Sui Generis--a New York law blog

Thomson Reuters' AI Debut Signals a New Era of Widespread AI Integration in Legaltech

Here is my recent Daily Record column. My past Daily Record articles can be accessed here.

*****

Thomson Reuters' AI Debut Signals a New Era of Widespread AI Integration in Legaltech

Have you been tracking the explosive rate of generative artificial intelligence (AI) innovation? If not, you’re at the risk of being left behind. Innovation and investment in this space are off the charts, and all signs point to continued and exponential shifts that will significantly impact the legal profession.

The AI revolution began less than a year ago when OpenAI publicly launched ChatGPT 3.5 on November 30, 2022. Then on March 14, 2023, with the release of ChatGPT powered by GPT-4, the influx of rapid advancements began at a record pace as software companies worked at lightning-fast speed to integrate the power of GPT-4 technology into their products.

It shouldn’t surprise you to learn that legal technology companies have joined the fray. Since early 2023, over one hundred announcements from legal technology companies have emerged, detailing plans to incorporate generative AI functionality into their products. Although most products are still in beta, rest assured that regardless of the software platforms used in your firm, you can expect that generative AI will soon be seamlessly integrated into the tools that are part of the daily workflows of legal professionals in your firm.

Proof in point: Wednesday’s generative AI announcements from Thomson Reuters offer strong evidence that we’re entering a new era of widespread AI integration. For Thomson Reuter’s legal customers, the integrated generative AI experience will soon be a reality and readily accessible across several different products. This newfound capability largely stems from leveraging CoCounsel, a generative AI legal assistant tool acquired by Thomson Reuters as part of the acquisition of Casetext for $650 million, which was completed in August.

The AI-powered updates announced by Thomson Reuters include: 1) generative AI-Assisted research is now available to all Westlaw Precision customers, 2) the launch of a generative legal AI assistant interface next year across all Thomson Reuters generative AI products (Practical Law Dynamic Tool Set, Document Intelligence, and HighQ), and 3) CoCounsel Core, a legal assistant that complements Westlaw Precision and provides lawyers with eight core skills: AI-Assisted Research on Westlaw Precision, Prepare for a Deposition, Draft Correspondence, Search a Database, Review Documents, Summarize a Document, Extract Contract Data, and Contract Policy Compliance.

If Thomson Reuters’ investment of time, resources, and money into this technology doesn’t convince you of its inescapable impact on our profession, I’m not sure what will. The writing is on the wall: adapt or fall behind. If you don’t take advantage of this technology, your competitors will. 

For the skeptics: This is not a fleeting trend, but a permanent change in our industry. Instead, it represents a seismic shift that will change the way legal work is done. The integration of AI through platforms like Westlaw Precision and CoCounsel will revolutionize legal workflows by offering unprecedented efficiencies. 

The stakes are high. Rather than burying your head in the sand, approach this evolution with curiosity and proactivity. Attend seminars focused on generative AI and actively explore how the legal technology tools you depend on will incorporate or integrate this technology. Harness your newfound knowledge to make informed, strategic decisions that will lay the foundation for your firm's future success, using generative AI not only as a tool but as a strategic asset to benefit both your practice and your clients. 

The AI-enabled legal landscape is advancing at breakneck speed, and those who lag in embracing these tools will find themselves at a competitive disadvantage. In today’s rapidly changing environment, staying informed and agile isn’t optional—it's essential for survival and success in the modern legal landscape.

Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York attorney, author, journalist, and the Head of SME and External Education at MyCase legal practice management software, an AffiniPay company. She is the nationally-recognized author of "Cloud Computing for Lawyers" (2012) and co-authors "Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier" (2010), both published by the American Bar Association. She also co-authors "Criminal Law in New York," a Thomson Reuters treatise. She writes regular columns for Above the Law, ABA Journal, and The Daily Record, has authored hundreds of articles for other publications, and regularly speaks at conferences regarding the intersection of law and emerging technologies. She is an ABA Legal Rebel, and is listed on the Fastcase 50 and ABA LTRC Women in Legal Tech. She can be contacted at [email protected].

Beyond Word of Mouth: Proven Data-Driven Client Acquisition Methods

Here is my recent Daily Record column. My past Daily Record articles can be accessed here.

*****

Beyond Word of Mouth: Proven Data-Driven Client Acquisition Methods

What used to be tried and true client acquisition methods are no longer reliable in today’s digital world. Word-of-mouth referrals alone no longer suffice. In 2023, traditional approaches are complemented—and often overshadowed—by a variety of online client acquisition channels, including online search, social media, and paid online ads. The right mix of digital and traditional lead sources can set a practice apart, and understanding and leveraging the appropriate online channels is key for any firm looking to thrive in today's competitive legal marketplace.

Of course, every lawyer is different, and a firm’s practice areas will necessarily dictate its online marketing strategy. In today’s ever-changing online environment, the challenge is to identify the most affordable and impactful lead-generation approach for your law firm. If you’re not sure where to begin your research, the data from the recently published “LawPay and MyCase 2023 Benchmark Report Part 3: Getting Leads” is a great place to start.

