Latest news with #Goulston&Storrs
Forbes
25-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Re-Deploying Everything In Legal
John Arsneault is the CIO of the law firm Goulston & Storrs and the founder of venture capital company Portfolio X. getty Highly customizable AI-enabled software, targeted at automating workloads that replace repetitive human-led tasks, will upend all existing software in the Legal industry (and all industries, for that matter). While the timeframe for this transformation is unknown, the process has already begun. Most of the existing software base, including current SaaS platforms, are unlikely to deliver the benefits of the AI-native tools and will thus become relics of the past. Deploying AI tools, targeted at native workload automation from their inception, should prove to be a streamlined evolution versus waiting for existing software to be modified and adjusting workloads upon platform upgrade availability. In recent years, law firms and corporate legal departments have gravitated toward artificial intelligence (AI) as a means to streamline repetitive, manual tasks. These highly customizable AI-enabled platforms are transforming legal workflow by automating document drafting, contract review, research, compliance and even client intake. While firms are increasingly adopting AI—five times faster than cloud systems—ethical, accuracy and data-security considerations remain challenges. Today's AI tools can be configured according to firm-specific processes, policies and templates. For instance, contract automation platforms allow law firms to upload preferred clause libraries, set redlining rules and define strategic guardrails. Tools like LawGeex enable legal teams to enforce custom playbooks for consistent contract review. AI tools such as Voiceflow make it easy to build branded client‑facing assistants via no-code interfaces. Next-gen platforms seamlessly integrate with existing systems—CRMs, calendars, document management, e‑signature services—ensuring legal AI becomes part of a unified tech ecosystem. for instance, connects with 3,000-plus platforms and lets teams customize tone, priority tasks and escalation paths. Core Use Cases In Legal Automation Document Review And Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) Contract review is a central use case. AI systems like LawGeex, Kira Systems, and Pocketlaw quickly surface missing clauses, risk language or outdated templates. Full CLM suites—such as Actionstep, Agiloft and ContractExpress—automate everything from clause extraction and drafting to storage and e-signature. Legal Research Natural language processing (NLP) tools like Ross Intelligence and Casetext CoCounsel scan statutes, opinions and regulatory updates to provide cited answers within minutes. These tools are trained on specific jurisdictions and integrate RAG (retrieval-augmented generation) to ensure accuracy. Platforms like Everlaw automate document tagging, predictive coding and storytelling in litigation contexts. Lex Machina uses historic case data to forecast litigation outcomes, helping lawyers make better strategic decisions. Compliance And Monitoring AI continuously tracks regulatory changes, flags non‑compliant clauses and alerts firms of risk exposure across jurisdictions. Enidia AI specializes in contract compliance checks across multiple regulatory frameworks. Client Intake And Communication Chatbots, e‑receptionists, and virtual legal assistants like and Voiceflow bots handle client intake, appointment booking, FAQs and reminders, freeing staff from repetitive admin work. Billing, Time Tracking And Case Management AI-integrated systems (e.g., Clio, automatically log hours, generate invoices, assign tasks and notify attorneys of deadlines—a major leap from manual tracking. Leading Platforms and Their Capabilities • Ironclad: A CLM platform leveraging GPT-3/4 to auto-scan contracts, extract terms and assist redlining; supports custom workflows and integrates with cloud storage. • Harvey AI: Built atop GPT-4 and designed specifically for legal environments; offers custom LLMs tailored to fans of legal practices and integrates deeply with document archives. • LawGeex, Paxton Legal AI, Spellbook AI, LegalRobot: Specialized in contract review, drafting support, risk-flagging and clause comparisons; each offers policy-driven custom settings. • ContractExpress: Template-based drafting tool with intelligent questionnaires; widely used by law firms and corporations. • Agiloft, Actionstep: Customizable practice-management tools featuring document automation, workflow controls and e-sign capabilities. • UiPath: A leading robotic process automation (RPA) platform used to automate repetitive tasks (e.g., moving files, updating systems) and integrate AI capabilities in broader business processes. Adoption Drivers And ROI Efficiency Gains Firms can expect reductions in time spent summarizing intake notes and performing discovery workflows. Quality And Consistency Rule-based contract tools enforce policy adherence, reduce human error and generate consistent outputs—even when deployed across geographies. Strategic Legal Work AI frees attorneys (especially associates) from administrative burden, allowing them to focus on higher-value, strategic functions. Risks, Mitigation And Ethical Concerns Hallucinations And Accuracy AI can hallucinate, producing plausible but false citations. Morgan & Morgan faced sanctions after relying on fabricated case law. To combat this, most firms employ RAG-based systems and require human validation. Data Privacy And Security Client confidentiality is paramount. Firms are implementing robust data policies, including private-model deployments, zero-data retention and SOC 2 / GDPR / CCPA compliance. Ethical Adoption Some argue that not using AI could be unethical if it deprives clients of efficient representation. Several bar associations are debating whether lawyers are obligated to integrate AI responsibly. The Future Of Legal