Robots are coming for the lawyers

In the context of legal services, the many consumers who can't afford a lawyer are already forgoing their day in court altogether or handling legal claims on their own--often with bad results. If partial automation means an overwhelmed legal-aid lawyer now has time to take more clients' cases, or clients can now afford to hire a lawyer, everyone will be better off. In addition, tech-enabled legal services can help consumers do a better job of representing themselves. For example, the federal district court in Missouri now offers a platform to help individuals filing for bankruptcy prepare their forms--either on their own or with a free 30-minute meeting with a lawyer. Because the platform provides a head start, both the lawyer and consumer can make better use of the 30-minute time slot.