This Report draws on anonymized data obtained from the MyCase and LawPay platforms. It provides lead generation insights, including a deep dive into lead sources, lead conversion rates, and the impact of payment types on consultation fee collection.

One important data point covered in the Report is lead conversion rates. Lead conversion rates are calculated by dividing the total leads converted into paying clients by the total number of leads overall during that same timeframe. The report reveals that, in 2023, the average lead conversion rate for lawyers in the database stands at 24%. Compare that percentage with your firm’s lead conversion rate to see how your firm stacks up. If your rate is significantly lower, it’s a sign that you may need to make some changes to your firm’s marketing processes.

There are many ways to do this, one of which is to add a client intake or contact form to your law firm’s website. This is an effective way to make your law firm more accessible to potential clients, especially during off hours, such as evenings or weekends. According to the Report, lawyers with client intake forms embedded on their firm websites captured an additional 58,395 leads in 2023. Of those leads, 10,286 ultimately became law firm clients. Given those numbers, don’t make the mistake of overlooking this relatively simple path to increasing your firm’s client base.

Of course, there are many other online marketing options available to lawyers. The tricky part is figuring out where to invest advertising dollars. The days when billboards, event sponsorships, or newspaper and TV ads sufficed are long gone. Instead, the online world offers a vast number of marketing avenues. This reality makes it difficult to know where to begin. 

Fortunately, the report's data offers valuable guidance. Your firm’s practice areas and associated clientele necessarily determine where you should focus your efforts online. For example, if your firm represents mostly business clients or professionals, then Instagram is probably not the best choice, and LinkedIn would be a better fit. That’s why the final section of the Report lists the top online lead sources for many different practice areas. Locate your practice areas and use the applicable data to make informed decisions about your firm’s marketing strategy.

Finally, don’t forget about the value of charging for consultation fees. The benefit is twofold: it signals that your time is valuable, and can also bring in significant revenue. According to the Report, lawyers who charged for consultations collected nearly $19 million from potential clients in 2023. Of that amount, nearly $17 million came from online payments for consultation fees. In other words, prospective clients were eight times more likely to use online payment processing tools than more traditional payment methods like check or cash. 

We live in a digital-first world, and navigating the ever-changing online environment is no small task. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone. For many lawyers, adjusting to the pace of change and evolving lead generation options may seem daunting. That’s why data is your best friend; it equips you to make strategic, targeted marketing decisions for your law firm that will set it up for long-term growth and profitability. 

So what are you waiting for? Dive into the Report, embrace its insights, and set the stage for your firm’s marketing success!

Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York attorney, author, journalist, and the Head of SME and External Education at MyCase legal practice management software, an AffiniPay company. She is the nationally-recognized author of "Cloud Computing for Lawyers" (2012) and co-authors "Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier" (2010), both published by the American Bar Association. She also co-authors "Criminal Law in New York," a Thomson Reuters treatise. She writes regular columns for Above the Law, ABA Journal, and The Daily Record, has authored hundreds of articles for other publications, and regularly speaks at conferences regarding the intersection of law and emerging technologies. She is an ABA Legal Rebel, and is listed on the Fastcase 50 and ABA LTRC Women in Legal Tech. She can be contacted at [email protected].

Surf Smarter: 10 Extensions to Upgrade Your Web Browser

Here is my recent Daily Record column. My past Daily Record articles can be accessed here.

*****

Surf Smarter: 10 Extensions to Upgrade Your Web Browser

Like it or not, you probably spend several hours each day online. Nowadays, the internet serves as our lifeline, offering immediate access to whatever we need, whenever we need it. Whether on your smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop, the online world offers a window into the world of limitless information.

We've come to rely on—and often take for granted—the tool that grants us instant access to cyberspace: the web browser. While not necessarily an exciting piece of technology, it’s nevertheless a reliable workhorse that we use daily. Browsers are highly functional on their own, but adding browser extensions can make your online experience both more productive and secure.

Browser extensions are typically available regardless of the tool you’re using, and many are accessible across multiple platforms. To add them to your browser you need to locate the extension “store,” usually located within your browser’s settings. The store includes categorized add-ons, and you can also search for specific ones. 

I take advantage of a host of different extensions that enhance and improve my online experience and regularly add new ones as I discover them. Below you’ll find my top ten most-used extensions, along with an explanation of how each one adds to my daily workflow.

AdBlock: This browser extension serves as a digital shield, filtering out intrusive advertisements from web pages and enhancing your experience by reducing page load times and conserving bandwidth.

ChatGPT for Google: This add-on integrates GPT-based conversational AI into Google search, providing you with enhanced search capabilities, contextual assistance, and even real-time language translation, making Google's ecosystem more interactive and intuitive.

Consent-o-Matic: This extension automates the often cumbersome process of managing GDPR cookie consent forms across various websites, and streamlines your navigation by automatically selecting or declining cookies based on your preferences.

DuckDuckGo: More than just a search engine, this extension offers a comprehensive privacy solution by blocking third-party trackers, encrypting connections, and providing a private search functionality that doesn't store your data.

Grammarly: Grammarly is a comprehensive writing assistant that scrutinizes your text for grammatical errors, offers stylistic improvements, and even employs algorithms to detect the tone and suggest revisions to enhance the readability of your writing.

