Since the advent of the personal computer the practice of law has continued to evolve and incorporate new technologies in the never-ending quest to improve our efficiency and better serve our clients. For most of us practicing today, technology has always impacted our lives. With technical competence increasingly becoming an obligation by our state bar organizations, it is important that we stay on top of new developments.
One of the best ways of keeping up with the seemingly impossible task of being technically competent is to attend the ABA TECHSHOW. TECHSHOW is being held this year April 2–5 in Chicago. In preparation for TECHSHOW, we are pleased to once again provide our annual TECHSHOW issue.
“Leadership: All Things AI Roundtable” by Charity Anastasio explores generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and its impact on our personal and professional lives. GenAI is increasingly being integrated into everyday tools, raising potential issues for clients, the judiciary and bar associations. Charity's article helps us understand these GenAI concerns so we can be better prepared as this technology becomes more commonplace.
One of the first areas where the use of GenAI has, at least publicly, come to light is in the court system. In “Generative AI in the Courts: Dream or Disaster,” Jennifer Fite reviews how the courts have responded to this new technology and the current frameworks that are in place. Jennifer reviews how courts have placed final responsibility on attorneys using the technology. Finally, Jennifer describes how the court systems are using GenAI themselves to draft documents and even calculate jail sentences.
Getting started with a new skill is always a challenge and requires the right mindset. GenAI requires a different way of thinking to get the results you want. In “A Lawyer’s Guide to Getting Started with Generative AI,” Cat Moon discusses how to tap our curiosity to engage with GenAI and take those first steps in using it in your personal and professional life. One way to jump-start the process is learning from your colleagues. Developing a network of colleagues that you can exchange ideas and experiences with helps bring GenAI into context with your practice area. Are you stuck on how to start? Cat provides us with practical exercises that can be used to start your GenAI journey.
Technology comes in many shapes and sizes and, when combined, can help improve your operations. Tools such as customer relationship management software, chatbots, online calendars and electronic signatures can make your life easier by removing some of the many administrative burdens of running a practice. Author Patrick Wright in “Law’s New First Impression: Transforming Client Intake” walks us through the many advantages of using tools that reduce the amount of time spent on administrative tasks such as client intake, and how they can increase your business.
One of the challenges with GenAI, particularly general-purpose tools like ChatGPT, is its misuse. Even lawyers using these tools have made some well-publicized mistakes in court filings, but in the hands of a self-represented person the GenAI output could impact their rights. Ed Walters’ article, “Re-Regulating UPL in the Age of AI” focuses on the intersection of GenAI and the unauthorized practice of law (UPL). When do foundational model tools like ChatGPT and Gemini cross the line and stray into UPL? There are no easy answers, but Ed puts forth some thought-provoking suggestions on how this issue may be addressed.
Even as technology makes our lives easier, it can also create barriers to others within our community. We wrap up our features this month with an article by Catherine Sanders Reach, “Expand Your Inclusivity with Accessibility,” on making our written content accessible to a wider and more diverse audience. Catherine reviews the features available in one of the most used products, the Microsoft Office suite. These products include features that facilitate accessibility to our documents and presentations. Catherine’s practical advice provides you with things you can do today to ensure that everyone receiving your documents can receive the message you are trying to convey.
I’d like to thank our veteran editorial team of Roberta Tepper, Charity Anastasio, and Shawn Holahan who put together this great issue. With TECHSHOW 2025 just a few short weeks away, we hope these articles will inspire you to embrace some of the new technologies to improve your practice.
