Law Firms Share Artificial Intelligence Tools With Legal Aid Organizations

Major law firms aim to accelerate legal processes for disadvantaged groups by sharing artificial intelligence technologies with legal aid organizations. Entities like Baker McKenzie and Harvey are utilizing artificial intelligence in pro bono activities, while challenges such as privacy, cost, and lack of technical infrastructure are being navigated.

Lesley Mendoza, director of CABA Pro Bono Legal Services, stated that they were unable to allocate resources for new technologies due to budget constraints, but noted that this situation began to ease with the support of Baker McKenzie. At a pro bono clinic held in Florida regarding dissolution of marriage, AI-powered recording devices placed in the rooms allowed volunteer lawyers to convert interviews directly into form drafts and translate them from Spanish to English when necessary. This method reached significantly more families than usual.

Law firms must manage privacy and security risks when sharing artificial intelligence technologies. Baker McKenzie operated the technology on a closed-circuit system at the clinic in question and deleted all recordings afterwards. Since small-scale non-profit organizations lack technology departments, potential artificial intelligence errors and sustainability costs remain significant obstacles among others.

Steven Schulman, pro bono chair at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, and entities partnering with AI startup Harvey such as DLA Piper, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, and Ashurst Perkins Coie aim to optimize high-volume repetitive tasks by offering legal aid organizations free platform access. Companies like Microsoft, Anthropic, and Everlaw similarly offer lower-cost or free solutions, while according to Legal Services Corporation reports, the high proportion of segments unable to access civil legal aid makes such pro bono technology bridges critical.