In a recent Paxton webinar featuring Richard H. Herman, a 50-year legal veteran and founder of the Herman Law Firm in Wayne, New Jersey, we shared valuable insights into how artificial intelligence is reshaping the legal profession.
Richard brings exceptional depth of experience to our discussion, having served as a Deputy Attorney General of New Jersey, Special Counsel to the New York State Legislature on regulatory reform, and Professor of Law at Albany Law School where he chaired the Curriculum Committee. His current practice focuses primarily on real estate transactions, estate planning, probate, and business counseling. As both a practicing attorney and a seasoned mediator, Richard offers our audience a uniquely informed perspective on AI's potential to transform legal work.
Here are five essential takeaways for lawyers considering incorporating AI into their practice:
Today's clients expect immediate answers, as Richard notes: "People come to you, you get a phone call. If you don't answer your phone call, you get a text... I emailed you 15 minutes ago. I don't have an answer yet." Our Paxton AI enables lawyers to "frame the issues, frame the questions, and look at possible potential solutions instantaneously." This capability is transforming client service, allowing attorneys to provide rapid insights where it was "virtually impossible before."
For small firms or solo practitioners who can't afford full-time associates, AI provides a cost-effective alternative. As Richard explained during our webinar, "I don't have an associate in my firm. I have two paralegals, but I don't have an associate. I do have an associate in having Paxton." Our AI solution allows these practitioners to accomplish tasks that would traditionally require additional human resources, functioning as a digital team member that's always available.
One of the most immediate benefits is AI's ability to rapidly draft and modify documents. The webinar demonstrated how AI can generate a complete settlement agreement in seconds based on a simple description of facts and requirements. More impressively, the system can intelligently revise specific provisions without losing context - for example, changing governing law from New Jersey to New York while maintaining all other agreement terms. This capability is particularly valuable in time-sensitive situations like mediations where "people want to get in and out."
During our webinar, Richard emphasized the critical distinction between general AI tools and specialized legal AI platforms like Paxton: "These generalized tools are just learning from the open internet. Paxton is that plus... it is also referring to a curated set of primary sources." For legal practitioners, this difference is crucial, as it provides confidence that research is based on "real cases, not hallucinated cases, real statutes" rather than unreliable internet content. Our legal-specific AI offers the ability to focus specifically on primary sources like case law and regulations.
Despite concerns about technology replacing legal jobs, Richard offered a more optimistic perspective: "I don't think it'll replace lawyers. I don't think it'll replace paralegals. I think what it'll do is raise law to a higher level and our practice to a higher level." By automating time-consuming research and drafting tasks, AI allows lawyers to focus on higher-level thinking and analysis. As Richard put it, "While it takes away time from getting to the sources... it does let you time to think about what comes up... and to come up with a better product."
Richard also noted that embracing technology is now an ethical obligation: "Lawyers have an ethical duty of competence under 1.1 of the ABA Model Rules... As part of that, if you read 1.1, we have a duty as well to keep up with technology." Far from making lawyers obsolete, AI may help "democratize the process better so that more people can afford legal services."
As law firms continue adapting to technological advancements, those who embrace AI tools like Paxton will likely gain significant competitive advantages in efficiency, client service, and work product quality.
Want to see the full conversation with Richard Herman? Watch the complete webinar recording at: https://www.paxton.ai/webinars/accelerating-your-legal-practice
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