sharvan dissertation
sharvan dissertation
PROFFESION
A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO
BBA LL.B
Sharvan chauhan has worked under my guidance and supervision to fulfill all requirements for the
submission of this dissertation.
The conduct of research scholar remained excellent during the period of research.
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I further declare that this dissertation has not been submitted to any other university or institution
for the award of any degree or diploma.
Sharvan chauhan
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I feel proud to acknowledge the able guidance of our esteemed Ms. Kriti Sharma (assistant
professor)
I acknowledge with pleasure unparallel infrastructural support that I have received from
CHANDERPRABHU JAIN COLLEGE OF HIGHER STUDIES AND SCHOOL OF LAW.
In fact this work is the outcome of outstanding support that I have received from the faculty
members of the college.
It would never have been possible to complete this study without an untiring support from my
family.
I greatly indebted to the various writers, jurists and all others from whose writings and work I have
taken help to complete this dissertation.
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Sharvan chauhan
Enrollment No.- 07521503520
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
ABSTRACT
CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION
1.1 LITERATURE REVIEW
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
1.3 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE
1.4 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
1.5 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
1.6 RESEARCH QUESTION
1.7 The HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF AI
CHAPTER 2 – UNDERSTANDING AI IN LAW
2.1 THE RISE OF AI IN LAW
2.2 TYPES OF AI USED IN LAW
CHAPTER –3 INFLUENCE OF AI TO THE LEGAL PROFESSION
3.1 MACROSCOPIC ASPECT
3.2 MICROCOSMIC ASPECT
CHAPTER –4 AI AND CONTRACT REVIEW
4.1 THE BURDEN OF CONTRACT REVIEW
4.2 HOW AI IS TRANSFORMING CONTRACT REVIEW
4.3 BENEFITS OF UTILIZING AI FOR CONTRACT REVIEW
4.4 LIMITATIONS OF AI IN CONTRACT REVIEW
4.5 FUTURE IMPLICATIONS
CHAPTER – 5 DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATIONS OF AI IN LEGAL FIELD
CHAPTER – 6 AI AND ACCESS TO JUSTICE
6.1 THE CHALLENGE OF ACCESS TO JUSTICE
6.2 HOW AI IS DEMOCRATIZING ACCESS TO JUSTICE
6.3 BENEFITS OF AI FOR ACCESS TO JUSTICE
6.4 CHALLENGES AND CONSIDERATIONS IN AI FOR ACCESS TO JUSTICE
CHAPTER –7 FUTURE OF AI IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION
7.1 FUTURE DEVELOPMENT AND ADVANCEMENT: WHERE AI IS HEADED IN LAW
7.2 THE HUMAN – MACHINE COLLABORATION: RESHAPING THE LEGAL
WORKFORCE
CHAPTER – 8 CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
ABSTRACT
This study dives into how artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly impacting the work of lawyers.
AI is becoming a significant part of their job, changing how they do things. The research looks at
different aspects of this impact, considering how AI is used in legal work and its broader effects
on the legal field. Firstly, the research explores how AI is used in legal tasks. It helps lawyers do
their work more quickly and efficiently, like going through documents or predicting legal
outcomes. This changes the usual way legal things are done and makes tasks faster. Next, the study
looks at how AI affects the jobs and skills that lawyers need. While AI makes certain tasks easier,
it also raises questions about what lawyers will do in the future. The research talks about the good
and bad sides of AI in law, like how it might change jobs and the need for new skills. Moreover,
the research looks into the ethics of using AI in law. Because people create AI systems, it's
important to make sure they are fair, transparent, and accountable. The study explores the problems
lawyers might face when using AI and suggests ways to deal with these issues. Additionally, the
study checks how AI impacts access to justice. AI tools can make legal services better and available
to more people. However, the research also talks about possible problems, like creating a gap in
who can use the technology, and looks at ways to make sure everyone benefits. In conclusion, this
research gives a complete look at how AI is changing the legal profession. It talks about the
practical ways AI is used in legal work, how it affects jobs and skills, the ethical questions
involved, and how it can improve access to justice. Understanding these things is important for
lawyers, people who make rules, and everyone else as they deal with how AI is changing law.
Keywords – Artificial Intelligence, Legal Profession, Job roles, Ethics, Access to Justice.
CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION
Artificial intelligence (Al) has been on a magnanimous rise in recent years and given the world
new perspectives on doing ordinary tasks. Al is a branch of computer science that deals with
creating intelligent machines that can work and think like humans. The goal of Al is to create
machines that can perform tasks normally required to be done by human intelligence, these tasks
include problem solving, decision making, drafting and many more. Al is now being applied to
various industries, including legal profession and legal education. This paper analyses the impact
of Artificial intelligence on the legal profession and its future scope in the legal profession. Legal
research is one of the most integral parts of the legal profession and it involves finding an d
analysing information related to legal cases, precedents, laws and procedures. Over the years, legal
researchers spend significant time conducting research and then analysing the results to help
prepare for cases. However, in comparison to Al these methods are time consuming and tedious
since the sheer volume of legal information can be overwhelming.
Due to the unique immunity of the legal industry, the impact of previous industrial and scientific
and technological revolutions on the legal profession is always relatively small. From the training
of lawyers to the selection of judges, the mode of operation of the legal profession system is still
almost the same as that before modern times, especially in western countries. Facing the rapid
development of new technology, the operation logic of legal profession seems to have not changed
fundamentally. For a long time, the application of new technology in this field is mainly limited to
some non-core areas, such as improving efficiency through digital office and management system.
For substantive legal solutions, such as the formation of litigation programs and judicial opinions,
technology rarely provides substantive support, making it more difficult to replace legal
practitioners. However, "artificial intelligence technology is expected to change this realty: as a
technology trying to understand the essence of human intelligence and simulate and extend human
intelligence on this basis, artificial intelligence technology can efficiently complete information
collection, regulation sorting and implementation or imitate the process of legal reasoning by
establishing an appropriate computing model in theory, so as to output solutions and the
corresponding explanation to the input legal issues. " 1With the rapid development of this
technology, even conservative and proud legal people have to face up to the challenges of artificial
________________________________
1 Zhao Peng, The Development of Legal Artificial Intelligence Technology and the Response of Law Science
Education. Iligher Education Nationwide, March 4th, 2019, Page 75.
intelligence for the legal profession. In 2015, Ottoman well, an American company, found that
85% of people believed that "In the era of artificial intelligence, artificial intelligence technology
can replace the work of paralegals and junior lawyers". 2 Although this kind of investigation may
not be the trend of industry development, the alert of legal professionals caused by artificial
intelligence can be seen from this.
• Books:
"Artificial Intelligence and Legal Analytics: New Tools for Law Practice in the Digital Age"
by Kevin D. Ashley- Ashley's book, 3"Artificial Intelligence and Legal Analytics: New Tools for
Law Practice in the Digital Age," serves as a valuable resource in understanding the dynamic
relationship between AI and the legal profession. The literature review reveals that Ashley
extensively explores the transformative impact of AI on legal practice, shedding light on
innovative tools reshaping the legal landscape.
The book delves into the practical implications of AI in legal analytics, offering insights into how
these tools enhance efficiency, decision-making, and overall legal service delivery. Key findings
highlight the integration of machine learning algorithms, natural language processing, and data
analytics, empowering legal professionals with unprecedented capabilities.
"The Future of the Professions: How Technology Will Transform the Work of Human
Experts" by Richard Susskind and Daniel Susskind 4 - The book delves into the transformative
impact of technology on traditional professions, including law. Susskind and Susskind discuss how
AI is reshaping legal practice by automating routine tasks, enhancing efficiency, and challenging
traditional models of legal service delivery.
The authors explore AI tools that are increasingly utilized in the legal field, such as natural
language processing, machine learning, and document analysis. They highlight the potential of
these technologies to streamline legal research, contract review, and even decision-making
_______________________________
2 Zuo Nina, Li Dongqing, Research on the Cultivation of "Artificial Intelligence + Law Management School of
Guangxi University of Political Science and Law, May 2019, Page 125.
