The Practice of Law: What It Must Be

Practicing law in a grand manner should be the foremost standard of every lawyer or legal counsel.

We have to be always mindful that law is a noble profession. It must be practiced in an ethical way.

Likewise, lawyers should see to it that, besides promoting the principle mentioned above, the ends of justice be appropriately served.

We may say that law, as a practice, is blending with the current technologies, boiling down to somehow commercialization. Lawyers are trending to move to modern-day approaches rather than traditional ones.

How Technology Is Reshaping the Legal Industry

AI-Driven Legal Research

AI-driven legal research has swiftly moved from theory into practice, with modern law firms increasingly adopting AI tools to enhance efficiency and accuracy. In fact, nearly 79% of legal professionals surveyed reported using AI in some capacity at their firms​,¹ reflecting how commonplace AI has become in legal workflows.

Advanced AI research platforms can rapidly analyze vast databases of case law and legislation, using natural language processing to retrieve relevant precedents or pinpoint legal patterns within minutes—a task that would have required many hours of manual research.²

These tools not only accelerate the research process but also improve its quality by reducing human error and uncovering deeper insights; lawyers are empowered to focus on higher-value analytical work instead of rote document review​.³

Driving much of this innovation are legal tech startups that leverage AI and machine learning, prompting a paradigm shift in the industry as traditional firms adopt these technologies to modernize their practice​.⁴

Blockchain and Smart Contracts

Blockchain technology is introducing new models for legal transactions, most notably through smart contracts—self-executing agreements on a blockchain that automatically enforce terms once specified conditions are met​.⁵

Smart contracts offer advantages like transparency, immutable record-keeping, and efficient execution without intermediaries, potentially streamlining processes such as cross-border payments and escrow arrangements​.⁶

However, these code-based contracts still require human legal oversight—indeed, in practice most smart contracts are used in tandem with traditional written agreements to cover contingencies that code alone cannot address​.⁷

One legal commentary even warns that blockchain could seamlessly disrupt the contract-drafting process to the point that lawyers may find some of their duties eliminated if they do not adapt to this technology.⁸​

Accordingly, forward-thinking law firms are beginning to engage with blockchain innovations: some have joined consortia to establish industry standards (such as the Global Legal Blockchain Consortium),​⁹ while others are partnering with legal tech startups to implement blockchain-based solutions for internal use—using smart contracts to automate escrow payments¹⁰ or to securely manage client records​¹¹—thereby modernizing their operations and services.

We can see that; yet, we, as lawyers, must still uphold that main standard, the nobleness, of our chosen profession.

Money may be a tool for realization. However, it is the ideals, ramifications, and reach that separate law from others.

Law is a dynamic force in our society. We are a government of laws and not of men. This may sound political, but in reality, it includes all the facets of life. So, it is more congruent when we say: we, who live in a society or community, are subjected to it.

Therefore, our lives are governed by laws. It must not be propelled by the instincts of humans. This must be true, lest, anarchy will set in.

Consequently, law, as our profession, must be executed and implemented with dignity and utmost care. We should be the example and not the sample. We should be the solution and not the dilemma or predicament.

We are molded extensively during our journey in studying law. Hence, we were able to reach our ultimate goal of becoming lawyers. And during our voyage, we have known the law as something that should imbibe our ideals. We are a thinking society; thus, we must think and act in accordance with law.

We, the lawyers, raise those ideals to the next level by advocating ourselves as individuals learned in law. As such, even society separates us. It views us as competent persons in a field where no one, except lawyers, can understand. We serve as a guide and as a bastion for our community.

For this, we must sustain that notion. We must be the vehicle for anyone who wants to be guided by, who needs to apply, or who is in conflict with, the law.

On that score, we can, in our own little and distinctive way, practice law in a grand manner.

1. AI Tools for Lawyers: Improving Efficiency and Productivity in Law Firms[↩]
2. ​The Rise of AI Legal Research Tools: Revolutionizing Your Practice[↩]
3. Ibid.[↩]
4. The Role of Legal Tech Startups in Transforming the Legal Industry: Communicating Innovation in Law[↩]
5. How Blockchain Impacts the Legal Profession[↩]
6. Ibid.[↩]
7. Ibid.[↩]
8. Blockchain technology and its transformative potential for the legal industry[↩]
9. Blockchain, Web3, and the Law: Is the legal profession making the most of these new opportunities?[↩]
10. Supra., How Blockchain Impacts the Legal Profession[↩]
11. Supra., How Blockchain Impacts the Legal Profession[↩]