The FutureLaw 2024 conference in Tallinn, Estonia, was an amazing melting pot of ideas, bringing together experts from various fields to discuss the next big steps for the legal world. As I stood before this international assembly, I kicked things off in my keynote by emphasizing one crucial point: lawyers need the right mindset to show up as partners to AI. It’s not just about the tech — it’s about us embracing our roles as innovators.
“What Is The Biggest Legal Tech Opportunity? — You!”
Pekka Puolakka’s words at the start of the conference, “What is the biggest legal tech opportunity? — You!” really hit home. It’s not just about shiny new gadgets or apps. The real opportunity lies within us, lawyers and legal professionals. Consider changing your mindset and culture to leverage these tools effectively and serve clients better.
Global Teamwork For Legal Tech Progress
One of the most exciting aspects of FutureLaw 2024 was the global collaboration. Legal professionals worldwide shared their unique perspectives, sparking a wave of creativity. This mix of viewpoints is our superpower, allowing us to address our diverse challenges and drive meaningful change.
Actionable insight: Build and nurture a global network of legal professionals. Join international conferences, webinars, and forums to exchange ideas and learn from others. Collaboration can lead to innovative legal solutions that are culturally and regionally appropriate.
Legal Knowledge For Everyone
AI is a game changer, making legal knowledge more accessible than ever. These advanced tools are democratizing legal information, putting it in the hands of everyone, not just legal professionals. This shift empowers people to understand and interact with the law more effectively.
Actionable insight: Use AI tools to provide clients with accessible and understandable legal information. Implement AI-driven chatbots on your website to answer common legal questions and guide clients through basic legal processes. This improves client engagement and frees up your time for more complex tasks.
The Right Way To Use AI
Incorporating AI into legal services comes with its own set of challenges. Ensuring that AI is safe, fair, and transparent is crucial for building trust. The quality and structure of our data will significantly impact AI’s effectiveness.
Actionable insight: Prioritize data quality and ethical considerations when implementing AI tools. Regularly audit your AI systems to ensure they are unbiased and operating as intended. Be transparent with your clients about how AI is used in their cases and the safeguards in place to protect their interests.
The Future Of Law
Standing at the crossroads of law and technology, we see AI becoming a must-have for legal professionals. We’re looking at a future where legal rules are part of our everyday lives, with smart AI systems spotting and sorting out legal issues before they even happen, ensuring everyone knows their rights.
Actionable insight: Stay ahead of the curve by continuously learning about new AI developments and how they can be integrated into your practice. Offer training sessions for your team on the latest legal tech tools to ensure everyone can effectively leverage these advancements.
Insights From The Front Runners
Valentin Feklistov, a leader in legal innovation and organizer of FutureLaw 2024, aptly summarized the conference’s ethos: “We are crafting the tools today that will build the legal landscapes of tomorrow. Our work now lays the foundation for a future where justice is not just a concept, but a tangible, accessible reality for all.” This vision is a call to action for all legal professionals to contribute to creating a more just and accessible legal system.
Alexander Bitskov, another organizer, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the synergy between human intelligence and AI: “The combo of human smarts and AI is taking legal services to new places. It’s not about replacing people; it’s about making things better and reaching new levels of efficiency and accuracy.”
Wrapping Up
After taking in everything from FutureLaw 2024, we’re clearly on the brink of a transformative era in law. Integrating diverse perspectives and advanced technology sets the stage for a renaissance in our field. As lawyers, we have the opportunity — and the responsibility — to shape this future. By embracing change, collaborating globally, and leveraging AI ethically, we can create a legal landscape that is more efficient, accessible, and just.
So, let’s get to work. The future of law is bright, and it starts with us.
Olga V. Mack is a Fellow at CodeX, The Stanford Center for Legal Informatics, and a Generative AI Editor at law.MIT. Olga embraces legal innovation and had dedicated her career to improving and shaping the future of law. She is convinced that the legal profession will emerge even stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive than before by embracing technology. Olga is also an award-winning general counsel, operations professional, startup advisor, public speaker, adjunct professor, and entrepreneur. She authored Get on Board: Earning Your Ticket to a Corporate Board Seat, Fundamentals of Smart Contract Security, and Blockchain Value: Transforming Business Models, Society, and Communities. She is working on three books: Visual IQ for Lawyers (ABA 2024), The Rise of Product Lawyers: An Analytical Framework to Systematically Advise Your Clients Throughout the Product Lifecycle (Globe Law and Business 2024), and Legal Operations in the Age of AI and Data (Globe Law and Business 2024). You can follow Olga on LinkedIn and Twitter @olgavmack.
