Abstract

In recent years, there has been a surge in popularity surrounding the term LegalTech, and it has been used in an almost inflationary way. Initially, it referred to incorporating digital technology into legal work processes, but now also includes startups that offer online software reducing or eliminating the need to consult a lawyer.

Our research interests are primarily focused on the advancements in Natural Language Processing (NLP) technologies in the domain of Legal AI. As a specialized subset of LegalTech, the application of artificial intelligence in the legal industry has been gaining considerable attention. Despite the abundance of literature on legal technology vendors and their tools, there is a noticeable scarcity of research on the practical applications of these tools within the legal sector.

Acknowledging this, the thesis aims to counteract it by expanding and refining an already existing knowledge base – the Legal AI Use Case Radar

In order to achieve this goal, the first step is to discover startups developing NLP tools through an extensive online search, using standard search engines as well as LinkedIn. The student is going to conduct semi-structured interviews with them to know what use cases they imagine their product to have. The second step will be to reach out to their clients to get an opinion on the actual application of the NLP tools.

This approach will make sure to both validate our current knowledge and identify additional use cases.

Research Questions

RQ1: What do startups reveal about the use cases they are developing NLP tools for?

RQ2: How does that compare to the use cases of their clients and practitioners in the legal field?