When John Hamill was just starting as an attorney, his firm’s partners would hand back paper drafts with their suggestions scribbled in the margins.
Then Microsoft changed the game with track changes in Word, Hamill said.
Now, the commercial litigator said the legal profession is again changed with generative artificial intelligence.
At DLA Piper, where he helps train young attorneys as part of leading the firm’s affirmative litigation practice, Hamill encourages his team to use “the latest and greatest software” to sharpen their writing skills and think outside the box.
“Some of the tools that are now available on the market can give pretty insightful suggestions to the developing writers on what to do and why,” Hamill said.
He likes Microsoft Copilot, BriefCatch, and Harvey, among others — though he’s reticent to pick a favorite, saying that the best product today could be dramatically different two months from now.
Hamill also recognized the potential for copilots to respond with erroneous information. He tells his team always to check the writing assistant’s work.
“We think of it as a smart, creative intern who works really fast,” he said, “but just like a new lawyer, consultant, analyst — it’s going to make some mistakes.”
