TRENDS AND CONTRADICTIONS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF LEGAL TECH

Problem setting. Digitalization has recently become increasingly important in the professional everyday life of a lawyer. Since 2020, trends in the automation of legal processes have accelerated significantly in the world due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the full-scale war in Ukraine has once again demonstrated the importance of this transformation. These changes are driven by the 4th Industrial Revolution, which is based on the development of cyber-physical systems, and has the combined effect of innovations such as artificial intelligence, robotics, blockchain, etc. Technology is a key driver of digital transformation, and artificial intelligence is its main element. This requires, on the one hand, a certain legal framework that should clearly regulate all digital changes and facilitate a proper digital transformation process. On the other hand, it is important that this digitalization process is not slowed down by the regulatory framework. This implementation should take place in accordance with general rules and in line with the new reality.Analysis of recent researches and publications. In Ukraine, not many scholarly works have been devoted to research in the field of Legal Tech so far. In particular, the issues of determining the categorical apparatus in this area are covered in the works of O. Bernaziuk, Zh. Pavlenko, the use of computer technologies in legal practice is the subject of research by scientists V. Dudchenko, Y. Tsurkan-Saifulina, K. Witman, the state and prospects of Legal Tech development in Ukraine in the context of global digitalization are studied by A. Kolesnikov and Y. Phelsky. Kolesnikov and J. Chapelsky, the peculiarities of Legal Tech’s impact on the transformation of the legal sphere were considered by M. Dubniak, V. Solovyova, V. Ocheretyanyi, and V. Seredyuk focuses on the study of the possibilities of using information technology and natural language in the study of legal norms. Although a number of works on Legal Tech have studied specific aspects of the impact of technology on law, a comprehensive study covering practical application, legislative initiatives, and development of machine learning potential is still lacking.Purpose of research is to analyze the trends in the development of Legal Tech, the contradictions arising from the use of these technologies, and the impact of legal process automation on the transformation of law in the modern environment.Article’s main body. The article substantiates that the development of Legal Tech contributes to the transformation of law. The author identifies the essential features of the Legal Tech concept. It is emphasized that technology is a key factor in digital transformation, and artificial intelligence is its main element. The author analyzes the state of developments with an innovative and technological component in law. The author demonstrates how modern trends in the automation of legal processes, which combine various legal practices and digital technologies, creating both computer programs in the broad sense and offline and online mobile applications, chatbots, scripts, search engines, etc., affect the efficiency, speed, quality, convenience and cost-effectiveness of solving certain legal tasks. The author analyzes the trends and contradictions in the use of innovative technologies in the legal industry. On the one hand, it is shown that the use of Legal Tech gives an advantage over competitors, and on the other hand, the author demonstrates the concerns of the legal community about the use of these technologies. It is revealed that the means of increasing the efficiency and sustainability of legal business associated with new technologies cause concern of the professional community in connection with the problems of interpretation of legal norms. At the present stage, legal knowledge is gradually becoming one of the important components of the array of modern information and technologies circulating in society. It is noted that many legal technology applications, and especially those which seek to automate legal tasks, depend on natural language processing models.Conclusions and prospects for development. Answers to questions such as how far and how fast legal technology can go given regulatory, organizational, and technological constraints, how new technologies affect lawyers and other litigants, how procedural rules should be adapted, how technology can expand or limit access to justice, how the court should change to facilitate the use of technology, and others related to identifying the opportunities and risks posed by the rapid digitization of law will help to move forward wisely on the path to r At the same time, attention must also be paid to the business elements associated with these innovations and how these technologies are commercialized. On the one hand, the legal industry is wary of the introduction of Legal Tech, while on the other hand, more and more law firms are embracing digital trends. Despite these contradictions, lawyers in various industries are increasingly using innovative technologies and have a clear advantage over their competitors.Key words: Legal Tech; digitalization of law; artificial intelligence and law; digital transformation; innovative application for lawyers; information support for the administration of justice, information technology in law, legal prerequisites for the development of Legal Tech.