Artificial intelligence can be a surprisingly emotional topic. Some people love it, some  fear it, others remain avid skeptics. Regardless, it is a fascinating subject. CodeX Fellow Nicole Shanahan recently wrote an essay, “Transition to legal AI will happen suddenly,”  that was published by Los Angeles Daily Journal on June 7. She predicts that  the transition to legal AI will “be slow at first—and then will happen suddenly.”

Shanahan explains that once legal information is machine readable, the transition to artificial intelligence will be rapid. “In this regard, machine learning for data mining will be the single largest driver.”

The article elicited commentary from lawyers and judges alike, including a response from Justice Steven Perren, from the California Court of Appeals, Division Six, who allowed us to share it:

“I am a Luddite;
I am old—74 to be precise;
I have been a practicing lawyer (12 years), a trial judge (17 years) and presently sit on the California Court of Appeal (17 years);
I love the rustle of a page beneath my fingers; the glare of a computer not so much though I do use the latter because it is necessary (I am old, but neither, I hope, foolish or irresponsible);
I love the hum of an air conditioner in a library as opposed to the silence—or even gentle murmur of the computer;
I love the orchestra at the opera—not a recording and never electrically manufactured sound—I am not even a fan of a player piano;
I love Beethoven—likely not Betahoven;
I love drama, the occasional errant line dropped and covered by the artist;
I love…well; you get it and have heard far more eloquent encomiums celebrating humankind;

In short:  We will never reach the stars without a computer but we will never celebrate the success absent humankind.

What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how
infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and
admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like
a god! the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals…
Hamlet, Act 2, Sc. 2 (or, if you prefer, “Hair” Act 2.)

Just saw a wonderful production of “Darrow.” I believe advocacy in the courtroom to be one of the “higher order activates lawyers perform today.”

Monica Bay is a CodeX Fellow and a member of the California Bar. @Monica Bay Email: mbay@codex.stanford.edu. 

Hamlet Act 2 illustration: Chapter Vox
Hamlet cover art: Clipart.com