AI adoption skyrockets in legal industry

IN Partnership with

Far from being tech-shy, lawyers are embracing the massive potential of AI to transform legal practice. LEAP Legal Software’s resident technology enthusiast Chantal McNaught discusses the exciting future of AI in law

THE LEGAL INDUSTRY has gained a reputation for being slow-moving when adopting new technology – but when it comes to AI, that trend appears to be changing. LEAP Legal Software has quickly recognised this appetite for AI-assisted tools and has released a range of new tools in the latest version of its platform. Rachel Holland, LEAP client and practice director at law firm Shieff Angland, says this has come at the perfect time, as developing AI skills and adopting the next generation of technology is quickly becoming vital for legal practitioners. “AI presents many risks and opportunities,” Holland says. “Starting now should flatten the learning curve when the move to AI becomes inevitable. Having an implementation plan also gives the firm an opportunity to attract innovative staff who are excited by what AI can bring.”

Law firms using LEAP Legal Software enjoy the full benefits of a state-of-the-art practice management system, as well as legal accounting, document assembly and management, and legal publishing assets – all in one integrated solution. A trusted partner to more than 61,000 lawyers across the globe, LEAP provides a legal practice productivity solution that empowers law firms to maximise profitability through the efficient and innovative delivery of legal services to its clients. With offices in the US, Canada, the UK, the Republic of Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, LEAP is leading the world in the development of integrated legal technology for law firms.

“ ‘That’s the way we’ve always done it’ doesn’t cut it any more. There’s so much more we need to learn, and we must experiment now”

Chantal McNaught, LEAP Legal Software

According to Chantal McNaught, practice advisory manager at LEAP Legal Software, the recent explosion in tech adoption by lawyers is unusual. However, it points to a very exciting future, as it means the legal sector can clearly see the utility that AI can offer. This is why LEAP Legal has accelerated its development of tools exclusively tailored for the legal industry. These tools aim to solve productivity issues that all lawyers face – from hours spent on drafting documents to tracking billable hours. “Through my experience, I’ve realised that the skills you need to run and operate a law firm are not the skills that we train lawyers in at law school,” McNaught tells NZ Lawyer. “We just expect them to acquire those skills through osmosis or a stepping-up course. I don’t think that’s enough. “That’s really inspired us to look at how lawyers can effectively navigate the gap between law as a business and law as a profession.”

For legal professionals, boosting productivity is one of the most important benefits that AI can provide. Lawyers are no strangers to being bogged down by time-consuming tasks, but with the advent of AI there’s no reason that most of these tasks can’t be handed over to automation. However, this isn’t just a case of lawyers firing questions at ChatGPT. Certainly, putting any confidential information into an open AI system is a big no-no, but with the rise of specialised, ringfenced platforms using extractive and generative AI, lawyers now have a wealth of resources at their disposal.

LEAP Legal Software is leading the charge in developing AI-assisted tools for the legal industry and currently supports more than 100 firms in New Zealand. Its new ‘hero’ tool is Matter AI, which acts as an assistant for lawyers, helping them find information based on their matters. Just like in the filing cabinets at a law firm, everything is organised by matter. The tool allows users to launch a new chat and ask the platform to produce timelines and draft letters, and to trawl through the correspondence that’s been saved against that matter in LEAP. The potential of the tool is endless. A principal or supervisor can ask about research that has already been conducted on a matter, when the last action was taken to communicate with the client, or about next steps. The response is based only on data that is saved against that matter, and all sources are provided to allow for quick verification. Additionally, one of Matter AI’s greatest strengths is its legal training, meaning it’s not as generic as a tool like ChatGPT. “There’s a huge difference between asking ChatGPT and Matter AI to produce a draft letter, for example,” McNaught explains. “That legal understanding is what makes the responses sound like they’ve come from a law firm.” This legal training really comes into its own with Generator, a LEAP tool that streamlines document creation. It offers a range of preconfigured matter types, and all of its information is verified by a local New Zealand content team. Generator also has the smarts to pick up on context, and to find similar matters through the firm’s previous correspondence. This means the problem of ‘surely we’ve done something similar before – where’s that file?’ is greatly reduced, as well as the time it takes to prepare documents. “This tool also provides critical dates, which is really useful for workflow if you’re approaching an important stage of the matter,” McNaught says. “Its final layer is in automated court and ministry forms, and signature documents like settlement statements. LEAP’s Generator allows users to safely and responsibly take advantage of generative AI, coupled with the unique content offering, to create documents faster than ever before.”

As automation increasingly takes over more manual tasks, lawyers are facing the question of how to potentially bill for their services moving forward. While some advocate for reduced rates in parallel with reduced time spent on each matter, others believe that a ‘value-based’ billing approach will become the norm. Whichever route the industry decides to go down, McNaught says the key starting point is having an accurate account of hours worked.

“Our main aim is all about productivity, and how lawyers can help people while running a profitable business”

Chantal McNaught, LEAP Legal Software

LEAP Legal Software’s Matter Activity Recording is one of the latest tools in its repertoire, providing accurate records of the amount of time spent on each document. However, it allows lawyers to always remain in the driver’s seat and adjust hours as needed. McNaught explains that, for many lawyers, using this tool has been the first time in their working career that they’ve really seen how much work they’re processing – and it can be emotional. “The most common comment we hear is, ‘I can’t bill for all that time!’” she says. “But because you’re now accurately capturing what you’re working on, the firm will have that data to be able to make accurate estimates. Firms can then start to set expectations with clients, and they’ll be able to see the value of the legal services they’re delivering in real terms.”

Ultimately, none of the emerging AI-driven technology is about redundancy or replacement. It’s about streamlining workflows and making the process more transparent, which will ultimately benefit law firms, lawyers and clients. LEAP client Rachel Holland notes that lawyers don’t need to have extensive AI expertise to understand how it can fit into the legal space. They just need to approach new tools with an open mind and a willingness to experiment. “Even those building and developing AI don’t fully understand how it works, or how it will be used in the future,” Holland says. “That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be working on our understanding of how it can apply to law today.”

New tools for a new era

Placing the right value on your time

Published 29 Jul 2024

Used by 61,000 lawyers worldwide

LEAP Legal: International user base

Used by 100+ law firms in New Zealand

News

Practice Areas

Surveys & Reports

Events

Best In Law

Resources

Companies

About us

Authors

Policy

RSS

People

Newsletter

External contributors

News

Practice Areas

Surveys & Reports

Events

Best in Law

Resources

Companies

About us

RSS

People

Newsletter

Authors

External contributors

News

Practice Areas

Surveys & Reports

Events

Best in Law

Resources

Companies

About us

RSS

People

Newsletter

Authors

External contributors

Serves law firms across Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada, the UK and Ireland

Matter Activity Recording

Generator

Matter AI

LEAP Legal’s AI-driven tools

When it comes to leaders still sitting on the fence about AI in law, both Holland and McNaught urge them to consider one simple question – how can we do what we do better? “ ‘That’s the way we’ve always done it’ doesn’t cut it any more,” McNaught says. “Our clients put it best: there’s so much more we need to learn, and we must experiment now. That’s going to be the best way to ensure our people have the skills they need for the future to come.” To find out more about LEAP Legal Software and its AI-driven tools for the legal industry, click here.

IN Partnership with