Technology’s Effect on Advocacy
can respond to opposing counsel’s argument with a quick quip on the fly. We have to stay ready and mentally fit for the fight.
This article explores these issues from the lens of law firm owner and trial lawyer, Alexis Gamliel, and attorney Carlen Don, both of Gamliel Law, P.C.
Humanity in the Culture of Our Workplaces
Humanity in the Courts
Given the nuances and considerations attendant to employing humans in California, why not outsource work to AI tools that do not require meal and rest breaks, protected leaves (e.g., related to pregnancy and childbirth), or generous salaries? With everything AI can do today, and the promise of what AI can do tomorrow, why hire humans? We have distilled it down to four primary factors driving the case for human beings: The Human Connection: Humans can intelligently and compassionately relate to clients and each other (supporting strong intra- and inter- firm collaboration), which AI cannot come close to emulating. The Collective Experience: Teams of people (including attorneys, paralegals, and other legal staff roles) with different academic and professional experience, as well as diverse cultures and backgrounds, bring a value-add which AI cannot provide. The Value to the Firm: People create energy and make up the space in which the work is done. Plus, more people means more touch-points in the community and an increased presence; this translates to greater access to justice because people are accessible to potential clients and to other firms who practice in other areas.
We practice how we perform. If we practice connecting with humans, we will show up better equipped to try cases to humans, to dig deeper into our clients’ stories so that we can tell them effectively, with genuine care, concern, and connection. Clients’ stories unfold and are told in our conference rooms, in our clients’ homes, in conversations where someone who experienced a trauma feels a sense of trust and is willing to open up and share. We cannot discover the layered impact of a wrongful termination, a series of racial epithets, or a sexual harassment incident until these walls come down. Those conversations should happen early and often, so that we embody our role as trusted counsel, armed to carry the story of a person who was wronged. We cannot expect machines to gather all of the data, cull all of the evidence, and put together paperwork that does the client’s story justice. That requires heavy lifting and developing trust over time—by humans—from the initial intake call, to discovery meetings, to deposition preparation, to mediation preparation, to performance in trial. And, call us cynical, but we believe clients are craving the personal connection now more than ever, as technology encroaches on every aspect of our daily lives—from AI agents answering phone calls, to AI programs designed to assemble discovery responses, and more. The client wants and deserves human connection. Once we, as attorneys, step into court (whether for a hearing or for trial), there is no deferring to a robot who can think on our feet for us or an AI agent who
The Value to Society: There is no doubt technology has transformed the way we practice
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Consumer Attorneys of California
FORUM September/October 2026
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