LexisNexis, a leading global provider of legal research and analytics solutions, has announced the preview launch of Lexis Connect, a legal intake and management product that is set to revolutionize the way legal departments handle internal requests. The product is designed to work within Microsoft Teams and uses conversational AI assistants to help deliver answers more quickly.
Lexis Connect is a product that aims to streamline the workflow of corporate legal teams by providing them with a centralized platform to manage all their matters. It allows anyone in the company to submit a request to the legal department, such as preparing or reviewing a contract, through a simple chat interface.
The request is then routed to the appropriate lawyer, who can view all the details, documents, and communications related to the matter. The lawyer can also use an AI-powered feature to find similar matters that have been handled before and leverage the insights from them.
Lexis Connect also integrates with LexisNexis' legal research solutions, such as Lexis Advance and Lexis Answers, to provide lawyers with easy access to relevant information and guidance. Additionally, Lexis Connect offers analytics and reporting capabilities to help legal teams track their performance and identify areas for improvement.
How does Lexis Connect work with Microsoft Teams?
Lexis Connect is built specifically for Microsoft Teams. By leveraging the Teams infrastructure, Lexis Connect enables seamless communication and collaboration among legal team members and other stakeholders. Users can access Lexis Connect as an app within Teams and use its features without leaving the platform.
One of the most exciting features of Lexis Connect is the Ask Legal app. It is a conversational AI assistant that can aid anyone in the company by answering legal questions. It has two modes of operation: Chat mode and Request mode. In Chat mode, users can ask questions, and the app tries to answer by using the company's internal policies and guidelines. In Request mode, users can submit a request to the legal department, like preparing or reviewing a contract.
Another notable feature of Lexis Connect is the Legal Research app. It is another conversational AI assistant specifically for legal research. Lawyers can use this app to ask questions in natural language and receive answers powered by Lexis Answers. They can also access other LexisNexis research tools, such as Lexis Advance, within the app.
Connecting Microsoft Teams to AI for a More Intelligent Experience
If anything has defined Microsoft in 2023, it has been the company's all-out push into mainstream AI. The company has led the recent surge of AI engagement. Through its $10bn+ partnership with AI research org OpenAI, Microsoft has fully committed to AI. These days, it is hard to see where OpenAI ends and Microsoft begins and the reality is Microsoft is a de facto owner of the group. So much so that Microsoft is rumored to take 49% of profits from OpenAI, inclduing from ChatGPT.
While ChatGPT grabs headlines, it is Microsoft's products that are showing a future of AI across consumer and enterprise solutions. GPT-4 now underpins now AI solutions such as Office (Microsoft 365 Copilot), Bing (Bing Chat and Bing Image Creator), Microsoft Cloud (Azure OpenAI Service), CRM/ERP (Dynamics 365 Copilot), and programming (GitHub Copilot X).
Microsoft Teams has also been given the AI treatment. Last month, Microsoft introduced its Intelligent Meeting Recap AI tool to Teams. Intelligent Meeting Recap is currently showing on the Microsoft 365 Roadmap, which means Microsoft has not yet made the feature available. It seems the tool will only be available for Teams Premium subscribers, at least at launch.
Microsoft Teams Premium became generally available in early February. is a new version of the platform that Microsoft says will provide AI-driven performance that acts like a virtual assistant during a meeting. In March, Microsoft introduced its Microsoft 365 Copilot, a new AI integration that brings OpenAI's GPT-4 AI engine to the Office ecosystem. It is available in Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, Viva, and other Office apps to enhance and automize productivity. Microsoft 365 Copilot for Teams is also part of the service, which should become widely available later this year.
