AI-powered law must make justice fair and equal for all

AI will make legal services more accessible and affordable but it cannot take the place of legal advice or personal relationships and professional interactions, says Richard Atkinson

The legal landscape is changing with artificial intelligence (AI) front and centre. There has been exponential growth and increasing momentum in AI technologies. These advancements have remarkable potential to change the way legal services are delivered. However, the benefits of AI should go hand-in-hand with ensuring that technology is used in a way that serves the public interest and legal profession. The ultimate goal is to promote reliable and affordable high-quality legal services.

While the Law Society encourages the use of new technologies, it also looks to protect the public and legal profession from the risks linked to the unregulated use of AI. As the representative body for solicitors in England and Wales, we have developed an AI strategy to support clients, lawyers and the public in this evolving world. Our strategy can be distilled into three overarching principles: Innovation, Impact and Integrity.

Innovation, impact and integrity

First of all, innovation is key to how we see AI shaping the legal industry. We recognise the wide-ranging benefits that AI presents. It is scalable and provides law firms of any size a way of reducing costs and making their services more effective. The careful consideration of technology adoption within the justice system can also help address unmet legal needs.

But technology only goes so far – it can’t take the place of legal advice or personal relationships and professional interactions. While the Law Society is committed to helping solicitors understand and use AI services so that they can harness the benefits, the personal element will always remain at the heart of legal practice. So, while we do advocate for greater investment in AI services as well as supporting skills development to ensure that lawyers can take advantage of the technology and provide better services to clients, we know that AI can never replace people.

Secondly, we focus on impact as we work closely with the government to properly regulate the use of AI in legal services to both protect the public from the potential risks and serve the legal profession. 

Last but not least, the Law Society invests heavily in integrity. With AI increasingly embedded in legal products and services, the importance of its ethical and responsible use is more important than ever. AI systems aren’t perfect. Any use of AI must be accompanied by robust safeguards to ensure that it is applied fairly, with transparency and accountability, particularly in the justice system.

The Law Society is there to support all its members, whether they work in a large firm, a small practice or are in-house counsel. There are unique opportunities and distinct challenges that AI brings for each one of these groups.

At the heart of what we do is our commitment to protect the public, our members and uphold the rule of law. While AI can make legal services more accessible and affordable, it needs human oversight to ensure consumers access legal services safely and get justice. The overarching aim of the Law Society’s AI strategy is to guide the legal profession and the public when they navigate this brave new digital world and make justice fair and equal for all. 

Richard Atkinson is president of the Law Society of England and Wales