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…
Can AI be harnessed to aid lawyer development?
Mentoring relationships are important for the professional development of lawyers, but they are often not prioritized in today’s fast-paced legal profession. Generative artificial intelligence can transform mentoring relationships for lawyers and professionals across various industries. Generative AI can provide personalized learning experiences tailored to the needs of each mentee, based on their background, skills, and…
The American Bar Association House of Delegates has adopted new rules regarding due diligence obligations for lawyers
The American Bar Association House of Delegates has adopted new rules regarding due diligence obligations for US lawyers. The proposed changes to Model Rule 1.16 will explicitly outline lawyers’ due diligence obligations to inquire about and assess the facts and circumstances of a matter, helping them avoid unknowingly getting involved in clients’ criminal and fraudulent…
Access to justice and legal services regulatory reform
Sandefur, R. L., & Denne, E. (2022). Access to justice and legal services regulatory reform. Annual Review of Law and Social Science, 18, 27-42. Researchers have launched a new era of studies exploring relationships between legal services regulation and access to justice. These scholarly developments respond to recent changes in how Anglo-American jurisdictions regulate the practice of…
IAALS publishes series on what it takes to reach minimum lawyer competence
IAALS, the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, has published a series on what is required for minimum competency as a lawyer. The study identifies 12 interlocking “building blocks” that define minimum competence in the legal profession and how current licensing systems must be improved to reflect what new lawyers actually do…
2Civillity in Illinois, USA, provides a ‘how to’ guide for using AI as a lawyer
2Civility has published a how to guide for lawyers interested in getting started using generative AI such as ChatGPT. This guide includes a step by step guide on how to access ChatGPT on both desktop and mobile devices. The guide then explores effective ChatGPT prompts for summarising content, drafting litigation and drafting marketing content. The…
AI is increasingly important in law firms, but does it have a place in law schools?
In the legal profession, the impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT remains uncertain. Law schools and faculty members are currently grappling with the decision of whether to allow students to use these AI applications in their coursework. While AI is already deeply integrated into legal practice, generative AI goes beyond traditional tools…