The Use Of Technology and Artificial Intelligence as a Transitionary and Innovative Measure To Revitalize the Legal Profession and its Probable Effects
ABSTRACT
Generative AI and technology are increasingly shaping the world. With their impact on human activities and resources being profound, technology has made, and continues to make, a significant mark on various sectors globally. This paper highlights the role of technology and generative AI in advancing the legal profession. It explores how generative AI can be beneficial in courtrooms, legal research, brief writing, and minimizing the filing of frivolous court processes, among other aspects which will be discussed further in this work.
Introduction
Before the advent of technology, lawyers and judges often faced significant challenges in performing their duties. Lawyers, for instance, had to sift through written law reports, which could take hours to yield the desired results. They also struggled with issues of efficacy and efficiency in their research, faced difficulties in interacting with clients, and dealt with the pressure of preparing court documents without the assistance of technological tools. However, the emergence of technology has significantly eased the workload for lawyers and law students, making legal research more efficient and enhancing various aspects of legal practice, including the use of Generative AI.
How Ai Can Be Beneficial In Courtrooms
Generative Artificial intelligence (AI) would definitely be valuable in courtrooms, both to judges and litigants. The use of generative AI will soften the work of judges in writing judgements. Instead of a judge using 3-4 hours writing a judgement, the use of a generative artificial intelligence like LLM will be resourceful. LLM (Large language models) is a type of artificial intelligence (AI) that excels at processing, understanding, and generating human language. The use of LLM will help judges in taking cognizance of the entire proceeding effectively, the submissions made by counsels in court would be processed by LLM into writing in an electronic device automatically. Large language model can also be used in interpreting to a witness who is not conversant with the language of the court efficiently without the need of an interpreter. With the use of technological instrument like that, there will be expedient trials. Imagine a court sitting for five hours in a single case. The judge or justices will definitely get tired of writing their judgements whether on trial or on appeal. With the use of generative AI, courts of law can entertain 10-15 cases per day where they ordinarily entertain 2-3 without the use of generative AI, it is sad that a trial will be conducted today and the appeal will be heard after 5 years. One would ask why? One of the dominant reason is that the workload is too much on the judges, and that is why cases keep lingering in courts. For example, in the case of MAJA V SAMOURIS 1 The Court of Appeal took nine years to dispose the matter. Also in OBASOHAN V OMORODION,2 It took the Supreme Court 16 years to dispose the matter. Unfortunately, several cases have suffered the same faith. One of the innovative measures that would jettison inexpedient trials is by providing technological instrument that will aid judges and lawyers in courtrooms in discharging their duties.
AI And Legal Research
AI can be pivotal in legal research, the use of AI and its importance in legal research can never be overemphasized. Artificial intelligence apps like Gemini, Open AI, ChatGPT and the rest have been utilized in legal research for searching on legal articles, journals and information that would be apposite with the instant research a researcher is making.
Utilizing AI In Preparing Court Processes
Using AI in preparing court processes will definitely be beneficial to the legal profession. Its use will not only save the time of the courts, but also save the time of attorneys in preparing such processes. Worthy of asking is how AI can be helpful in preparing court processes.
This writer humbly adopts the words of my Noble lord DANIEL KALIO JCA (as he then was) in the case of IBE V ONUORAH NO 23: He held that lawyers are not supernatural beings, which make them susceptible to mistakes. The use of AI would be beneficial in writing briefs or preparing other processes by citing apposite authorities, simplifying the jurisdiction of court, designation of parties and well paginated processes to make works beautiful and not waste the time of the courts in instances where counsels would have ordinarily filed frivolous applications before the court. AI will create numerous opportunities to lawyers in easily identifying the cause of action and the necessary actions to take, using chat bots for client interview and recording and so on.
Probable Effects Of Artificial Intelligence In Law
Just as opined by this writer on artificial intelligence being the innovative measures in the legal profession, thereby creating opportunities for young lawyers and mitigating the stress lawyers go through in preparing substantive and procedural documents, it is likely for generative artificial intelligence to have some bad effects in the legal profession. This may include:
1. Reducing The Cost of Litigation
The use of artificial intelligence would likely reduce the cost of litigation. I align with the reasoning of Henry A Thompson, in his work4. For example, if lawyers ordinarily charge 30 million naira per briefs or more, litigants knowing that attorneys representing them utilizes artificial intelligence to diminish their labor will not be willing to pay the actual amount fixed by their attorneys representing them.
2. Attorneys Losing Briefs To Technological Invented Robots
Although technology has been shaping the world, it might result to some negative impact in the future of the legal profession to some extent. Technology will belabor the work of lawyers, making litigants lose interest in briefing attorneys for technological invented robots to achieve perfection and low cost litigation. This will dastardly bedevil the growth of the legal profession and disrobe young lawyers of future opportunities by making their roles meaningless in the society.
3. Lawyers May Develop Laziness In Them
With the use of generative artificial intelligence, lawyers may become lackadaisical in discharging their duties by solely depending on technological advanced instrument in pursuit of their daily legal activities. This will make the soul of the legal profession die in the cold hands of technology.
Conclusion
As elaborately put in this work, the use of Artificial Intelligence and technological instrument will be an innovative step to revitalize the legal profession and create opportunities for young lawyers in the future. However, the use of Artificial Intelligence must be used judiciously, not in a manner that would compromise the future of law and put the integrity of law at stake. It is our humble opinion that technological devices should be used to mitigate the workload of judges and lawyers for a swift dispensation of justice.
1 1986 4 NWLR 152 (K.M DANLADI INTRODUCTION TO MODERN NIGERIAN LEGAL METHOD REVISED 3rd EDITION)
2 2000 7 NWLR(PT 765) (K.M DANLADI INTRODUCTION TO MODERN NIGERIAN LEGAL METHOD REVISED 3rd EDITION)
3 (2001) 9 NWLR (Pt. 719) 519 CA
4 AI AND LAW, UNIVERSITY OF MISSISIPI
About Author
Uzayr Abdulwahab is a 400 level law student from Ahmadu bello University Zaria, a writer, a researcher, an orator, and an advocate. He is also a Justice of the ABU court of appeal.
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