Technology – a means not an end
March 20, 2018
technology legal services law collaboration newlaw inhouse counsel
This article by Mark Cohen @legalmosaic sets out why, in his view, the wave of new technology does not spell the end for lawyers or the legal profession and is a view that really resonates with us at Halebury. Focussing on the risk of machines replacing humans misses the opportunity to instead consider how tech can enhance legal services delivery, freeing up the minds of talented lawyers to be more creative and more solutions driven. The introduction of non-legal professionals into our industry from private equity to procurement to finance will no doubt speed up this process. As lawyers we have the opportunity to lead on this now and work together with each other and technology to improve our service delivery.
Just as law is no longer solely about lawyers, neither will it become the exclusive domain of techies. Technology is a means—not an end—to improving access to and performance of legal delivery. That requires collaboration between and among professionals with different expertise, perspectives, and economic objectives. Lawyers were the colonizer species of an ecosystem that now includes other professionals and machines. They are not in peril of becoming extinct, but their role is changing. People skills (EQ) are more valuable than ever, because those working in the legal space must collaborate as never before. Empathy and persuasion differentiate human beings from machines.
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