Technology can complement lawyers in delivery of timely Justice in India

Delivery of timely Justice in India

The delivery of timely justice is crucial in India to uphold the rule of law, ensure public confidence in the legal system, and protect fundamental rights. Delays in justice can lead to prolonged disputes, erosion of faith in judicial institutions, and financial and emotional strain on litigants. It also undermines the deterrent effect of legal remedies, affecting social and economic stability. A robust and efficient justice system not only resolves conflicts swiftly but also reinforces trust, equality, and fairness, fostering a stronger and more just society

Technology can significantly enhance the efficiency and timeliness of justice delivery in India by addressing common bottlenecks in the legal system. Key contributions include:

1.?????? E-Filing and Case Management: Digital platforms for e-filing reduce paperwork and enable faster tracking of cases.

2.?????? Artificial Intelligence: AI tools assist in legal research, drafting, and predicting case outcomes, reducing preparation time for lawyers and judges.

3.?????? Virtual Courts: Video conferencing allows remote hearings, increasing accessibility for litigants in distant areas.

4.?????? Data Analytics: Helps in identifying case backlogs, judicial performance trends, and systemic inefficiencies.

5.?????? Legal Education: Online training for lawyers on tech tools ensures better adoption.

These advancements improve transparency, reduce delays, and ensure equitable access to justice.

Why delays are happening?

The phrase "justice delayed is justice denied," often attributed to William E. Gladstone, underscores a timeless principle that remains acutely relevant in modern India. The nation’s overburdened justice system, with a backlog of over 4 crore cases, highlights systemic inefficiencies compounded by some practices within the legal fraternity. Lawyers, as key stakeholders, have a dual responsibility to advocate zealously for their clients while fostering efficiency in the judicial process.

Chronic delays in India’s courts arise partly from frequent adjournments, over commitment to cases, and resistance to settlements, creating undue hardship for litigants. Such practices, albeit often unintentional, undermine public trust and prolong disputes, contradicting the fundamental purpose of justice. A change in mindset is necessary, where legal professionals prioritize discipline, adopt proactive case management, and encourage alternative dispute resolution methods.

Lawyers must reflect on their roles not only as advocates but also as facilitators of timely justice. This involves embracing reforms that minimize procedural delays and ensuring that justice is accessible and swift. Furthermore, collaboration between the judiciary, government, and the bar is vital to addressing infrastructure gaps and policy inefficiencies.

Ultimately, justice must not be a distant promise but a tangible reality. Lawyers have the unique ability to lead this transformation by embodying integrity, efficiency, and accountability, ensuring that the justice system upholds the constitutional guarantee of a speedy trial for all citizens. Through collective effort and introspection, India’s legal system can evolve to deliver justice that is both fair and timely, restoring faith in its institutions.

In India, the delivery of justice is increasingly being delayed, with lawyers playing a significant role in many times perpetuating these delays. Each time a case is adjourned, the costs escalate for both the court and the litigants, while lawyers continue to receive payment for their time and appearances. A common scenario is that lawyers are often tied up in other courts, having taken on more cases than they can effectively manage. As a result, they frequently seek adjournments, adding to the backlog in the judicial system.

There are several specific reasons why lawyers contribute to the delay in justice:

1.?????? Prioritizing Cases: Lawyers may struggle to manage multiple cases simultaneously, leading them to prioritize certain cases over others. This can result in delays for less prioritized cases, as lawyers feel compelled to address each matter with the same urgency.

2.?????? Frivolous Adjournments: Lawyers often request adjournments on flimsy grounds, such as personal events or minor inconveniences. These requests, though sometimes justified, are frequently used as a tactic to buy time or manage overlapping commitments.

3.?????? Inadequate Preparation: Some lawyers fail to prepare their cases adequately, leading to repeated delays as they seek more time to gather evidence or consult with clients.

4.?????? Overburdened Caseloads: Many lawyers take on more cases than they can handle, stretching their resources thin. This over commitment often results in frequent adjournments, further clogging the judicial pipeline.

5.?????? Understaffing: Many lawyers operate with minimal staff, making it difficult to keep up with the demands of multiple cases. This lack of support exacerbates delays as tasks that could be delegated are either postponed or poorly managed.

6.?????? Reluctance to Settle: Lawyers may be hesitant to encourage out-of-court settlements, fearing that their clients might question their commitment or integrity. This reluctance often prolongs litigation unnecessarily.

