Expert Analysis

• Opinion

  Attorneys Should Have An Ethical Duty To Advance DEI

  National and state bar associations are encouraging attorneys to apply diversity, equity and inclusion practices in the legal profession and beyond, and these associations should take it one step further by formally recognizing ethical duties for attorneys to promote DEI, which could better the legal profession and society, says Elena Mitchell at Moore & Van Allen.

• 10 Steps To Improve Legal Vendor Management

  Corporate counsel often turn to third-party vendors to manage spending challenges, and navigating this selection process can be difficult for both counsel and the vendor, but there are several ways corporate legal departments can make the entire process easier and beneficial for all parties involved, says David Cochran at QuisLex.

• DoNotPay Cases Underscore Hurdles For AI-Fueled Legal Help

  Recent legal challenges against DoNotPay’s "robot lawyer” application highlight pressing questions about the degree to which artificial intelligence can be used for legal tasks while remaining on the right side of both consumer protection laws and prohibitions against the unauthorized practice of law, says Kristen Niven at Frankfurt Kurnit.

• Strategies To Improve Reporting In The Legal Industry

  The growing demand for analytical data within law firms and corporate law departments — from live case status updates to diversity reports — highlights the need for improvements in legal profession reporting, with increasingly granular industry-standard codes to describe legal tasks being key, says Kenneth Jones at Xerdict.

• Accessible Legal Tech Begins With Empathy In Design

  Legal technology has the potential to eliminate barriers for disabled attorneys navigating their careers and for disabled clients seeking access to justice, but to truly level the playing field, accessible technology must be designed with input from and empathy for the often-underrepresented communities it serves, say Lisa Mueller at Casimir Jones and attorney Haley Moss.

• 6 Tips For Document Review Projects Using Alt Legal Services

  Despite strides made in the e-discovery industry, document reviews continue to be one of the most expensive line items for litigation, so law firms working with alternative legal service providers should consider key best practices, including providing clear protocol, having transparent deadlines, and more, says Phoebe Gebre at Integreon.

• ChatGPT Is A Cool Trick, But AI Won't Replace Lawyers

  Generative AI applications like ChatGPT are unlikely to ever replace attorneys for a variety of practical reasons — but given their practice-enhancing capabilities, lawyers who fail to leverage these tools may be rendered obsolete, says Eran Kahana at Maslon.

• Pro Bono Work Is Valuable In IP And Continued Learning

  The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's recent elimination of a rule that partially counted pro bono work toward continuing legal education highlights the importance of volunteer work in intellectual property practice and its ties to CLE, and puts a valuable tool for hands-on attorney education in the hands of the states, say Lisa Holubar and Ariel Katz at Irwin.

• 10 Principles For Effective Partner Reward Systems

  Several forces are reshaping partners’ expectations about profit-sharing, and as compensation structures evolve in response, firms should keep certain fundamentals in mind to build a successful partner reward system, say Michael Roch at MHPR Advisors and Ray D'Cruz at Performance Leader.

• How Law Firm Leaders Can Optimize Their Tech Investments

  As law firms turn to legal technology to help expedite case processing and other workflows, leaders must focus on creating a lean set of business tools and keep one eye on the future to plan their technology road map, says Simon Whitburn at Exterro.

• Law Firm Threat Awareness Is Key To Cyberattack Prevention

  Taking the time to learn which cybersecurity attacks could pose the most likely threat to your law firm is the first step to keeping sensitive data safe, protecting valuable client relationships and potentially saving millions of dollars in losses, says Daniel Klein at Cynet.

• What Web3 Means For Lawyers' Ethical Duties

  As law firms embrace Web3 technologies by accepting cryptocurrency as payment for legal fees, investing in metaverse departments and more, lawyers should remember their ethical duties to warn clients of the benefits and risks of technology in a murky regulatory environment, says Heidi Frostestad Kuehl at Northern Illinois University College of Law.

• NY's Cybersecurity CLE Rule Is A Sign Of Changing Times

  New York's recently announced requirement that lawyers complete cybersecurity training as part of their continuing legal education is a reminder that securing client information is more complicated in an increasingly digital world, and that expectations around attorneys' technology competence are changing, says Jason Schwent at Clark Hill.

• 4 Steps For Integrating AI Into Contract Management

  Companies must focus on several preliminary tasks when integrating artificial intelligence into their contract life cycle management systems to reap the benefits of data-driven insights and seamless processes, says Charmel Rhyne at Onit.

• A Law Student's Guide To Thriving As A Summer Associate

  Summer associates are expected to establish a favorable reputation and develop genuine relationships in a few short weeks, but several time management, attitude and communication principles can help them make the most of their time and secure an offer for a full-time position, says Joseph Marciano, who was a 2022 summer associate at Reed Smith.