On 7 March, the ABA Judicial Division, in collaboration with Thomson Reuters, organised a webinar to address the challenges encountered by lawyers when using generative artificial intelligence software, such as ChatGPT, and in particular its tendency to produce inaccurate information, a phenomenon referred to as “hallucination.” The webinar covered various approaches to this problem. One…
Client Due Diligence: Anti-Money Laundering and Ethical Obligations for Lawyers
Hardy, P. D., & Danch, S. Client Due Diligence: Anti-Money Laundering and Ethical Obligations for Lawyers. When the so-called “Panama Papers” scandal broke in 2016, it cast an unpleasant spotlight on the potential role of lawyers across the globe assisting – knowingly or unknowingly – their clients in money laundering, tax evasion, and other illegal…
The Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS) produces report exploring civil justice reform
In Autumn 2021, IAALS launched the Paths to Justice virtual summit series, focusing on challenges and opportunities for systemic change in the justice system. The series fostered conversations among stakeholders and led to the publication of various white papers corresponding to key discussions. These papers have now been consolidated into a single report titled “Paths…
How do lawyers engineer and develop LegalTech projects? A story of opportunities, platforms, creative rationalities, and strategies
Over the last 15 years, the working context of lawyers has undergone many changes. Evolving in an increasingly competitive, deregulated, and globalized market, they are subject to higher tax pressure while being exposed to unbridled technological innovation. Indeed, a growing number of entrepreneurs are using digital solutions to provide online legal services that are supposed…
Women lawyers now make up the majority of associates in the USA but still face many diversity challenges
A report by the National Association for Law Placement (NALP) reveals that women now constitute the majority of associates at US law firms, making up 50.3% according to the organisation’s Report on Diversity in U.S. Law Firms. The report also indicates a record growth in women at the partnership level, constituting 27.8% of all partners…
Potential changes to multi-jurisdictional practice rules
The ABA Center for Professional Responsibility Working Group on ABA Model Rule of Professional Conduct 5.5 has released an Issues Paper to solicit feedback on potential regulatory implications related to exploring amendments to Rule 5.5, aiming to expand permissible cross-border legal practice. The Association for Professional Responsibility Lawyers has advocated for changes, suggesting that expanding…
Judges and the deregulation of the lawyer’s monopoly
In a revolutionary moment for the legal profession, the deregulation of legal services is taking hold in many parts of the country. Utah and Arizona, for instance, are experimenting with new regulations that permit nonlawyer advocates to play an active role in assisting people who may not otherwise have access to legal services. In addition,…
New legal tools required to mitigate the risk posed by AI
Jason Matheny, who served as President and CEO of RAND Corporation, asserted that the swift progression of artificial intelligence (AI) hastened global existential risks. During a keynote address at the 33rd Annual Review of the Field of National Security Law conference, Matheny underscored the democratization of perilous capabilities, citing the potential for a single individual…
How Should We License Lawyers?
Robertson, C. B. (2020). How Should We License Lawyers?. Fordham L. Rev., 89, 1295. During the summer of 2020, anger and frustration about lawyer licensing practices boiled over. The bar exam had always imposed economic and psychological burdens on test takers, but the rise of a pandemic added an additional hazard: exposure to a dangerous virus. Some…
Designing Just Solutions at Scale: Lawyerless Legal Services and Evidence-Based Regulation
Burnett, M., & Sandefur, R. L. (2022). Designing Just Solutions at Scale: Lawyerless Legal Services and Evidence-Based Regulation. Direito Público, 19(102). Around the world, billions of people lack access to justice, often because they cannot access help in resolving their justice issues. An important reason for this is that many access models rely centrally on lawyers, and…