AI Is Empowering Law Firms to Expand Pro Bono Services

AI revolutionizing pro bono legal work: Law firms are leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance their pro bono efforts, enabling them to take on larger projects and increase their impact in providing free legal services.

• Norton Rose Fulbright utilized AI-assisted e-discovery to efficiently process thousands of documents for the UK government’s Covid-19 inquiry, supporting Save the Children’s examination of children’s rights in policy decisions.
• Linklaters employed its in-house generative AI chatbot, Laila, to produce draft case summaries for a human trafficking project in Tanzania, accelerating the process and allowing lawyers to focus on specialized legal analysis.
• Hogan Lovells is collaborating with LawFairy to develop an AI-powered tool that assists immigration caseworkers in determining a child’s eligibility for UK nationality, simplifying complex criteria.

Expanding scope and efficiency: The integration of AI technologies is allowing law firms to tackle pro bono projects that were previously unfeasible due to their scale and complexity.

• David Wilkins of Norton Rose Fulbright emphasized that AI enabled their team to efficiently identify and prioritize the most relevant documents from the Covid-19 inquiry, a task that would have been overwhelming using traditional methods.
• Elsha Butler, head of pro bono practice at Linklaters, noted that considering the use of legal tech or generative AI has become a primary consideration when approaching new pro bono projects.
• The AI-assisted approach not only increases efficiency but also allows lawyers to dedicate more time to high-value tasks such as providing specialized legal analysis and engaging with project partners.

Enhancing access to justice: AI tools are being developed specifically to improve access to legal services for underserved populations.

• The Hogan Lovells and LawFairy collaboration aims to create a user-friendly platform that breaks down complex immigration eligibility criteria into simple questions, making the process more accessible to non-experts.
• While AI tools can streamline processes, Yasmin Waljee of Hogan Lovells emphasizes the continued importance of human caseworkers in providing legal support, suggesting that junior lawyers could potentially take on more pro bono work with AI assistance.
• Hannes Westermann, an assistant professor at Maastricht University, is exploring the use of generative AI to help build complex legal platforms and assist users in form-filling and argument construction, though human verification remains crucial.

Challenges and considerations: Despite the potential benefits, the integration of AI in pro bono legal work raises important considerations.

• The use of AI in legal processes, especially those involving sensitive information like the Covid-19 inquiry, requires careful handling and permission from relevant authorities to ensure data protection and confidentiality.
• While AI can accelerate certain tasks, human oversight and expertise remain essential, particularly in areas requiring nuanced legal interpretation or when dealing with vulnerable populations.
• The development of AI tools for legal applications, such as the immigration eligibility platform, involves complex backend technology that requires specialized knowledge to create and maintain.

Future implications: The adoption of AI in pro bono legal work points to a transformative shift in how legal services can be delivered to those in need.

• As AI technologies continue to evolve, they may enable law firms to take on even more ambitious pro bono projects, potentially leading to broader societal impact.
• The integration of AI could democratize access to certain legal services by making complex legal information more digestible and accessible to non-experts.
• However, the legal profession will need to navigate the balance between technological efficiency and the irreplaceable aspects of human legal expertise and empathy in pro bono work.

Ethical considerations moving forward: As AI becomes more prevalent in pro bono legal work, it will be crucial for the legal community to address ethical concerns and establish best practices.

• Ensuring the accuracy and fairness of AI-generated legal advice or document analysis will be paramount to maintain the integrity of pro bono services.
• Law firms and organizations will need to consider how to maintain client confidentiality and data security when using AI tools, especially when handling sensitive information.
• The legal profession may need to develop new guidelines or regulations to govern the use of AI in pro bono work, ensuring that it enhances rather than compromises the quality of legal assistance provided to those in need.