![\"AI](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AI-based-legal-services-CIAO.jpg?resize=770%2C495&ssl=1\" "\\"\\"")
In elementary school, the arrival of a substitute teacher could be a cause for celebration, like a snow day. (Depending on who the regular teacher was.) Lawyers tend not to feel that way about substitutes for their services. But maybe we can learn from a replacement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019m talking, of course, about artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n
Table of contents<\/h2>\n\n- AI-Based Legal Services and Other New Options for Consumers<\/a><\/li>\n
- The Losing War on Substitutes<\/a><\/li>\n
- Displacement and Salvation<\/a><\/li>\n
- Ciao, Amico<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
AI-Based Legal Services and Other New Options for Consumers<\/h2>\n
Many studies have examined why people don\u2019t use lawyers. They may not recognize when a problem can be solved by professional help. They might not see value commensurate with the money or have a negative view of attorneys.\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, cost and inconvenience are always high on the list. Many who would benefit from a lawyer\u2019s help choose to do without. That\u2019s true for businesses and nonprofits as well as budget-challenged individuals.<\/p>\n
Consumers naturally gravitate to solutions they perceive as faster, cheaper or better. AI-based legal services are certainly faster and cheaper, and in many ways, they can be better than human ones. Getting a coherent, well-formatted analysis of your situation in light of legal principles in seconds for free is mighty appealing. Hard to compete with that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Folks can now get highly personalized answers to legal questions instantaneously. They are finding reassurance and encouragement from machines. What lawyer would readily converse with a nonclient at 2 a.m.?\u00a0<\/p>\n
So one way to learn from such a substitute is to remember things we already knew. People like clear, patient explanations. Empathetic listening. Speedy and convenient solutions. <\/a>We want good value for our time and money.<\/p>\nThe Losing War on Substitutes<\/h2>\n
It\u2019s disconcerting when someone, or\u00a0something<\/em>, shows up that can do what you\u2019ve been making a living at less expensively. One response, especially from beneficiaries of a professional monopoly, is to question the legitimacy of the substitute.<\/p>\nSome bar authorities regard all forms of legal assistance other than the services of a lawyer to be \u201cunauthorized practice\u201d (UPL). For example, software-based will preparation tools are only legal in Texas if they conspicuously state that they are \u201cnot a substitute for the advice of an attorney.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even if UPL regimes weren\u2019t already on shaky constitutional and policy grounds when applied to automated services (see Unauthorized Help<\/a>), the organized bar can hardly stop people from using general-purpose AI.\u00a0<\/p>\nOne class of customers likely to curtail their consumption of lawyers is lawyers themselves. (For reasons similar to those of consumers!) Law firms will experiment with digital associates, and law departments will leverage internal systems that minimize the amount of work that needs to go to outside counsel.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With the resulting dearth of entry-level jobs, where will the next generation learn to practice?<\/a> Law schools that have gotten away with supplying inexperienced cogs for pyramid business models may need to up their game.<\/p>\nDisplacement and Salvation <\/h2>\n
In a 1990 talk, I explored ways computers can serve as lawyer-saving devices<\/a>. One was to spare consumers from having to use lawyers, and another was to rescue lawyers from obsolescence.<\/p>\nIn a memorable line, Harvard Law professor Gary Bellow, who taught many early clinical educators (including me), wrote, \u201cThose that can\u2019t do, teach. Those that can\u2019t teach, teach teachers.\u201d (Gary was, in fact, a world-class doer, teacher,\u00a0and\u00a0teacher of teachers.) <\/p>\n
Nowadays, another career option is to teach machines.<\/p>\n
Our latest substitutes are good at learning. And they are getting better faster than we can ever hope to. Yet there still are things that can\u2019t be done well by machine, such as effective advocacy. There\u2019s a market for quality assurance, ethical behavior, and recourse if something goes wrong (e.g., via malpractice insurance). Strategic wisdom amid complex transactions doesn\u2019t yet flow from chatbots.<\/p>\n
Ciao, Amico<\/h2>\n
How should we address this replacement? How about \u201cHello, friend\u201c?<\/p>\n
Humanity has spent billions teaching AI systems. We\u2019re getting payback across many contexts and disciplines. Let\u2019s be open to what they can teach us. Throughout our work lives, there are endless opportunities for just-in-time education.<\/p>\n
Intelligent machines will be increasingly competitive substitutes for human lawyers. But they can also help us do our best work \u2014 if we focus on augmentation rather than competition.<\/p>\n
Now that\u2019s<\/em> a substitution we should embrace!<\/p>\nMany organizations now have a Chief AI Officer<\/a> (CAIO). But we need IA (intelligence augmentation) too. Machines can make humans smarter.<\/p>\nI\u2019d like to be a Chief Intelligence Augmentation Officer, or CIAO. Who\u2019s hiring?<\/p>\n
Image \u00a9 iStockPhoto.com. <\/p>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/AttorneyatWork-Logo-%C2%AE-2021-1.jpg?resize=372%2C106&ssl=1\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\nSign up for Attorney at Work\u2019s daily practice tips newsletter here<\/a> and subscribe to our podcast<\/a>, Attorney at Work Today.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Marc Lauritsen | Intelligent machines will be increasingly competitive substitutes for human lawyers. But they can also help us do our best work \u2014 if we focus on augmentation rather than competition. The post Will AI-Based Legal Services Become a Legitimate Substitute for Human Lawyers? appeared first on Articles, Tips and Tech for Law Firms […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-129439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-legal_matters"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129439","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=129439"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129439\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=129439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=129439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=129439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
