HOW WE’RE SHAPING THE FUTURE OF NEXT-GEN LEGAL TECHNOLOGY

Our Mudgee law firm has been involved in shaping the next generation of AI for the legal profession, as one of just a handful of Australian law firms to participate in an exclusive AI legal conference.

DLH Principal Solicitor, Sally Callander, & Practice Manager, Megan Brown, were recently invited to attend the exclusive AI Paralegal Retreat, organised by legal cloud-based software pioneer, LEAP.

Over the two-day retreat, Callander & Brown worked closely with LEAP’s software developers and founder, Christian Beck, to assist in the further development of LEAP’s AI Paralegal technology, particularly in its application to family law.

LEAP’s legal software practice management platform is designed to assist legal professionals with research, document drafting and matter analysis. It acts as an “AI paralegal” by automating time-consuming tasks within a single cloud-based system.

Callander was one of the early adopters of the AI Paralegal technology, introducing the software at her own boutique legal practice in early 2023.

DLH now uses AI paralegal, “Tilly,” for family law disclosure, assisting clients in collating their disclosure material. The software takes just seven minutes, as opposed to weeks spent gathering documents. “Tilly” also creates a disclosure schedule and puts together different asset tables and offers.

Callander said the firm was thrilled to be one of the only Australian legal practices invited to participate in the next phase of LEAP software development and test it in real-time.

“It was a privilege to be able to contribute to the evolution of cutting-edge AI technology and its growing impact on legal practice, both for DLH Solicitors and the broader legal profession,” she said.

“AI Paralegals are not about replacing human jobs, but making often expensive legal tasks faster, reducing costs for clients. Currently, the gap between people who can access Legal Aid and those that use private legal service is huge - this software means we’re able to provide greater services to the wider community, making it more accessible and cost effective.

“Our practical insights and frontline experience using LEAP’s AI technology were highly valued at last week’s retreat and will play an integral role in shaping future functionality. We look forward to testing the next generation of the software at DLH in the coming months and to continue to assist LEAP with its development.”