Roger Smith explores the ramifications of innovation & technology on the legal sector
Call it the “Rise of the Robots”, “The Second Machine Age” or “The Fourth Industrial Revolution”—whatever fancy phrase you like—but it is pretty clear that our economy, politics and even the practice of law itself is changing under our feet. The potential impact is staggering. Losses of between a third and a half of all existing jobs in the economies of countries like the UK and US are predicted. And, legal services—for better and for worse—will be affected just as much as car manufacturing. A couple of years ago, this kind of assertion would provoke an avalanche of nay-sayers. Now, you can see a growing realisation that a tipping point is approaching.
The wind of change
One indication of the changing climate is the slew of initiatives emanating from a range of legal institutions around the world. Over the last year, both the Law Society and the American Bar Association have produced sustained analysis of the future. The Society followed up with its paper on Capturing Technical Innovation in Legal Services
