LawTech

Legal practice has always been shaped by technology as lawyers seek out new ways to better meet the needs of their clients at the lowest cost. Recently, advances in computational text analysis, machine learning, and artificial intelligence have started to affect not only the range of tools available to lawyers, but also the workings of government agencies and the adjudication of disputes. These changes are playing out in various contexts, affecting areas as diverse as discovery and fraud detection. In the near future, broad diffusion of these technologies are poised to further transform the nature of legal practice. In this course, we will examine some of these new technologies, how they are being put to use, and the potential upside and downside risks associated with the further automation of legal work. No prior knowledge of coding or computer science is assumed.