The emergence of generative AI is revolutionizing the legal profession, introducing new responsibilities for legal practitioners. Legal-specific generative AI products, like Westlaw CoCounsel, leverage curated legal databases to enhance their outputs, thus reducing the likelihood of errors seen in more general models like ChatGPT. Lexis+ AI, a sophisticated enhancement of the Lexis+ platform, leverages retrieval-augmented generation and large language models to streamline legal research. These tools are transforming legal research and practice by offering structured, reliable information retrieval.
Despite these advancements, the integration of AI in legal research is not without its challenges. Issues of error and bias remain prevalent, as the inner workings of these algorithms are often opaque. The persuasive nature of AI-generated content can mask inaccuracies, underscoring the necessity for legal professionals to critically evaluate AI outputs. While AI tools can expedite certain processes, they cannot replicate the nuanced judgment and ethical responsibilities of human lawyers.
This Keynote features Professor Kim Nayyer, the Edward Cornell Law Librarian, as she discusses the future of legal research and AI. She’ll discuss how AI is being used as a tool in law firms and at law schools but should be used simply as a baseline and not detract from the critical thinking skills needed to work in the law profession.
