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03 January 2019 / Michael Burne
Issue: 7822 / Categories: Features , Legal services , Profession
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118 118 for legal?

Directories & NextGen Law: Michael Burne believes big data & AI are close to producing a segmented client selection tool

It’s all changing in the legal sector at the moment and there is a discernible increase in the pace of evolution. It’s driven by new entrants, new tech, changing working patterns and the rise of the individual—whether that be a client, a lawyer or anyone involved in the delivery of legal services. Information is everywhere and nowhere. So, how do clients choose their lawyers? Until recently, the legal services market has offered little help to the buyer. Essentially the options were:

  • directories like Chambers & Partners or Legal 500; or
  • word of mouth recommendations.

Legal services tends to follow other service sectors, so in recent times we have seen attempts to create comparison sites or ratings websites. Some firms have begun to adopt the paid for services of TrustPilot or Feefo to gather client feedback and produce star ratings or scores. None of these is comprehensive or covers the whole of the market.

Some

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Lawyers have welcomed the Lord Chancellor’s reverse-ferret on jury reforms, but expressed ‘serious concerns’ about the decision to exclude fraud trials
From ‘rats in the robing room’ to ‘overworked’ judges and a shortage of court staff, barristers have aired their concerns about the state of the justice system
The use of agentic artificial intelligence (AI) poses ‘significant risks’ across the justice system, public services and government, and current regulation is ‘poorly suited’ to control it, experts have warned
The solicitors’ regulator has paused controversial plans to exclude owner-managers from compliance officer roles
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