Legal Currents and Futures: ChatGPT: A Versatile Tool for Legal Professionals

Jeanne Eicks, J.D., associate dean of Graduate and Lifelong Learning Programs at The Colleges of Law, discusses the implications of ChatGPT for the legal industry.

ChatGPT has taken the world by storm. In two months the estimate of enrolled users has grown to more than 100 million. Teachers find themselves wondering whether their students or ChatGPT wrote take-home essays, and correspondences may or may not be authored by a human. With the public release of a freely available artificial intelligence tool, ChatGPT has led us into a new frontier where sensible and human-sounding written words may be uniquely generated by a computer—and sometimes we cannot tell the difference between human and computer-generated writing.

What does this awe-inspiring technical advancement—a generative chatbot artificial intelligence tool—mean for the legal industry, and how can it support legal professionals? I put this question to ChatGPT and awaited the answer, which was given in approximately one minute.  Here’s what ChatGPT told me (the links to supporting content are my addition):

“Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming various industries, and the legal industry is no exception. One of the most exciting AI developments in recent years is the generative chatbot, which has the potential to revolutionize the way legal professionals work. In this blog, we will explore what generative chatbots are, how they work, and how they can support legal professionals.

What are generative chatbots?

Generative chatbots are AI-powered chatbots that can generate natural language responses to user input. Unlike rule-based chatbots, which can only respond to predefined inputs, generative chatbots use machine learning algorithms to understand and generate responses to open-ended queries. They can also learn from user interactions, improving their accuracy and effectiveness over time.

How do generative chatbots work in the legal industry?

Generative chatbots can support legal professionals in several ways. Here are some examples:

Streamlining communication: Legal professionals can use chatbots to communicate with clients and other parties involved in legal cases. Chatbots can provide basic information, such as case updates, and schedule meetings, reducing the workload on legal professionals.

Document automation: Legal professionals can use chatbots to automate the creation of legal documents, such as contracts and filings. Chatbots can generate accurate documents quickly, saving legal professionals time and reducing the risk of errors.

Legal research: Chatbots can assist legal professionals in conducting legal research. They can search legal databases and other sources for relevant information and provide summaries and analyses of legal cases and statutes.

Client support: Legal professionals can use chatbots to provide clients with basic legal information and guidance. Chatbots can answer questions about legal procedures and provide explanations of legal terms.

Predictive analytics: Legal professionals can use chatbots to analyze data and make predictions about legal outcomes. Chatbots can use machine learning algorithms to assess the likelihood of success for different legal strategies, helping legal professionals make informed decisions.

What are the benefits of using generative chatbots in the legal industry?

Generative chatbots offer several benefits to legal professionals, including:

Increased efficiency: Chatbots can automate routine tasks, reducing the workload on legal professionals and freeing up time for more complex tasks.

Improved accuracy: Chatbots can generate accurate documents and provide reliable information, reducing the risk of errors and improving the quality of legal work.

Cost savings: Chatbots can perform tasks at a fraction of the cost of human labor, reducing the cost of legal services for clients.

Improved client satisfaction: Chatbots can provide clients with instant access to legal information and updates, improving client satisfaction and loyalty.

Better decision-making: Chatbots can provide legal professionals with data-driven insights and predictions, helping them make better-informed decisions.

Generative chatbots are an awe-inspiring technical advancement that has the potential to transform the legal industry. By streamlining communication, automating document creation, assisting in legal research, providing client support, and offering predictive analytics, chatbots can support legal professionals in a range of tasks. The benefits of using chatbots in the legal industry include increased efficiency, improved accuracy, cost savings, improved client satisfaction, and better decision-making. It is essential to remember that chatbots should support, not replace, human legal professionals. Chatbots can help legal professionals focus on high-value tasks and provide better service to their clients.”

ChatGPT’s blog writing style suffers from slightly stilted language use though its response was thorough, if a bit superficial, and met the level expected in a blog—and it produced the content in one minute. What impact will this have on the legal profession?  Only time will tell, and legal professionals will have a lot more time available if they use ChatGPT in their work.

One might wonder about the potential pitfalls of using ChatGPT in legal practice. Read Legal Currents and Futures next week to learn how ChatGPT’s potential failures impact its usefulness to legal professionals.

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Jeanne Eicks, J.D., is the associate dean for Graduate and Lifelong Learning Programs at The Colleges of Law. With the goal of preparing students for careers that routinely intersect with the law—but do not require a law license—she has championed the development of the Master of Arts in Law program at The Colleges of Law.

About the Master of Arts in Law program 

The M.A. in Law program prepares professionals for careers that routinely intersect with the law but do not require a J.D. or legal license. Students in the program can customize their education based on their professional interests, choosing from courses in business operations, entrepreneurship, emerging law, technology, and others. 

Learn more about the M.A. in Law program by completing the form below.

To learn more about the Master of Arts in Law program at The Colleges of Law, fill out the form below.