7.?????? Unnecessary Adjournments: The excessive use of adjournments, often for trivial reasons, is a major contributor to delays. Lawyers sometimes exploit the system by seeking adjournments for personal reasons or minor issues, knowing that each delay benefits them financially. This practice not only increases the cost for litigants but also hampers the efficiency of the judiciary.

Solutions for Lawyers

·???????? Case analysis and management software: Establishing a legal case involves?managing and organizing cases. This can be done by organizing facts, reviewing documents, tracking case deadlines, tracking the progress of cases, building chronology, etc. Examples: CaseFleet, Filevine, and Litify. All tech tools are cloud-based and are specifically designed for law firms. While they all share similar features, there are some differences between these three platforms which include;

·???????? Calendar and deadline management:?All three tech tools offer a calendar feature that allows users to view all case-related events, such as court dates, meetings, and deadlines. However, CaseFleet and Litify offer automated deadline calculations based on relevant rules and court dates, while Filevine allows legal practitioners to set deadlines manually.

Best Apps & Software for Lawyers

Many of these may be foreign software & App and localized version would be available in India

Software

1.?????? Clio- Case management software, Comprehensive management of law firm

2.?????? Apploye- Time & Task Tracking, Focus work with time & task tracking

3.?????? Smokeball- Legal practice management software, Overall management of law firm

4.?????? CosmoLex- Legal practice management software, Accounting and billing

5.?????? Rocket Matter- Law firm management software, Creating, managing, and signing legal documents

6.?????? AbacusLaw- Legal Practice management software, Case management and documentation, time tracking, and billing

7.?????? LEAP- Legal practice management software, Documentation, writing letters, and accessing court documents

8.?????? Neos- Law practice management software, Case management and streamlining workflows with customizable configuration

9.?????? Smart Advocate- Law practice management software, Overall management of your law firm

10.?? LegalBoards- Legal operations management, Streamlining workflow

11.?? Manage My Lawsuits managemylawsuits.com

Apps

1.?????? Westlaw App- Legal research app, Easily accessing legal databases on the go and managing your research

2.?????? TrialPad- Presentation app, Presenting documents, videos, and other media in the courtroom

3.?????? Black’s Law Dictionary- Dictionary app, Referencing definitions of legal terms

4.?????? Calendly- Appointment scheduling app, Automating scheduling meetings with clients

5.?????? Dropbox- Cloud storage app

6.?????? Evernote- Note-taking app

7.?????? Todoist- Task management

Legal startups that are improving the legal industry with innovative solutions

1.?????? Everlaw: Everlaw is a company that offers a cloud-based software platform designed specifically for the legal industry. Its platform utilizes machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies to facilitate litigation document management and analysis.

2.?????? Lawrina: Lawrina.org?is a legal technology platform that offers a variety of services to address the legal needs of both clients and lawyers. It provides a comprehensive database of legal document templates for various legal matters, including business, personal, and real estate needs.

3.?????? Courtroom5: Courtroom5?is one of the rising legal startups that makes sure there is justice for everyone. It offers an end-to-end legal toolbox for people in civil court without a lawyer. With the tools and training, you will be able to navigate the complex legal process

4.?????? Assembly Software: Assembly Software?is unifying Needles and Trialworks under a common roof and is a driving force in legal case management technology. This legal startup brings together experienced legal practitioners with cutting-edge digital operators to deliver a case management platform that simply delivers maximum performance

5.?????? mLeAP: mLeAP?is an innovative legal startup that developed an AI legal research platform to analyze cases based on briefings and generate actionable intelligence based on the briefings provided. The product works on plain English case facts and it reduces the need to search through keywords and manual searching in books so you can fast and easily find lawyers in India

6.?????? Lightning Law: Lightning Law?developed an end-to-end platform for remote testimony, mediations, and legal proceedings so no matter what role you play, they have a solution for your workflow needs. This legal startup has the tools to help you manage multiple cases through each lifecycle stage, from deposition to conducting a mediation.

7.?????? Knowable: Knowing that most companies don’t know what’s in their contracts, and don’t have an easy way to find out,?Knowable?gives corporate clients revolutionary visibility into the contracts that govern their business. They convert dense legal prose into structured data that can be aggregated and analyzed from the enterprise portfolio level down to the individual contract

8.?????? pop.law: pop.law?is a digital legal consultancy with affordable legal packages by friendly, expert lawyers and has a mission to make law available for everyone. They have legal packages from life, death, love, and everything in between, to legal packages for startups, SMEs, and freelancer

9.?????? LEGID.app: The team of?LEGID?developed an app that connects lawyers and clients through an AI-powered, auction-style legal marketplace. All you need to do is submit a question for free, get price offers from trusted experts and resolve your legal problem online. That way this legal startup is protecting you from hidden costs and poor service.

