Practical Considerations When Evaluating AI Tools for Law Firms

Introduction

Artificial intelligence offers many benefits for the practice of law. However, it also raises some concerns. We discussed some of the ethical considerations involved with the use of AI in a previous article into account when evaluating AI systems for use in the legal profession.

Questions to Ask

How well would this tool integrate with my current software?

The legal field has a reputation for being slow to adopt new technology. And, despite the fact that things may be changing, it's true that many law firms and legal departments are not eager to upset the technological applecart by attempting to incorporate new solutions into carefully-calibrated systems.

However, new technological tools can offer incredible opportunities to improve speed and accuracy, freeing up attorneys’ time to focus on high-impact tasks. Those who don’t embrace these tools might find themselves left in the lurch as their colleagues are able to seemingly do more with less. It's important to evaluate and incorporate new tools and technologies into legal practice, assuming that their opportunities outweigh their risks.

This doesn't mean that lawyers should ignore the current systems in place. Instead, it's important to evaluate how new tools might work with currently-used software. Some tools fit in almost seamlessly, while others necessitate major changes.

Investigate how these tools will change or enhance your workflow. Will they fit right in, or will they require you to make extensive changes to include them?

While incorporating all systems together may ultimately lead to the greatest increase in efficiency, that's often not possible with the newest technologies. Therefore, it might make sense to look for solutions that can stand alone, without relying on extensive integration with existing systems.

What sort of set-up is required to incorporate the tool into everyday processes?

Even if tools integrate well with existing systems, they can still be difficult to initially set up. Sometimes, the more integrated these solutions are, the harder the setup process. Look for solutions that provide onboarding for their software. Many solutions, like David AI, offer free onboarding for their clients, ensuring that these programs are ready for use on day one.

What sort of training is required for attorneys and staff to be able to use the tool in a meaningful way?

All new technology will have a learning curve to it. Sometimes, these programs are similar enough to programs that lawyers and office staff already use that it is easy to introduce them. In many cases, though, features of the solution cannot be used efficiently without training.

Who will provide this training to you and your staff? Is there extensive help and customer service available if needed? It's important to work with companies that are committed to answer questions and provide walkthroughs and demos as needed.

Is the tool user-friendly?

Although training is essential, AI solutions also need to be designed in a way that's intuitive and doesn't require people to consult documentation every time they try to use it. Look for programs that offer robust solutions but are easy to use on a day-by-day basis. For example, 2nd Chair users report that our software is both intuitive, even for first-time AI users, and accurate.After all, the best solution is the one that will actually be used.

How is the tool priced? Is it a one-time fee or is there a subscription?

At first glance, it might seem preferable to pay a one-time fee for an AI tool, rather than an ongoing subscription. However, this isn't always the case.

Programs that are offered with one-time fees often limit you to just the features and tools available at the time of your purchase. Although they may offer bug fixes and minor security updates, you are unlikely to receive anything new. Instead, these features are rolled into a new version of the software, which you will need to pay for once again.

Some subscription products offer volume discounts (for multiple accounts) or duration discounts (typically for one year or more). 2nd Chair offers flexible options for our clients. Please contact us to see which subscription option makes sense for you and your organization.

What legal-specific features does the tool offer?

Security Concerns

General AI products are not well-suited for use in legal services for a multitude of reasons. One of the most important of these is security concerns. Attorneys have both legal and ethical reasons to ensure that they are protecting client data from potential security risks. A legal-specific solution will understand the particular needs of AI in legal and take appropriate precautions.

Legal organizations are beginning to put out recommendations for use of AI in the legal field. Recently, the NJSBA established a Task Force on AI, which notes that AI tools created for the general public should not be used for tasks involving the “practice of law.”

At 2nd Chair, data security is of utmost importance and we have multiple safeguards in place to ensure data safety. Check out our Trust Center for additional information.

Legal Context and Understanding

Most general AI products are built for the broadest possible range of uses — they're trying to be everything to everyone. However, in very specialized fields like law, vocabulary is precise and words have meanings different from how they're commonly used. Legal-specific products are created for use in the legal field, meaning that they understand the context and vocabulary used.

Validity and Veracity of Data

With many of the general products on the market, it's impossible to tell where information comes from, and verification can take up much of the time saved by using such tools. Even if you prompt these AI models to provide their sources, there's no guarantee that they will give you accurate information. Some AI tools can tell you a document source for an idea or data, but what good is that when the document is a hundred pages long? David AI shows the paragraph, and sometimes sentence, that the AI used to answer your question or prompt.

Tools created for the legal field, however, understand how vital it is to be able to verify information and point to it in the source documents quickly and accurately. These products make it much easier to double-check the results and ensure that the returned information is valid.

Conclusion

AI technology offers great benefits for the practice of law. However, lawyers must do their due diligence when choosing which AI solutions to use. Don't fall into the trap of choosing a product just because you've heard about it more often than others. Instead, look for a solution that allows you to integrate AI into your current workflow with confidence.

We'd love to show you what David AI can do and how it can help you in your practice or legal department. We're happy to answer any questions you have and show you how to use David to help you do more in less time without sacrificing accuracy or thoroughness. Get in touch with us today.