The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/230349
The robots are coming, but who will use them first? Will attorneys be able to save time by using robots for minor, routine court appearances? Will they be able to inspect the scene of an accident or crime? Early adopters are now experimenting with telepresence robots, which take videoconferencing a step further by allowing users to physically navigate a remote location to communicate. Like most new collaboration technologies in the legal industry, robots bring a handful of opportunities like casual, spontaneous videoconferencing, serendipitous encounters and the ability to be in several places at once. They also present a number of security risks, including: makers? Similar concerns are already bedeviling the nascent market for driverless cars. •Privacy. An unobtrusively-parked robot might overhear sensitive conversations between people who don't know it is present and listening. When an attorney and client communicate via robot, can the attorney be sure he is indeed talking with the client? By hacking into the robot's controls, a bad actor could impersonate a legitimate user or someone could use a robot to read private business information left on employees' desks. With the level of privacy and demand for documentation of communication in the legal industry, when will the benefits outweigh the risks? •Liability. If a remote user navigates the robot poorly and destroys an expensive piece of equipment, is the liability his or the robot's owners, or the Awards 2013 celebrating innovation in the practice of law sponsored by: Platinum Sponsors Gold Sponsors greenfieldbelser ABA Law Practice Management Section Canadian Bar Association International Legal Technology Association Ricoh Legal Mattern & Associates, LLC MAKE YOUR FIRM UNIQUE TM Additional information is available online at www.innovactionaward.com. Silver Sponsors Altman Weil, Inc. Association of Legal Administrators Legal Marketing Association Novus Law WINNERS Riverview Law, New York, NY Creating a New Model Law Firm University of California, Irvine School of Law, Consumer Protection Clinic, Irvine, CA California Monitor Program Michigan State University of Law, East Lansig, MI ReInvent Law Laboratory Peer to Peer 63