Building Trust In Legal Software: Transparency And User Education
Transparency is not about turning every lawyer into a software engineer but about providing enough insight to foster confidence.
In the digital age, the legal industry has witnessed a significant transformation, largely driven by advancements in legal software. This change, while innovative and efficiency-enhancing, brings with it a new challenge: building trust. Trust in legal software is not just a matter of reliability or performance; it’s about transparency and user education.
Let’s talk transparency. The term often conjures images of crystal-clear waters or glass buildings, but in the world of legal software, it’s all about understanding what’s under the hood.
- How does this software work?
- What data is it using?
- What are the algorithms behind those seemingly magic results?
Transparency is not about turning every lawyer into a software engineer but about providing enough insight to foster confidence.
Imagine you’re using a legal research tool powered by AI. It churns out results, but you’re left wondering, “How did it come up with this?” If the tool offers a glimpse into its reasoning — maybe a summary of the algorithms used or a breakdown of how it evaluates sources — you’re more likely to trust its suggestions. Why? Because understanding breeds confidence.
Now, onto user education. It’s a two-way street. Legal software providers must not only educate users about their products but also understand the unique needs and challenges of the legal profession. Education goes beyond mere tutorials or help guides. It’s about contextualizing the software within the legal landscape. For instance, how does document automation software comply with the latest data protection laws? How does an AI-driven contract analysis tool align with ethical standards?
Let’s not forget the human element in all of this. Law is a profession built on human judgment and expertise. No matter how advanced legal software is, it should augment, not replace, this human element. User education should emphasize this synergy — how lawyers can leverage software to enhance their skills, not sideline them.
A key aspect of building trust is addressing the fear of the unknown. Change can be daunting, especially in a field as tradition-steeped as law. Demystifying new technologies and clearly communicating their benefits goes a long way in allaying fears. It’s like telling someone afraid of flying about the rigorous safety measures in place — it doesn’t eradicate the fear but makes it more manageable.
The roadmap to building trust in legal software lies in the intersection of transparency and user education. It’s about opening the black box of technology just enough to let users see the spinning gears and understand why they turn that way. It’s about educating users on the how and the why of legal software. As we continue to navigate the digital transformation of the legal field, let’s remember that at the heart of every technological advancement should be solid foundations of transparency and education.
In the end, as we embrace these digital tools, we’re not just adopting new software; we’re ushering in a new era of legal practice — one that is more informed, efficient, and, most importantly, trustful.
Olga V. Mack is a Fellow at CodeX, The Stanford Center for Legal Informatics, and a Generative AI Editor at law.MIT. Olga embraces legal innovation and had dedicated her career to improving and shaping the future of law. She is convinced that the legal profession will emerge even stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive than before by embracing technology. Olga is also an award-winning general counsel, operations professional, startup advisor, public speaker, adjunct professor, and entrepreneur. She authored Get on Board: Earning Your Ticket to a Corporate Board Seat, Fundamentals of Smart Contract Security, and Blockchain Value: Transforming Business Models, Society, and Communities. She is working on three books: Visual IQ for Lawyers (ABA 2024), The Rise of Product Lawyers: An Analytical Framework to Systematically Advise Your Clients Throughout the Product Lifecycle (Globe Law and Business 2024), and Legal Operations in the Age of AI and Data (Globe Law and Business 2024). You can follow Olga on LinkedIn and Twitter @olgavmack.
