Paralegals - Be the Go-To Person for AI

[@nicolecorry2418]

Thank you for this interview. What a fascinating conversation. I'm enrolled in a paralegal certification program for this Fall and am looking forward to learning more about AI for sure and how to use it appropriately for paralegal use! For now, I've just been using it for 'fun'. I've been using it for recipes for things I have in the pantry & fridge (to avoid waste & avoid going to the store if I'm being honest) I've been using it for ideas on time blocking at work or coming up with chore schedule for the weekend. I've been working in a very small (but mighty) Estate Planning Law Firm for 2 years. I will push back a bit regarding AI 'taking over reception'. I think it will take many years to get there. Maybe in larger firms it will be sooner and / or it may help improve the quality of reception (drafting precise, warm, emails & letters for intake for example what later is described as 'grunt work'). However, for small firms having a person picking up calls especially in the area of Law I'm speaking about (Estate Planning, Elder Law, Probate areas that need a little softness maybe even Family Law...) is incredibly valuable and can mean the difference between making an appointment on the calendar for the Attorney....or not. Most clients prefer organic in-person interaction. AI will definitely help free time up for that kind of interaction which is something to look forward to but, I am confident that in-person interaction is crucial for a successful firm & will leave a lasting impression on the client. Again, my experience in different areas of law are limited and I'm hoping to expand that moving forward on my education path.

[@ParalegalBootCamp]

I agree! That's definitely an area of law that requires a person picking up the phone. I'd add - family law and personal injury to that list too. I'm sure there are other areas as well.

[@tonydiego2566]

My take on the billable hour concern is that the mentality should be to emphasize results, not billable time. The clients shouldn’t have their cases extended so that law firms can make money off them. I believe this presents as an ethical issue that the state bar associations need to take up, if not done so already. The shift for the law firms should be to take on more clients/cases to replace the billable time lost to efficiency.

[@ParalegalBootCamp]

Yes! I'll be watching to see how it affects billing by the hour. It's an exciting time, depending on how you look at it.