Bell Nunnally Associate Catherine Helm authored the ABA Real Estate, Condemnation & Trust Litigation section newsletter article “Why I Won’t Incorporate ChatGPT into My Practice Yet.” The piece offers Helm’s perspective as a young attorney working to better understand and practice law against the backdrop of generative AI tools like ChatGPT offering powerful analytical and writing tools that are predicted to revolutionize large swaths of the legal world.

Helm makes the analogy of seamstresses at the dawn of the sewing machine, noting the powerful time-saving aspects of the new device. But, she cautions one still needs to know how to properly sew to use such a machine, “I have had my law license less than a year, and at this point in my practice, I feel akin to a novice sewer learning to stitch at the introduction of the sewing machine.”

Later, Helm notes that despite ChatGPT being able to pass the bar exam, it still suffers from offering false information or “hallucinations” and it presents a worrisome concern with respect to confidentiality. “At this point in my career, the juice from ChatGPT does not feel quite worth the squeeze,” she comments.

Returning to the sewing analogy, Helm adds, “The biggest reason I have held off on shortcutting to ChatGPT, however, is that I am still learning to sew….What I cannot do is rob myself of understanding just because I want a quick answer.”

Helm concludes by noting that ABA rules regarding maintaining competence may soon prompt all attorneys to be fluent and use Gen AI tools. She closes by noting that tools like ChatGPT and their large language models are always rapidly advancing and correcting – and so is she. She foresees a day when lawyers interact with Gen AI on a daily basis, adding, “By that time, I hope, ChatGPT and I will be ready for each other.”

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