PayPal Honey: This shopping assistant extension goes beyond finding and applying coupon codes at checkout; it's integrated with PayPal to offer a seamless transaction experience, and even provides price tracking and alerts.

PrintFriendly: This extension transforms cluttered web pages into clean, print-ready versions by stripping away ads, navigation bars, and other non-essential elements, making it easier to print the page or save it as a PDF.

Search the current site: This browser extension streamlines your web navigation by enabling focused, site-specific search queries directly from your browser's toolbar, eliminating the need to navigate through a website's own (often cumbersome) search function or manually search a page by entering site:URL into a search engine.

Trim: This extension enriches your streaming experience by embedding IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and Metacritic ratings directly into Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and other streaming services, enabling you to make informed choices about what to watch next.

WOT (Web of Trust): This extension serves as a real-time sentinel by evaluating the reputation of websites you visit and warning you about potential security risks, scams, or phishing attempts, based on community reviews and machine learning algorithms.

Install any or all of these extensions and reap the rewards of a more streamlined, ad-free, and data-rich browsing experience. Gone are the days of unsafe websites, paying full price, or blindly choosing movies. Instead, you’ll be armed with grammatically correct documents, instantaneous ChatGPT search results, and the best online deals in town. What more could a sophisticated internet traveler ask for?

Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York attorney, author, journalist, and the Head of SME and External Education at MyCase legal practice management software, an AffiniPay company. She is the nationally-recognized author of "Cloud Computing for Lawyers" (2012) and co-authors "Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier" (2010), both published by the American Bar Association. She also co-authors "Criminal Law in New York," a Thomson Reuters treatise. She writes regular columns for Above the Law, ABA Journal, and The Daily Record, has authored hundreds of articles for other publications, and regularly speaks at conferences regarding the intersection of law and emerging technologies. She is an ABA Legal Rebel, and is listed on the Fastcase 50 and ABA LTRC Women in Legal Tech. She can be contacted at [email protected].

Decoding ILTACON 2023: Key Takeaways on AI's Impact on the Legal Profession

Here is my recent Daily Record column. My past Daily Record articles can be accessed here.

*****

Decoding ILTACON 2023: Key Takeaways on AI's Impact on the Legal Profession

Last month I attended the International Legal Technology Association Conference (ILTACON). This year’s conference was full of excitement about the potential of legal technology and its impact on the practice of law. Particularly noteworthy was the focus on generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, a rapidly evolving field that will have significant implications for the legal profession as a whole.

This year's event was more than just a chance to network and exchange business cards; it was a deep dive into the seismic shifts that generative AI is causing in our industry. Whether the topic of conversation was ChatGPT, Bing Chat, or generative AI tools built into legal platforms, the anticipation in the air was palpable, and the enthusiasm for the possibilities was unprecedented.

The data disseminated during the conference supported the bold claims that we're on the cusp of revolutionary changes, despite some of the current challenges faced when integrating generative AI into legal processes, including confidentiality issues and inaccurate results. What follows are some of the key takeaways derived from two reports released at the conference.

First, there’s the 2023 LexisNexis Global Legal Generative AI Survey, which targeted an international audience and asked respondents to weigh in on their familiarity with this emerging technology. According to the report, an impressive 89% of legal professionals are acquainted with generative AI, while consumer awareness lags at 61%.

The survey results also showed that the majority of lawyers worldwide recognize the potential of generative AI, with 65% citing research as the main possible application for generative AI tools, which is a somewhat surprising outcome given the recent negative news headlines about the false case citations derived from ChatGPT. Other important use cases cited by survey respondents include drafting documents (56%), document analysis (44%), and automating email correspondence (35%).

Survey data also showed that in the legal community, the current generative AI adoption rate for legal-specific tasks is only 15%. Nonetheless, a more optimistic 43% are either already employing or intend to employ generative AI in their legal workflows. A strong majority—77%—anticipate that these tools will enhance the efficiency of legal professionals, including lawyers, paralegals, and law clerks.

For those legal professionals who are already using generative AI tools, the survey results showed that the majority are using it for research (62%), while nearly half (46%) utilize it for document drafting, 42% rely on it to assist with email drafting, 29% for understanding new legal concepts, and 23% for document analysis.

Finally, close to half of all legal practitioners surveyed (47%) predict that generative AI will bring about significant or transformative changes in the field of law. A near-unanimous 92% expect the technology to exert at least some level of influence on legal practice.

In contrast, the Everlaw 2023 eDiscovery Innovation Report, also shared at the conference, offers a less favorable outlook. A mere 6% of those surveyed believe that the legal field is ready for the advent of generative AI, with more than 72% either disagreeing or strongly disagreeing with that sentiment. A smaller subset of 21% of those surveyed remained neutral. The leading concern among respondents was the accuracy of these AI tools, cited by 46%. Despite these reservations, a noteworthy 40% are either: 1) already implementing (12%) generative AI tools in their firms or 2) have plans to implement them in their firms (28%).

