New England Biz Law Update
In-house attorneys are faced with the same dilemma we all are — whether and how to adopt artificial intelligence.
While the productivity benefits AI brings are plentiful and many corporate counselors have found a way to implement the technology into their practices, they worry about trusting the tools too much given the need to safeguard proprietary information for their clients.
Fears surrounding confidentiality and cybersecurity are keeping some attorneys from experimenting with the technology. But attorneys and tech experts who have implemented AI in legal settings say if used properly, it can revolutionize the office.
Corporate Counsel and Chat Bots
Chief Legal Officer of Copeland Christine Carney said AI can’t be ignored, but the manner in which it is implemented and how it is introduced to attorneys matters. Her company has adopted a governance framework to guide the safe use of AI.
Carney said Copeland approaches AI through the lens of a “people first culture.”
“We take that and then just want to have a really thoughtful and disciplined approach to AI … making sure that we rigorously are assessing data and cyber security standards, but then taking it and tailoring it, configuring it to fit what we’re doing within the company,” she said.
Copeland has used AI tools for optimization and to analyze data for better decision making. But, Carney stressed, the technology doesn’t replace colleagues who are still relied on to make final decisions.
“We’ve streamlined campaign planning and automation of certain repetitive tasks, but [it is] always being used to empower teams, certainly not replace them,” she said.
Myers Dill, a partner with Husch Blackwell, said while the roll out of AI started quietly, it is now a hot button issue for the legal community.
“There are two sides of the AI coin. One is, how are you using as a law firm, AI tools?” he said. “The other side of that coin is, what sort of issues does AI introduce for our clients?”
Internally, Dill said Husch Blackwell has policies in place governing the use of AI.
“I think front and center of that is making sure that clients know when you’re using AI. Clients pay for attorneys, and sometimes clients want purely attorney brains and not … the reliance of AI or any use of AI, so we’re always upfront about the use of AI,” he said. “Our AI tools are vetted by our AI and data team through IT and … everything is confidential and hosted on our own secure server, so you don’t have to worry about confidentiality issues.”
The firm uses a variety of different AI powered tools, Dill said. This includes an internal program that uses generative AI to help attorneys develop and organize work product.
“AI is almost like having another team member to kind of bounce ideas off of,” he said.
While AI is making a difference in workplace efficiency, it isn’t at a point yet where attorneys see it making a true impact on how the billable hour is calculated.
Dill said because AI is a tool at attorneys’ disposal to help cut down on time, clients may start to see small savings on their fees when attorneys calculate their time on a project.
Carney said at this time, the use of AI does not play a significant role when evaluating legal partners. Instead, firms are asked to place bids on specific projects based on the outcome, not time savings.