3 Ashley, Kevin D. Artificial Intelligence and Legal Analytics : New Tools for Law Practice in the Digital Age.
Cambridge Etc., Cambridge University Press, , Cop, 2019
4 Susskind, Richard. FUTURE of the PROFESSIONS : How Technology Will Transform the Work of Human Experts,
Updated... Edition. S.L., Oxford Univ Press, 2019.
processes. The book emphasizes the need for legal professionals to adapt to the evolving landscape,
integrating AI into their practice to stay competitive.
"AI for Lawyers: How Artificial Intelligence is Adding Value, Amplifying Expertise, and
Transforming Careers" by Greg McLawsen 5 - the author provides a comprehensive exploration
of the dynamic relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and the legal profession. The book
delves into the transformative impact of AI on legal practice, shedding light on various aspects that
shape the evolving landscape. McLawsen offers valuable insights into the ways AI adds value to
legal processes. He explores how AI technologies amplify legal expertise, enabling professionals
to streamline tasks, enhance efficiency, and deliver more accurate outcomes. The author
meticulously analyzes the tools that AI introduces to the legal field, emphasizing their role in
automating routine tasks, legal research, and document analysis.
"Legal Tech, Smart Contracts, and Blockchain" by Tony Lai and Eric A. Posner 6 - In "Legal
Tech, Smart Contracts, and Blockchain" by Tony Lai and Eric A. Posner, the authors delve into the
transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the legal profession. The book provides
valuable insights into the evolving intersection of AI and the legal field, addressing various facets
of legal practice, tools, and key findings.
The authors underscore the profound influence of AI on legal practice by examining how
technology is reshaping traditional roles and tasks within the legal profession. Lai and Posner
explore the utilization of AI tools, emphasizing the integration of legal tech, smart contracts, and
blockchain in contemporary legal frameworks. The book likely discusses how these technologies
enhance efficiency, streamline processes, and offer innovative solutions in legal workflows.
________________________________
5 Waisberg, Noah, and Greg McLawsen. AI for Lawyers How Artificial Intelligence Is Adding Value, Amplifying
Expertise, and Transforming Careers. Hoboken, New Jersey Wiley, 2021.
6 Lai, Tony . Blockchains and Smart Contracts for Business Leaders. Tony Gaitatzis, 25 June 2018.
7 Susskind, Richard E. Tomorrow’s Lawyers : An Introduction to Your Future. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Copyright, 2017.
Susskind highlights the profound impact of AI on legal practice by addressing the evolving role of
lawyers. He emphasizes the shift from traditional legal roles to more technologically-driven
functions, challenging the conventional ways legal services are delivered. The book explores how
AI tools are becoming integral in automating routine tasks, document review, and legal research,
thereby enhancing efficiency and reducing costs.
"Re-Engineering Legal Services: How Service Design and Technology Are Reshaping the
Legal Profession" by Laura Snyder 8 - the author delves into the transformative impact of
Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the legal profession. Snyder provides valuable insights into the
evolving intersection of AI and legal practice, exploring how technology and service design are
reshaping traditional legal services .The book comprehensively addresses the multifaceted impact
of AI on legal practice, emphasizing the integration of technology tools. Snyder highlights the
ways in which AI is revolutionizing legal workflows, from document analysis and contract review
to predictive legal analytics. By examining these technological advancements, the book contributes
to a nuanced understanding of the growing influence of AI in the legal field.
“A survey on research on Data analytics based legal tech” By: So-Hui Park, Dong-Gu Lee,
9
Jin-Sung Park and Jun-Woo Kim -The paper provides key insights on the application of
quantitative data analytics algorithms on various legal documents and court procedures. The paper
provides a comprehensive survey of the prevalent research on data analytics and the legal
profession, mainly Legal research and Predictive analytics and litigation and highlights the
significance of legal technology in modern societies, and more specifically the benefits of legal
analytics in providing more efficient and accurate solutions for legal professi onals. The paper
begins with an introduction of legal technology and its applications and explains how data
analytics can be used to get meaningful conclusions from large data sets such as court records,
legislative judgements, petitions etc.
The paper also sheds light on the increase in research on legal technology and its adoption and
awareness in various countries. The paper also mentions two effective methods of data analytics -
______________________________
8 Laura Snyder. The Design and Implementation of Business Process Reengineering in the Ethiopian Public Sector :
An Assessment of Four Organizations. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Organisation For Social Science Research In Eastern
And Southern Africa, 2011.
9 Park, So Hui, Dong Gu Lee, Jin Sung Park, and Jun Woo Kim. 2021. "A Survey of Research on Data Analytics-Based
Legal Tech." Sustainability (Switzerland). MDPI. https://doi.org/10.3390/sul3148085.
supervised and unsupervised. Furthermore, it provides guidance as to how data analytics can be
utilised for different data sources.
“Is the dawn of robot lawyers upon us? The fourth industrial revolution and the future of
lawyers” by Willem Gravett 10 -The paper provides a thought-provoking analysis on the impacts
of legal technology on lawyers. The paper provides a timeline as to developments in legal
technology which helps trace the developmental trajectory of legal technology. It moves on to
analyse the benefits and limitations of incorporating Al in the field of law, it will improve
efficiency and accuracy but will also lead to job displacements and loss of legal expertise. The
paper also provides a balanced perspective on the risk of Al and highlights the need for legal
professionals to adopt Al in a way that it can assist them. Moreover, the paper also sheds light on
the influence of Al on predictive analysis, document analysis and mundane legal tasks and how
the rise of Al will revolutionise them. The paper states that the rise of Al will be the fourth industrial
revolution and have pervasive, irreversible and transformational impacts on law. The paper also
provides compelling arguments for lawyers to adopt artificial intelligence at the earliest and
harness its benefits.
“The Legal Profession in the Era of Digital Capitalism: Disruption or New Dawn?”By
11
Salvatore Caserta and Mikael Rask Madse -The paper discusses the digital transformations
of law and society and sheds light on the complex processes which have led to increased reliance
on big data, Al and computers. The paper then moves on to discuss the positive and negative effects
of digitalisation on law and the legal profession, concluding that this rise of digitalisation will be
beneficial in providing better access to legal services for people who cannot afford them, it will
also lead to cost reduction and increased transparency in the system. The paper also talks about the
increased horizontal outsourcing of legal work and its commodification. The paper provides key
insights on the replacement of individuals with machines and Al. The paper also discusses the need
for public regulation in light of the rise of digitalisation in the legal profession. The keys for how
this digitalisation can be used not only for private enterprises but also for public good have also
been discussed in this paper.
______________________________
10 Abbott, Ryan, and Willem Gravett. The Reasonable Robot : Artificial Intelligence and the Law. Cambridge, United
Kingdom, Cambridge University Press, 2020.
11 Caserta, Salvatore, and Mikael Rask Madsen. 2019. "The Legal Profession in the Era of Digital Capitalism:
Disruption or New Dawn?" Laws 8 (1): 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/laws8010001
“Artificial intelligence and legal analyticsiv” By Wolfgang Alschner 12 The paper begins with
an overview of legal analytics and its potential to transform legal practice. The author defines legal
analytics as "the application of data mining and machine learning techniques to large collections
of legal data to extract patterns, predict outcomes, and gain insights into the behaviour of legal
actors." The paper then explores the potential benefits of legal analytics, including improved
decision-making, reduced costs, and increased efficiency. The author then discusses the role of Al
in legal analytics, highlighting the potential of machine learning algorithms to improve the
accuracy and speed of legal research and analysis. The paper provides examples of Al applications
in legal practice, such as predictive coding in e-discovery and contract analysis. One of the
strengths of this paper is its clear and concise overview of legal analytics and Al in the legal
profession.
