In today’s rapidly evolving legal landscape, adapting new technologies and methodologies is crucial, particularly with the rise of artificial intelligence. Laura Jeffords Greenberg, a senior legal director at Copenhagen-based WorkSum, is at the forefront of this transformative era. During a recent conversation, accessible in full via YouTube, Greenberg elaborated on why prompt engineering could be an indispensable skill for legal professionals.
Greenberg’s insights are primarily rooted in her experience with asynchronous communication. As she navigated a nine-hour time difference between her team in California and her based operations in Europe, she developed processes that enhanced efficiency. These strategies prioritized the meticulous documentation of processes and knowledge creation, aimed at minimizing delays and promoting transparency within legal teams.
This foundation of thorough documentation, for Greenberg, seamlessly extends into AI integration. Generative AI’s success hinges on context, which is why detailed, specific documentation can lead AI to produce more tailored results rather than generic ones. Greenberg pointed out that, “without context, AI can only give you generic outputs.”
Moreover, the art of prompt engineering has become a pivotal debate in legal circles. Is it a temporary trend, or a long-term necessity? Greenberg believes that, regardless of the current uncertainties, it is vital for lawyers to master it now. She introduced the WRAPS framework to better structure AI prompts—defining What output is needed, the Role of the AI, the Audience, the Purpose of the prompt, and the Scope.
As for in-house legal teams, Greenberg sees AI as a valuable tool for efficiency, easing workload by automating tasks from contract drafting to policy creation. She emphasized training AI to align with a company’s tone of voice for consistency in communication.
Greenberg also stresses the need for creating a culture of experimentation within legal teams. Moving away from the perfectionism that often characterizes legal practice will be essential. Allowing a margin for error when experimenting with AI will be crucial for innovative growth.
In the rapidly changing landscape of the legal profession, Laura Jeffords Greenberg’s advice is succinct yet profound: “Start playing and keep learning.” The need to dive into AI experimentation sooner rather than later is clear, given the ever-evolving nature of technology in law. You can explore the detailed discussion on this topic at Above the Law.