10.?? Arcuity: Arcuity?delivers powerful record retrieval and review so you won’t have to settle for what’s available now. Instead, you will activate seamless and authenticated record retrieval and full-case document conceptual search while reducing duplicate records and costs.

11.?? LegalEdison: LegalEdison?is a research tool that helps professionals, individuals, and students, automatically summarize case law and generate legal citations. It’s an AI-powered tool that makes reading and citing case law faster than ever.

12.?? Casetext: Casetext?is an AI legal research technology designed for legal teams so that researchers can locate the right legal cases with ease. Having access to Casetext’s CARA AI tool it’s like having a research assistant at the counsel’s table

13.?? Legal Innovators: Legal Innovators?is a legal service provider that changes the way the law approaches hiring, pricing, and diversity of junior legal talent. This legal startup also provides highly-qualified and well-trained junior-level lawyers to law firms and corporate legal teams at a cost structure that makes sense in today’s economic climate.

14.?? Law 365: Law 365?is one of the world’s best legal startups for 2022 that covers everything from winning and delivering work to employment matters, to protecting your business online, or building lasting partnerships. They can also help you grow your business through quick, affordable, and accessible legal services.

15.?? Advocai: Advocai?by taking a holistic approach to advocating for their clients is more than just a traditional law firm. Their team of professionals aspire to be lawers that can make someone’s life better, hence they are providing services for injured, sick, and elderly.?

16.?? Evisort: Founded in 2018, Evisort leverages natural language processing and machine learning to read and extract key data points, clauses, and insights from contracts and documents uploaded to their cloud-based system.

17.?? CloudLex: Founded in 2019, CloudLex is a legal startup that provides tools to streamline case intake, document generation, calendaring, task management, and client communications for high-volume practices. Their platform aims to optimize legal workflows

18.?? Legitquest: Founded in 2018, Legitquest has developed a legal data engine that aggregates legislation, case law, contracts, and other documents to provide lawyers with enhanced searching, analysis, and knowledge discovery.

19.?? Legal Pigeon: Founded in 2017, Legal Pigeon lets users compare profiles, experience, ratings, and real-time availability to connect with a lawyer that fits their needs in hours instead of weeks. Lawyers manage their listings and inquiries on the platform.

20.?? Leegality: Founded in 2015, Leegality is a legal tech startup that offers a secure cloud-based system to digitize processes for executing agreements, integrating eStamps and signatures, ensuring compliance, and managing document approvals.

Use of AI & ML in courts & Law practice could reduce workload on lawyers

???????????????????? ????????????????????????: Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to computer systems capable of performing complex tasks that historically only a human could do, such as reasoning, making decisions, or solving problems.

a)????? AI is?a technology that uses machines to simulate human intelligence.

b)????? AI?makes it possible for machines to learn from experience, adjust to new inputs and perform human-like tasks.

c)?????? AI?is the theory and development of computer systems capable of performing tasks that historically required human intelligence, such as recognizing speech, making decisions, and identifying patterns.

d)????? AI is an umbrella term that encompasses a wide variety of technologies, including?machine learning,?deep learning, and?natural language processing (NLP).

e)????? Machine learning uses?algorithms?trained on data sets to create?machine learning models?that allow computer systems to perform tasks like making song recommendations, identifying the fastest way to travel to a destination, or translating text from one language to another.

Machine learning (ML) is a branch of?AI?and computer science that focuses on the using data and algorithms to enable AI to imitate the way that humans learn, gradually improving its accuracy. Machine learning, deep learning, and neural networks are all sub-fields of artificial intelligence.

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in courts and law practice holds significant potential to reduce the workload on the judiciary and lawyers. Here are several ways in which AI and ML can achieve this:

1.?????? Legal Research and Case Analysis: AI-powered legal research tools can quickly analyze vast databases of case law, statutes, and legal documents to provide relevant information and precedents. This reduces the time lawyers spend on manual research, allowing them to focus on higher-level tasks such as case strategy and client consultation.

