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Tech adoption doesn’t mean succumbing to ‘robo-lawyers’
The notion of technology taking away valuable work being conducted by lawyers is an outdated way of thinking, an expert in the space has suggested.
Emma Musgrave
Source: insight.thomsonreuters.com.au/resources/resource/james-jarvis-choosing-right-legal-solutions-qanda
Speaking to Lawyers Weekly, James Jarvis, VP of product design and delivery, legal professional, Asia and emerging markets at Thomson Reuters acknowledged that while there are still some companies that are concerned about a so-called threat of robo-lawyers, there needn’t be.
“It’s not about replacing a lawyer with a robot. It’s about providing the lawyer with technology that enables them to make better decisions and see insights more clearly or faster than they would without it.
“Our goal is to continue to be a very important part of the legal profession by providing lawyers with the means of getting the information they need, and identifying what’s going to matter to their clients, enabling them to bring the right answers to the table. So if you think about technology in that context there are many aspects. Technology just helps improve the quality of what we do as professionals, and that’s really where Thomson Reuters is playing.”
Going forward, Mr Jarvis said it’s important for providers like Thomson Reuters to respond to what’s happening in the market. He noted the group’s goal is not to take away valuable work but to enhance the role of its legal clients and create greater efficiencies across the board.
“We follow a design thinking approach. At the heart of that is simply that what we look to do with technology starts with an understanding of the lawyers and their goals, and priorities and the challenges they have,” he explained.
“A lawyer doing work today can likely identify problem areas in that work, or places where they think they could be more efficient. Those challenges become opportunities for us to say, ‘How can we enhance that workflow with a new technology solution?’.
“So, our strategy is to work with the lawyers to identify the problems they need to solve, and then find the best technology to actually solve that problem. There isn’t one technology solution – the problems are diverse so it’s about working out what the best solution is for the particular problem the lawyers need to solve.”
Emma Musgrave
Emma Musgrave (née Ryan) is the managing editor, professional services at Momentum Media.
Emma has worked for Momentum Media since 2015, including five years spent as the editor of the company's legal brand - Lawyers Weekly. Throughout her time at Momentum, she has been responsible for breaking some of the biggest stories in corporate Australia. In addition, she has produced exclusive multimedia and event content related to the company's respective brands and audiences.
Prior to joining Momentum Media, Emma worked in breakfast radio, delivering news to the Central West region of NSW, before taking on a radio journalist role at Southern Cross Austereo, based in Townsville, North Queensland.
She holds a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) degree from Charles Sturt University.
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