“Artificial Intelligence and Legal Analytics: New Tools for Law Practice in the Digital Age”
by Kevin D. Ashley14 - The author takes a deep dive into how artificial intelligence and legal
analytics can be used in the practice of law. The book starts by introducing the reader to the basics
of AI, including machine learning and natural language processing. From there, it explores various
_________________________
12 Alschner, Wolfgang. Artificial Intelligence and Legal Analytics : New Tools for Law Practice in the Digital Age.
Cambridge Etc., Cambridge University Press, , Cop, 2019.
13 Maireg Biresaw, Samuel, and Abhijit Umesh Saste. 2022a. "The Impacts of Artificial Intelligence on Research in
the Legal Profession." International Journal of Law and Society 5 (1): 53. https://doi.org/10.11648/jijls.20220501.17.
14 Ashley, Kevin D. Artificial Intelligence and Legal Analytics : New Tools for Law Practice in the Digital Age.
Cambridge Etc., Cambridge University Press, , Cop, 2019.
ways in which Al can be applied in the legal prof., such as analysing legal documents, predicting
legal outcomes, and assisting in legal reasoning. The book also examines the regulatory issues
regarding the use of artificial intelligence in the legal field. It expresses concerns about possible
biases, privacy violations, and accountability, highlighting the significance of using this
technology responsibly in accordance with legal standards. The book offers practical advice and
theoretical analysis to help navigate the complexities of this rapidly evolving field. It offers a
hopeful outlook on the promising future of this field.
“Artificial Intelligence and the Legal Profession: Becoming The Al-Enhanced Lawyer” By:
Michael Legg and Felicity Bell 15 -provides a comprehensive analysis of the impact of artificial
intelligence (Al) on the legal profession. Legg argues that while Al will not replace lawyers
entirely, it will automate certain tasks of lawyering. Therefore, lawyers will need to adapt to the
changes brought by Al and learn how to use it effectively to improve productivity and reduce the
costs of legal services. They will also need to have a good understanding of Al and be able to
communicate and challenge the technology's results. Legal education and training will need to be
adapted to incorporate knowledge of Al, and lawyers will need to identify where they add the most
value in the legal profession. While some areas of lawyering will be automated, others, such as
judgement, empathy, and creativity, will become more valuable.
____________________________
15 Legg, Michael, and Felicity Bellt. n.d. "Artificial Intelligence and the Legal Profession : Becoming The Al-
Enhanced Lawyer." https://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21721656-data-economy-demandsnew-.
16 Hu, Teng, and Huafeng Lu. 2019. "Study on the Influence of Artificial Intelligence on Legal
Profession. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338598111_Study_on_the_Influence_of_Artifici al
_Intelligence_on _Legal_Profession.
concerns surrounding the use of Al in the legal profession, such as whether a robot judge can be
considered human, and how the law should define the rights and responsibilities of Al.
“Al strengthens your legal analyticsir” By Lincoln Mead- The idea of replacing lawyers in the
field of legal analytics using artificial intelligence (AI) is explored in this paper. It draws attention
to a key difference between human analytical thinking and Al's analytical capabilities, particularly
in situations that call for abstract thought and imaginative reasoning. Although Al might not
completely replace lawyers, it can surely improve their skills in areas where they may not be very
strong. Additionally, it explores the controversial subject of Al-driven analytics in litigation
forecasting. It highlights the substantial advantages of Al in this area and makes the case that it
might enhance legal practise. In addition, the study points out that Al can assist lawyers in
identifying and managing potential legal issues, giving them useful information that could be
difficult to get otherwise.
“Legal Education in the 21st Century and the Artificial Intelligence” By: Mateus De Oliveira
Fornasier 17 - The paper "Legal Education in the 21st Century and the Artificial Intelligence" by
Mateus De Oliveira Fornasier offers an insightful study on the potential impact of Al on legal
education. The paper provides an overview of the challenges faced by law schools in the 21st
century and discusses the potential of Al to revolutionise legal education by providing new tools
and techniques to support teaching and learning. One of the key contributions of the paper is its
discussion of the benefits and limitations of incorporating Al into legal education. Fornasier argues
that Al can improve the quality of legal education by providing students with new ways to engage
with legal concepts and theories. Al can also increase efficiency in legal education by automating
certain processes and reducing the burden on faculty members. However, there are concerns about
the impact of Al on the traditional role of law professors, and the potential for Al to reinforce
existing biases in the legal system. The paper also provides a comprehensive overview of the
current state of Al adoption in the legal profession. Fornasier notes that Al is already being used in
a range of legal applications, including legal research, contract analysis, and document review.
__________________________
17 Donald Barnett King, and Mateus De Oliveira Fornasier. Legal Education for the 21st Century. Littleton, Colo.,
F.B. Rothman, 1999.
• Articles:
"How AI is Transforming the Legal Profession" by Legal Blog - Thomson Reuters Legal
Solutions (2023)18: This article outlines the various ways AI is shaping the legal field. It highlights
how AI automates mundane tasks, freeing lawyers for strategic thinking and client interaction.
Additionally, it emphasizes the potential of AI in legal research, contract analysis, and litigation
support, ultimately leading to improved efficiency and accuracy. However, the article
acknowledges concerns about job displacement and the need for ethical considerations regarding
bias and transparency in AI algorithms.
"Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its Impact on the Legal Profession" by LinkedIn (2023) 20:
This article provides a practitioner's perspective on the impact of AI in the legal field. It highlights
specific applications like contract review, legal research, and document management, showcasing
how AI can streamline workflows and improve productivity. The author emphasizes that AI is not
meant to replace lawyers, but rather to augment their capabilities and enable them to focus on
higher-level tasks. However, the article also cautions against overreliance on AI and emphasizes
the importance of human judgment and understanding of legal nuance.
__________________________
18 Legal Blog. “Artificial Intelligence for Decision Making in the Era of Big Data – Evolution, Challenges and Research
Agenda.” International Journal of Information Management, vol. 48, no. 1, Oct. 2019, pp. 63 –71,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2019.01.021.
19 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338598111_Study_on_the_Influence_of_Artificial_Intelligence_on_Leg
al_Profession
20 https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/artificial-intelligence-ai-its-impact-legal-profession-lexratio
21 https://ijlmh.com/paper/impact-of-artificial-intelligence-on-legal-industry/
democratize access to legal services. Additionally, the paper discusses the ethical considerations
surrounding AI use in the legal domain, including concerns about bias, transparency, and
accountability. The author emphasizes the need for a balanced approach that embraces the benefits
of AI while mitigating its potential risks.
"The Impact of AI on Lawyers" by Harvard Business Review (2022) 22: This article draws
upon interviews with legal professionals to explore their perspectives on AI. It highlights the
growing acceptance of AI tools and their potential to improve efficiency and accuracy. However,
the article also identifies concerns about job displacement, the need for upskilling and reskilling,
and the potential for AI-driven bias. The authors suggest that lawyers need to embrace AI as a tool
to enhance their skills and adapt to the changing legal landscape.
"AI and the Future of Law: Five Trends to Watch" by Law Technology Today (2022) 23: This
article identifies five key trends in the application of AI in the legal field. These include the
increasing sophistication of AI tools, the emergence of new AI-powered legal services, the growing
adoption of AI by law firms, the focus on ethical considerations, and the need for legal education
to adapt to the changing landscape. The article provides a valuable overview of the current state
of AI in the legal industry and its potential future directions.
• Newspaper:
The Wall Street Journal - "AI Lawyers Are Coming for Your Job - But They're Not Going
to Replace You (Probably)" (August 2023) 24: This paper explores the different ways AI is being
used in law firms, from contract review to due diligence, and argues that while AI won't replace
lawyers entirely, it will significantly change the way legal work is done.
