Don't Believe the Hype? A More Practical View of Using AI in Legal (Stephen Embry – TechLaw Crossroads)

This episode is conversation with attorney and legal tech aficionado Stephen Embry. He is also the man behind the TechLaw Crossroads blog which is a great resource for practical and real world insight about legal tech and how technology is impacting the practice of law. Stephen discusses his journey from practicing law to becoming a technology advisor for legal professionals and firms. Embry emphasizes that good lawyers will embrace artificial intelligence technology to increase efficiency and serve their clients better, leaving more time for strategic thinking and advisory roles. But, he also points out that the legal market is highly segmented, with different firms adopting technology at varying paces. While some law firms are proactively embracing AI, he questions whether some of the claims are more hype than reality. Stephen also discusses the potential of AI handling back-office tasks in law firms, reducing overhead and freeing up time for legal professionals. He also suggests that a shift from hourly billing to task-based billing could allow law firms to benefit from AI's efficiency. However, he noted that the adoption of AI in law firms largely depends on the clients' demand and the industry's readiness to depart from traditional billing methods. Despite the challenges, Embry remains optimistic about the transformative role of AI in the legal field.