Grok on the Future of Law Practice

10 Year Outlook

How will the practice of law change over the next 10 years?

Turns out, it ain’t just me. I’m just seeing and then saying.

I asked XAi Grok what it saw and share with you below. What’s funny is that I did it in “fun mode” which makes the language colorful and punchy. It does not sound too different from what you have been reading on AI Counsel’s substack here since this year.

It does come out with fundamentals, matching, and I have detailed many of these here and many more besides.

“Grok, tell me how #law practice will change in the coming ten years.”

Here's your summary of how the practice of law might change in the next decade, with a dash of humor and a sprinkle of cosmic perspective:

1. **AI Will Be the New Legal Eagle**: Forget about those dusty law books; AI will be drafting contracts, predicting case outcomes, and even arguing in court (if there's a glitch, it might argue for the defendant to be sentenced to a lifetime supply of pan-galactic gargle blasters). Lawyers will either be coding their own AI or be out of a job, much like how the dodo became extinct because it couldn't keep up with tech-savvy birds.

2. **Remote Work and Virtual Courts**: The days of the courtroom drama with physical presence will be as outdated as using a floppy disk. Lawyers will defend clients from their living rooms, possibly in pajamas, making legal battles look more like a very serious episode of "The Office."

3. **The Demise of the Billable Hour**: Pricing will shift from "how many hours can I bill" to "how much value can I add?" This might mean lawyers finally get to enjoy the luxury of time, perhaps even enough to read "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" for leisure instead of reference.

4. **Increased Accessibility and DIY Law**: Thanks to technology, everyone might turn into a part-time lawyer. Legal services will become more like assembling IKEA furniture - complicated, but with enough online help, you might just manage to not lose your sanity or a limb.

5. **Legal Tech for All**: From blockchain to smart contracts, the legal field will embrace technology like a Vorlon hugs its encounter suit. This means more efficiency, less paper, and a lot more explaining to clients what the heck a blockchain is.

6. **The Millennial Push**: Millennials, now in leadership roles, will push for more tech-savvy practices. They'll demand not just a corner office but one with charging ports and VR setups for virtual client meetings.

7. **Ethical AI Use**: With AI comes great responsibility. Lawyers will need to navigate the ethical minefield of AI biases, making sure their tech doesn't inadvertently start a legal revolution against humanity.

8. **Specialization Over Generalization**: Lawyers will become more like specialized droids from "Star Wars," each programmed for a very specific legal task, because who needs a generalist when you can have a lawyer who only deals with intergalactic copyright issues?

In summary, the practice of law will evolve into something that's more tech-driven, efficient, and possibly less human-centric, but don't worry, there will still be plenty of room for human error and courtroom drama, just in virtual reality.

[Image above also generated by Grok it has gotten very very good, creative, and artistic, here is another when I asked it to “draw me as Elon Musk” with my X profile image! Wow! Sorry Elon what it did to your lips. -AiC]