The New York Times - "Can AI Be a Fair Judge? Lawyers Debate the Ethics of Algorithmic
Justice" (October 2023) 25: This paper delves into the ethical concerns surrounding AI in legal
__________________________
22 https://academic.oup.com/pages/law-and-technology-from-oxford-
universitypress?campaignid=21261825829&adgroupid=162463033192&adid=698440936739&gad_source=1&gcli
d=CjwKC
AjwrvyxBhAbEiwAEg_KgqjpbGmO0qItyZNCqdA0zScrhAnpjBJOKxrvRXKMIUmWAdAC0SjpqxoCdUQAvD_
BwE&login=false
23 https://blog.lexcheck.com/legal-technology-trends-that-will-define-2023-lc?hs_amp=true
24 Citation-https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-medicine-law-marketing-jobs-a1821672
25 https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/31/us/john-roberts-supreme-court.html
decision-making, particularly regarding potential bias and the lack of transparency in algorithms.
It also discusses the ongoing debate about whether AI judges could ever be truly fair and impartial.
The Financial Times - "AI-Powered Legal Tech Startups Are Booming - But Can They
Disrupt the Big Law Firms?" (January 2024) 26: This paper examines the rise of legal tech
startups leveraging AI and its potential impact on established law firms. It analyzes the challenges
and opportunities these startups face in disrupting the traditional legal landscape.
Guardian - "Access to Justice in the Age of AI: Will Technology Widen the Gap or Bridge
the Divide?" (February 2024) 27: This paper discusses the potential impact of AI on access to
justice, particularly for low-income individuals and underserved communities. It explores how
AIpowered legal services could make legal aid more affordable and accessible, but also raises
concerns about potential biases and the need for responsible development.
This study focuses on the growing influence of Al on the legal profession and what effect it would
have in the near future. The present study based on quantitative research focuses on the point that
whether Al will ever replace human lawyers. Al being efficient and effective has a chance to
overtake human beings, but with its pros there is an innumerable set of cons including the glitches
in Al and how it can never create something new, the list of pros and cons go a long way, through
this paper the researcher will come to the conclusion about the feasibility of the question
mentioned. Also, the researcher will look into the issue of unemployment with the use of Al in the
legal profession, even the topic of automation and augmentation will be dealt with in t his paper.
Lastly, the impact that Al will have on legal research, in the long run, will be taken into
consideration and the viability of the use of Al in developed, developing and underdeveloped
countries in the field of law will be looked into.
• To analyze the current state of AI adoption in the legal profession, including key technologies,
applications, and trends.
__________________________
26 https://www.ft.com/content/9a117ac7-29ae-43fe-b840-a04005b98799
27 https://thedailyguardian.com/artificial-intelligence-and-human-rights/
• To examine the impact of AI on the role of legal practitioners, including changes in job tasks,
skill requirements and career prospects.
• To explore the implications of AI for access to justice, legal education and democratizations
Research hypothesis is a statement that introduces a research question and proposes an expected
result. It is an integral part of the scientific method that forms the basis of scientific experiments.
The hypothesis of this project suggests that the utilization of Al-assisted legal research in legal
research can be beneficial for the legal profession.
This research will employ a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data
collection techniques.
Qualitative Data:
In-depth interviews with legal professionals (lawyers, paralegals) to gain insights into their
experiences with AI tools and their perceived impact on the profession. Analysis of legal industry
reports and articles to understand current trends and future projections for AI adoption.
Quantitative Data:
Data analysis of case studies and reports on successful applications of AI in legal tasks (e.g.,
contract review, legal research). The data collected from both qualitative and quantitative methods
will be triangulated to provide a comprehensive understanding of the growing influence of AI on
the legal profession.
In 1950, British mathematician Alan Turing published a paper on computing machinery and
28
intelligence posing the question of whether machines can think . However, the term Al was put
to use for the first time in August 1955 in the Dartmouth Summer Research Conference Project
Proposal authored by John McCarthy, Marvin L. Minsky, Nathaniel Rochester, and Claude
Shannon 29. John McCarthy, who is typically thought to have coined the term Al was an American
computer and cognitive scientist, and one of the founders of the Al discipline, while Marvin Lee
30
Minsky was an American cognitive scientist in the field of Al and one of the main Al theorists .
When it comes to the use and application of Al in the legal profession, Al has been in use within
the meaning attributed to it by computer science since the 1960s. Computer-Assisted Legal
Research (CALR) debuted in the mid-1960s, but the first CALR systems were primitive by today's
standards and not widely available 31.
The CALR revolution gained ground with the introduction of Lexis in 1973, which was the first
commercial, full-text, electronic database of case law and was aggressively marketed to attorneys
and judges. In the same year, four New York law firms subscribed the Lexis legal information
32
service . This event ushered in the start of a new era for legal technology. The Lexis service
rapidly expanded because for the first-time lawyers had comprehensive and searchable electronic
access to case law, unprecedented in size and scope, which greatly simplified the research process.
West Publishing Company followed Lexis in entering the electronic legal research market in 1975.
__________________________
By 1990, LexisNexis was processing 100, 000 online searches in one day; by 1998, that number
grew to 600,000. By 1994, nearly all major law firms in the United States had access to Lexis and
Westlaw 33.Currently, LexisNexis had 15,000 databases and over 9 million subscribers worldwide
and Westlaw is one of the primary online legal research services for lawyers and legal professionals
in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia with more than 40,000 databases of legal
information .Then, machine intelligence, which is already extraordinarily advanced in discovery,
was put to use. Electronic discovery, also known as 'e-discovery' was used by Courts and the U.S.
Department of Justice have already approved predictive coding as a tool for discovery.
Specifically, the United States District Court, S. D. New York in Moore v. Publicis Groupe held
that computer-assisted review could be considered "judicially approved for use" in appropriate
cases 34. On the other hand, Al is soon expected to be able to draft legal briefs and memoranda by
collaborating up with legal research programs and will be able to conduct predictive analytics to
predict case outcomes by relying on data patterns. Besides, machine intelligence is continuing to
revolutionize the use of legal forms by tailoring various forms to meet individual situations. At
35
present, Al is becoming a hot topic in the legal world . As stated by Mr. Andrew Arruda, the
Director of Ross Intelligence, ROSS, the world's first Al lawyer, built on IBM's cognitive computer
'Watson', was designed to read and understand natural language, postulate hypotheses when asked
questions, conduct legal research, and write thorough legal memoranda, along with references and
citations. Essentially, ROSS uses algorithms to mimic the human brain's learning, analytical, and
decision-making processes. Accordingly, the legal field is currently intrigued by the addition of Al
technology in the workplace, and rightfully so. Older lawyers have never imagined such
technological advancement and young lawyers are undoubtedly attracted to it. With this mindset,
not only will the use of cutting-edge Al techno logy lure lawyers to firms, it will lure clients in as
well.
Regarding Al research, from 1960 until early 2018, nearly 340,000 patent families and more than
1.6 million scientific papers related to Al were published. The number of patent applications filed
___________________________
33 Hellyer, P. (2005). Assessing the Influence of Computer-Assisted Legal Research: A Study of California Supreme
Court Opinions. Library Staff Publications 5,1-14. https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/libpubs/5.
34 Moore vs Publics Groupe, 287 F. R. D. 182 182 (S. D. N. Y.2012).
35 Hannah, A. (2016). Al is the Future of Law - And Lawyers Know It. Dataconomy, 1-7.
annually in the Al field grew by a factor of 6.5 between 2011 and 2017. Al is also a major topic in
scientific literature, with 1,636,649 papers published up to mid-2018 36, it is not an exaggeration
to conclude that, in the last 25 years, due to the advent of technology every aspect of legal practice
(such as legal education, hiring, client acquisition, communication, and Court docketing, and
judicial workflow; and discovery production) has changed.
On the other hand, from 2012-2018 increased availability of data, connectedness, and
computational power allowed for breakthroughs in machine learning, mainly in neural networks
and deep learning, heralding a new era of increased funding and optimism for innovation in the
entire field of Al in general and in legal tech startups in particular. For example, in the UK, the UK
Digital Strategy published in March 2017 allocated millions of pounds in funding for UK
universities to develop Al technologies.
