Artificial intelligence (AI) will not replace lawyers, but it will significantly change the way they provide legal services, which is why representatives of this profession will have to find a balance between the benefits of technological innovation, professional responsibility, and protecting the interests of clients, according to the panel "AI and the legal profession - threat or strategic opportunity?".
The panel was held as part of the conference "The Future of Advocacy in Montenegro: Reforms, the Market and the New Generation of the Legal Profession", organized in Podgorica by the law firm "Jovović, Mugoša & Vuković" ("JMV").
Participants discussed how artificial intelligence is changing the legal profession, how it can improve the efficiency of law firms, and how to align its application with professional responsibility, data confidentiality, and client interests.
Co-founder and partner at the law firm "KBP Legal" Milan Keker was explicit that artificial intelligence should be viewed as a tool that can improve the work of lawyers, but not replace their expertise and responsibility.
"AI is a tool, not a thinking machine, and it should be used as such. It will help us, but we retain the autonomy of action," said Keker.
He said that offices could benefit from automating administrative and routine tasks, but that the use of AI should not lead to the abandonment of professional judgment and independent decision-making.
"A hammer has no purpose until someone picks it up, and even then it's only useful if you know how to use it. It's the same with artificial intelligence," Keker said.
Keker placed special emphasis on the issue of client trust and transparency when using AI tools.
According to him, lawyers have extremely sensitive data at their disposal, which is why law firms will have to more clearly define the rules for using artificial intelligence in the future and inform their clients about it.
"I think we will very soon have to introduce special clauses relating to the use of AI. It is one thing if we use it for technical tasks like proofreading or grammar, but if it is used to analyze data and draw more complex conclusions, then the client should be aware of that," said Keker, expressing the expectation that the Bar Association will offer guidelines for the use of AI in the legal profession in the near future.
Marko Porobija, managing partner at the Croatian law firm "Porobija & Špoljarić", believes that artificial intelligence increases work efficiency, but also contributes to the quality of legal services.
He said that AI tools allow lawyers to more easily respond to market demands and maintain a high level of work quality despite the increasing workload and pressures they face daily.
"A lawyer is expected to deliver quality service within a certain time frame and in an appropriate manner. AI helps us achieve that. You can achieve something better with the help of this tool, but the responsibility for the final result still remains with us," said Porobija, emphasizing that technological progress does not diminish the value of legal services, but changes the way they are recognized and valued.
He also addressed the education of new generations of lawyers, who, as he noted, "have never encountered a work environment without advanced AI tools."
This is precisely why, Porobija believes, young lawyers will be required to have new skills in the future.
"The problem used to be that law firms would have interns who couldn't write a lawsuit. Now we have a situation where they will have to supervise an [AI] system that can write 50 lawsuits in five minutes. That's a higher level of responsibility than what was expected of them before," Porobija added.
For this reason, as he pointed out, the profession must be more strongly connected to the education system and prepare future generations for work in, as he put it, the "new world".
"This is truly a 'new world'. This is the first time that the legal profession, which has operated on similar principles for thousands of years, is facing a technological change that affects the very essence of how we work. We have always been the ones thinking, analyzing, and shaping arguments, and now we have a tool that can take over part of that process," Porobija concluded.
Bojana Nikčević, an attorney at the law firm "Jovović, Mugoša & Vuković", said that the firm has already begun the gradual introduction of AI tools into everyday work, primarily through solutions integrated into existing business processes.
According to her, the first results showed that artificial intelligence can significantly speed up technical and administrative tasks, including document processing and translation, freeing up lawyers' time for more complex legal matters.
"It quickly became clear that AI can help us with the technical processing of documents and translations. However, no document leaves the office before one of us checks it. We also make sure that by using these tools, we do not jeopardize the confidentiality of data or the interests of clients," Nikčević pointed out.
She believes that the issue of control represents one of the biggest challenges in the application of artificial intelligence in the legal profession, which is why it is necessary to establish multiple levels of verification of results generated by AI systems.
"We cannot trust this tool without reservation. We must check every statement, citation of law or case law that AI uses, because we are aware that it often generates incorrect information. This brings us back to the conclusion that humans are irreplaceable in this process," said Nikčević.
Speaking about educating new generations of lawyers, she warned that the speed enabled by AI tools must not come at the expense of developing analytical thinking and professional experience.
As Nikčević stated, formal education alone is not enough for the legal profession, which is why it is important that young lawyers go through a learning process that will enable them to recognize and correct mistakes, regardless of whether they are made by humans or technology.
"Use AI, but always keep in mind what the essence of a lawyer's job is - responsibility and client protection," Nikčević said.
The conference "The Future of Advocacy in Montenegro: Reforms, the Market and the New Generation of the Legal Profession" was opened by the Managing Partner of the office "Jovović, Mugoša & Vuković" ("JMV"), Vanja Mugoša, and the Minister of Justice of Montenegro, Bojan Božović.
The panel "Is the Montenegrin legal profession ready for Europe?" featured speakers from Slovenian lawyer and managing partner at the office "Šelih & Partnerji" Nina Šelih, Croatian lawyer and founder of the office "Mucalo Law Firm" Igor Mucalo, and lawyer at the office "JMV" Tamara Dabović.
The panel "Montenegrin Bar Association Today - Key Challenges and Directions of Reform" was attended by Vanja Mugoša, founder of the law firm "AK Franović" Ksenija Franović, and attorney Stefan Jovanović. Attendees also had the opportunity to follow the keynote interview "Advocacy 2.0: Transformation of Management and Synergy with Other Professions" with Milovan Zvijer, partner at the law firm "Four Legal".
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