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Looking forward

27 November 2015 / Roger Smith
Issue: 7678 / Categories: Opinion
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Could technology provide legal empowerment as the government withdraws funding, asks Roger Smith

Remember IBM? They used to make computers that no one got fired for choosing. Then they went quiet as the new boys on the block—Google, Facebook, Amazon—emerged. Well, IBM is back and hungry; looking for diversified markets; hunting lawyers and illustrating one of the themes of the month—the search to define the future.

IBM Watson

IBM is touting its Watson programme as the lawyers’ killer app. Kyla Moran, a senior consultant, has been on the stomp to spread the word and this brought her to the Legal Futures conference at the RBS building in the City.

Moran talks a good game. And IBM has developed a line for professionals which is repeated at its rolling promotions: “Artificial intelligence (AI) is no threat. Far from it. It is better defined as ‘augmented’ rather than artificial intelligence. All it promises is to take out the grunt work of processing information. But, humans still have the key roles of inputting the data and reviewing the answers.” But,

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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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