Jochen Brandhoff raises the question, “Are corporate attorneys driving scooters on the digital motorway?”
This was the leading question at the latest Kanzleidialoge (Law Firm Dialogs) which took place at the offices of BRANDHOFF OBERMÜLLER PARTNER on 4 May 2017.
Our partner Dr. Jochen Brandhoff spoke following the introductory remarks of Dr. Annette Hartung on the subject of the “digital challenges and current solutions for lawyers”. The scooter, as Jochen Brandhoff pointed out, much like the legal profession has managed to navigate the last 50 years without undergoing any significant design changes. The digitization of the legal market is still in its infancy, which, according to Jochen Brandhoff, is a great opportunity for pioneering lawyers. Attorneys can take advantage of the potential of newer and more efficient digital technology and play a significant role in shaping the legal market of the future.
“Quo vadis advocatus?“ war aber nicht die einzige Frage, die im Fokus des Kurzreferats von Jochen Brandhoff stand, sondern insbesondere, in welche Richtung sich die Anwendung des Rechts im Zuge der Digitalisierung des Rechtsmarktes entwickeln wird.
“Quo vadis advocatus?” was, however, not the only question that bore a focus in Dr. Brandhoff’s short presentation. He also made remarks on the possible directions the administration of justice will take over the course of the digitization of the legal market.
The law is, even today, being applied with the help of computer algorithms; for example, through the examination of certain claims brought by airline passengers or in making Hartz IV decisions. Nothing, therefore, precludes a great expansion in the use of algorithm-based decision-making in the future.
Finally, the roundtable discussion turned to the issue of what advantages/disadvantages these developments may hold for the legal profession. Will algorithms, through cost-effectiveness, effect a displacement of legal services in the current system of state-funded legal aid. Will the “judex” be replaced by a computer? And are these displacements even constitutional considering the German constitution’s general principle of equality? These and many more topics were discussed during this roundtable.
If you have questions, please contact Dr. Jochen Brandhoff, Kaiserstraße 53, D-60329 Frankfurt, info(@)bop.legal, www.bop.legal, Tel: +49 (0)69 34 87 92 00.