Specifically, the release of Apple's 'Siri' in 2011, the defeat of the two human champions by IBM's
'Watson' at the TV quiz named 'Jeopardy' in 2011, the autonomous navigation of Google's
driverless cars in 2012, and the defeat of the world champion (Mr. Lee Sedol) by Google's
'AlphaGo' in the complicated board game of 'Go' in 2016 were typical milestones in the recent
development of AI 37.
.__________________________
36 WIPO. (2019). Technology Trends - Artificial Intelligence.
37 Alyson, C. (2019). Legal Intelligence Through Artificial Intelligence Requires Emotional Intelligence: A New
Competency Model for the 21" Century Legal Professional. Georgia State U. L. Rev.,35 (4), 1153 -1183.
https://readingroom.law.gsu.edu/gsulr/vol35/iss4/4.
CHAPTER – 2 UNDERSTANDING AI IN LAW
The legal profession, steeped in tradition and precedent, is undergoing a significant transformation
fueled by the ever-evolving field of Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI, in its simplest form, refers to
the ability of machines to mimic human cognitive functions such as learning and problem-solving.
This chapter delves into the growing influence of AI in the legal landscape, exploring its various
applications and the different types of AI currently shaping the profession.
• Increased Efficiency: AI automates repetitive tasks like legal research, document review, and due
diligence, freeing lawyers to focus on strategic thinking, client communication, and complex legal
issues.38
• Enhanced Accuracy: AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of legal data with a high degree
of accuracy, minimizing human error in tasks like contract review and identifying relevant case
law. 39
• Data-Driven Insights: AI can analyze legal precedents and predict potential outcomes,
empowering lawyers to develop stronger arguments and strategies.
• Democratization of Legal Services: AI-powered platforms can provide basic legal guidance and
services to individuals and small businesses who may not have traditionally been able to afford
legal representation.
___________________________
38 Susskind, Richard. Tomorrow’s Lawyers: An Introduction to the Role of Technology in the Law Practice of the
Future. Oxford University Press, 2013.
39 Grodzinsky, Frederick S., et al. “Can Machines Be Lawyers? An Exploration of Artificial Intelligence in Law.”
Fordham Law Review, vol. 87, no. 4, 2018, pp. 1403–1453.
https://news.law.fordham.edu/blog/2023/07/10/twofordham-law-professors-law-schools-must-consider-how-to-
prepare-students-for-how-ai-will-change-legal-practice/
However, it's crucial to recognize that AI is not here to replace lawyers. Instead, it serves as a
powerful tool for legal professionals, augmenting their capabilities and enabling them to deliver
better service to their clients.
The legal industry utilizes various AI technologies, each with its own strengths and applications:
• Machine Learning (ML): ML algorithms learn from vast amounts of legal data, allowing them to
identify patterns and trends. These algorithms are used for tasks like contract review, legal
research, and predictive analytics. 40
• Natural Language Processing (NLP): NLP allows AI systems to understand human language.
This is crucial for tasks like analyzing legal documents, identifying key terms and clauses, and
summarizing complex legal information.
• Expert Systems: Expert systems are computer programs that contain a knowledge base of legal
information and rules. These systems can assist lawyers with tasks like legal research and drafting
legal documents.41
• Deep Learning: Deep learning is a subfield of ML that uses artificial neural networks to learn
from data. While still in its early stages within the legal domain, Deep Learning has the potential
to revolutionize legal research and case analysis by identifying complex patterns in legal data.
____________________________
40 Grodzinsky, Frederick S., et al. “Can Machines Be Lawyers? An Exploration of Artificial Intelligence in Law.”
Fordham Law Review, vol. 87, no. 4, 2018, pp. 1403–1453
https://news.law.fordham.edu/blog/2023/07/10/twofordham-law-professors-law-schools-must-consider-how-to-
prepare-students-for-how-ai-will-change-legal-practice/
41 Giarrantana, Michael F., and Stephen V. Smith. “Expert Systems: Building Applications with Artificial
Intelligence.” John Wiley & Sons, 2012.
CHAPTER 3 - INFLUENCE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ON THE
LEGAL PROFESSION
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming numerous industries, and the legal profession is
no exception. AI-powered tools are fundamentally changing how legal work is conducted,
impacting everything from legal research and document review to due diligence and litigation
42
strategy. This chapter will explore the growing influence of AI on the legal profession,
highlighting its potential benefits, limitations, and the evolving landscape it creates.
From the macroscopic aspect, artificial intelligence technology will profoundly change the
operation mode of the legal industry itself. According to the current trend of technology and
industry development, it can be predicted that there are likely to be some structural changes in the
legal profession:
In the field of research and development, the dependence on technology and data will determine
that the investment in research and development of artificial intelligence technology in the legal
field will keep expanding for a long time. Traditionally, the legal industry has been highly
independent on the input of human resources to provide substantive legal solutions, which is costly
and inefficient: for law firms and other enterprises, the human cost is high; for a large number of
individuals and small and medium-sized enterprises who need legal services, they cannot enjoy
legal services at affordable prices; the judicial system of China has been in a high load operation
for a long time due to budget constraints, so it is difficult for the judicial system to provide efficient
and high-quality public products.
Therefore, no matter from the perspective of enterprises or society, there is power to invest in the
research and development of artificial intelligence technology to solve the above contradictions.
And a series of so-called "robot lawyers" at home and abroad listed above actually play such roles.
43
In the low-level application field, in some scenarios with clear and simple rules system and high
standardization of evidence system, the development of legal artificial intelligence technology is
likely to eventually replace the work of most of these legal practitioners. For example, New York
__________________________
42 Gregoor, S. L. (2018). AI and the Lawyer's Professional Identity. S.L. Gregoor (Ed.), The Ethics of Artificial
Intelligence in Law (pp. 121-139). Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781108282428.008
43 Ji Weidong, Change of Judicial Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. Oriental Law Science. The 1" issue in
2018, Page 125.
City has allowed violators to choose an automated online dispute resolution system to resolve
parking violations.
In these processes, the steps that require the involvement of legal professionals have been
significantly reduced. Even in the current background of weak artificial intelligence, this trend is
relatively obvious. After all, under the background of big data, artificial intelligence can make
some humanoid behaviors and work with the help of rules. With the strengthening of artificial
intelligence, the standardization of law is likely to be completely replaced by artificial intelligence.
In the high-level application field, artificial intelligence for complex scenes can also assist or even
replace part of the work of legal professionals, forming a new human-computer collaborative case
processing mode. The handling of complex cases is a combination of a series of activities, some
of which may be participated in or even replaced by artificial intelligence technology, so as to
improve overall efficiency. From the current development of legal artificial intelligence
technology, it has become more and more perfect in the field of document management and
document review, which is likely to replace the civilian staff and legal assistants to complete the
corresponding work; It is far from mature in writing legal documents, providing advice to
customers, communicating and interacting with customers, fact investigation, negotiation and
appearing in court; In the middle is case management, due diligence, legal document drafting, legal
research, litigation strategy analysis and so on.
For the complex scene, because it contains many fuzzy and even conflicting rules for analysis, and
even needs complex value trade-offs, artificial intelligence technology is difficult to completely
replace the legal practitioners with professional knowledge. However, it is still a very important
trend to improve the work efficiency with artificial intelligence, which will form the working mode
of man-machine combination.
If switching the perspective to the microcosmic thinking of the legal profession, people might as
well divide the legal profession into three categories of practitioners: judicial work, legal work and
law science education to make a simple analysis (although in a broad sense, legislators are also
one of the legal practitioners, but due to their own political attributes and non-professional nature,
the author doesn't think it's necessary to discuss it here judged by the current status of artificial
intelligence).
