In 2023, readers of the Everlaw blog consumed hundreds of articles and read millions of words — or at least skimmed through them. Of course, not every publication gets the same level of attention. Some burn bright for a moment, while others readers return to over and over.
As we look back on 2023, here are the articles that have most resonated with our readers. If you’ve missed one, we hope you find it now, and if you’ve enjoyed these in the past, we hope you take the opportunity to revisit them again.
Let’s dive in.
Articles Generative AI and the Law
Over the past year, generative AI captured the imagination of the legal profession – and the world as a whole – like few technologies have ever done. The Everlaw blog was no different, as we examined the ways GenAI might transform the legal practice, discussed the need for intentional, responsible, and purpose-built applications, and, of course, launched EverlawAI Assistant. Here are the GenAI articles that made the biggest impact in 2023.
With the launch of EverlawAI Assistant, we peeled back the curtain to take a look at the team behind this powerful new technology. See how the AI experts at Everlaw balanced a million small details and considerations to unlock insights that could never have been made before. If AI promises to transform the world of legal work, these are the humans who make it possible.
Everlaw’s AJ Shankar shared his thoughts on generative AI in the months after OpenAI opened ChatGPT to the public. Learn how Everlaw is thinking about the impacts of generative AI, the challenges these tools pose, and how the legal profession can benefit from large language models in the long run, in this fascinating Q&A.
The new cohort of generative artificial intelligence offerings holds incredible promise for the legal field. However, these new tools also bring with them significant concerns, from privacy to accuracy. We call this out because we want our customers to understand what we stand for in the practice of generative AI, while we deliver the most advanced legal technology platform in the world.
As the Everlaw engineering and product teams explore applications of generative AI to litigation and investigations, Everlaw Senior Product Lead Kevin Kraftsmith and Engineering Manager David Hirschberg share their approach.
As legal professionals move to take advantage of generative AI, to many the technology itself remains an enigma. By better understanding generative AI, practitioners can not only better appreciate its strengths and weaknesses, but also understand how best to apply GenAI tools, explain them to their clients and stakeholders, and, ultimately, get the most value out of this technology. In this article, based on AJ Shankar’s keynote presentation at Everlaw Summit ‘23, we break down generative AI’s developments, its key competencies, and its impact on core legal work.
Evergreen Guides to Ediscovery
Everlaw blog readers are life-long learners and many of our most-read articles of the year were educational guides and deep dives into the litigation and investigations process. Whether deposition best practices or tips for trial preparation, these were the items you kept coming back to throughout 2023. Stick around for even more in-depth explainers in the months ahead.
The real work of preparing a case long before trial, as legal teams survey evidence, establish their theory of the case, and create their most compelling narrative. In this in-depth trial preparation guide, we look at common trial preparation challenges, key tips to successful preparation, and strategies for simplifying the trial prep process.
Managing the litigation holds process is a crucial part of legal work, and complying with related federal and state rules is key to upholding a fair judicial process and avoiding potential sanctions. Here, we take an in-depth look at legal holds, why it’s essential for legal teams to implement a successful, defensible process, and what your team can do to follow best practices and mitigate legal hold risks.
An efficient internal investigation – whether in response to a data breach, a whistleblower complaint, subpoena, or some other source – requires careful planning. At a minimum, the legal, H.R., or compliance teams must determine the goals and scope of the inquiry, how to minimize business disruption and costs, when to involve outside counsel, and whether to make the results public. Read our guide to making this process as efficient and effective as possible in this article.
Well-planned and well-executed depositions can literally make your case in court. Here are some best practices for preparing for them, conducting them, and organizing the evidence obtained from them for use in trial.
ECA can play a critical role in decreasing data volumes to allow legal professionals to focus on the relevant information at hand and in controlling costs to assuage concerns about surpassing their budgets. Read this article for an overview of the ECA process, ECA checklists, and tips on how to best manage a matter with early, proactive, analysis.
If you’re reading this blog, you probably know. But not all ediscovery software is made equal, and understanding its significant role in the litigation process and how to select the right software for your needs is an essential skill for modern legal professionals. Read this evergreen article whenever you need a refresher on the benefits technology can have on your matters.
Interviews with Industry Leaders
Throughout the past year, we were lucky to sit down with some of the leaders of the legal profession, as they shared their thoughts, strategies, and best practices. Here are the interviews that captured the attention of the legal profession in 2023.
As we know, the legal practice tends to be change and risk averse, exacerbating the sentiment that the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t. One big law firm challenges that thinking every day. Orrick, an Am Law 50 firm, regularly ranks as one of the most innovative law firms in the country. Daryl Shetterly, Managing Director of Orrick Analytics, shares his approach to creating an innovation-centered culture here.
Everlaw Director of Legal Ops & Strategy Catherine Choe knows that to successfully ease cross-functional teams into new, more productive habits, legal teams need to manage change intentionally. Here, she shares her thoughts on the importance of leading through persuasion, cultivating allies, handling the fallout when things don’t go as planned – and what’s next in the evolution of the legal ops profession.
For an organization of United’s prominence and scale, being able to chart a straighter path to the truth when disputes arise is paramount. Finding the facts that can make or break a litigation is a responsibility that often falls to Paul Noonan, in-house ediscovery counsel for United Airlines. Here, Paul shares his insights on today’s ediscovery trends, the keys to moving ediscovery projects in-house, and lessons learned on the process
People-oriented and politically savvy, the legal chief of staff is the bridge between the legal department and the business. In this interview, we sat down with Brad Johnston, Legal Chief of Staff and Director of Operations at renewable energy company SunPower, to learn more about his role and how it adds value to the business.
This piece comes (almost) live from the main stage of Everlaw Summit ‘23, where Judge Paul Grimm and Dr. Maura Grossman discussed AI's impacts on the American legal system. From the rise of AI-generated fake evidence to the adaptability of the federal rules, this piece takes a deep dive into what the future may hold for both the bench and the bar.
Original Research on Technology and the Legal Profession
Whether setting benchmarks for cloud adoption, looking at the potential impacts of generative AI, or learning about collaboration, both internally and externally, from nearly 400 in-house professionals, we covered highlights from Everlaw’s original research throughout the year.
A new report by Everlaw, the Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists, and the International Legal Technologists Association revealed the transformative moment the legal industry was facing in the spring of 2023, as the rapid evolution of generative AI technology promises to upend traditional knowledge work. Based on a survey of 245 legal professionals, the report paints a picture of a profession on the cusp of major change. See the highlights here.
In the coming year, corporate law departments across the country are planning to increase alignment with other teams within their organizations, use more technology, and continue to find ways to control costs. To what degree in-house legal professionals will succeed depends on their ability to overcome obstacles to effective cooperation – chief among them lack of bandwidth and budget. In new research from Everlaw and the Association of Corporate Counsel, this piece surveys nearly 400 CLOs, GCs, and legal ops professionals about the internal and external collaboration trends shaping their work.
Everlaw’s industry survey with the ACC showed that legal teams are still too often viewed as risk-averse “departments of no” and that their ability to partner effectively with the business suffers as a result. In this piece, we look at how to change that dynamic, with actionable tips for building relationships and rapport throughout the organization.
Not all original research is our original research. When Everlaw was ranked first in G2's Summer 2023 Grid Report for Ediscovery, readers wanted more. Here, we look at the factors that drove the ranking and what hundreds of ediscovery software users say about Everlaw.
We hope you continue to visit the Everlaw blog throughout 2024. And, of course, to stay up to date on all the latest Everlaw developments in the days ahead – blogs, events, reports, and more – be sure to sign up for the Everlaw newsletter.