2023-12-20 06:03:52
By surveying more than 700 legal professionals working in law firms and corporate legal departments in the United States, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Belgium , Wolters Kluwer Editions paints a portrait of a legal sector in full transformation. Indeed, under the influence of legaltech and the arrival of mainstream AI, 73% of professionals now plan to incorporate generative AI into their practice. The objective? Improve productivity and efficiency in the face of a considerable mass of constantly increasing data, legal texts and court decisions (case law).
“Today, the client no longer understands that we can spend 15 to 20 hours analyzing relevant case law one by one for their case. This constitutes time that is not entirely billable, but the client nevertheless needs it,” explains Maître Lise Rahou, associate lawyer at the Marli firm. “Today’s customers want answers quickly and at a reasonable price. Technological developments will make it possible to meet the needs of our customers while allowing us to focus on our real added value. »
AI, synonymous with opportunity or threat for the legal professions?
The adoption of a new technology like AI necessarily goes through a phase of understanding how it works and its contribution. As such, the Wolters Kluwer study finds that 73% of lawyers and corporate counsel understand how generative AI can be integrated into their work and plan to integrate it into their operations over the next year . However, only 68% feel prepared for the impact of AI: 43% of them see generative AI as an opportunity, while 25% see it as a threat. Finally, 26% consider it both a threat and an opportunity.
“We must not be afraid but this requires adaptation: the human part of the advice must be put forward, the lawyers are not there to only give legal answers but to be, more broadly, a business partner and find solutions to given situations”, insists Maître Anne-Charlotte Rivière, associate lawyer within the Technologies and Life Sciences Group of Goodwin. “Legaltech makes it possible to simplify certain tasks and automate them. We can in particular cite the monitoring of capitalization tables or profit-sharing plans but the use is much broader. The new use that is naturally developing with generative AI is assistance in the context of research, whether to answer a specific legal question or in the context of pre-litigation or litigation. »
The use of AI in the legal sector revolves around two main axes: the automation of repetitive tasks and the efficient management of data. Generative AI software allows the writing of standardized documents, which nevertheless require human supervision in their customization. As such, legal professionals find in AI a valuable tool to focus on the essential: customer relations and understanding their legal issues. Using software to assist with document drafting and legal research might enable a quicker and more thorough response to clients.
“Thanks to generative AI, having a document pre-written in relation to a problem, using technology, saves time”, specifies Maître Rahou. “But this generated document cannot serve as a basis without having a human opinion behind it. AI is just an aid. This allows us to concentrate on the core business, for example to adapt general contracts to the specificities of our client. However, lawyers want tools dedicated to them. There are tools that are very good, but too general, and the lawyer wants something that corresponds to the way he works. This is how lawyers might say that there is added value for the client.”
AI training is crucial
However, the widespread use of AI by lawyers and jurists raises challenges. Training in these new technologies, especially for older generation lawyers, is crucial. Firms must adapt, often with the help of younger employees who are more familiar with these technologies, in order to meet a growing demand for agility and modernity from clients. Thus, only 46% of the lawyers surveyed believe that they are fully exploiting technology, 50% say that they are in transition and 4% have the impression of not exploiting it as much as they should.
“Can we say that lawyers are resistant to change? I think we should not generalize” says Maître Rivière. “It is true that the most senior, and I include myself in this, are indeed often ‘late adopters’ but the new generations are very different and push for change and adaptation a lot. So you just have to let them lead on this aspect. »
Review the recruitment strategy
Finally, according to the study, the future of the legal professions seems to be moving towards increased specialization: 75% of the professionals questioned say they are ready to offer more specialization to their clients and 78% expect an increase in demand in this sense, and therefore to a reduction in generalist work. In this respect, AI plays a real support role, allowing lawyers to concentrate on specific tasks with higher added value. Thus, as indicated in the study Martin O’Malley, CEO of Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory, “Even in a world increasingly impacted by ChatGPT and other forms of AI, the legal profession continues to draw strength from human connections.”
With the increasing adoption of these technologies, law firms will need to review their recruitment and training strategies to attract and retain talent, including offering more flexible working conditions and adapting to new technological requirements. Openness to ESG policies, which is also analyzed as an angle of customer satisfaction, is an area for improvement since 69% of law firms and 61% of corporate legal departments declare that they are not yet ready to fully respond to the expectations in this area. DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging) plans have been adopted by 55% of law firms and legal departments, but only 22% of them say they plan to implement a formal policy in the next 12 months.
“A firm today must necessarily be supported by external experts or by younger employees, who are more familiar with these technologies and will be better able to integrate them. We do not have the choice », concludes Master Rahou. “Today, a firm cannot say that it will ignore these advances, and that a client will not go elsewhere: many of our clients think that the profession is ‘old school’, that we we need to modernize. Our profession is aware of this and is doing its best to adapt. »
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