I’ve had a few conversations around the topic of Microsoft’s CoPilot and the usage and value that it will/might/could bring to our day-to-day work in the legal industry. To say that people had strong opinions would be an understatement. I found people who thought it brings great efficiency to the daily routines of lawyers and legal professionals alike. Surveys of CoPilot users within one law firm showed that 89% of users saved 2-5 hours a week on routine tasks. Another 71% said that it improved team efficiency. So there’s lots of potential in CoPilot to help with the mundane.

However, I also found people who thought that it simply just didn’t work very well, and basic tasks that you would assume it could do, it either doesn’t do at all, or it does it so poorly that you spend more time cleaning up the results than you would have spent creating the output in the first place.

I also learned that “CoPilot” isn’t a single tool, but rather a series of individual tools that work directly in each of the MS Office 365 products. And, apparently, these tools don’t talk to one another. Remember that CoPilot officially launched back in March of this year. It has barely celebrated its half-birthday. There is both a lot of trust (mainly from the IT folks) in the productivity and effectiveness of CoPilot, and a lot of dissatisfaction (mainly from the end users) that it simply doesn’t produce a solid return on investment. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle of these two views, but its one of those things where only time, effort, and a lot of money is going to tell the final story. Check out my talk with MinterEllison’s Innovation team about their experiences with CoPilot to hear one side of the discussion.

Also, congrats to Stephanie Wilkins on her new role at Legaltech Hub. That is quickly becoming a big-time team at LTH and I’m sure that Nikki, Chris, and Jeroen are already looking to the next big thing to help build LTH into a driver of innovation and product showcase resource for the legal industry.

So, enjoy this week’s overview of news that I found interesting. Remember, you can track these stories with the AI Lawyer Talking Tech podcast (Spotify or Apple) which covers legal tech news and summarizes stories on a daily basis.

 

MinterEllison Adopts AI-Powered Copilot
MinterEllison, a leading Australian law firm, recently implemented the use of Copilot, an AI-powered code completion tool. Amber O’Meara, the firm’s Innovation and Technology Director, and Tim Andrews, their Head of Client Solutions, discussed the firm’s experience with Copilot and its potential to enhance legal productivity. According to O’Meara, Copilot has been well-received by the firm’s lawyers and has helped them save time and improve the quality of their work. Andrews noted that Copilot is particularly beneficial for tasks such as drafting standard documents and research, freeing up lawyers to focus on more complex and value-added tasks. However, they emphasized the importance of using Copilot as a tool to augment and support lawyers’ knowledge and skills rather than as a replacement for legal expertise.

Legaltech News Editor-in-Chief Stephanie Wilkins Moves to Legaltech Hub
Stephanie Wilkins, the editor-in-chief of Legaltech News, has joined Legaltech Hub as director of content. In her new role, Wilkins will help develop and drive the content strategy for Legaltech Hub, creating resources for law firms, corporate legal departments, and vendors. She praised Legaltech Hub’s approach to legal technology coverage and expressed excitement about contributing to its growth. This move underscores the growing significance of Legaltech Hub in the legal industry and its commitment to providing high-quality content for professionals.

White & Case Appoints New Chief Marketing and Chief Innovation Officers
White Case LLP has appointed Michele Murphy as Chief Marketing Officer and Matthew Umhofer as Chief Innovation Officer. Murphy, a marketing and business development executive with over 25 years of experience, will lead the firm’s global marketing, communications, and business development efforts. Umhofer, a technology and innovation leader with over 20 years of experience, will drive the firm’s innovation strategy, including the development and implementation of new technologies, processes, and service offerings.

DraftWise Partners with Cohere to Refine AI Document Drafting
DraftWise has teamed up with Cohere to enhance the accuracy of its AI-powered legal document drafting platform. By integrating Cohere’s advanced NLP capabilities, the partnership aims to refine the retrieval of legal information, improving the efficiency and precision of drafting complex legal documents​.

ClioCon 2024: Legal Trends Report plus all the latest news and interviews
From ClioCon 2024, the annual legal trends report highlights the continuing evolution of the legal industry. This year’s survey revealed that over 80% of law firms now use legal technology, with cloud-based software, AI-powered tools, and data analytics leading the charge. The report emphasizes the increasing importance of online legal services, citing the growing demand for remote access to legal assistance. The survey also addresses concerns over data security and privacy, highlighting the need for robust measures to protect sensitive client information in the digital age. Overall, ClioCon 2024 underscores the transformative impact of legal technology, shaping the future of the legal profession and empowering firms to meet modern challenges.

Summize Launches AI Redlining Solution that Mirrors True Lawyer Behavior
Summize, an AI-driven legal solutions provider, has introduced a groundbreaking solution that tackles redlining in the legal industry. The AI system, trained on vast amounts of legal data, mirrors the behavior of experienced attorneys and comprehensively assesses contracts while flagging potentially unfair or discriminatory clauses. Not only does this tool provide efficient and accurate contract review, but it also promotes ethical and equitable outcomes by mitigating redlining, a systemic issue that disproportionately affects marginalized communities.

Establishing GenAI literacy in courts: ​An ethics guide for judges & court administrators
The American Bar Association’s Center for Professional Responsibility has published an ethics guide to assist attorneys in using artificial intelligence and machine learning in court. The guide emphasizes the importance of transparency, accuracy, fairness, and bias mitigation when utilizing AI and ML systems in legal proceedings. It encourages lawyers to assess the reliability and limitations of such systems and to disclose their use to judges and opposing counsel. By establishing ethical standards for the use of AI and ML in courts, the guide aims to ensure the responsible and equitable application of these technologies in the legal profession.

Yale Law School introduces numerous AI-focused initiatives
Yale Law School is investing heavily in artificial intelligence (AI) research and education. The school has launched several new initiatives, including a new AI Policy Lab, an AI concentration in its JD program, and an AI certificate for non-law students. The AI Policy Lab will focus on the legal and policy implications of AI, while the AI concentration and certificate will provide students with the knowledge and skills to work with AI in a variety of legal settings. Yale Law School is also investing in AI research, with a particular focus on developing AI tools that can help lawyers with their work.