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14 March 2019 / Ben Stoneham
Issue: 7832 / Categories: Features , Profession , Technology , Legal services
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Overcoming the fear factor in legaltech

Ben Stoneham offers some joined-up thinking on delivering the next generation of digital legal operations

  • Savvy practices who think carefully about which solutions are scalable now will likely find themselves transforming their businesses and services with practical efficiencies.

In an industry as well established and rooted in tradition as the law, it’s fair to say that few innovations have caused quite so many ripples as legal automation. Following a 2017 prediction that some 67,000 legal jobs could be lost within a generation, significant concerns arose around the growing impact of automation on the legal profession. Two years on from this future gazing however, the industry isn’t over-run by robots as many feared it might be and, in fact, the advantages of automation are starting to become clearer.

The Law Society’s most recent Lawtech Adoption Research report acknowledges the current state of play in the sector —momentum is building, but slowly. The numbers of potential lawtech solutions in the market—from legal documents-as-a-service through to ebilling and practice management solutions— demonstrate

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Womble Bond Dickinson—Paula Myers

Womble Bond Dickinson—Paula Myers

Womble Bond Dickinson appoints Paula Myers to private capital team in Leeds

mfg Solicitors—five promotions

mfg Solicitors—five promotions

Law firm mfg Solicitors announces five promotions at Birmingham office

Brabners—six promotions

Brabners—six promotions

Brabners adds six to partnership in record year for partner promotions

NEWS
Calls to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 have been renewed, with the Bar Council arguing the current threshold criminalises children too early and risks pushing them towards lifelong offending
The legal profession's AI challenge extends far beyond fabricated case citations, according to a warning about the next phase of technological risk
Law firms should use the transition period before the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) assumes anti-money laundering (AML) supervision to strengthen governance and compliance, experts have warned
Cross-border disputes increasingly demand creative approaches to gathering evidence, with litigators needing to look beyond traditional letters of request
A Court of Appeal ruling has clarified the distinction between contracts of 'indefinite' and 'perpetual' duration, with potentially significant implications for commercial drafting
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