Lawyers have nothing to fear from AI’s use in the legal field!

My podcast colleague at Mac Power Users and previous podcast guest David Sparks recently asked me if I was getting e-mails from attorneys freaked out about AI taking over their jobs. I don't think attorneys have to worry about AI. And neither should you.

As Nathan Walter, Co-Founder of Briefpoint, shared on The Tech-Savvy Lawyer.Page Podcast Episode #52, artificial intelligence can be a great tool to help you make your work easier. Along these lines, think about the days we had to have staff handwrite briefs, set typeface, type on a typewriter or on an electric typewriter, or now by using a word processor on a computer, an iPad, or a Chrome Book, to write the briefs. Granted, the secretarial profession has slimmed down quite a bit now that most attorneys entering the field today type their own work or use speech recognition to dictate their work straight to a word processor. But the need for attorneys to do the substantive work has not decreased.

AI can be a great tool for attorneys for drafting documents!

It still comes down to an attorney doing the actual legal work. Even as I type this editorial, MS Word is using its AI to suggest what words to use or how to finish a sentence. With a quick hit of the "tab" button, Word can finish the sentence for me. But I am the one who either accepts or declines the suggestion. That is all AI can do – offer suggestions.

Remember, your paralegal or law clerk can draft documents for you. But it's the attorney who signs their name on the document. That means the attorney read the document, made any substantive changes to it, and approved it by signing it before submission. As Nathan had commented, AI can generate generic responses to discovery requests. But the attorney still needs to review the document, add or remove sections, and ensure that it addresses the correct law to the particular facts of the case in question.

The Attorney directs AI not the other way around!

You just don't blindly sign a brief prepared by a secretary, clerk, or associate. You read it, ensure it's proper, and then sign it. If you just use AI to do the work for you and you do not review it, there could be a bar complaint in your future – 1.1 Comment 8, perhaps?

I don't think attorneys have anything to fear from AI. Unless it's "Skynet"! Then we are all in trouble!

I'll be back with more on ChatGTP very soon!

MTC.