The machines will take over. That was one of the most stark warnings from sci-fi thrillers like The Terminator that warned about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence. AI has become ubiquitous across much of society these days, and new developments in technology will give AI an even greater role in the workplace.

Platforms like ChatGPT have taken the world by storm. Global companies quickly adopted the platform as a fast and scalable solution to accelerate repetitive tasks. While many business owners praise the AI solution as a time-saving asset, there are those who fear their jobs are at risk of becoming irrelevant.

Technology doesn’t need to be considered a threat. Instead, it can be a valuable tool to empower law clerks and help legal professionals increase opportunities to boost Legal Recurring Revenue for their respective firms.

ChatGPT is meant to support specialists not replace them

Platforms like ChatGPT are designed to mimic human conversationalists. Since the platform is powered by AI, it’s a constant state of learning and development. Users can ask ChatGPT to recommend suggestions for things like email communications, and the platform automatically generates a message that can be copied into an email distribution channel.

There are limitations with the technology. For one thing, the context is not always clear. Since the platform can’t know all the nuanced pieces of information that are relevant to the intended recipient of those communications, the messaging can be light on subject matter. A human touch is necessary to edit the AI-suggested comms with more depth and insight.

Additionally, while it was designed to mimic human interactions, the suggested copy doesn’t offer the same personalized touch that a human provides. This is especially important to consider in the legal space. Legal services are, in part, about building supportive relationships with clients. Communications notably lacking human empathy risk derailing those relationships.

Law clerks can use AI to become more efficient

Now, we’ve just identified some of the limitations of platforms like ChatGPT. Here’s the other side of that coin: they can also make administrative and clerical work much easier, especially for law clerks in small to mid-sized firms.

As part of a firm’s need to provide transparent client communications, a summary of all meeting minutes will go into a corporate minute book. Law clerks can use the AI capabilities of these solutions to simply draft a message that outlines the summary of those minutes. The clerk can then add in specific points from the meetings to add more context to the message.

Instead of typing out an email summarizing those points, the platform does that work on the clerk’s behalf. This is a great time saving use of technology that streamlines the administrative and clerical work involved with supporting clients.

Law clerks are even more efficient with entity management technology

One of the biggest logistical challenges for law clerks is sorting through binders upon binders of minute book records for a myriad of different clients. Entity management software simplifies this process by eliminating those paper records from the equation. Clerks can scan and upload all minute book records into the platform, which automatically curates documents into standard PDF files that can be sorted, tagged, and organized in a digital archive.

The platform is cloud-based, which makes it easy to access records from any location. Clerks can update records during attorney-client meetings rather than carry physical records back to the firm’s office to complete the amendments. The platform is also highly secure, backed by biometric and hardware key authentications that prohibit anyone without specific permission from accessing the account.

Leverage the right AI solutions to simplify your workflow

Not all legal technologies are powered by AI, and not every legal scenario requires an assist from modern technology. But there are certain occasions when solutions like ChatGPT can make a difference and streamline professionals’ day to day work habits.

For example, an innovative solution known as Second Chair is one of these technological assets. Similar to ChatGPT, Second Chair provides helpful suggestions on how to draft language for certain documents. The distinction is that Second Chair is designed to complement entity management workflows. Its purpose is to provide written suggestions to draft important documents for business entities. Some of the common documents include:

• Articles of Incorporation

• Director residencies

• Shareholder resolutions

• Entity registration documents

• Entity dissolution documents

• Client communications

• Etc.

Time efficiency is a law clerk’s greatest strength

Law firms invest in their clerks’ budding futures by providing these advanced technologies to assist with their day to day duties. Rather than fear these innovative solutions, law clerks should embrace the potential time savings that they can provide.

As firms seek more opportunities to grow Legal Recurring Revenue, clerks should identify ways to support these growth initiatives. By delegating more clerical tasks to technology, clerks can function as the primary representative of the firm when dealing with clients. The practicing attorneys can use their own billable hours for more strategic discussions with clients, while clerks respond to client inquiries about the status of their cases.
Legal technology can modernize law firms and assist law clerks with their own duties and responsibilities. Now is the time to embrace innovation! Learn more about how solutions like entity management technology can transform your legal practice.