The AI wave is crashing down on law firms and their law office software applications as you read this article. Some would consider it a tsunami, wiping out everything – and potentially everyone – in its path. Others would cast it as transformative, significantly enhancing law office productivity and profitability. It will take time to determine whether one or the other – or perhaps both statements – turn out to be accurate. What is clear is that the AI wave is here, and is building.
Software developers, who create the software that powers many law firms, are moving full speed ahead with integrating artificial intelligence into their products. Three companies that offer products which Crosspointe supports seem to have plunged in with both feet in this regard. Each has constructed AI integrations that enhance the functionality of their core products. We will discuss each of these products and their use of AI in more detail in future posts on our blog here. In this article I will present an overview of the major points in each application’s efforts to harness AI.
Net Documents
With its initial release of PatternBuilder, NetDocuments can leverage a firm’s extensive document library with an artificial intelligence tool. This AI application uses the firm’s document repository – not the full Internet, as many popular AI products do – as its “Large Language Model” (LLM) for creating new documents from the firm’s collective information sources. PatternBuilder is the first release of a series of tools created by NetDocuments to responsibly harness the power of AI for streamlining and enhancing the production of work products.
Caret Legal
CARET Legal recently released Quick Summary, a secure AI feature that takes the hassle out of digesting lengthy documents by providing firms with concise, yet comprehensive summaries. Quick Summary can extract and summarize key terms, clauses and obligations from contracts and agreements, helping legal professionals more quickly identify potential risks, compliance issues or opportunities, enabling a more efficient workflow and ultimately more productive time. While this feature doesn’t replace a full review of any legal document, when a user needs to locate a document timely or come up to speed quickly on a set of documents, Quick Summary delivers.
ZenCase
ZenCase users can access an artificial intelligence bot, called ZenGPT, to draft documents, conduct legal research and perform many other straightforward functions, saving both staff and attorney time, and increasing overall firm productivity. Staff can enter a detailed query into the ZenGPT search bar, such as “draft a purchase and sale agreement between party X and party Y” and ZenGPT will draft a detailed document (reply), using natural language search on information stored across the internet.
At this early stage in the “AI tsunami” it is too soon to say what type of AI functionality will ultimately become the standard against which all software applications will be evaluated. It seems pretty clear at this point, however, that artificial intelligence is not going away. As industry pundit Frederick Shelton recently wrote:
“Corporate Darwinism is about to hit the legal profession in a heretofore unprecedented fashion and we’re entering a time when it will indeed, be necessary to adapt, if you want your client base to survive.
AI won’t replace attorneys. Attorneys who know best how to use AI, will replace those who don’t.”
Climb aboard for a bumpy but exhilarating ride.
Looking to get a handle on this fascinating but scary technology before the wave washes you away? Get in touch with us by phone at 877-375-2810 or by email at [email protected] to pick our brains about AI tools.
Jack Schaller has been active in the field of law office technology since 1989, and has worked with a variety of commercial accounting, legal billing, practice management, and document management software products during his twenty plus years in the software consulting field. During his tenure as a software consultant he has garnered many sales and service awards for his work with legal software products. Jack is a frequent presenter at legal conferences and seminars, and is a regular contributor to TechnoLawyer and other technology publications.