Summary: This year will be remembered as the year when legal automation went from being merely a topic of interest to a tool deeply embedded in the modern law firm. Here are just a few of the ways that we saw law firms embrace innovation this year and help usher in a new era of legal automation.

Summary: I regularly talk to people about the differences between "Automation" and "Artificial Intelligence". In short, I equate these terms with the words "Science" and "Homeopathy". In both cases, the first term implies analysis, design, development, deployment, planning and testing. The second term implies a faith based on received intelligence. No need to understand how it works, just believe.

Summary: The Law Society recently released a report titled Capturing Technological Innovation in Legal Services, which offers an interesting look at technological innovation in the context of legal services. The report features interviews from technology pioneers and adopters and looks at the legal sector’s growing interest in advanced automation technology. Findings from the report make one thing very clear: firms’ ability to innovate will be crucial to their future success.