Bernhard Waltl – författare

“Humanization and the Law” combines two current and complementary trends in the business-to-business (B2B) market of the legal industry: digitalization and humanization.

On the one hand, digital transformation in corporate legal departments and law firms continues to advance. Contract management, e-discovery, due diligence, legal operations, and forensic data analysis are just a few examples of task areas where the use of intelligent software solutions minimizes legal risks and increases compliance, enables efficiency gains and cost reductions through automation, and allows faster and more agile responses to changing market demands and client expectations.

On the other hand, the increasing number of failed digitalization projects shows that technology alone is not enough to successfully transform legal departments and law firms. Software solutions must be integrated into existing work processes, be easy to use, and provide real benefits in order to be accepted by employees. People and their ability to make decisions and lead others remain the focus in an increasingly digitalized legal industry.

More than 20 authors provide insights into why human aspects matter for business, what organizations can do to increase the mental well-being and motivation of their employees, and how to prevail in the upcoming war for talent in the legal industry.

“The legal industry has been largely dismissive of “soft skills” and “humanizing law.” One of the paradoxes of our time is that the ascendency of automation, artificial intelligence, blockchain, Big Data, and other technological platforms has elevated, not diminished, the importance of humanity. It is not only what distinguishes us from machines but it also enables us to apply our humanity to machines. The legal function will play an important role in this process but must first take a hard look at itself.”

(Mark A. Cohen, in “Foreword”)  

This book is a comprehensive guide for legal, business, and technology professionals seeking to understand the intersection of sustainability and emerging technologies in the legal ecosystem. The book takes a critical look at the role of AI and cloud technologies in promoting sustainable legal practices and addresses the potential risks and ethical considerations associated with these technologies. The book explores the concept of sustainability in a legal context, highlighting the need for the legal system to sustain itself in order to sustain society at large. The chapters cover a wide range of topics, from the use of generative AI and open legal data to promote access to justice, to the codification of corporate cultural intelligence to mitigate risks associated with AI. The book also addresses the potential dark side of AI in the legal market, including the risks of autonomy, liability, legal, and ethical issues that arise when using AI in legal decision-making processes. The authors explore the need for sustainable digital transformation as a prerequisite for sustainable law, highlighting the importance of understanding the ethical and legal implications of AI in the legal system.