The data released at ILTACON 2023 provides evidence of the increased interest in generative AI and the impact that it will have on the legal industry. It’s clear that these technologies are not simply supplementary tools and instead have the potential to redefine the very nature of legal work. Whether you're an attorney in a large firm, a boutique practice, or a solo practitioner, the question isn’t if, but how quickly and strategically you can adopt and implement these advancements into your firm, with the end result being a more efficient, profitable, and client-centric practice.

Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York attorney, author, journalist, and the Head of SME and External Education at MyCase legal practice management software, an AffiniPay company. She is the nationally-recognized author of "Cloud Computing for Lawyers" (2012) and co-authors "Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier" (2010), both published by the American Bar Association. She also co-authors "Criminal Law in New York," a Thomson Reuters treatise. She writes regular columns for Above the Law, ABA Journal, and The Daily Record, has authored hundreds of articles for other publications, and regularly speaks at conferences regarding the intersection of law and emerging technologies. She is an ABA Legal Rebel, and is listed on the Fastcase 50 and ABA LTRC Women in Legal Tech. She can be contacted at [email protected].

Never fear, AI guidance for lawyers is near

Here is my recent Daily Record column. My past Daily Record articles can be accessed here.

*****

Never Fear, AI Guidance for Lawyers is Near

You may have noticed that generative AI tools like ChatGPT are making waves lately. However, in their current iteration, when these tools are used by legal professionals, it’s not necessarily smooth sailing.

If you’re worried about ethics and security, rest assured you're not alone. The promised efficiencies of these tools are tempered by genuine concerns about the accuracy of results, confidentiality, and ethical compliance. Since this technology is both new and rapidly changing, implementation in law firms is a challenging task, and innovative lawyers are forced to navigate the uncharted waters of generative AI in the absence of clear guidance.

Fortunately, help is on the way. In a number of different jurisdictions, plans have been announced that are designed to address many of the thorny issues presented by generative AI, either through the issuance of ethics opinions or the formation of committees dedicated to tackling these challenges.

For example, in July the New York State Bar Association announced that it was forming a task force to address emerging issues related to artificial intelligence. The Bar explained that the task force would “address the benefits and potential dangers surrounding artificial intelligence and make regulatory recommendations for this powerful and fast-developing technology.” The task force plans to “develop policies for bar association adoption and suggest legislation to govern effective and responsible AI use.”

Similarly, a few weeks later, the Texas State Bar also announced the formation of a workgroup that would “examine the ethical pitfalls and practical uses of AI and report back within the year.” The ultimate goal is for the workgroup to provide recommendations on the policies related to AI that should be implemented by the state bar.

Finally, in May, the California Bar created a committee tasked with examining the impact of AI on the profession. The goal is to draft an advisory ethics opinion for release in November that would address the risks and benefits of using AI in legal practice and provide guidance on how to do so while complying with ethical obligations.

In the meantime, because generative AI technology is evolving so fast, you may as well learn as much as you can about it. That way, when the time comes, you’ll be able to make an informed decision about whether and how to use it in your law firm.

The guidance offered by the various state bars will help, but you’ll need to have a foundational knowledge of AI technology in order to make an educated choice that complies with the findings and determinations of the appropriate committee.

This course of action not only makes sense, it also ensures compliance with the duty of technology competence.

To get started, there are three sites with sections devoted to AI that will enable you to easily track the latest generative AI news: Above the Law, Legaltech News, and ABA Journal.

And if you’re really interested in a deep dive into ChatGPT and best practices for using this tool in your law practice, there’s a course available that is offered by New Orleans attorney and legal technology consultant, Ernie Evenson. It’s a free course called “Using ChatGPT in Modern Practice."

So whether you’re a legal tech geek or a curmudgeon, never fear: the technological and ethical assistance that the legal community has been seeking will arrive soon. While you’re waiting, embracing these changes and preparing for the new regulatory landscape is a great way to chart an innovative course while continuing to serve your clients effectively. The intersection of law and AI is a journey, and with the right roadmap, it’s one that promises to be both rewarding and impactful.

Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York attorney, author, journalist, and the Head of SME and External Education at MyCase legal practice management software, an AffiniPay company. She is the nationally-recognized author of "Cloud Computing for Lawyers" (2012) and co-authors "Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier" (2010), both published by the American Bar Association. She also co-authors "Criminal Law in New York," a Thomson Reuters treatise. She writes regular columns for Above the Law, ABA Journal, and The Daily Record, has authored hundreds of articles for other publications, and regularly speaks at conferences regarding the intersection of law and emerging technologies. She is an ABA Legal Rebel, and is listed on the Fastcase 50 and ABA LTRC Women in Legal Tech. She can be contacted at [email protected].

Generative AI in Law: Resistance is Futile

Here is my recent Daily Record column. My past Daily Record articles can be accessed here.

*****

Generative AI in Law: Resistance is Futile

I started writing this column on legal technology in 2007, and over the years I’ve noticed a pattern. Time and time again, whenever a new technology comes along that impacts the practice of law, members of our profession tend to have a knee-jerk reaction to it. There’s talk of “bans,” declarations of significant consequences due to related ethical violations, and dire warnings that the sky is about to plummet to the earth.