For judges, prosecutors, clerks and other judicial staff, it is a typical field in which artificial
intelligence begins to show its influence. In case push, knowledge index query, auxiliary
conviction, sentencing reference, evidence review and judgment, integrated support in court, voice
/ image reading and transformation, case management, deviation analysis, judicial / administrative
connection, automatic generation of documents and peer-to-peer proofreading, artificial
intelligence has shown great advantages. Especially in China, it can be seen from the progress in
"smart court" and other aspects mentioned above that in the judicial field of China, due to the
forward-looking and guiding nature of national policies, it should be said that compared with
foreign conservative counterparts, it is more advanced.
However, on one hand, due to the limitations of the development stage of artificial intelligence,
and on the other hand, because the judicial work itself needs some characteristics of human beings,
the impact of artificial intelligence on the whole judicial system is not obvious at present. The
judicial staff mainly adapt to the new working methods, but the substitution for the primary work
such as accepting cases, recording and executing is obvious, it is estimated that institutional reform
in this aspect is imperative.
From the current situation, the biggest impact caused by artificial intelligence in the legal field and
the most concerned occupation is the legal workers represented by lawyers. From a global
perspective, although from 2011 to 2016, the total amount of financing of global legal technology
companies was only $739 million, significantly lower than that of emerging fields such as financial
technology and medical technology; However, the number of legal technology listed companies
in the world has exploded, from 15 in 2009 to 1,164 in 2016, mainly focusing on nine areas such
as online legal services and electronic forensics.
In such an international trend, the legal industry, such as law firms, corporate legal departments,
courts and so on, also began to actively layout Al legal technology, partly because online legal
services, customer cost pressure (such as corporate legal departments increasingly want to get
more legal services at a lower cost) and other factors forced law firms to invest in innovation. 44
Overall, the legal work represented by lawyers will become the forefront of the impact of artificial
intelligence on the industry, and it is a must to do a good job in dealing with it.
________________________
44 Cao Jianfeng, "Ten Trends of Artificial Intelligence + Law"', Robot Industry, The 5" issue in 2017, Page 86.
Due to the human nature of education and the complexity of legal knowledge, or the conservatism
of practitioners, artificial intelligence has little influence on legal education, especially in the field
of legal higher education. Interestingly, the first practitioners who pay attention to Al are mainly
university practitioners. For example, the first "Al + Law Science" conference mentioned above
was held at Boston University in the United States. However, in terms of the substitution of
artificial intelligence related to legal education itself, the industry is not very active. Therefore, at
present, the impact of artificial intelligence in the field of legal education is mainly reflected in the
adjustment, intersection and integration of disciplines Chinese government has realized this
problem and has clearly proposed to cultivate horizontal composite talents of
"Artificial intelligence + Law" in the new Generation of Artificial Intelligence Development Plan.
Therefore, in the short term, it is the adjustment of knowledge structure and discipline system
rather than the adjustment of practitioners will be taken in Chinese career, which will also be
mentioned in the following discussion.
CHAPTER 4 – AI AND CONTRACT REVIEW
Traditionally, contract review was a time-consuming and labor-intensive process, requiring legal
professionals to manually review each contract for discrepancies, risks, and compliance issues.
However, with the advent of AI-powered contract review tools, this process has been streamlined
and accelerated.45
AI technologies, such as natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML), enable
computers to analyze and understand the contents of contracts with human-like precision. These
tools can identify key clauses, extract relevant information, and flag potential issues, allowing legal
professionals to focus their time and expertise on more strategic tasks.
• Inefficiency: Reading and analyzing voluminous contracts line by line is a slow process,
hindering productivity and delaying deal closures.
• Inconsistency: Human reviewers can have varying levels of expertise and attention to detail,
leading to inconsistencies in risk identification and interpretation.
• Costliness: The time spent on manual review translates to increased legal fees for clients.
These challenges highlight the need for innovative solutions to streamline contract review and
enhance legal efficiency.AI presents a compelling answer, offering a powerful set of tools to
augment the work of legal professionals.
__________________________
45 Hu, Teng, and Huafeng Lu. 2019. "Study on the Influence of Artificial Intelligence on Legal Profession.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338598111 Study _on_the _Influence_of
Artificial_Intelligence_on_Legal_Profession.
4.2. How AI is Transforming Contract Review
AI-powered contract review tools leverage a combination of Natural Language Processing (NLP)
and machine learning algorithms. These algorithms are trained on vast datasets of legal contracts,
enabling them to:
• Identify Key Contract Elements: AI can swiftly scan contracts and identify crucial information
like parties involved, contract type, key dates, termination clauses, and financial obligations 46.
• Extract and Summarize Information: AI can summarize key provisions, extract critical data
points, and organize the contract for easier review. This allows lawyers to quickly grasp the essence
of the agreement and focus on the more nuanced aspects.
• Flag Potential Risks: By analyzing past legal cases and identifying patterns in contracts, AI can
flag clauses containing potential risks, such as unfavorable terms, vague language, or
inconsistencies with desired outcomes.
• Ensure Compliance: AI tools can be programmed to identify and flag violations of relevant
regulations or internal company policies, ensuring contracts adhere to legal and organizational
standards.
• Automate Repetitive Tasks: AI can automate tasks like searching for specific clauses or
identifying boilerplate language, freeing up valuable lawyer time for more strategic tasks.
• Increased Efficiency: AI significantly reduces the time required to review contracts, leading to
faster deal turnaround times.
• Enhanced Accuracy: AI's ability to analyze large volumes of data and identify patterns helps
reduce human error and ensures more consistent contract review.
• Reduced Costs: Faster review processes and minimized human error translate to reduced legal
fees for clients.
• Improved Risk Management: AI helps identify potential risks upfront, allowing for proactive
negotiation and mitigation strategies.
______________________________
46 Blitz India. (2023, January 19). how AI is transforming contract review https://www.news18.com/india/artificial-
intelligence-game-changer-criminal-investigations-cji-dychandrachud-balance-right-to-privacy-minority-report-
8836443.html
• Focus on Strategic Analysis: By automating routine tasks, legal teams can dedicate more time to
analyzing complex clauses and providing strategic legal advice.
Despite its advantages, AI is not a silver bullet for contract review. Here are some limitations to
consider:
• Reliance on Training Data: The effectiveness of AI tools heavily depends on the quality and
comprehensiveness of the training data they are built upon. Biased training data can lead to biased
outputs.
• The Need for Human Oversight: AI should be viewed as a valuable tool to augment legal
professionals, not replace them entirely. Human judgment and expertise remain crucial for
interpreting complex clauses, making strategic decisions, and providing legal advice.
Looking ahead, the growing influence of AI on contract review is expected to continue shaping
the legal profession. As AI technologies become more advanced and sophisticated, they will likely
play an increasingly prominent role in legal practice. This will necessitate ongoing adaptation and
upskilling among legal professionals to effectively leverage AI tools in their work.
Moreover, the integration of AI into contract review processes may lead to the emergence of new
business models and service delivery models within the legal industry. For example, law firms
may offer AI-powered contract review services as part of their legal offerings, catering to clients'
growing demand for efficient and cost-effective solutions.
CHAPTER 5 – DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF AI IN LEGAL
FIELD
With the excellent performance of artificial intelligence systems like AlphaGo in recent years,
artificial intelligence has become a hot topic among publics. It also attracts a large number of
jurists to think about the relationship between it and the future trend of legal education. However,
this thinking and even action actually started much earlier than people expected in the international
context. For example, in 1987, the first "Artificial Intelligence + Law Science" conference was
held at Boston University in the United States. The conference also established IAAIL
47
(International Association of Artificial Intelligence and Law). In 1991, the International
Association of Artificial Intelligence and Law (IAAIL) was established to promote the research
and application of artificial intelligence and law, which is an interdisciplinary field. It proposed
ten major topics of artificial intelligence in the field of legal application. 48
After entering the new century, with the rapid development of AI technology, the combination of
AI and legal work has become more and more close. For example, in June 2016, Ross, the first AI
lawyer in the history supported by Watson, IBM's cognitive computer, was "employed" by an
American law firm. It can communicate with lawyers in human language, give people an
experience of working with prospective employees, and be able to deal with certain bankruptcy
consulting issues 49. In UK, Do No pay, a robot lawyer, can help users to challenge traffic tickets
and to prepare legal documents. Now it has expanded to government housing applications, refugee
applications and other legal services. In February 2018, the AI system developed by lawgeex, an
Israeli legal technology company, defeated 20 top lawyers with rich experience in standard
business contract review competition. What's more, its average accuracy rate is 9% higher than
that of human beings, and during the whole process, the affairs which human beings need to be
finished within 92 minutes, the system completed them in 26 seconds, it can be said that in terms
50
of speed and efficiency, it has completed "double kill" to human beings.
