Attorneys at every level are grappling with an ever-increasing workload. From solo practitioners to large law firms, legal professionals constantly seek ways to boost efficiency without compromising the quality of their work. With artificial intelligence (AI) emerging quickly over the past couple of years, its impact on the legal world has been powerful, reshaping legal practice across the board.

The use cases in law firms are expanding rapidly, promising to transform everything from legal research to AI-powered trial and hearing summaries. Yet, many in the legal profession remain skeptical. Is AI in the legal sector truly safe? Is it effective? Can it be trusted with sensitive legal documents and intricate case details? These are valid concerns, especially when dealing with confidential client information and complex legal proceedings.

As generative AI and other AI tools continue to evolve, every legal professional needs to understand the potential impact on legal work. Whether you're a seasoned partner or a newly minted associate, managing and understanding AI in legal practice is becoming an important skill. Let's explore how AI is impacting the legal field and what it means for your day-to-day work.

Enhancing Legal Work Through Practical AI Application

With the explosion of AI over the past 18 months, almost every industry is trying to understand how to use it and use it safely. For many tasks, AI can help write more efficiently, organize thoughts and data, and help improve the efficiency of menial tasks. If you're not using private or sensitive information, the rules of use are completely different than when using customer data. 

In the legal industry, everything is confidential. And yet, AI tools are already making a significant impact on law firms across the globe. Here are a few key areas where AI technology is impacting case management:

Deposition Summaries:

CaseMark is an AI tool that radically changes how law firms handle deposition summaries. Traditionally, creating a single summary type could take hours, often forcing firms to carefully choose which summary format they have resources to create. But when you can have a narrative or page-line format finished in minutes, the calculus on your time - and the strategy for the case - changes. Now, you can have multiple summary types for multiple depositions finished in less than an hour. And with access to a variety of summary formats, legal professionals gain a more comprehensive understanding of testimonies, spotting nuances that might have been missed with a single summary type.

Drafting Communications (memos, emails, correspondence to opposing counsel, etc.):

According to Bloomberg Law, 58% of firms that are using AI use it to help with their communications. Writing is one of the most powerful use cases of generative AI and being able to quickly craft a carefully worded memo or email quickly is a huge boost to productivity. 

Legal Research and Case Law Analysis:

AI systems are allowing lawyers to navigate vast databases of case law, statutes, and legal documents with unprecedented speed and accuracy. These tools can identify relevant precedents, track legal trends, and even suggest counter-arguments. The job, which used to consist of finding needles in a haystack (especially hard when you weren't even sure if the haystack had a needle in it), now is handled by an AI system that is designed to identify and find needles. This efficiency not only saves time but also enhances the quality of legal work by ensuring fewer relevant cases are overlooked.

Contract Review and Analysis:

AI-powered contract analysis tools are streamlining due diligence processes and reducing the risk of human error. These systems can rapidly scan hundreds of contracts, identifying key clauses, potential risks, and inconsistencies across documents. For example, during a merger or acquisition, AI can quickly flag non-standard terms or missing clauses across a large volume of contracts, a task that would take a team of lawyers weeks to complete manually.

Intellectual Property Management:

Tools made specifically for legal AI use can conduct comprehensive patent searches across global databases, identify potential trademark infringements, and even assist in drafting patent applications. AI can analyze a proposed trademark against existing registrations, flagging potential conflicts and saving countless hours of manual searching.

These are simple examples of emerging trends in legal AI software. In each case, the tool helps legal research and discovering relevant information using computer code versus the legacy practice of using paralegals or outsourcing.

Implementing AI in Your Legal Practice: A Practical Approach

For many law firms, deposition summaries offer an excellent entry point into AI adoption. CaseMark's AI-powered platform allows you to generate both narrative and page-line summaries in minutes. To get started, just upload your deposition transcript to CaseMark's secure platform. The system will quickly process the document and generate comprehensive summaries.

However, it's important to remember that while AI is powerful, it's not infallible. The concept of "human in the loop" is paramount when using AI in legal practice. These summaries are generated by AI, not by a person, so it's essential to spot-check them carefully. This process helps you become familiar with the AI's output, understand its strengths and weaknesses, and ensure there are no mistakes.

It's tempting to fall into autopilot and not pay close attention, especially as you become more comfortable with the tool. However, humans must review the work, verify its accuracy, and sign off on it. This human oversight maintains the quality and reliability of your legal work while leveraging the efficiency of AI.

Addressing Key Concerns

When implementing AI in your legal practice, it's important to address potential pitfalls proactively.

Data security and client confidentiality are top priorities. CaseMark uses enterprise-grade encryption for all data in transit and at rest. Their platform is built on Amazon Web Services (AWS), ensuring high levels of security and compliance. Importantly, CaseMark doesn't store your data after processing, providing an additional layer of confidentiality.

Accuracy and reliability are paramount in legal work. While CaseMark's AI is highly advanced, it's essential to establish a systematic review process for AI-generated summaries. Assign experienced attorneys to regularly check the outputs, keeping track of any inconsistencies. Be aware of the AI's limitations, particularly with complex legal jargon or nuanced testimony.

Ethical considerations should always be at the forefront. Stay updated on your state bar's guidelines regarding AI use in legal practice. Disclose AI use to clients in your engagement letters or service agreements. Maintain clear boundaries between AI-assisted work and tasks requiring direct attorney attention.

Integrating AI into your existing workflows requires careful planning. Map out how CaseMark will fit into your current deposition review process. Develop a plan for gradually increasing AI usage without disrupting ongoing cases. Establish metrics to measure the impact on efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

By addressing these concerns proactively and maintaining a cautious yet open-minded approach, you can harness the power of AI to enhance your legal practice while upholding the high standards of the profession. AI in law firms is about making your job more manageable and allowing you to focus on the aspects of law that require your skills, ultimately leading to better results for your clients, and your firm.We offer free, in person and online Lunch & Learn workshops to help firms adopt AI. We also offer free trials and volume discounts. Contact us to learn more!