The question of whether robots can replace lawyers is one that is asked increasingly as artificial intelligence applications make their mark on the law profession and raise questions among many lawyers as to whether they will be replaced one day by 'the robots' (in whatever form they take).

However, is that being a little too prescient? Or fear-mongering?

A recent article by a Canadian writer, Jamal Mohammed Siddiqui, noted that the simple answer is that law is far from simple lines of binary code and robots will never replace humans.

"Lawyers are tasked with the responsibility of representing their clients in civil and criminal litigation and tribunals, advising, or managing legal transactions, and preparation of legal documents," he writes.

"With increasing adoption of big data, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and Internet of Things, most positions or employees have been declared redundant in several industries ranging from manufacturing, administrative, hospitality to medicine, he says.

At his stage in the development of AI, it is certainly more of a tool for lawyers to utilize rather than competition for their jobs.

While it has been estimated that around 30 per cent of jobs in those areas might be replaced by software initiatives by 2030 it is different in several legal areas like litigation. "Robots can perform dismally especially interpreting the several gray areas during litigations and research since there is no decisive response

In the legal profession, there has been growing use of AI to facilitate such tasks as contract analysis, through “Smart Apps” which use expert logic to deliver digital counsel to clients or enhance internal effectiveness.

Document analysis being done using technology-assisted review (TAR) during investigations or litigation. The ability of the robotics to perform more routine tasks like bill management will make such technology to be indispensable and jobs for the paralegals and law clerk’s positions are increasingly in jeopardy soon as the firm seeks to cut cost and gain competitive advantage.

Lawyers require intricate argument-building, comprehensive study of case laws to determine precedence, and cautious research to convince the jury and the judge and challenge the prosecutors in real-time.

Where split-second decisions must be made to win cases which can be difficult while using programmed robots to do the job. a

Robotic assistance is mostly used to complement the lawyers especially strengthening their arguments and make them prolific as opposed to accelerating redundancy. The robots will free and allow lawyers to focus on strategic responsibilities which demand advanced problem-solving skills and emotional intelligence.

Certainly robots will automate repetitive tasks, but human lawyers will handle anything that demands responsibility and forward-thinking decision-making The most important elements of the legal profession, such as courtroom arguments and actual counseling will be handled by humans while the robot lawyers manage the drudge work, for example, paperwork, research, and statistical analysis.

The adoption of technology and innovations such as robotics, AI, and machine learning have helped to create new divisions of law that require new legal professionals ranging from cyber-lawyers to family law specialists

Clients have not embraced robot lawyers due to trust issues and their demand for the best possible and creative representation. And legal and regulatory obligations demand advanced skill, care, knowledge, and proficiency before and during active practice.

In most jurisdictions, technological evidence used to simplify legal proceedings, for example, video, is rarely admissible in criminal court due to such concerns as pre-trial storage of data, privacy issues, origin, and authenticity. Litigants will demand that technologies such as robots are not allowed during court proceedings.

The robots are here. But the lawyers are too and the robots are not going to replace the other any time soon.