______________________________
47 Jiang Ke, Law Education Mode of Science and Technology Institutions in the Context of "Artificial Intelligence +",
Think Tank Era, 2018139 (23): Page 74.
48 Cao Jianfeng, "Ten Trends of Artificial Intelligence + Law", Robot Industry, The 5" issue in 2017, Page 86.
49 LIBERATORE S. "Your Al Lawyer will See You Now: IBM's ROSS Becomes World's First "Artificially Intelligent
Attorney [EB/OL].(2016-05-16)[2018-04-07]. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article3589795/Your-Al-
lawyer- IBM-s-ROSS-world-s-artificially-intelligent-attorney.html.
50 Uwash Verma, "The speed and accuracy of contract analysis of Al software in Israel beat professional lawyers".
[EB/OL]. (2018-02-27)[2018-04-07].http:// cn.timesofisrael.com
In the face of this situation, China can no longer remain indifferent. In fact, as early as the 1990s,
China's courts gradually opened the prelude of information construction, which was consistent
with the technological development and policy requirements at that time. 51 After entering the 21st
century, this development trend has been continuing within the regime. In 2007, the supreme law
redefined the basic position of informatization from the perspective of an important part of trial
activities and put forward development priorities such as business network construction, trial
information management and judicial resource development and utilization, so as to realize the
benign interaction between high-tech and trial business. In 2013, the concept of "big data, big
pattern and big service" was first proposed at the fourth judicial statistical work conference of the
national court. Subsequently, the court of China has basically built the people's court
informatization version 2.0 with the main characteristics of centralized data management and
business connectivity. The information-based process of procuratorial system for more than 20
years also shows that with the continuous iteration of technology and the continuous progress of
ideas, it has also experienced the transition and upgrading from office automation to office
networking, and then to business information. In 2014, the top-level deployment and
comprehensive launch of the unified business application system of the national procuratorial
organ marked that the Pro curatorial organ of China has entered the stage of information
prosecution 3.0.
In 2016, under the background of the "Internet +" era, the supreme law first proposed the concept
of "smart court", which means that the judiciary began to leap over to the 3.0 version of information
technology. At the same time, the Pro curatorial organs also recognize the necessity and urgency
of the "Internet + Pro curatorial work" mode, and put forward the strategic goal of linking science
and technology, building smart procurational affairs in 4.0 period.[9] In this context, the entire
court system from the Supreme Court to the local court seems to have been mobilized. Beijing,
Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Guizhou, etc. have all launched artificial intelligence
legal tools with different names, such as the "Perspicacious judge" intelligent research and
judgment system of Beijing court, the "206" intelligent auxiliary handling system on criminal case
of Shanghai court, and Suzhou court has also formed "Smart trial of Suzhou mode". Under the
strong impetus of the national system, even the practitioners represented by lawyers, who have
always been relatively insensitive, have acted. For example, "Xiao Li", known as China's first
_______________________________
51 Ji Weidong, Change of Judicial Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. Oriental Law Science. The 1" issue in
2018, Page 125.
robot lawyer, currently provides visa, divorce counseling and other services 52; In 2018, during the
first "man-machine war" in the domestic legal field, Daniu legal robot dueled with six senior
lawyers who were recruited from the national public recruitment, and achieved great success in
finding out the legal facts of the case, providing legal advice and other legal services, establishing
53
its "hegemonic" status and becoming the "Alpha dog" in the legal field.
Looking at the application of artificial intelligence in the field of law, no matter how closed it is,
the fact that Al has reached the door cannot be ignored. In 2014, Jomati, a London legal consulting
firm, published a report
"Civilization 2030: the law firm in the near future", and even claimed: "After a long period of
incubation and experiments, technology can suddenly move forward at an amazing speed; within
15 years, robots and artificial intelligence will dominate legal practice, which may bring 'structural
collapse' to law firms, and the market of legal services will be greatly changed." Whether this
statement is alarmist or appropriate, it clearly reminds practitioners of the legal profession to
seriously consider the possible impact of artificial intelligence.
_____________________________
52 Cao Jianfeg, "The prospect and challenge of artificial intelligence legal service", Tencent Research Institute.
2017.3.20. https://www.tisi.org/4855;
53 The world's first Al synthesis anchor appeared; first Al lawyer on duty in China; Al robot competed for position C",
Sohu News, November 12th ', 2018, http://www.sohu.com/a/274862357_70712
CHAPTER 6 – AI AND ACCESS TO JUSTICE
The legal system, while designed to uphold justice, often faces a significant challenge: access to
legal services. The high cost of lawyers, complex legal procedures, and lack of awareness about
legal rights leave many individuals and communities struggling to navigate legal issues. However,
Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents a promising solution, offering innovative tools and resources
that have the potential to democratize access to justice. This chapter explores the growing influence
of AI on access to justice, examining how AI can bridge the gap in legal services and empower
individuals to enforce their rights.
• Cost: Legal fees can be prohibitively expensive for low- and middle-income individuals,
deterring them from seeking legal assistance, even in critical situations 54.
• Complexity: Legal procedures can be intricate and confusing for those unfamiliar with the legal
system, making it difficult for individuals to navigate legal processes effectively.
• Lack of Awareness: Many people are unaware of their legal rights and resources available to
them, often leading to situations where their rights are unknowingly violated.
These challenges create a significant "justice gap," leaving many individuals without the legal
support they need. AI offers a potential solution by automating tasks, simplifying legal processes,
and providing readily available legal information.
AI is transforming the legal landscape by offering a variety of tools and services that can improve
access to justice:
• Legal Chatbots and Virtual Assistants: AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can provide
basic legal information, answer frequently asked questions, and guide individuals through initial
legal processes. These tools can be accessed online or through mobile applications, offering 24/7
assistance, regardless of location 55.
_____________________________
54 American Bar Association. (2020, October 22). AI and Access to Justice
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/leadership/office_of_the_president/artificial-intelligence/impact-ofai-on-the-
legal-profession/
55 How AI can improve access to justice https://www.centreforpublicimpact.org/insights/joel -tito-ai-justice
• Legal Document Automation: AI can automate the creation of routine legal documents such as
wills, contracts, and non-disclosure agreements. This allows individuals to generate essential legal
documents without the need for expensive lawyers. However, it's important to note that AI-
generated documents may not be suitable for complex legal situations and should be reviewed by
a legal professional.
• Legal Research and Case Analysis: AI tools can analyze vast amounts of legal data, including
case law, statutes, and regulations. This allows individuals to research legal issues independently
and identify relevant case precedents that might strengthen their case.
• Online Dispute Resolution (ODR): AI-powered ODR platforms can facilitate mediation and
negotiation between parties in a dispute. These platforms can help resolve conflicts outside of
court, offering a faster and more cost-effective alternative to traditional litigation.56
• Pro Bono Matching Platforms: AI can streamline the process of connecting individuals with pro
bono legal services. Matching platforms can assess an individual's legal needs and connect them
with volunteer lawyers specializing in relevant areas of law.
The integration of AI into the legal system offers a multitude of benefits for individuals seeking
legal assistance:
• Increased Affordability: AI-powered tools and services can significantly reduce the cost of legal
assistance,making legal help more accessible for low- and middle-income individuals.