First, it was blogging, followed by social media, mobile phones, tablets, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence. As each new technology emerged on the scene, there was collective outrage, disdain, and promises of imminent regulatory peril. Purported curmudgeonly experts - especially those whose job functions were imperiled by each new wave of technology - prophesied looming and significant threats to law licenses, client confidentiality, and the reputation of the profession as a whole. Each new technology was viewed as a threat to the very foundation of the practice of law. 

Of course, this pattern started long before I entered the world of legal technology. Lawyers have always been suspicious of technology. PCs, faxes, the internet, online legal research, and email were met with wariness, skepticism, and sometimes even outrage. 

Our profession is far more comfortable with precedent than radical evolution, but as we know, every time a new technology is introduced, it beings with it the promise of change. So of course it’s predictable that the now-familiar pattern of setting up roadblocks to adoption will occur in due haste whenever a cutting-edge technology intrudes on our change-resistant legal profession.

Examples of technology adoption hurdles often put in place by ethics committees and others when new technologies are adopted by lawyers include outright bans, requiring signed client consent or published disclaimers, and imposing obligations to notify or obtain permission from judges when using it. Eventually, however, as specific types of technology become more commonplace and familiar, these requirements are eased over time and eventually eradicated entirely. 

With the recent explosion of newly released generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT and Google Bard and their rapid adoption by legal professionals, we’re seeing the same pattern of reticence emerge across the legal landscape, from the hallowed halls of law schools to our esteemed courtrooms.

The use of generative AI in litigation has been prohibited by some judges. In one instance, Judge Brantley D. Starr of the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas issued a standing order in April requiring lawyers to certify that generative AI tools were not used to assist with drafting any papers filed with the court. Similarly, U.S. Court of International Trade Judge Stephen Vaden likewise issued an order in June that required lawyers appearing in his court to certify that “any submission(s)...that contain…text drafted with the assistance of a generative artificial intelligence program…be accompanied by: (1) A disclosure notice that identifies the program used and the specific portions of text that have been so drafted; (2) A certification that the use of such program has not resulted in the disclosure of any confidential or business proprietary information to any unauthorized party…”

Law schools have also jumped onto the “ban ChatGPT” bandwagon. In April, Berkeley Law School was one of the first to impose restrictions on the use of generative AI by its students. The school released a policy that prohibited students from using it “on exams or to compose any submitted assignments,” and only permitted them to use it “to conduct research or correct grammar.”

More recently, generative AI use was targeted in law school applications. In mid-July, the University of Michigan law school announced that prospective law students were banned from using generative AI tools to assist with the preparation of personal statements.

Fortunately, there are some forward-thinking members of the legal profession who are accepting the inevitability of rapid technological change and are embracing rather than fighting the adoption of generative AI into our profession. In January, Dean Andrew Perlman of Suffolk University Law School suggested that law school students should be taught how to use generative AI as one of the many useful tools in their legal research and writing arsenal. 

In other words, he believes that law students (and lawyers) should learn about generative AI and make educated decisions about how to responsibly and ethically use it to streamline legal work and increase efficiencies. If you ask me, that sounds an awful lot like that pesky duty of technology competence, which is a key ethical obligation for lawyers practicing law in the digital age. Funny how that works, isn’t it?

Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York attorney, author, journalist, and the Head of SME and External Education at MyCase legal practice management software, an AffiniPay company. She is the nationally-recognized author of "Cloud Computing for Lawyers" (2012) and co-authors "Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier" (2010), both published by the American Bar Association. She also co-authors "Criminal Law in New York," a Thomson Reuters treatise. She writes regular columns for Above the Law, ABA Journal, and The Daily Record, has authored hundreds of articles for other publications, and regularly speaks at conferences regarding the intersection of law and emerging technologies. She is an ABA Legal Rebel, and is listed on the Fastcase 50 and ABA LTRC Women in Legal Tech. She can be contacted at [email protected].

 

Driving law firm efficiency: Proven productivity tips

Here is a recent Daily Record column. My past Daily Record articles can be accessed here.

*****

Driving Law Firm Efficiency: Proven Productivity Tips

In today’s ever-evolving world, technology has become a key differentiator for lawyers, driving productivity and profitability in a highly competitive market. According to a recent report, the correlation between technology adoption by law firms and increased efficiency is undeniable. There are proven productivity strategies that can streamline legal services and deliver measurable improvements in efficiency and profitability. Firms that take advantage of these tools can dramatically improve work processes and enhance the delivery of legal services.

In the MyCase + LawPay 2023 Benchmark Report Part 1, anonymized data was collected from law firm software users, with a focus on determining how work gets done in law firms. The data was analyzed to identify productivity gains and key performance indicators (KPIs) that would be useful as benchmarks for lawyers seeking to run their firms more effectively.

One notable finding from the report was that lawyers who used passive time-tracking tools captured significantly more time than lawyers who didn’t. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, this timekeeping tool works in the background, passively tracking all activities done on a computer or in a software program.

The data collected and analyzed showed that if you assume a $350 per hour billing rate, lawyers who used a passive time tracking tool billed an extra 64 hours amounting to additional billable time worth $202,882,750 in 2022. This means that on average, lawyers who used this feature invoiced an additional $22,425 last year!

