The tech-driven inflection point for the global legal industry 

DESPITE the legal industry’s oft-traditional image, it has been experimenting with technology for decades. The late 1980s saw the introduction of the Latent Damage Project – the world’s first commercial artificial intelligence (AI) system for lawyers – and the ’90s saw the advent of online dispute resolution (ODR) projects at US universities. But when Covid-19 forced cases to go online in 2020, that catapulted technology to the forefront of dispute resolution practices, driving home the point that the legal fraternity can and should embrace technology to cater to modern demands.

The need to keep up has never been more apparent. Entire new industries and practices are being created and disrupted by technology, with e-commerce and decentralised finance frontrunners among them. There are transactions and agreements that now exist only in cyberspace but are, in turn, vulnerable to the limitations of digital technologies. It is the duty of dispute resolution practitioners to achieve the best outcomes for their clients in the most efficient way possible, and in this age, active engagement and curiosity with incorporating technology into one’s workstream is fundamental to that goal.

Technology in modern dispute resolution

As with many industries, one of the foremost ways that technology can support a better dispute resolution process is through simplifying administrative work. Most firms now host internal online case management systems to streamline the organisation and storage of case details, and Singapore’s Ministry of Law has co-developed the Legal Technology Platform in consultation with over 100 lawyers from local law firms to help them manage their legal workflows and coordinate legal work across platforms. Arbitral institutions and courts are also developing their own e-platforms with seamless document filing and retention systems, as well as verification software.