AI-Based Legal Services and Other New Options for Consumers<\/h2>\n
Many studies have examined why people don\u2019t use lawyers. They may not recognize when a problem can be solved by professional help. They might not see value commensurate with the money or have a negative view of attorneys.\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, cost and inconvenience are always high on the list. Many who would benefit from a lawyer\u2019s help choose to do without. That\u2019s true for businesses and nonprofits as well as budget-challenged individuals.<\/p>\n
Consumers naturally gravitate to solutions they perceive as faster, cheaper or better. AI-based legal services are certainly faster and cheaper, and in many ways, they can be better than human ones. Getting a coherent, well-formatted analysis of your situation in light of legal principles in seconds for free is mighty appealing. Hard to compete with that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Folks can now get highly personalized answers to legal questions instantaneously. They are finding reassurance and encouragement from machines. What lawyer would readily converse with a nonclient at 2 a.m.?\u00a0<\/p>\n
So one way to learn from such a substitute is to remember things we already knew. People like clear, patient explanations. Empathetic listening. Speedy and convenient solutions. <\/a>We want good value for our time and money.<\/p>\n It\u2019s disconcerting when someone, or\u00a0something<\/em>, shows up that can do what you\u2019ve been making a living at less expensively. One response, especially from beneficiaries of a professional monopoly, is to question the legitimacy of the substitute.<\/p>\n Some bar authorities regard all forms of legal assistance other than the services of a lawyer to be \u201cunauthorized practice\u201d (UPL). For example, software-based will preparation tools are only legal in Texas if they conspicuously state that they are \u201cnot a substitute for the advice of an attorney.\u201d<\/p>\n Even if UPL regimes weren\u2019t already on shaky constitutional and policy grounds when applied to automated services (see Unauthorized Help<\/a>), the organized bar can hardly stop people from using general-purpose AI.\u00a0<\/p>\n One class of customers likely to curtail their consumption of lawyers is lawyers themselves. (For reasons similar to those of consumers!) Law firms will experiment with digital associates, and law departments will leverage internal systems that minimize the amount of work that needs to go to outside counsel.\u00a0<\/p>\n With the resulting dearth of entry-level jobs, where will the next generation learn to practice?<\/a> Law schools that have gotten away with supplying inexperienced cogs for pyramid business models may need to up their game.<\/p>\n In a 1990 talk, I explored ways computers can serve as lawyer-saving devices<\/a>. One was to spare consumers from having to use lawyers, and another was to rescue lawyers from obsolescence.<\/p>\n In a memorable line, Harvard Law professor Gary Bellow, who taught many early clinical educators (including me), wrote, \u201cThose that can\u2019t do, teach. Those that can\u2019t teach, teach teachers.\u201d (Gary was, in fact, a world-class doer, teacher,\u00a0and\u00a0teacher of teachers.) <\/p>\n Nowadays, another career option is to teach machines.<\/p>\n Our latest substitutes are good at learning. And they are getting better faster than we can ever hope to. Yet there still are things that can\u2019t be done well by machine, such as effective advocacy. There\u2019s a market for quality assurance, ethical behavior, and recourse if something goes wrong (e.g., via malpractice insurance). Strategic wisdom amid complex transactions doesn\u2019t yet flow from chatbots.<\/p>\n How should we address this replacement? How about \u201cHello, friend\u201c?<\/p>\n Humanity has spent billions teaching AI systems. We\u2019re getting payback across many contexts and disciplines. Let\u2019s be open to what they can teach us. Throughout our work lives, there are endless opportunities for just-in-time education.<\/p>\n Intelligent machines will be increasingly competitive substitutes for human lawyers. But they can also help us do our best work \u2014 if we focus on augmentation rather than competition.<\/p>\n Now that\u2019s<\/em> a substitution we should embrace!<\/p>\n Many organizations now have a Chief AI Officer<\/a> (CAIO). But we need IA (intelligence augmentation) too. Machines can make humans smarter.<\/p>\n I\u2019d like to be a Chief Intelligence Augmentation Officer, or CIAO. Who\u2019s hiring?<\/p>\n Image \u00a9 iStockPhoto.com. <\/p>\n Sign up for Attorney at Work\u2019s daily practice tips newsletter here<\/a> and subscribe to our podcast<\/a>, Attorney at Work Today.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Marc Lauritsen | Intelligent machines will be increasingly competitive substitutes for human lawyers. But they can also help us do our best work \u2014 if we focus on augmentation rather than competition. The post Will AI-Based Legal Services Become a Legitimate Substitute for Human Lawyers? appeared first on Articles, Tips and Tech for Law Firms […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-129439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-legal_matters"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129439","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=129439"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129439\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=129439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=129439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=129439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}The Losing War on Substitutes<\/h2>\n
Displacement and Salvation <\/h2>\n
Ciao, Amico<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n