Law and Technology

How does the evolution of technology affect law and practicing law?
In this essay, my main claim about our current society is that we are on the brink of a period of fundamental and irreversible change in the way that the expertise of these specialists is made available in society. There is growing evidence that a transformation is already underway; for example, more people signed up to Harvard’s online courses in a single year than have attended the actual university in its 377 years of existence. In law, three times as many disagreements each year amongst eBay traders are resolved using ‘online dispute resolution’ than there are law suits filed in the entire US court system. I believe that thanks to technology expertise is more accessible and affordable than ever before; despite this, there are concerns that this prediction may seem threatening as there will be less need for their services, however I also believe that a whole new range of opportunities will emerge. To any who are highly sceptical reading this, remember in the mid-1990s, when it was predicted that electronic mail would become the dominant way in which clients and lawyers would communicate, senior officials at the Law Society of England and Wales said that lawyers should not be allowed to speak in public, that those who did failed to understand confidentiality, and that they were bringing the legal profession into disrepute. To quote the magazine "Tomorrow's Lawyers", it is predicted that the legal world will change 'more radically over the next two is decades' than 'over the last two centuries'. In my essay I will look at how well we are currently protected by the law, in regards to technological or infringements; how the evolution of technology will affect the roles of solicitors and barristers in law; How technology will help create a level playing field in the court of law for all citizens; How the development of equipment like prosthetic limbs will affects decisions in court; and finally how...