More AI Means We Need More EQ In-House Consigliere

Last week I had the privilege to serve as a panelist at a Northwestern Pritzker School of Law event entitled "Symposium 2020: AI, the New Law Firm Attorney: Artificial Intelligence Entering the Legal Profession." The event's keynote speaker Seyfarth Shaw Chair Emeritus Stephen Poor and our panel explored the growing impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in the legal industry to help lawyers achieve more by getting out of the repetitive, routine and mundane tasks that lawyers have performed in the past so they can "practice at the top of their license" as Mr. Poor stated. I love the phrase "practice at the top of their license" as all lawyers will need to do more of this – especially as we see the rise of tech intensity as technology plays a bigger role in our professional and personal lives and leading technology like AI is increasingly used by lawyers, law firms and other legal organizations to deliver legal services to their clients. As AI tools seek to automate and perform certain tasks that have been traditionally performed by lawyers, I believe that the Emotional Intelligence or Emotional Quotient (EQ) skills that lawyers use everyday to deliver legal services to their clients will be more important than ever before as stronger EQ skills will help enable lawyers to truly "practice at the top of their license." Since AI, algorithms, machines and technology do not embrace EQ, the proverbial "soft skills" that are often associated with EQ can help lawyers provide even more high-impact/high-value legal counsel to their clients and differentiate their legal services from others.