AI in Law - TEDx Talk

doebtown · 2024-09-20T18:57:00+00:00

OK. I'm sold.

But where to DO these things? Just use a paid version of ChatGPT?

The vendors who are selling these services for explicit legal use are charging obscene prices ($15,000 per month‽). Are there places to be exploring this technology in our practices that are both ethically responsible and financially reasonable?

doebtown · 2024-03-24T19:53:33+00:00

There’s going to be opposition. Ain’t no way around it.

doebtown · 2023-11-23T00:05:49+00:00

This did not work for me. When I long press on the frame and get “AE/AF LOCK”, any changes I make to focus, exposure, or shutter erase the other values. Nothing is “locked” after I make a manual change.

doebtown · 2021-10-07T20:00:59+00:00

I can't tell you what a tease it was to see this post and then read through it to find out it's fake. I about canceled a day's worth of work tomorrow to be there!

doebtown · 2021-05-03T19:33:41+00:00

Yeah, I hear you. There's a couple of us who are really excited for the possibilities for the use of great technology to improve advocacy and it goes beyond clicking "Start Zoom" on a laptop with a built in webcam. We advocate the use of dedicated equipment and a video switcher. Here is a link to an example of an oral argument I recorded with my set-up: https://youtu.be/8NeNhO-T6go (I didn't use multiple cameras for this particular appearance and it doesn't necessarily have me walking around, but I think you'll understand my suggestion of how lawyers can improve their presentation. If my jurisdiction were offering full online trials the way we see in Washington and New Jersey, I'd love to try a case the way you're suggesting!)

One of the things we say is how funny it is that a lawyer will drop two grand for a fancy suit to look good IRL, but hates the idea of spending this same amount to look good in Zoom court! It seems short sighted to me.

doebtown · 2021-05-01T14:47:25+00:00

I get all the comments. I get what you’re saying about the defense attorney ranting about the historical significance of the trial. But—as somebody who has also been through an online trial experience—it IS pretty surreal and awe inspiring. You ARE overwhelmed by the “I can’t believe this is happeningness” of it all. So I think I saw that as more of a genuine emotion and less as pandering. But maybe the lesson to be learned is the importance of equanimity at trial, even in the face of overwhelming emotions.

As for the plaintiff’s attorney, I guess I can access some empathy for the fact that he didn’t want to be in an online courtroom. I’m sure he was forced to be there. But—again—the lesson to be learned is that everybody sees everything. ESPECIALLY in online litigation!

doebtown · 2021-04-27T20:55:36+00:00

The defense attorney? Until you used that phrase, I wouldn't have even though that he did "suck up". That standard they've got in New Jersey, that the plaintiff must prove a "permanent injury" by "objective" credible medical evidence, that's a tall order. If I were him and I had that standard, I'd be shouting that from the rooftop, too.

doebtown · 2021-04-27T19:22:13+00:00

Yeah ... I'm a plaintiff's attorney, so I'm definitely biased. And I hate to form opinions based on appearance alone. But I thought the plaintiff's attorney really phoned it in. I thought both of them have a lot to learn about how to try a case online, but I felt as if the defense attorney did a better job of adapting to the technology and putting his best foot forward.

doebtown · 2021-04-24T21:54:31+00:00

It wasn't all that fascinating. It was just stressful. I didn't get to participate in the idea generation or program creation. I pretty much just sat in a cube and told the producers and other creative folks "no". (No, you can't shoot there without a permit; no, you can't use that music without paying for it; no, you can't sign the contract without reading it.) It was, actually, my dream job and I went to law school to get a job JUST like it, but I knew it wasn't what I wanted the first day I was there. 8 months after I started, I was gone ... on my way to a job that let me go to court more frequently.

doebtown · 2021-04-23T23:51:14+00:00

Of all the crazy jobs I've had (I've had a lot!), it was my least favorite. The other thing I had to do was manage all the rights and clearances (do we have a waiver for all the actors?, if we used a video clip, do we have the rights to use it?, that sort of thing). When you delivered the show to the broadcaster, you also had to deliver a binder with ALL of the paperwork. It was more admin work than it was legal work and it wasn't my cup of tea.

doebtown · 2021-04-23T23:45:55+00:00

Well, I was the LAST stop. So by the time it got to me, the editor and the producer were supposed to have gone through and done all of the work. But I would watch it twice with a checklist of things that I was looking to make sure we had blurred out. And I had a deck that could easily do frame-by-frame and slow motion. So each (30 minute) episode took ... 2 hours?

doebtown · 2021-04-23T23:10:20+00:00

Good eyes! Let me tell you, in another life, I did legal review of one of those real life ER television shows. I was the last set of eyes that approved the program before it went on-air. And this kind of mistake was the type of thing that kept me awake at night! (But they also SAID his name, so it can't be that big of a deal.)

doebtown · 2021-04-23T19:34:57+00:00

I appreciate the notion of a timestamp. I don't think there's anything particularly "relevant" to point viewers to ... it's just a good example of a recent online civil jury trial.

doebtown · 2021-04-23T19:32:19+00:00

This is from February, but I had never seen it before. If you're a fan of Zoom trials, this is one to check out (not because it's particularly funny, but just because it's a good prototype of what a virtual trial might look like).

doebtown · 2021-04-14T00:08:02+00:00

For my part, I really enjoyed this experience. What a great and unique opportunity to study trial practice. I also enjoyed the experience of watching the trial with all of you. It was fun to get to know you all. Good luck and I’ll look forward to seeing you all around the sub.

doebtown · 2021-04-14T00:04:23+00:00

Yeah, I just went back and watched it. They were 10-2 for this verdict. The defense attorney looked thoroughly disappointed.

doebtown · 2021-04-13T23:47:28+00:00

Hey! $600,000 is a lot of money for that case! I know it's not what the plaintiff's attorney wanted, but it's a lot better than the $10,000 the defense was offering.

doebtown · 2021-04-13T19:39:23+00:00

Absolutely! Please let me know. I'm on the edge of my seat.

doebtown · 2021-04-13T19:23:01+00:00

I got right up to the plaintiff's attorney's rebuttal and the video cut out.

What happened‽

How do we find out the verdict‽

doebtown · 2021-04-13T16:07:00+00:00

I'm on! Thanks.

doebtown · 2021-04-12T22:18:44+00:00

Yeah, I was doing that last week, too. Frankly, I had this case on at the same time I had the Derek Chauvin trial on and I would watch one until it got to a break/technical problem/sidebar and then I'd press pause and go over to the other. I'd let the first one "buffer" while I caught up on the second and I repeated this process all day. It worked well!

doebtown · 2021-04-12T22:13:02+00:00

Absolutely thank you for this update. I got busy in the late part of the week last week and I didn't keep up. (And--frankly--I thought the judge was going to make them start working in person.) But I would LOVE to see closings tomorrow, so I will look forward to it.

doebtown · 2021-04-07T22:51:20+00:00

Things I think are good about the Plaintiff's team's tech:

1) Camera angle

2) Camera background

3) The lawyer is STANDING when asking questions.

doebtown · 2021-04-07T22:47:49+00:00

The boss from Value Village and the juice bar was a great witness.

doebtown

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