Machine intelligence is replacing humans in many areas of the
law, but leading 'superstar' lawyers may be able to use
technology to earn even greater rewards, says John O. McGinnis
As machine intelligence commoditises many aspects of law,
information technology will accelerate greater transparency that
will, in turn, accelerate lawyers' loss of market power over
legal services. Most obviously, the transparency will come in the
form of consumers' increased ability to compare the prices of
legal services. But new services will also arise to help consumers
compare the quality of lawyers. Start-ups are devising metrics that
use available data to compare the performance of lawyers.
But even if average lawyers will be disadvantaged, some
superstars may earn even greater returns. First, with great metrics
of comparison, discerning who the superstars are will be easier.
Second, superstars can extend their research through technology
– meaning they deliver their innovative
