AI and machine learning have developed significantly in recent years. In fact, so profound is the transformation that reports now claim that up to 1.5 million jobs are at risk from being replaced by automation. Industries around the world are set to be transformed by AI. The rise of legal artificial intelligence is just one such example. In most cases, the danger is exaggerated; outside of a few vulnerable industries, the focus will largely be on automating tasks within jobs, rather than the jobs themselves – at least in the near future. But to what extent will the legal industry be affected by automation?

I was meeting with the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce's Communications Committee; there was some brainstorming about session ideas for the upcoming Chamber Conference. There were some thoughts thrown out, and quite a few comments were made. Then someone said, "how about automation and artificial intelligence." Suddenly, a surge of ideas and thoughts hit the room like a vicious uppercut from Mike Tyson circa 1999. All industries went into the mix: retail, auto, construction, medical and legal.

In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell repeatedly mentions what has become known as the "10,000-hour rule", which states that to become world-class in any field you must devote 10,000 hours of "deliberate practice". Whether or not you believe the 10,000-hour figure, many would acknowledge that to become an accomplished legal professional requires considerable legal, communicative and, particularly in in-house environments, interpersonal skills that are often acquired after a tremendous amount of effort exerted over many years. There has been much hoopla about AI-based legal systems that, some might have you believe, may soon replace lawyers (no doubt causing a degree of anxiety among some legal professionals). There is some misunderstanding among many lawyers, and much of the public, about what AI systems are presently capable of. Can a legal AI, based on current technology, actually "think" like a lawyer?

In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell repeatedly mentions what has become known as the "10,000-hour rule", which states that to become world-class in any field you must devote 10,000 hours of "deliberate practice". Whether or not you believe the 10,000-hour figure, many would acknowledge that to become an accomplished legal professional requires considerable legal, communicative and, particularly in in-house environments, interpersonal skills that are often acquired after a tremendous amount of effort exerted over many years. There has been much hoopla about AI-based legal systems that, some might have you believe, may soon replace lawyers (no doubt causing a degree of anxiety among some legal professionals). There is some misunderstanding among many lawyers, and much of the public, about what AI systems are presently capable of. Can a legal AI, based on current technology, actually "think" like a lawyer?

No, an intelligent robot isn't ready to take over (most) legal jobs. But machine learning has the potential to transform many legal services.

Lieff Cabraser partner Dean M. Harvey will be featured as a distinguished speaker on an Association of Business Trial Lawyers (ABTL) panel titled "Are Computers About to Eat Your Lunch (Or At Least Change the Way You Practice)?" The event will take place on August 30, 2016 at The Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco. Panelists will discuss how artificial intelligence and technology impact the practice of law, especially with respect to document-intensive business litigation. Since computers prove to be more accurate and efficient than human reviewers when reviewing documents, this panel will cover how technology has changed the way lawyers work and what the future looks like for the legal industry in this heavily digitized world. "Dedicated to promoting a dialogue between the California Bench and Bar on business litigation issues," the Association of Business Trial Lawyers (ABTL) was founded in Los Angeles, California in 1973 to develop a better forum for the discussion of business trials.