[sashanna]

Legal automation faces one giant hurdle. As any first year law student knows most of the time there is no "correct" answer. This isn't Jeopardy where the correct answer is "who is Winston Churchill". Law is a negotiation about whether or not the wife gets to keep the dog, whether or not the seller takes the risk of the shipment being held up in customs, or whether or not the purchase of A tech company should be subject to an earn out. None of these questions can (as yet) be readily answered by a formula. I very seriously doubt Watson can answer any of these questions.

Don't get me wrong - legal automation is coming but it is only replacing the least skilled. Paralegals, procurement officers and law students have the most to fear.