Automation • AI-Powered Agents: Firms have aimed to develop agentic AI that can manage entire legal workflows—from due diligence through drafting to review—acting akin to junior lawyers. • Proprietary LLMs: AM Law 100 firms and others are building in-house LLMs to keep sensitive data secure while enabling customization. • Global Expansion: Tools like Harvey have shown some global adoption. • Regulatory Compliance: Expect more regulation, standardization and skill certification as AI use becomes more common in law. Conclusion Customizable AI tools are rapidly reshaping legal work. By automating repetitive manual tasks—drafting, review, research, billing—they enable more accurate, faster and lower-cost legal services. However, realizing these benefits demands careful tool selection, integration, oversight and governance. Adoption must balance innovation with risk, ensuring systems are accurate, secure and used ethically. Firms that get the balance right will gain not only substantial operational efficiency but also strategic advantage—and offer potentially significantly improved access to justice. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
Boston Globe
22-04-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
As most of Big Law stays quiet, WilmerHale finds some allies in its face-off with Trump
The future of WilmerHale, based in Boston and Washington, could be at stake: Advertisement For a growing number of law firms, though, much more is at stake: The foundations of the country's legal system could crumble if the threats against WilmerHale and other firms in Trump's crosshairs are allowed to stand. WilmerHale has apparently invited Trump's wrath because of its involvement in voting rights cases, diverse hiring practices, and employment of Robert Mueller and two other lawyers who worked on a probe into Russia's activities in the 2016 presidential election. In Trump's words, WilmerHale has 'abandoned the profession's highest ideals,' undermined justice with its pro bono activities, and employed lawyers such as Mueller (now retired) who 'weaponized' the government. Trump promised retribution against those he feels have wronged him — and now he is delivering. Advertisement In early April, more than 500 law firms That number comes with a huge asterisk: Fewer than 20 of the 200 largest law firms, known in the industry as the Of the Am Law 200 firms that did speak up, at least three have a major presence in Boston: Choate, Hall & Stewart, Foley Hoag, and Goulston & Storrs. The amicus brief that the firms signed in the WilmerHale case says Trump's executive order should be permanently blocked because it violates the Constitution's First, Fifth, and Sixth amendments, as well as basic separation-of-powers principles. The legal system, the firms argue, depends on attorneys willing to be fierce advocates for clients without fear of retribution. Zealous representation, the argument goes, helps impartial judges arrive at just and informed decisions. That 'proud tradition is in jeopardy,' the firms state in their brief. 'Unless the judiciary acts decisively now, what was once beyond the pale will in short order become a stark reality.' Advertisement Even the big firms that support WilmerHale seem to be doing so cautiously. A spokesman for Choate Hall & Stewart didn't return messages seeking comment, and Goulston & Storrs declined to comment. Foley Hoag has won many admirers in Boston's legal community for standing up; its managing partner, Jim Bucking, offered a prepared statement when asked to comment. 'We were proud to stand with our friends at WilmerHale and the other firms targeted by executive orders,' Bucking said. 'Our decision was guided by the values and principles that we apply to our own practices and service to our clients. We concluded that this was the right thing to do for Foley Hoag, even though the vast majority of the country's largest firms made a different decision.' Attorneys at smaller firms and in academia appear more willing to speak freely about the conundrum the legal sector faces. 'The independence of lawyers is essential to the rule of law, to a functioning legal system, and for our country,' said Colin Van Dyke, managing partner at Anderson & Kreiger. 'Once we agree to give up some of that independence, it's hard to see where it stops.' That's one reason Van Dyke and his 45-lawyer Boston firm signed the amicus brief in support of WilmerHale. There was no question Boston College's Cheryl Bratt would sign on with a pro-WilmerHale brief, along with nearly 700 other law school professors. Early in her legal career, before joining academia, Bratt was an associate at the firm and was drawn to it in part because of its civil rights legacy and reputation for taking on tough public causes. During an orientation, the new lawyers learned about WilmerHale's history, including how Advertisement Bratt says she's teaching her first-year students at BC Law about the executive orders, and the pushback — a fight she says could have ripple effects in other sectors of business. 'Trump is instilling fear in lawyers [and] this gives him a long and wide runway to act brazenly and unlawfully,' Bratt said. 'You can see how quickly society can unravel when we no longer have lawyers as checks on power.' Jon Feingold, a law professor at Boston University who signed the WilmerHale brief, said he's frustrated that so few of the big firms are standing up to Trump. That could make it more challenging for people or organizations that believe they've had their rights violated by the federal government to find good legal representation. 'Instead of leveraging all of your wealth and legal talent to resist, you capitulate,' Feingold said. 'It undermines the fabric of the entire legal system.' Feingold and other WilmerHale allies raise an important question: What kind of legal system will remain if the president can cajole law firms into subservience and punish those that don't make a deal? Jon Chesto can be reached at
