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A dying art?

27 November 2015 / Caroline Field
Issue: 7678 / Categories: Features , Profession
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Are litigators heading for extinction with the rise of technology assisted review, asks Caroline Field

Richard and Daniel Susskind’s new book The Future of the Professions: How technology will transform the work of human experts (2015, Oxford University Press) is a thought-provoking instalment of their work to educate us on what the future may have in store for the legal (and other) professions. It asks professionals to take a long hard look at themselves and to decide whether a natural bias and resistance to change is preventing all others, ie non-professionals, from direct access to professional expertise.

Without doubt the dispute resolution landscape must change and is changing in a society where there is a real risk that legal and court services are becoming unaffordable to many of their users. Most practitioners do (or should) support initiatives to improve access to justice for all, not just the wealthy few. Technology clearly has a role here but how big is that role?

A recently pledged £75m annual reform budget for civil family and tribunal

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Hugh James—Phil Edwards

Hugh James—Phil Edwards

Serious injury teambolstered by high-profile partner hire

Freeths—Melanie Stancliffe

Freeths—Melanie Stancliffe

Firm strengthens employment team with partner hire

DAC Beachcroft—Tim Barr

DAC Beachcroft—Tim Barr

Lawyers’ liability practice strengthened with partner appointment in London

NEWS
Ceri Morgan, knowledge counsel at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP, analyses the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Johnson v FirstRand Bank Ltd, which reshapes the law of fiduciary relationships and common law bribery
The boundaries of media access in family law are scrutinised by Nicholas Dobson in NLJ this week
Reflecting on personal experience, Professor Graham Zellick KC, Senior Master of the Bench and former Reader of the Middle Temple, questions the unchecked power of parliamentary privilege
Geoff Dover, managing director at Heirloom Fair Legal, sets out a blueprint for ethical litigation funding in the wake of high-profile law firm collapses
James Grice, head of innovation and AI at Lawfront, explores how artificial intelligence is transforming the legal sector
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