In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has become an increasingly prominent topic across multiple sectors, including legal affairs. The buzz around AI has invariably led to a plethora of promises from businesses and organisations on its potential transformative effects. However, the concept of AI was introduced rather softly at the Clio Cloud Conference 2023 following nearly an hour of other discussions. Reinforced by the conference’s motto “amplify your impact”, CEO Jack Newton unveiled Clio’s latest tool, aiming to chip away at cumbersome routines and give attorneys some much-needed breathing room.
The AI tool, primarily an aid rather than an AI associate, adopts a relatively modest approach, designed to assist in carving out five to ten additional minutes throughout a lawyer’s day. Drawing a comparison to Steve Jobs’s push to reduce Macintosh’s boot time by 10 seconds to save user’s time collectively, Clio projects a similar objective through this tool. The AI tool, named Clio Duo, aims to simplify and streamline legal professionals’ daily activities, thereby allowing them to function more efficiently.
Rather than working through swathes of emails or delving into the depths of document management systems (DMS), attorneys can request information about their schedule, for example, and this is where Clio Duo steps in. It will not only provide details about upcoming meetings and matters, but it will also serve a summarised update on recent developments, freeing up time and potential stress for professionals preparing for their briefings.
But Clio Duo isn’t exclusively devoted to managing calendars; it delves into fundamentally legal tasks too. The tool can undertake tasks such as summarising documents and generating basic legal documents. While it may not be constructing a detailed merger agreement anytime soon, Clio Duo can swiftly compile a demand letter using templates, highlighting key variables for attorney review, and thereby saving crucial time in generating routine documents.
Practice management stands as a significant focus of Clio Duo’s use cases, with features ranging from identifying clients behind on their bills, to drafting invoices upon request. Some of the highlights include personalized recommendations, overdue task reminders, bill generation, document summarization, and overviews for improved client communications. These are aimed at aiding the workflow of small firms and solo practitioners.
As the industry grapples with the ethical implications of AI-driven lawyering, Clio Duo seems to be occupying a space that’s comparatively less fraught with ethical dilemmas. The tool applies AI to the prosaic, time-greedy tasks that comprise the business of lawyering; the very aspects overlooked by many when caught in grandiose speculations about the future of AI in legal research. Rather than focusing on lofty promises and still undelivered commitments about AI’s part in legal affairs, the tool emphasizes improving daily efficiencies, much like Steve Jobs’ 10-second pool of sanctuary.
While in its initial stages, Clio Duo has been received positively at the conference, with an appreciable, honest approach to AI’s realistic applications. Moreso, it resonates with practitioners looking to politely tell opposing counsel to, as it was eloquently put, “f*#k off”.