The report also included data on the realization rates of solo lawyers. Utilization rates measure the amount of time that lawyers spend on billable work or client-related activities compared to the total amount of available working hours. This performance indicator provides insights into how effectively lawyers are using their time and resources to generate revenue for the firm or organization.

One of the calculated KPIs was for solo law firm customers who had at least 5,000 time entries in 2022. The results showed that on average those customers billed 1,539 hours in 2022. The utilization rate for those customers is 76%, and those attorneys billed, on average, 6.1 hours per workday. This is a great data point to use to determine how your firm stacks up and whether there are inefficiencies in your workflows that are reducing productivity.

Another KPI covered in the report was the work-in-progress (WIP) rate, which compares the ratio of the total number of active matters to the total number of matters closed over a certain period of time. Bankruptcy matters had the highest WIP (10.9) in 2022, followed by immigration (10.3), personal injury (10.1), trusts and estates (8.2), and criminal law (8.1). Overall, eleven practice areas were analyzed, and you’ll find WIP rates for each one in the report.

The report also included data on hours billed per case by practice area in 2022, along with data on the number of online court date reminders sent in 2022 for a variety of different practice areas. In other words, it includes various types of productivity data that can help you determine your firm's efficiency strengths and weaknesses. From this information, you can make educated decisions about choosing new tools for your firm to systemize workflows, increase overall efficiency, and significantly improve profitability.

Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York attorney, author, journalist, and the head of SME and External Education at MyCase  law practice management software, an AffiniPay company. She is the author of the ABA book Cloud Computing for Lawyers, co-authors the ABA book Social Media for Lawyers: the Next Frontier, and co-authors Criminal Law in New York, a Thomson Reuters treatise. She writes legal technology columns for Above the Law and ABA Journal and speaks regularly at conferences regarding the intersection of law and technology. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikiblack or email her at [email protected].

LegalTech's AI Race: A Sign of What’s to Come

Here is a recent Daily Record column. My past Daily Record articles can be accessed here.

*****

LegalTech's AI Race: A Sign of What’s to Come

Last week, a generative AI acquisition in the legal technology space made news headlines.
Thomson Reuters announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire Casetext, a legal research software company, for the notable price of $650 million.

For the past decade, Casetext has provided a legal research platform grounded in AI technology. The company consistently developed innovative features that utilized AI technology to streamline legal research and brief creation, most recently releasing CoCounsel, a generative AI legal assistant tool powered by GPT-4, which is the same technology that powers ChatGPT Plus.

In mid-2022, Casetext was one of the first companies to begin working with Open AI, the company behind GPT-4. That partnership allowed Casetext to access GPT-4 months before its public release, and use it to develop CoCounsel, a cutting-edge legal assistant chatbot that included a number of built-in functionalities such as review and summarize documents, deposition preparation, database search, legal research memos, and contract analysis.

This Casetext acquisition is significant and is a sign of the tremendous impact that generative AI will have on the practice of law. According to Steve Hasker, president and CEO of Thomson Reuters, this acquisition will enable Thomson Reuters to quickly roll out generative AI capabilities to its customers and will change the workflows of legal professionals: “The acquisition of Casetext…will accelerate and expand our market potential for these offerings - revolutionizing the way professionals work, and the work they do.”

This acquisition comes on the tail of an announcement last month from another legal tech giant, LexisNexis, which rolled out the beta version of Lexis+ AI, the company’s generative AI platform that includes conversational search, document summarization, and intelligent legal drafting capabilities.

In response to Thomson Reuter’s acquisition announcement, LexisNexis VP of Corporate Development Bill Mills said, “We are leading the market in applying artificial intelligence to the legal industry…(and) have built the AI capabilities needed internally, which is allowing us to move at speed, without being slowed down by an acquisition process and subsequent integration. We are now rapidly introducing generative AI solutions across our product suite, helping customers to deliver better work product, faster than ever before, and to realize cost savings using secure tools they can trust.”

In other words, the gauntlet has been thrown and the legal generative AI race is on! However, the race to the finish line will undoubtedly be fraught with uncertainties and hurdles. The stakes are high, as are the benefits and risks.

One of the greatest challenges is the hallucination problem that occurs when generative AI tools provide categorically false information without batting a metaphorical eye. This issue has not yet been solved, and until an answer is discovered, the utility of generative AI in the legal context is limited to tasks that involve administrative and creative activities as opposed to more analytical and strategic functions.

Despite this temporary drawback, this technology has incredible potential and is improving at an exponential rate. In this rapidly evolving landscape, the true winners of the race will be the lawyers who keep up with the pace of change and take steps to learn about and successfully leverage AI's benefits while taking advantage of the products released by legal tech companies that effectively mitigate its ethical and practical risks.

The Casetext acquisition, along with LexisNexis’ focused efforts to develop and quickly release its own generative AI platform, are strong indicators that this technology is here to stay and will re-shape law firms and the practice of law in the months and years to come, quite possibly more than any other technology that preceded it.

At this point, there’s no turning back. So buckle up, level up, and keep your eyes on the road ahead. While the path ahead may be uncertain, and you’ll encounter bumps along the way, it’s full speed ahead. All aboard the generative AI rocket ship: let’s see where it takes us!

Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York attorney, author, journalist, and the Head of SME and External Education at MyCase legal practice management software, an AffiniPay company. She is the nationally-recognized author of "Cloud Computing for Lawyers" (2012) and co-authors "Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier" (2010), both published by the American Bar Association. She also co-authors "Criminal Law in New York," a Thomson Reuters treatise. She writes regular columns for Above the Law, ABA Journal, and The Daily Record, has authored hundreds of articles for other publications, and regularly speaks at conferences regarding the intersection of law and emerging technologies. She is an ABA Legal Rebel, and is listed on the Fastcase 50 and ABA LTRC Women in Legal Tech. She can be contacted at [email protected].

 

 

Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York attorney, author, journalist, and the head of SME and External Education at MyCase  law practice management software, an AffiniPay company. She is the author of the ABA book Cloud Computing for Lawyers, co-authors the ABA book Social Media for Lawyers: the Next Frontier, and co-authors Criminal Law in New York, a Thomson Reuters treatise. She writes legal technology columns for Above the Law and ABA Journal and speaks regularly at conferences regarding the intersection of law and technology. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikiblack or email her at [email protected].

Unlocking the Potential of ChatGPT Plugins in Your Law Practice

Here is a recent Daily Record column. My past Daily Record articles can be accessed here.

*****

Unlocking the Potential of ChatGPT Plugins in Your Law Practice

The legal landscape is constantly evolving, and the advent of AI technologies has significantly accelerated the rate of change. One notable technology that has been making waves lately is ChatGPT, an advanced AI chatbot developed by OpenAI. 

As I discuss in this article, while this cutting-edge tool has the potential to significantly impact how legal work gets done, it must be used with care. Below you’ll learn what ChatGPT is, its benefits and risks, and the basics of ChatGPT plugins. I’ll also highlight the top 10 ChatGPT plugins that can be particularly beneficial for legal professionals.

What is ChatGPT and Why Does It Matter for Lawyers?

ChatGPT is a generative AI conversational chatbot that understands natural language and generates responses to queries based on context awareness. It is designed to streamline communication, research, and information processing. Because of these features, it can be a valuable tool for lawyers and has the potential to dramatically impact the practice of law, saving time and money. 

However, despite the many benefits generative AI offers legal professionals, there are also drawbacks to be aware of. For starters, its database is limited to a dataset containing information through 2021. As a result, responses are sometimes based on outdated information.

Additionally, this technology is not a stand-in for legal expertise. It does not replace legal knowledge or negate the ethical requirement of basic competence. A careful review of all work produced using generative AI tools will always be required.

Understanding Plugins and how they differ from Browser Extensions

ChatGPT is a powerful tool when used as a standalone chatbot, but its functionality can be enhanced using browser extensions, which I wrote about in April, or plugins, which I cover in this article.

Both browser extensions and plugins add functionality to a software application, but they differ in their scope and application. A browser extension is a small software module that customizes a web browser. A plugin is a software component that adds a specific feature to an existing software application, enhancing its capabilities. 

Recently, ChatGPT released plugins, which are available only to ChatGPT Plus subscribers. Many of the plugins solve the date limitation issue and can be used in conjunction with a ChatGPT conversation to provide further insight, context, and current information. Plugins are available in many different categories including travel, shopping, search, and data summarization and analysis. 

Top 10 ChatGPT Plugins for Lawyers

I’ve had access to plugins for a few weeks now and have experimented with many different types. After scouring through the ChatGPT plugins store, I’ve identified the top 10 plugins that I believe will be particularly useful for legal professionals:

1. Prompt Perfect: This plugin helps users draft “perfect prompts” for ChatGPT making it easier to obtain specific and informative answers from the AI chatbot.
2. Wolfram: This plugin provides access to advanced computations, math, and real-time data, making it useful for lawyers dealing with complex cases that require data analysis.
3. Zapier: This plugin creates a bridge across software tools and allows users to interact with over 5,000 different work apps, including Gmail, MS Outlook, and Slack, streamlining workflows and increasing productivity.
4. Link Reader: This plugin can analyze and process content from all kinds of links, including webpages, PDFs, images, and more, making it easier for lawyers to access and understand current information from a variety of sources.
5. Block Atlas: This tool is great for litigators and other types of practitioners and enables you to easily search and analyze US census data.
6. AskYourPDF: This AI-based chat system allows users to interact with PDF documents efficiently, allowing lawyers to extract content from PDF files quickly and generate summaries, analyses, and more.
7. FiscalNote: This plugin provides real-time datasets of legal, political, and regulatory data and information. It offers a comprehensive platform that tracks legislation, regulations, and policy issues across various levels of government.
8. KeyMate.AI Search: With this plugin, ChatGPT can be used to search the internet for the latest information, addressing the problem of outdated data.
9. Web Pilot: Using this plugin, ChatGPT can access and interact with web pages based on one or more URLs and generates summaries, overviews, translations, and other information from web page content.
10. World News: This plugin provides the latest news around the world, keeping lawyers updated on current events that may impact their practice.

