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Inside Job: Yes, It's Time to Start Checking Your Existing Software Tools Before You Buy New AI

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One of the more solid pieces of advice I’ve come up with over the course of my consulting practice has been to advise attorneys that they should never buy a new software, until they check whether one of their existing tools does not already include the feature.     This has saved countless law firm owner s from buying, for an example ripped from the headlines : an esignature product, when it was already included in their law practice management (LPM) software or customer relationship management (CRM) software subscription .   Literally, dozens of dollars saved .   Of course, now, as more and more primary software products begin to feature AI, this strategy takes on an elevated status:     Now, you’ve also got to check whether: (1) the AI feature you need is already included in a product you already have; and, (2) whether you need to pay more, to get access to it, in said product.  You see, sometimes your product subscription will include all...
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When the Bill Comes Due: Why Time Tracking Will Always Be Important

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It might be that artificial intelligence is finally what kills the billable hour , or at least maims it.     The billable hour is the seemingly immortal cockroach of the legal industry .   Apparently, lawyers & clients both hate it – but, here it still is: prevailing.     Though, cracks are beginning to appear in the facade .   Law firms adopting AI tools seem to be reconciled to the fact that massive efficiency will gut the model, to the point where attorneys can’t just ‘get more clients’ to make up the difference .   Faced with the prospect of losing revenue by becoming too efficient: value-based billing lurks as a viable alternative for law firms .   Meanwhile, law firm clients have always understood that hourly billing bred inefficiency – and, that they were the ones paying for it .   However, now they have a new club with which to pound after their complaints .   They know that you can ...
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Avatar, Too: Finding Like-Minded People Just Got a Whole Lot Easier, with AI

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Have you ever thought: ‘Dang, Annie is a great referral source !   I’d love to find 10 more people like her?’     Or, maybe: ‘Billy is an amazing associate attorney !   I wish I could clone him!’     Or, even: ‘I wish I had a software that does exactly this thing, that I don’t think any of my other products do .   Does it even exist?’     Stray thoughts without a conclusion don’t have to remain, in a world in which artificial intelligence exists.     Using a notebook software or a chatbot, you can plug in Annie’s web-available information, and prompt: ‘Find me 10 more people like her, who can send me referrals like she does!’   And, the AI will.     Or, you can prompt: ‘Look at my associate’s web presence, and find me another one, just like him!’  AI can give you 20.     Or, you can query: ‘I want a software tool that does exactly [THIS THING] .   Here are the prod...
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