AI in the office has many roles outside of just general use. From monitoring compliance to providing customer service, AI continues to expand in what it can do for businesses allowing them to run more efficiently than ever before. This makes it incredibly useful for paralegals while providing paralegal services when they are staying organized and working within their respective company’s rules and regulations. Here are some ways the adoption of AI in the workplace helps paralegal services operate with greater efficiency:
Digital Assistant
Humans can only hold so much information at once; however, conventional software like Microsoft Office Suite does not always proactively or passively remind you about deadlines or upcoming meetings. As a result, many paralegal service providers will utilize digital assistants like Cortana Microsoft, Siri (Apple), or Google Now to create “reminders” and keep paralegals up-to-date on upcoming deadlines.
Scheduling
Digital Assistants are not only helpful in the paralegal services area when it comes to creating reminders but also in scheduling meetings or events. For example, if a lawyer could not make a meeting with their client the digital assistant would typically schedule another time for an appointment to meet with them due to its ability to confirm availability using different modes of communication (i.e., e-mail, text, etc.). This reduces time spent physically checking calendars or having back-and-forth email exchanges between the paralegal and the lawyer about availability which is incredibly useful when working under relative deadlines relative to meet with clients before filing lawsuits or other legal cases.
Language Translation
In a time where international relations are becoming more and more common, it is often important to know other languages to communicate with different people from different backgrounds. It’s no surprise then that many businesses have begun using programs that allow for “real-time” translations of documents or websites so paralegals don’t have to waste time manually translating these materials themselves. Many of these translation services utilize artificial intelligence to translate from one language into another making it easier than ever before for paralegal services providers to do their jobs without requiring them to learn an entirely new language beforehand.
Legal Research
Very much like the translation services previously mentioned, legal research can be a time-consuming paralegal services process because there are hundreds of different resources available that can be used to assist with the legal process. However, certain artificial intelligence programs like Casetext utilize natural language processing (NLP) to extract specific information from documents or websites making it easier for paralegals to find the exact piece of information they are looking for without having to read through hundreds of pages of text.
E-Discovery
As you will learn later on in this article, one very important role that paralegals play in locating documentation before a case begins. Because e-discovery has become so commonplace within the legal field, many paralegals are responsible for sifting through thousands if not millions of documents searching for keywords or phrases relevant to their case. Artificial intelligence is being developed for use in the e-discovery process making it easier than ever before for lawyers on both sides of cases to find any information they may need while working together with paralegals.
Billing
Even though billing may not be a primary role among most paralegals, some companies have begun implementing artificial intelligence programs which are used specifically for tracking time spent on tasks or projects allowing lawyers to stay compliant while saving more money in the long run (if you’re still writing out bills by hand at this point, I’m sorry but you’re probably wasting valuable time). Instead of having to keep track of hours that were worked manually, many lawyer offices now allow software like LawGeex to log time, track projects, and even generate billing reports without the need for unnecessary input from paralegals.
Organization
Many tasks that require organized and detailed information cannot be completed in a timely fashion without some sort of artificial intelligence program designed specifically for this purpose. Binders containing neatly arranged papers are no longer necessary when using an advanced e-discovery software like Recommind that can organize countless amounts of documents into multiple categories based on different criteria such as case name or file type among other things making it easy for paralegals to find exactly what they’re looking for. Similarly, this is also utilized among discovery software allowing firms to view specific patterns within data files or financial records without having to comb through thousands of documents.
Text Mining
As you will learn later on in this article, paralegals often use specific software programs that allow them to search for relevant keywords within any sort of document. These programs can also be used for text mining which is essentially extracting descriptive information from millions of records without having to manually search through all of them individually. This saves a lot of time and money allowing paralegals to focus their efforts on other more important tasks while simultaneously providing lawyers with more documentation based on the specific case they are working on.
Visualization
Because there are so many different types of data being used by modern law firms, it is difficult for lawyers on both sides to visualize or comprehend the information being presented to them. To solve this problem, many different lawyers have begun utilizing visualization tools like Tableau which allows them to see how text files, financial records, or charts correlate with each other with a simple drag-and-drop feature. This gives lawyers a better idea of what they’re working on and how everything fits together moving forward in time toward a trial.
Predictive Analysis
One very popular use for artificial intelligence within law firms is a predictive analysis that can further assist both paralegals and lawyers with their daily tasks. Using advanced software that utilizes machine learning processes, paralegals can input information about certain cases including things such as deadlines, upcoming hearings, terms of contemplated legal actions, possible verdicts, and other similar details. This allows paralegals to see all available options ahead of time, and determine the best course of action based on factors such as past trials concerning similar cases or what seems to be working best in certain situations.
The use of artificial intelligence has been a major step forward in terms of efficiency for paralegal services, making it easier to find relevant information and organize data. These programs can be used anywhere from organizing documents to predicting results based on past cases or outcomes that have already occurred with similar circumstances. Lawyers must utilize the power of AI when possible because not only does this save time but also money which is beneficial for both parties involved in the long run.
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Artificial Intelligence Bringing Legal Research Beyond the Physical World