Use ChatGPT Plugins Responsibly

To fully harness the potential of ChatGPT and its plugins, it’s important to prioritize ethical considerations when using these AI tools. First and foremost, refrain from sharing confidential client data unless you are confident that your queries will be protected and will remain private. Also, keep date and accuracy limitations in mind, and remember that even when GPT-powered tools are incorporated into legal-specific software, thus reducing the number of hallucinations, the potential for error nevertheless remains. Until this technology improves significantly, you will have to carefully review all output for errors. 

No matter how you look at it, ChatGPT and its plugins offer a wealth of opportunities for lawyers, allowing them to streamline their work processes, enhance productivity, and stay updated on current events. Through the incorporation of these innovative tools into their daily routine, legal professionals can effectively harness the power of AI technology to the benefit of their practice and their clients by carefully balancing the spirit of innovation and the obligations of professional responsibility. 

Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York attorney, author, journalist, and the head of SME and External Education at MyCase  law practice management software, an AffiniPay company. She is the author of the ABA book Cloud Computing for Lawyers, co-authors the ABA book Social Media for Lawyers: the Next Frontier, and co-authors Criminal Law in New York, a Thomson Reuters treatise. She writes legal technology columns for Above the Law and ABA Journal and speaks regularly at conferences regarding the intersection of law and technology. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikiblack or email her at [email protected].

Embracing the Future: The Latest Legal AI Release Signifies a Groundbreaking Shift

Here is a recent Daily Record column. My past Daily Record articles can be accessed here.

*****

Embracing the Future: The Latest Legal AI Release Signifies a Groundbreaking Shift 

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been making headlines over the past few months, and for good reason: we’re on the cusp of a technological revolution that has the potential to fundamentally change the world as we know it. The recent emergence of highly functional generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Bing Chat, and Google Bard is further evidence of this trend. With these news tools readily available and accessible, AI has ushered in a new and exciting era of innovation and efficiency.

The utility of this technology is clear from the rapid adoption of this technology, which has occurred at a rate never before seen. In just two months, ChatGPT reached 100 million users, whereas it took 4 years for the iPhone to reach that same number of users. AI adoption is occurring at an exponential rate, and as a result, generative AI tools are already a familiar concept to lawyers and the general public alike.

According to a recent report released by LexisNexis, “Generative AI & the Legal Profession 2023 Survey Report,” 86% of legal professionals surveyed shared that they were aware of generative AI compared to only 57% of all other consumers. More than a third of lawyers (36%) and nearly half of law students (44%) have used it either personally or professionally, and 19% of survey respondents reported using it in their work.

For further proof of the relevance and importance of generative AI to the legal industry, look no further than the announcement on May 4th from LexisNexis about the launch of Lexis+ AI, a generative AI platform. Lexis+ AI is built and trained on LexisNexis’ extensive repository of exclusive legal content, enabling it to provide trusted, comprehensive legal results. This technology offers features such as conversational search, insightful summarization, and intelligent legal drafting capabilities.

It promises to be more secure and accurate than consumer generative AI tools. Because it is trained on and draws from LexisNexis’ content databases, the output is more trustworthy and relevant. Inquiries are not used for training purposes and the same level of confidentiality that is maintained for traditional search queries in LexisNexis is likewise maintained for all Lexis+ AI queries, which are protected by state-of-the-art encryption and privacy technology designed to keep sensitive data secure.

Currently, Lexis+ AI has been released on a limited basis as part of its early Commerical Review Program, and product feedback is being obtained from a select group of Am Law 50 law firms, including Am Law 50 firms, such as Baker McKenzie, Reed Smith and Foley & Lardner, LLP. LexisNexis also announced its “AI Insider Program.” Legal professionals can sign up (online: www.lexisnexis.com/ai-insider) for early access to Lexis+ AI, provide input on the user experience, receive sneak previews of updates, and participate in exclusive roundtables and webinars. 

Now that LexisNexis has thrown its hat into the ring, the stage is set for an explosion of AI technologies designed for the unique needs of the legal profession. As we move forward, the influence of generative AI platforms like Lexis+ AI on the legal profession cannot be understated. The rapid adoption of these tools is set to revolutionize legal research, drafting, and analysis, resulting in previously unseen levels of efficiency and effectiveness.     

The future looks bright. Collaboration between industry giants like LexisNexis and the legal community will ensure the generative AI’s relevance, accuracy, and security, ultimately benefiting legal clients and enhancing the practice of law as a whole. By embracing these groundbreaking advancements and adapting to the ever-evolving legal landscape, lawyers and law firms will be better equipped to navigate the challenges ahead. This progressive shift will also contribute to shaping a more innovative and dynamic legal industry that is well-positioned to tackle the demands of a rapidly changing world.

Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York attorney, author, journalist, and the head of SME and External Education at MyCase  law practice management software, an AffiniPay company. She is the author of the ABA book Cloud Computing for Lawyers, co-authors the ABA book Social Media for Lawyers: the Next Frontier, and co-authors Criminal Law in New York, a Thomson Reuters treatise. She writes legal technology columns for Above the Law and ABA Journal and speaks regularly at conferences regarding the intersection of law and technology. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikiblack or email her at [email protected].