ROSS is the first artificially intelligent attorney and works for BakerHostetler. ROSS is a robot with powers of attorney. Based on IBM Watson technology, this robot serves as a legal researcher in BakerHostetler’s bankruptcy practice, where it will be responsible for sifting through thousands of legal documents.

As a fresh out-of-school lawyer it is going to be a challenge to compete with ROSS. ROSS works 24/7, while never losing focus or missing a single detail. Its machiene learning technology ensures that over time ROSS will only get better and more accurate at its job.

So clearly, ROSS is there to stay. And for the better. Automatization has helped a lot of industries to deliver goods and services that are of higher quality and at lower costs. Which in turn has helped increase accessibility and thereby market size. In other words, ROSS promises to be a future money maker for law firms.

Artificial intelligence offers a great opportunity to explore novel ways of practicing law, and practicing law at a much higher speed and lower costs. With a robot doing all the boring and tedious work, you as lawyer can focus on the things humans are much better at. It provides you the opportunity to focus on the things lawyers are good at: put things in context and strategize. The latter being issues an artificial intelligent robot is unlikely to ever master.

For fresh-out-of-school lawyers, ROSS also offers great opportunities. Especially if you become an expert in artificial intelligence and learn how to work with technology like IBM Watson. The next generation of lawyers will be required to be much more tech savvy.

Interested to learn how your law firm can explore, develop and implement opportunities like artificial intelligence and apply these in practice? We would gladly support your ambitions to stay ahead of the pack. Our approach to new service development is tailored to the need of professional service organizations such as law firms. We enable your lawyers to engage and innovate in a sustainable manner.

Organizing4Innovation is proud to be the first to offer an innovation management approach dedicated exclusively to the professional services. For more information see www.organizing4innovation.com