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Predictive Analytics
Litigation and Trial Practice in the Era of Big Data
August 6, 2015
About a year ago, I settled a case just before the start of a scheduled eight-week trial. With this big, unexpected hole in my schedule, I decided to study up on the phenomenon known as big data. Mostly, I wanted to know whether and how it might affect the work of litigators and trial lawyers. I started by picking up Rick Smolan’s and Jennifer Erwitt’s book, The Human Face of Big Data (2012). In an interview, Smolan had quoted Yahoo Chief Executive Officer Marissa Mayer: “She said big data...
August 6, 2015
About a year ago, I settled a case just before the start of a scheduled eight-week trial. With this big, unexpected hole in my schedule, I decided to study up on the phenomenon known as big data. Mostly, I wanted to know whether and how it might affect the work of litigators and trial lawyers. I started by picking up Rick Smolan’s and Jennifer Erwitt’s book, The Human Face of Big Data (2012). In an interview, Smolan had quoted Yahoo Chief Executive Officer Marissa Mayer: “She said big data...
‘Elite’ Law Firms May Be Among Earlier Adopters of Artificial Intelligence Platforms
August 6, 2015
Many clients appear to be moving forward with the Watson technology. Watson – the promising cognitive computing platform from IBM – has yet to engage many law firms, but looking ahead some of them may have little choice but to become an adopter. This is especially true given the momentum that similar platforms have gained with law firm clients industies. “Our expectation is that clients … [and] especially large banks … [and] ‘SIFI's’ [systemically important financial institutions]...
August 6, 2015
Many clients appear to be moving forward with the Watson technology. Watson – the promising cognitive computing platform from IBM – has yet to engage many law firms, but looking ahead some of them may have little choice but to become an adopter. This is especially true given the momentum that similar platforms have gained with law firm clients industies. “Our expectation is that clients … [and] especially large banks … [and] ‘SIFI's’ [systemically important financial institutions]...
Hilton Helps Guests Book Perfect Room With Google Maps APIs
August 2, 2015
No one likes surprises when they reserve hotel rooms, so it’s crucial for Hilton that people see exactly what they’ll be getting before they arrive. Currently, Hilton’s HHonors guests can use the HHonors website and app as a one-stop tool to control their on-property experience – from finding the best hotels in the right neighborhoods and booking the most suitable one, to soon, using the app as a room key. With a spirit of constant innovation, we’re always looking for new ways to enhance...
August 2, 2015
No one likes surprises when they reserve hotel rooms, so it’s crucial for Hilton that people see exactly what they’ll be getting before they arrive. Currently, Hilton’s HHonors guests can use the HHonors website and app as a one-stop tool to control their on-property experience – from finding the best hotels in the right neighborhoods and booking the most suitable one, to soon, using the app as a room key. With a spirit of constant innovation, we’re always looking for new ways to enhance...
Are Lawyers Ready for Artificial Intelligence?
August 1, 2015
Here’s the show summary: “Artificial Intelligence is a means of designing a system that can perceive its environment and take actions that will maximize its success.” -Tom Mighell Developments in Big Data, machine learning, IBM Watson, and other advancements in technology have brought back the cyclical discussion of what artificial intelligence might mean for lawyers. Has anything really changed, or have we just reached another round of the AI debate? In this episode of The Kennedy-Mighell...
August 1, 2015
Here’s the show summary: “Artificial Intelligence is a means of designing a system that can perceive its environment and take actions that will maximize its success.” -Tom Mighell Developments in Big Data, machine learning, IBM Watson, and other advancements in technology have brought back the cyclical discussion of what artificial intelligence might mean for lawyers. Has anything really changed, or have we just reached another round of the AI debate? In this episode of The Kennedy-Mighell...
Law 2023: A Look Ahead for the Legal Profession
August 1, 2015
The future of the legal industry isn’t what it used to be. Or so says a report issued by Law2023.org, a group of industry...
