Market realities of rule-based software for lawyers: where the rubber meets the road

ABSTRACT

Part One of this paper briefly describes existing rule-based software for lawyers. Part Two turns to the difficulties that have beset lawyers willing to consider use of these programs. Part Three argues that the difficulties will be surmounted gradually because of competition between firms and leads to the final part that considers how the legal market is accepting rule-based software.

REFERENCES

• 1: Other kinds of software might be included, such as neural nets, decision analysis systems, intelligent front ends for online search systems, and executive information systems. Se__.~e Henry H. Perritt, Jr., How to Practice Law with Computers (PLI 1988) and S. Michael Brooks, Computerizin~ for Personal Productivity (Butterworths 1989). See also James A. Eidelman, "The Computer as Electronic Formbook," 13 Le~ 45 (May/June 1988).
• 2: On October 10-11, about thirty-five lawyers gathered in Toronto to see several document assembly programs demonstrated: Legalware's Document Modeler, Analytic Legal's WorkForm, Capsoft's CAPS, TurboSoft's Overdrive, Brentmark Software's Document Assenlbler, Simlaw's ExperText, and Anselm's Work Engine. Other vendors attending included Softstream Technology and Lackner Computer Group.
• 3: The core membership of the Legal Expert System Working Group consists of lawyers from six major firms in New York City and a law professor. In the summer of 1988, the group wrote to about ninety lawyers who share an interest in legal expert systems (approximately 50 practicing attorneys, 15 legal academics, and 10 lawyers with legal software vendors). The group has compiled and sl~ghtly edited the responses. Call or write the author for details.
• 4: C. O'Malley, What's new in personal information managers, Personal Computing, v.12 n.7, p.123-128, July 1988
• 5: Ronald Marx, "HyperCord: Appliance Software for Attorneys," 1 Doc. Ass. User Group News 8 (No. 2 Jan. 1989). Products include Guide (Owl Software);, HyperCard (Apple Computer), Hyperdoc (Hyperdoc), Black Magic (Ntergaid) and MaxThink (MaxThink).
• 6: Programs include Act (Conductor Software), Action Tracker (Information Research). S_e_e generally Release, 1.0 (edited by Esther Dyson); Susannah Opper, "Making the Right Moves with Groupware," 12 Personal Computin~ 134 (Dec. 1988); Paul Saffo, "Supporting the Interpersonal Computer," 12 Personal .Computing 67 (Oct. 1988).
• 7: Se....ge Charles Pear, Esq. at the lit Chicago-Kent Conference on November 18, 1988 about using document assembly for real estate conveyancing in Hawaii; Karen Dillon, "Bringing Software to the Front Office," 10 American Lawyer 131 (Sept. 1988).
• 8: Richard C. Reed, Esq., is preparing a book for the American Bar Association on value billing.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.2 DATABASE MANAGEMENT

Additional Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.2 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
      I.2.1 Applications and Expert Systems
          Subjects: Law
      I.2.4 Knowledge Representation Formalisms and Methods
          Subjects: Representations (procedural and rule-based)

  J. Computer Applications
  J.1 ADMINISTRATIVE DATA PROCESSING
      Subjects: Law

General Terms:
Design, Documentation, Legal Aspects