Is Technology Ruining the Legal Field?
Updated: April 20, 2021
A few years ago while training a paralegal on some new software, she pointed out that the software had an internal “sales pitch” for virtual paralegal services. She suggested this could create competition for Paralegal Power. I dismissed her concerns right away and reminded her that the only virtual paralegal firm we compete with would be the firm we were yesterday. As long as we continue to improve, learn and grow – we will always be in demand.
New Century, New Way to Practice Law
Over the past decade, the way that law is practiced has changed dramatically with virtually all U.S. courts converting to electronic filing. When I came into the legal field in 2005, the daily court run was a vital part of my day.
Timely fillings relied upon me making it to the courthouse before 4:30 PM. Subsequently interrupting my casework at 3:00 PM every day. The court run included trips to the sheriff’s department to pay for service fees with petty cash and drop off the hard copy Summons in person. At this time we even still typed out the Certificate of Dissolution of Marriage on a typewriter.
I am so glad that I came into the field at the time that I did. Now I get to tell all the younguns about how it was in the old days. Lol. One day I am going to write a blog about the current uses of carbon paper. Never mind, most of my readers will be so confused.
Are They Outsourcing Paralegals to IT?
All of these tasks that now seem so prehistoric were typically done by paralegals. Some law firms were lucky enough to have a dedicated runner that handled just these duties, but usually, they had to be woven into the busy paralegal’s day.
As things have shifted I have heard a lot of comments speculating that these innovations will lead to a stagnation of the paralegal field. An HR manager speaking at a conference a couple of years ago reported that the firm she works at is currently attempting to increase their paralegals’ number of assigned attorneys and subsequently decrease their paralegals overall.
Her comments sparked some interesting conversations at lunch. Most of the attendees of the conference were close to retirement age and almost all of us had worked or were currently working for just one single attorney. That kind of news seemed to cause a sense of uncertainty for the future of the paralegal field.
And understandably so. With technology estimated to replace up to 800 billion jobs by 2030, according to McKinsey & Company’s most recent report, who are we as paralegals to think we are impermeable to these changes in our workforce. No matter how stubborn the legal field has been to technological innovation, we can no longer deny its presence.
Ride the Wave My Friends
However, I see these advancements as only enhancing the paralegal field. I don’t see that as the end of the paralegal field, but rather yet another way that the paralegal field continues to support and evolve with attorneys.
I think that if technology can reduce my once hour-long court run to five minutes; intuitively help me monitor my time; put all case law at the tip of my fingers; among all of the other things it has improved over the past decade – I say by all means assign me another attorney.
Do What You Do & You Are Not Going Anywhere
Paralegals improve efficiency and accuracy. Two things that speak straight to the heart of attorneys who care about their work product.
Instead of looking at technology and innovations in law as a death sentence for the paralegal field, I implore you to embrace technology and use it to help you grow as a well-rounded, supportive legal professional.
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About the Author
Valentina Zapata
Mother | Advocate | Blogger