Impact of Tech. on the Legal Profession

Technology has undoubtedly significantly impacted work-life in many industries and sectors. Its penetration is not just felt in the business sector but has found its way into the legal profession. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the growth of alternative methods and approaches to practicing law and increased the adoption of technology.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced courts to rethink their approach to the administration of justice to make it more efficient and quick. The pandemic halted public hearings because of social distancing and other health protocols. This led the courts to adopt virtual hearings where cases are heard remotely.

Corporate law firms have adapted legal technology (LegalTech) to make their processes much easier and faster. LegalTech has also enabled firms to be more efficient and agile. Sole practitioners and small law firms can also now compete with more established firms by deploying enabling technology such as digital research tools in their processes.

Advances in technology have created the demand for individuals, who are not necessarily lawyers, who can navigate technology and use it within the legal sphere. For example, the legal data scientist's role is to manipulate data to be used in legal systems and processes. The interesting thing is that they don't necessarily have to possess a legal qualification as they only need to have a good understanding of how the legal sector works. Those with a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) qualification fit the role of legal data scientists.

With the increase of remote working, the need to adopt file sharing solutions has grown. Knowledge management (KM) software assists law firms and solo lawyers in communicating with clients, polishing, organizing, and sharing opinions. Sharing important legal documents such as transaction files and judgments is now much easier. Popular KM software being deployed by lawyers include Dropbox, Citrix ShareFile, and IBM Aspera.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has also found its place in the legal profession. It has altered how legal teams conduct their research and other routine tasks like document review. For example, lawyers use AI to create contracts and facilitate signature collection. These technological developments are giving lawyers more time for case preparation and litigation. For instance, with the help of AI tools, lawyers can perform due diligence to uncover background information on a case, leaving the lawyers more time to focus on other tasks that require human input or cannot be delegated.

The online footprint of legal firms and attorneys is rapidly expanding with technology offering new methods of working which are more accessible, higher quality, and affordable. Many lawyers have already embraced technology in their practice. For example, billing and accounting software has made work much simpler and easier by providing financial tools that a lawyer can use to manage books of accounts, monitor financial performance, and track profit and loss.

For many years, law firms and lawyers have leveraged the marketing benefits of social media such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. A technology trend gaining much traction among lawyers is using podcasts to reach current and potential clients. Podcasting can help establish a lawyer's credibility, authority, reputation, and expertise. As the lawyer's authority increases, other opportunities may come, such as being invited as a guest speaker at industry meetings or conferences.