Washington Lawyer - January/February 2025 - 6

FROM OUR PRESIDENT
Leading From the Front
on the Future of Law
By Shaun M. Snyder
L
ast fall, I had the honor of
being invited by the Law
Society of England and Wales
to represent the D.C. Bar in
London at the Opening of the
Legal Year. The annual celebration
brings together the entire legal
profession in the United Kingdom
and throughout the world in a
ceremony that both looks back on
centuries of tradition and looks to
the future.
When I ran for D.C. Bar president, I recognized
the importance of the Bar leading the conversation
on the integration of new technology into
the practice of law and preparing our members
to be equipped for the future of legal work. The
impetus behind my decision to focus on this
issue during my term was the launch of ChatGPT
in late 2022. Still in its infancy, ChatGPT
evoked a lot of fear and uncertainty, driven by
concerns over job displacements, disruptions
in billing and the entire compensation system,
ethical implications, and potential misuse.
Yet, alongside these apprehensions on how
artificial intelligence would radically transform
the legal profession was an undeniable excitement
over the possibilities waiting for AI to unlock.
Today, more than two years after ChatGPT
took the world by storm, 76 percent of legal
professionals in corporate legal departments
use generative AI at least once a week, as do 68
percent of their counterparts in law firms. According
to Wolters Kluwer's 2024 Future Ready
Lawyer Survey, generative AI is " becoming a
staple of the legal industry - even as organizations
continue to grapple with how to best
integrate it into their existing workflows. "
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* JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025
As individuals are becoming more aware of the
increasing number of AI platforms and their
constantly changing capabilities, we are seeing
a more informed discussion about the implications
of these tools in the legal profession. The
question now isn't whether we can afford the
risk of using AI in our work but, rather, how we
can make it benefit the profession.
The U.S. legal community isn't alone in this discussion.
Attorneys in the UK are also exploring
how AI can help them become more efficient
with their time, permit solo and small practitioners
to take on cases they couldn't have in the
past, and, yes, bill their time.
The question now isn't
whether we can afford
the risk of using AI
in our work but, rather,
how we can make it
benefit the profession.
In my work as CEO of the National Association
of State Treasurers (NAST), I have been looking
for ways to integrate AI for improved efficiency.
I believe my staff was initially hesitant to use AI
due to a lack of familiarity with the technology
and, possibly, a concern that I would frown
upon their use of AI tools to " cheat " at getting
their work done. On the contrary, I want them
to find ways to use their time more efficiently,
and I have been explicit about that.
One of my biggest frustrations is that at NAST,
we hold conferences throughout the year with
excellent content that only gets in front of a
few hundred members (out of 11,000 who
could benefit). Now, we are in the process of
using AI to synthesize our conference material
and provide summaries, data analysis, and future
content suggestions. Our goal is a closed,
secure AI system powering an internal, searchable
database that is accessible to members.
Turning static recordings, handouts, and
PowerPoints into more dynamic and usable
thought leadership content could be a game
changer for member value and engagement.
At the D.C. Bar, we have been focusing on artificial
intelligence in the law for more than a year.
In 2023 we held a daylong CLE on AI, and in
2024 we launched MyDCLawyer, the firstin-the-nation
AI-powered lawyer referral service.
To date, more than 700 Bar members have
already subscribed to the service, ready to get
connected with clients.
Last fall, I hosted an AI summit that included
technology experts, judges, law professors, and
lawyers to look deeper into how the legal profession
can maximize use of AI. It became
apparent from our conversation that the Bar
needs to continue to engage with, raise awareness
for, and provide tools to our members to
help them succeed. The D.C. Courts are also invested
in this discussion, creating an Artificial
Intelligence Task Force in March 2024 to make
sure our courts stay on top of new technology
to enhance service to the public and promote
operational efficiencies.
Our next exciting opportunity to engage as a
community is at the Judicial & Bar Conference
on April 25, where our theme is " The Future of
the Profession: Shaping the Next Generation of
Legal Practice, " covering topics broader than AI.
The D.C. Bar is committed to serving as a critical
resource to our members as we navigate the
future of legal practice together. I encourage
you to register for the Judicial & Bar Conference
and join us in helping to shape that future.
Connect with Shaun at ssnyder@dcbar.org.
Patrice Gilbert Photography
Washington Lawyer - January/February 2025

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