Artificial

Intelligence
&
The Practice of Law

By: Elliot Abra

Presentation Outline
 Meaning of A.I
 Industries Using A.I
 Current state of A.I in Legal Practice
 Use of A.I. in Legal Practice
 Pros & Cons of A.I, in legal practice
 Focus of future law firms
 AI: a lawyer’s replacement?
 Keynotes
 Conclusion
 Intro: Meaning of A.I
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a phrase coined by John
McCarthy, the father of AI in 1955.
It is the development of computer systems able to
perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence.
Goal of AI development is to meet the need for and
desire for automation in today’s fast-paced human
lives
“Father” of AI: John McCarthy
Some Industries Using A.I
Healthcare
Finance
Architecture and construction
Office Administration
Transport
Life, Physical & Social Sciences
Legal Practice
Current state of A.I in law
 Global value of ~$1T, yet under digitized
ROSS is the world’s first artificial intelligence
attorney created by IBM technology in 2016.
Others: Ravel Law, Premonition AI & Kira Systems
In 2016, U.S consultancy group McKinsey estimated
that about 22% of what a lawyer does can be
automated and 35% of a paralegal’s job can be
automated.
Current state of A.I in law
 African firms like Bowmans, Webber Wentzel and KTA
Advocates have adopted AI technologies in their service
delivery.
 The newness of the technology, have produced skepticism .
 ABA passed a resolution midyear 2023 to regulate AI in
legal practice
 In April 2021, the European Commission proposed the first
EU regulatory framework for A.I (EU Artificial Intelligence
Act).
Use of A.I in Legal Practice
Legal Research
Litigation Strategy
Office Management
Contract Review
Due diligence
Pros & Cons of AI in Legal Practice
Pros
 Increased efficiency
 Reduced cost
 Allows attorneys focus on high level matters

Cons
 Bias and discrimination
 Data privacy issues
 Potential job displacement
A.I in Ghana Legal System
 Use of A.I is not a familiar area in Ghana's legal space
 Some lawyers personally use generative A.I (such as
ChatGPT and Bard) for their legal research and contract
review.
 Ghanaian firms (esp. those with international clients and
attorneys) adapt to this change
 Ghana's legal education will have to adjust in the long run
Focus of future law firms
 Client Service Innovations

 Focus on higher profits

 Technology foundation for growth

 Focus on brand value

Factors Law Firms should consider in using A.I

 Confidentiality and privacy

 Transparency and disclosure

 Security

 Legal and Regulatory Compliance

 Accuracy and Supervision

AI: lawyer’s replacement?
It would be a mistake to use the
extraordinary advances of AI to
minimize the importance of the
human element in the practice of
law.
But it would be just as big a
mistake to dismiss the role of AI
Key Points to Note
 Use of AI in legal practice is a reality and will increase with
time. (Brown v BCA trading Ltd, 2016)
 AI technology is more suited for the research side of legal
work.
 Legal practitioners in this 21st century must learn to be like an
antelope, that is always learning how to run faster so that it
will not be eaten by the fastest lion
 A.I will not replace lawyers, lawyers who use A.I will replace
lawyers who do not
Conclusion
 A.I was developed to improve human efficiency
 In the legal industry there are a lot uncertainties
 Its use has been proved to increase efficiency and profitability
 The discussion of A.I in Ghana's legal space is still a gray area hence
firms that build their expertise and plan according in this will be
ahead of the curve
 So far as A.I is concerned with legal industry the future is now
Thank You
References
 https://emerj.com/ai-sector-overviews/ai-in-law-legal-practice-curre
nt-applications
 https://www.americanbar.org/news/reporter_resources/midyear-m
eeting-2023/house-of-delegates-resolutions
 https://www.law.com/thelegalintelligencer/2023/07/03/ethical-and
-thoughtful-use-of-ai-in-the-legal-industry/
 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/society/20230
601STO93804/eu-ai-act-first-regulation-on-artificial-intelligence
References
 https://blog.ipleaders.in/role-of-artificial-intelligence-in-law/
 https://ghanalawhub.com/artificial-intelligence-and-the-ghanaian-le
gal-industry-an-angel-or-demon/