For the last 50 years, the legal sector has been on a technological odyssey.
From the LexisNexis red UBIQ terminal that allowed lawyers to search case law online in 1973, to the widespread adoption of PCs in the 80s and 90s, legal technology has come a long way.
But the journey to a digital-driven legal landscape is still ongoing. Come with us as we explore three incredible emerging legal technology trends.
1. The remote law firm
Interestingly, many businesses across industries made the shift to remote working relatively painlessly during the 2020 pandemic. With the right cloud-based environment and secure, productive applications in place (such as the Microsoft 365 suite), home working is a not-too-distant reality for the legal sector.
So much so, that law practices such as Slater and Gordon expect to permanently shift to remote working due to its firm-wide popularity.
2. Intelligence-driven practices
A staggering 48 percent of UK law firms use artificial intelligence, with a further 41 percent expecting to do so in the future.
Why? Because AI can provide high value insights and boost firm productivity.
Some specific examples of how AI can help your firm include:
- Faster case research. AI-driven software allow lawyers to search for relevant cases and quickly determine unsuccessful or overturned cases.
- Advisory AI chatbots. ‘Lawyerbots’ provide almost instant legal advice to potential clients without any human intervention.
- Predicting case outcomes. Using relevant historic case data, artificial intelligence can predict case outcomes with reasonable success. These predictions help lawyers better understand how they should prepare.
3. Automated processes
Why waste business resources on tiresome processes when they can be automated?
For the legal sector, document review and validation are prime candidates for automation. Using specific tools, firms can proofread and flag any errors within case files without relying on junior lawyers or assistants.
What’s more, software such as LawGeex help automate the contract validation and approval process, speeding up deal closures.
Venture into the future of legal technology
From automation, to artificial intelligence and the office-less office, there are plenty of impactful technology trends emerging within the legal sector.
For ambitious, forward-thinking firms, these business transformation technologies can boost productivity, speed-up mundane manual tasks and better inform case decisions.
The question is: how can your firm implement legal technology confidently and with success?
Although we can’t promise you levitating courtrooms and teleportation devices, we do have the expertise to help reroute your legacy environment and embrace digital transformation. If you’re ready to take the next step on your journey, have a read of our digital transformation guide.