2.?????? Document Review and Automation: AI and ML can automate the review of legal documents, identifying relevant information, flagging inconsistencies, and suggesting revisions. This speeds up the document drafting and review process, ensuring greater accuracy and reducing the administrative burden on lawyers.

3.?????? Predictive Analytics: Predictive analytics tools use historical case data to forecast case outcomes, judge behaviors, and litigation trends. These insights help lawyers make informed decisions and develop effective strategies, while judges can use this data to manage caseloads and prioritize cases more efficiently.

4.?????? Automated Case Management: AI-driven case management systems can automate scheduling, case tracking, and notifications. These systems ensure that deadlines are met, hearings are scheduled efficiently, and parties are kept informed, reducing the administrative workload on court staff and improving overall case management.

5.?????? Virtual Assistants and ChatBots: AI-powered virtual assistants and ChatBots can handle routine inquiries, provide legal information, and assist clients with basic legal questions. This frees up lawyers’ time to focus on more complex tasks and reduces the time spent on client interactions.

6.?????? E-Discovery: AI and ML tools can streamline the e-discovery process by quickly sifting through large volumes of electronically stored information (ESI) to identify relevant documents. This reduces the time and effort required for document review and ensures compliance with legal requirements.

7.?????? Sentiment Analysis and Contract Review: AI tools can analyze the language and sentiment in legal documents, contracts, and correspondence to identify potential risks and areas of concern. This helps lawyers preemptively address issues, ensuring better contract management and reducing the likelihood of disputes.

8.?????? Intelligent Legal Drafting: AI tools can assist in drafting legal documents by providing templates, suggesting clauses, and ensuring compliance with legal standards. This speeds up the drafting process and reduces the workload on lawyers.

9.?????? Judicial Decision Support: AI and ML can provide decision support to judges by analyzing case law, summarizing relevant information, and suggesting potential rulings based on historical data. This helps judges make more informed decisions and reduces the time required for case deliberation.

10.?? Enhanced Data Management: AI and ML can organize and manage vast amounts of legal data, ensuring that information is easily accessible and up-to-date. This improves the efficiency of legal practices and court operations, reducing the time spent on data retrieval and management.

By leveraging AI and ML technologies, the legal profession can significantly enhance efficiency, accuracy, and productivity. This not only reduces the workload on the judiciary and lawyers but also ensures faster, more accessible, and more reliable legal services for clients.

Which are the AI & ML tools & software for Lawyers?

The application of AI and ML in the legal field is supported by a variety of advanced tools and software designed to streamline operations, enhance efficiency, and improve accuracy. Here are some of the leading AI and ML tools and software used by the judiciary and lawyers:

1.?????? ROSS Intelligence:

a)????? Function: Legal research

b)????? Features: Uses natural language processing (NLP) to provide precise legal research results, quickly identifying relevant case law and legal precedents.

2.?????? Lex Machina:

a)????? Function: Legal analytics

b)????? Features: Analyzes litigation trends, case outcomes, and judge behaviors to help lawyers develop informed strategies and predict case outcomes.

3.?????? Kira Systems:

a)????? Function: Document review and analysis

b)????? Features: Uses machine learning to identify, extract, and analyze key information from legal documents, improving due diligence and contract review processes.

4.?????? Casetext:

a)????? Function: Legal research and brief analysis

b)????? Features: Provides comprehensive legal research capabilities and features like CARA A.I., which analyzes briefs and recommends relevant cases and authorities.

5.?????? Ravel Law (part of LexisNexis):

a)????? Function: Legal research and analytics

b)????? Features: Visualizes legal research data and provides insights into judicial decisions, litigation trends, and case law patterns.

6.?????? LawGeex:

a)????? Function: Contract review

b)????? Features: Uses AI to automate the review and approval of contracts, ensuring compliance with company policies and identifying potential risks.

7.?????? Everlaw:

a)????? Function: E-discovery and litigation support

b)????? Features: Offers advanced search capabilities, predictive coding, and data visualization tools to streamline the discovery process and case management.

8.?????? Luminance:

a)????? Function: Document review and due diligence

b)????? Features: Uses machine learning to analyze and organize large volumes of legal documents, highlighting anomalies and key information.

9.?????? Blue J Legal:

a)????? Function: Predictive legal analytics

b)????? Features: Provides predictions on case outcomes and insights into legal issues based on historical case data and advanced machine learning algorithms.