August 1, 2015
The future of the legal industry isn’t what it used to be. Or so says a report issued by Law2023.org, a group of industry...
Three More Resources Relating to Judge Profiling
July 31, 2015
In a post yesterday, In Litigation and Legal Research, Judge Analytics is the New Black, I wrote about three websites that provide data and analytics about judges. Thanks to sharp-eyed readers, I have learned of three other sites with similar missions. Two of the sites were just this week awarded start-up funding through the Knight News Challenge. Both are focused on using data to provide greater transparency about judges and judicial elections. Each received $35,000. * * * In a blog post...
July 31, 2015
In a post yesterday, In Litigation and Legal Research, Judge Analytics is the New Black, I wrote about three websites that provide data and analytics about judges. Thanks to sharp-eyed readers, I have learned of three other sites with similar missions. Two of the sites were just this week awarded start-up funding through the Knight News Challenge. Both are focused on using data to provide greater transparency about judges and judicial elections. Each received $35,000. * * * In a blog post...
Data Analytics Gaining Ground, But Bold Promises Need Validation
July 30, 2015
Every year, lawyers file litigation claims said to be worth hundreds of billions of dollars, and yet few lawyers have embraced...
July 30, 2015
Every year, lawyers file litigation claims said to be worth hundreds of billions of dollars, and yet few lawyers have embraced...
Game on – SettlementAnalytics Automated Litigation Analysis Tool Means Business
July 27, 2015
SettlementAnalytics has launched a first-of-its-kind automated litigation analysis platform, which applies mathematical game theory to predict the outcomes of legal conflict. OptiSettle enables claimants and defendants to enter the costs of litigation and their beliefs about the possible outcomes of negotiation, settlement and trial, to calculate more realistic claim valuations, compute settlement probabilities, quantify implied trial risks and optimise settlement strategies. OptiSettle’s...
July 27, 2015
SettlementAnalytics has launched a first-of-its-kind automated litigation analysis platform, which applies mathematical game theory to predict the outcomes of legal conflict. OptiSettle enables claimants and defendants to enter the costs of litigation and their beliefs about the possible outcomes of negotiation, settlement and trial, to calculate more realistic claim valuations, compute settlement probabilities, quantify implied trial risks and optimise settlement strategies. OptiSettle’s...
The Struggle for Accurate Measurements on Your Wrist
July 26, 2015
Until recently, I didn’t know a thing about how my roughly 25-minute bike commute across San Francisco—or any other part of my day, really—affects my body, other than that I inevitably arrive at work sweaty and a bit out of breath when I’m in a big rush. How high is my heart rate? Do my sleep habits affect it? How many calories do I burn? These questions have been on my mind as a number of activity trackers and smart watches have hit store shelves over the past couple of years, promising...
July 26, 2015
Until recently, I didn’t know a thing about how my roughly 25-minute bike commute across San Francisco—or any other part of my day, really—affects my body, other than that I inevitably arrive at work sweaty and a bit out of breath when I’m in a big rush. How high is my heart rate? Do my sleep habits affect it? How many calories do I burn? These questions have been on my mind as a number of activity trackers and smart watches have hit store shelves over the past couple of years, promising...
Why Google’s Neural Networks Look Like They’re on Acid
July 26, 2015
The main difference between our visual processing and that of neural networks is the amount of feedback from different areas of the brain, says Melanie Mitchell, a professor of computer science at Portland State University, who has written a book on neural networks. Google's neural network is “feed forward”—it's a one-way street where data can only travel upward through the layers. By contrast, our brains are always communicating in a million directions at once. Even when we’ve only seen...
July 26, 2015
The main difference between our visual processing and that of neural networks is the amount of feedback from different areas of the brain, says Melanie Mitchell, a professor of computer science at Portland State University, who has written a book on neural networks. Google's neural network is “feed forward”—it's a one-way street where data can only travel upward through the layers. By contrast, our brains are always communicating in a million directions at once. Even when we’ve only seen...
