Rationales for the continued development of legal expert systems

Abstract

This article looks at the development and enormous potential of legal expert systems and the problems which often arise due to a suspicious and ill-informed legal fraternity. As most lawyers find themselves uncomfortable with machines generally, and computers specifically, being used to writing, reading and analysing human problems, and have little contact with technology, except where it affects a client or can be used to improve the efficiency of their practices, it is not hard to see that in more advanced uses of computer technology lawyers still struggle to understand fundamental concepts. Such an example is Artificial Intelligence ('AI') and Expert Systems ('ESs'). This article seeks to address some of the misconceptions which the legal profession apparently has about Al and its application to the Law. The area of AI and Law has not been sufficiently explained to legal practitioners and academics, a situation which this article hopes to address, along with providing a useful overview of the field