• Empowerment and Self-Advocacy: AI tools can equip individuals with the knowledge and
resources to navigate legal issues independently, fostering a sense of empowerment and self -
advocacy.
• Efficiency and Accessibility: AI-powered services can be accessed online or through mobile
applications,providing 24/7 legal guidance regardless of location.
___________________________
56 Blitz India. (2023, January 19). AI and access to justice https://www.news18.com/india/artificialintelligence -game-
changer-criminal-investigations-cji-dy-chandrachud-balance-right-to-privacy-minorityreport-8836443.htm
• Reduced Backlogs and Delays: Automating legal tasks can free up lawyers' time, potentially
reducing backlogs in court systems and expediting legal processes.
While AI offers significant potential for access to justice, there are challenges and ethical
considerations to address:
• Digital Divide: Unequal access to technology and the internet can exacerbate existing
inequalities, leaving certain populations without access to AI-powered legal services.
• Bias in AI Systems: AI algorithms are trained on data sets, and these data sets can reflect societal
biases. It is crucial to ensure that AI tools are developed and implemented in a way that is fair and
unbiased.
• The Human Element: While AI can automate tasks and provide information, complex legal issues
and emotional situations may still require the human touch and judgment of a qualified lawyer.
CHAPTER 7 – FUTURE OF AI IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION
The legal profession, steeped in tradition and precedent, is undergoing a significant transformation
fueled by the burgeoning influence of artificial intelligence (AI). AI, with its ability to process vast
amounts of data, identify patterns, and automate tasks, is poised to reshape the way legal services
are delivered, consumed, and practiced. This chapter delves into the potential future developments
and advancements of AI in law, exploring how it will impact various aspects of the legal landscape.
AI's influence is already evident in various legal domains. Legal research, once a time-consuming
manual process, has been revolutionized by AI-powered tools. These tools can analyze vast legal
databases, identify relevant case law and statutes, and present them to lawyers in a concise and
organized manner. Contract review, another repetitive task, is being significantly streamlined with
AI-powered software that can flag potential risks, inconsistencies, and clauses requiring attention.
Additionally, AI is assisting with due diligence processes, e-discovery (electronic discovery of
evidence), and legal document automation.
Furthermore, AI-powered chatbots are emerging as a means to provide basic legal information and
guidance to the public. These chatbots can answer frequently asked questions, direct users to
relevant resources, and even help with simple legal tasks such as drafting basic wills or contracts.
The potential future advancements of AI in the legal profession are vast and hold significant
promise for further transformation.
• Legal Strategy and Prediction: AI could evolve to analyze vast amounts of legal data, identify
trends in judicial decisions, and predict the potential outcomes of cases. This can help lawyers
formulate more effective strategies,identify weaknesses in opposing arguments, and improve client
decision-making57.
• Legal Writing and Document Generation: AI-powered tools may become adept at generating
complex legal documents, such as contracts and pleadings, based on specific parameters and
precedents. Lawyers would then be able to focus on tailoring the documents to the specific needs
of a case while ensuring legal accuracy.
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57 https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/artificial-intelligence-ai-its-impact-legal-profession-lexratio
• Enhanced E-discovery and Due Diligence: AI can be further developed to analyze massive
datasets with greater accuracy and speed during e-discovery and due diligence processes. This can
help identify relevant information more efficiently and reduce the risk of overlooking crucial
details58.
• Personalized Legal Services: AI can potentially personalize legal services by analyzing a client's
specific needs and circumstances. This may involve recommending legal resources, suggesting
courses of action, and even connecting clients with the most suitable lawyers based on their legal
issue.
• Increased Access to Justice: AI-powered legal chatbots can be further developed to provide more
sophisticated legal guidance, particularly in areas with limited access to legal professionals. These
services can empower individuals to navigate legal issues more effectively and represent
themselves in simpler matters.
The rise of AI presents a unique opportunity for a human-machine collaboration that leverages the
strengths of both.Lawyers will likely continue to play a critical role in providing strategic counsel,
client interaction, and navigating the nuances of complex legal issues. AI can augment their
capabilities by handling tedious, repetitive tasks, allowing lawyers to focus on the more high-value
aspects of legal practice that require human judgment, creativity, and emotional intelligence 59.
This shift necessitates a reevaluation of legal education. Law schools may need to incorporate
training in AI and legal technology to equip students with the skills necessary to thrive in this
evolving environment. Lawyers may need to develop proficiency in working with AI tools and
critically evaluating their outputs.
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58 He Fan: How Far Are We from Judge Alpha? Zhejiang People's Congress, the 5" issue in 2017, No. 5, Page 47.
59 https://ijlmh.com/paper/impact-of-artificial-intelligence-on-legal-industry/
Ethical Considerations and Potential Challenges
While AI holds the promise to revolutionize the legal profession, several ethical considerations
and challenges require careful attention:
• Bias: AI algorithms are only as good as the data they are trained on. If the data is biased, the AI
system is likely to perpetuate these biases in its outputs. Mitigating bias in AI algorithms and legal
datasets is crucial to ensure fair and equitable application of the law.
• Transparency and Explainability: Many AI systems operate as "black boxes," making it difficult
to understand how they reach conclusions. This lack of transparency can be problematic in the
legal domain, where clear reasoning is essential. Developing explainable AI systems that can
articulate their decision-making process is paramount for building trust in the legal community
and ensuring fairness for all.
• Job displacement: Concerns exist that AI automation may displace legal professionals,
particularly those engaged in routine tasks. However, the legal profession is likely to see a shift in
roles rather than outright replacement. Lawyers will need to adapt their skillset to work effectively
alongside AI and focus on tasks requiring human judgment and expertise.
CHAPTER 8 - CONCLUSION
From the current development stage, artificial intelligence is still in the primary stage of "weak
artificial intelligence". Now it seems a bit alarmist to talk about AI replacing human beings in an
all-round way. This assumption is more similar to science fiction than serious academic research.
As some scholars think, it's nonsense to talk about robot judges now. Judges "need wisdom and
intelligence, the first thing is to assist and serve judges in handling cases, rather than replace
judicial decisions and eliminate handling judges." However, the author believes that as a legal
educator, the research should be forward-looking, or people don't have to take the current technical
background as the unique bottom for discussion.
From the perspective of long-term technology development trend, the substitution of artificial
intelligence for human beings is not groundless. In fact, this kind of worry is the real driving force
for the current scholars to study artificial intelligence. The core of human substitution is to replace
human labor ability and deprive employment opportunities of human beings. Back to the topic of
this paper, the final form of the impact of artificial intelligence on the legal profession may be
whether the legal profession can be completely replaced by artificial intelligence. To this question,
it should be answered not only from science and technology aspect, but also from philosophy or
ethics aspect.
For example, how can a robot be a human? How does the law define the responsibilities and rights
of a robot? Can people accept the right of a robot judge to judge us for life or death? Such questions
may not be answered yet, but the thinking about it should not be limited by technological
development. Although this paper can't development the thinking about these problems in a limited
content, it is hoped that colleagues in the field of law can discuss various possible answers together.
After all, Al is on the way, and people need to get on the road as soon as possible.
The research conducted in this paper has shed light on the current state of familiarity with Al in
the legal profession and has identified some barriers and misconceptions that are preventing people
from realizing the potential benefits of using Al in legal research. The results of the study also
revealed a positive correlation between the awareness of Al tools and the willingness to incorporate
Al in legal education. To harness the full potential of Al in the legal field, it is imperative to provide
effective legal education, which not only imparts knowledge of Al but also provides practical
training in incorporating Al in legal research and education. There is also a need to address ethical
concerns surrounding the use of Al in the legal profession, such as job displacement and data
privacy, to ensure that Al is used ethically and responsibly. Overall, the findings of this paper
emphasize the importance of understanding the benefits and limitations of Al in the legal field and
the need for legal professionals and educators to embrace this emerging technology to enhance
their practices and prepare for a more efficient Al-assisted future.
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