Remarks on the Evolution of the Legal Profession

Good afternoon, and thank you for that wonderful introduction. My name is Gregory Wells, I have the privilege of serving as Chief Judge of the Appellate Court of Maryland, and I am honored to be one of your keynote speakers at today’s symposium. Thank you, Jalissa Spalding and the members of the Law Review at the UDC David A. Clarke School of Law for inviting me to give this address as we discuss recent changes in the legal profession. It is a pleasure to be here. The legal profession evolves with changes in societal norms, philosophy, communication, and transportation. Perhaps the most influential driver of change in the 21st century is and will be technology. Now, I am not an expert in the details of the newest technology or artificial intelligence (AI), but luckily we have an outstanding panel of speakers who will be diving into the impact that AI has had and will have on the legal profession. No doubt it will be an interesting discussion.