10.?? Neota Logic:

a)????? Function: Expert systems and workflow automation

b)????? Features: Allows lawyers to build and deploy AI-powered applications that automate legal advice, document generation, and compliance processes.

11.?? Smokeball:

a)????? Function: Case management and automation

b)????? Features: Combines practice management software with AI to automate administrative tasks, track billable hours, and manage case documents.

12.?? Relativity:

a)????? Function: E-discovery

b)????? Features: Provides powerful tools for managing and analyzing electronic data during litigation, including predictive coding and analytics.

13.?? JP Morgan's COIN (Contract Intelligence):

a)????? Function: Contract analysis

b)????? Features: Uses machine learning to review and interpret commercial loan agreements, identifying key clauses and risks.

14.?? Justis:

a)????? Function: Legal research and analysis

b)????? Features: Offers a comprehensive legal research platform with AI-driven tools for case law analysis and visualization.

15.?? DoNotPay:

a)????? Function: Legal advice and dispute resolution

b)????? Features: An AI-powered Chabot that provides legal advice and helps users contest parking tickets, claim compensation, and navigate various legal issues.

16.?? Beagle:

a)????? Function: Contract analysis

b)????? Features: Uses machine learning to review contracts, highlight key terms, and identify potential issues, speeding up the contract review process.

How IBM’s Watson can facilitate Lawyers practice

What is so unique about IMB’s Watson?

IBM's Watson is unique for its advanced AI capabilities, including natural language processing (NLP), machine learning, and deep analytics. It excels in understanding unstructured data, mimicking human reasoning, and delivering insights from vast datasets. Watson is also highly adaptable, supporting a range of industries such as healthcare, finance, and law by offering customized, data-driven solutions. Its ability to process natural language queries and provide precise answers makes it a powerful tool for professionals seeking efficiency and innovation in decision-making and complex problem-solving.

Watson sparked curiosity around “machines that could think” and opened up the possibilities around how AI could be applied to business. Clients in industries ranging from financial services to retail put Watson to work to unlock new insights, drive productivity and deliver better customer experiences.?Now through advancements in core Watson technologies, IBM has developed the next generation AI and data platform and set of AI assistants with?watsonx.

How IBM’s Watson can facilitate Layers practice in handling drafting of petition, research & analytics?

IBM's Watson can transform legal practice by leveraging its AI capabilities to streamline drafting, research, and analytics:

1.?????? Drafting Petitions: Watson can analyze legal precedents and context to generate drafts tailored to specific cases, saving time and enhancing accuracy.

2.?????? Legal Research: Its natural language processing (NLP) allows lawyers to query complex legal questions and retrieve precise, relevant case laws and statutes quickly.

3.?????? Analytics: Watson provides predictive analytics by identifying patterns in judicial decisions and assessing the likelihood of case outcomes.

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IMB’s LegalMation helps legal teams draft high-quality litigation work in minutes

The 2008 financial meltdown profoundly impacted the legal industry, marking the end of a prolonged era of growth and prosperity for law firms. Clients, under pressure to cut costs, began demanding more efficiency and imposing stricter budgets. They adopted a fragmented approach, assigning parts of legal work to cost-effective providers or in-house teams instead of relying on one firm. In this challenging environment, differentiation became vital but harder to achieve. Successful firms, like the one led by James Lee and Thomas Suh, embraced innovation and efficiency to sustain quality service and meet evolving client needs.

Conclusion: These tools enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve the quality of legal services.

By adopting these AI and ML tools, the judiciary and legal professionals can enhance their capabilities, reduce workloads, and deliver more efficient and accurate legal services. These technologies not only streamline routine tasks but also provide valuable insights and predictions, empowering lawyers and judges to make better-informed decisions

Note: The purpose of this post is not to defame the legal profession but to highlight critical issues that need addressing for the overall betterment of the justice system by using modern technological solutions. Lawyers play a pivotal role as one of the key pillars supporting the administration of justice, alongside the judiciary, infrastructure, and government. While it is easy to point fingers at systemic inefficiencies, such as overburdened courts or inadequate infrastructure, it is equally important for lawyers to engage in self-reflection and consider how their practices may be contributing to delays. Lawyers with large practice should consult specialist in the field of IT to transform their law practice, whether it is litigation, chamber practice advising or drafting documents. This note should initiate thought process which can bring some meaningful results and bring respect & glory to the legal profession.

CA Harshad Shah, Mumbai [email protected]