AI technology becomes, the attorney remains the ultimate authority and is responsible for the outcomes produced. Consequently, any AI solution must integrate human oversight as a key component.

A well-designed AI tool does not merely permit but requires lawyer involvement. The most effective tools provide suggestions, identify patterns, surface evidence, and generate preliminary drafts while allowing legal professionals to review, edit, and validate the content as needed.

6. How Smooth is the Workflow?

If utilizing AI necessitates data exports, system switches, or formatting changes, the workflow becomes disrupted. legal teams require tools that incorporate AI seamlessly within the systems they are already utilizing. Ideally, AI should assist in constructing work products, organizing case materials, and extracting insights without necessitating a change in systems.

Solutions that thoughtfully integrate AI into an existing infrastructure can offer a more efficient, secure, and user-friendly experience. By remaining within trusted tools, AI acts as an enhancement rather than a barrier.

7. Does the AI Add Value for Clients?

It’s essential to consider not only internal users but also the clients who are becoming increasingly interested in AI technologies. They are eager to understand how AI impacts quality, cost, confidentiality, and strategy.

AI that demonstrably enhances accuracy, accelerates delivery, or improves outcomes serves as a competitive differentiator. This is particularly vital for firms employing cost-recovery models or striving for innovation in their proposals.

When AI can provide a clear strategic advantage that can be articulated to clients, it transcends its role as a mere back-office tool and evolves into a vital competitive asset.

Bonus: Can This Solution Scale with Your Needs?

Lastly, ensure that your AI investment has the capacity to evolve alongside your team. Scalable AI entails more than just robust processing capabilities; it encompasses the underlying architecture. Does the platform support large teams, facilitate cross-border collaboration, and handle complex legal matters? Can it evolve from a pilot project to a comprehensive enterprise solution without compromising performance or security?

AI solutions that are deeply integrated within a flexible platform can accommodate your changing requirements without necessitating constant reimplementation or retraining.

A Smarter Approach with AI legalese decoder

The pace of change within the legal industry is rapid, and firms that successfully leverage AI will be those that invest in it judiciously.

Those looking for AI technologies should prioritize tools that serve a critical purpose, are anchored in transparency, effectively address genuine challenges, operate within secure and integrated platforms, and evolve through intelligent, user-focused practices.

One tool that can notably aid in this transition is the AI legalese decoder. This innovative tool can convert complex legal jargon into plain language, making legal documents accessible and understandable to both lawyers and clients. It can enhance your team’s efficiency by streamlining the review process, allowing legal professionals to focus on what truly matters: providing excellent service and maintaining client relationships.

At Opus 2, our award-winning case management system is designed with these principles in mind, incorporating embedded AI that reveals actionable insights, minimizes manual labor, and keeps lawyers at the helm of their work.

Request a demo with us today to discover how we are enabling litigation and arbitration teams to make AI work where it matters the most.

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About the Author

Liza Pestillos-Ocat is the Senior Vice President of Global Client Success at Opus 2.

This is a sponsored thought leadership piece for Artificial lawyer by Opus 2.

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