Practical toolkit for understanding AI

It is only a year since barrister Andrew Hogan published his book on the interaction between lawyers and AI. But in a world where everything moves at super-speed, so much has happened that it is already time for a new edition. 

This version is still very much a lawyer’s perspective on AI – what it is good for, and where it is dangerous. It hones in even more sharply on the use of AI for legal practice – with detailed, very practical chapters on using AI for legal research, drafting and review, litigation workflows, practice management and legal platforms. The book deliberately draws its examples from recognisable legal work, such as chronologies, skeleton arguments, contracts, costs budgets, bills of costs, funding agreements and the analysis of documents. 

Hogan has reorganised the book and it now shows a coherent progression through four themes: how we arrived here; what modern AI actually is; how lawyers can use it; and how lawyers must control it. With plenty having happened in the past 12 months, it gives a comprehensive explanation of all the relevant judgments. It also outlines AI-related guidance issued in the past year by professional bodies, such as the Solicitors Regulation Authority, Law Society and Bar Council. 

For those looking for a clear-sighted explanation of both the benefits and risks of AI, written by a practising lawyer and coming from a very practical perspective, this latest edition will prove invaluable. 

Rachel Rothwell is a Gazette columnist and editor of Litigation Funding magazine