A company in the UK called Luminance made a new computer program to help lawyers work faster. This program uses smart technology to check and change contracts all by itself. It can do this because it learned from lots of legal papers. The company will let some people try it soon, and more people will get to use it next year. The idea is to make boring work quicker so lawyers can do more important things.

The company showed how the program works by having two computer lawyers talk to each other. They changed a special paper called a non-disclosure agreement very quickly. Luminance’s program helps make talking about contracts faster and stops people from slowing things down. But some real lawyers think that people still need to check the work because computers don’t understand everything about what different clients need.

Even though the new program can do a lot, people agree that real lawyers are still very important. The head of a big lawyer group in England said that computers can’t do everything that lawyers do. Lawyers know special things that computers don’t. As computers get better, lawyers might have to learn new things, but they will always need to make sure everything is done right.

Original news source: Can AI cut humans out of contract negotiations? (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Reporter Role-play
Instructions: Divide the students into pairs. One student is the news reporter and the other is a representative from Luminance. The reporter interviews the representative about the new computer program, asking questions about how it works, its benefits, and the concerns of real lawyers. Encourage the use of vocabulary related to technology, law, and work automation. After the role-play, have the pairs switch roles.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary words from the article on slips of paper (e.g., program, contracts, non-disclosure agreement, technology, lawyers). Divide the class into two teams. Players take turns drawing a word for their team to guess without speaking or writing letters or numbers. Set a time limit for each turn. This activity will help students remember and learn new words from the context of the article.

– Opinion Spectrum
Instructions: On one side of the classroom, put a sign that says ‘Agree’ and on the other side, a sign that says ‘Disagree.’ Read out statements related to the article, such as “Computers will eventually replace lawyers” or “It’s important for humans to check the work of computer programs.” Students move to the side of the room that represents their opinion. Then, select a few students to explain their position, encouraging the use of language expressing agreement, disagreement, and reasoning.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Ask students to imagine the future of the legal profession with the integration of technology like Luminance’s program. Students can work in small groups to discuss and write down their predictions about how lawyers’ jobs will change, what new skills they might need, and the potential risks and benefits of such technology. Each group can then present their predictions to the class, followed by a group discussion.

– Sketch It
Instructions: Provide students with paper and pens. Read a simplified summary of the article aloud, breaking it down into key points (e.g., Luminance creating a program, smart technology reviewing contracts, lawyers’ concerns). After each point, pause and have students quickly sketch an image representing that idea. This helps with comprehension and memory retention. After the summary, students can share their drawings with the class and explain the connection to the article’s content.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What did the company Luminance make?
2. What can the new computer program do with contracts?
3. When will some people be able to try the new program?
4. What did two computer lawyers show with the program?
5. Why do some real lawyers think they still need to check the work?
6. What does the head of a big lawyer group say about computers and lawyers?
7. Why are real lawyers still very important even with the new program?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A company in the UK called (1)______ made a new computer program to help lawyers work faster. This program uses smart technology to check and change contracts all by itself. It can do this because it learned from lots of (2)______ papers. The company will let some people try it soon, and (3)______ people will get to use it next year. The (4)______ is to make boring work quicker so lawyers can do more (5)______ things.

The company showed how the program works by having two computer lawyers talk to each other. They changed a special paper (6)______ a non-disclosure agreement very quickly. Luminance’s program helps make talking about contracts faster and (7)______ people from slowing (8)______ down. But some real lawyers think that people still (9)______ to check the work because computers don’t understand everything about what different clients need.

Even though the new program can do a lot, people agree that real lawyers are still very important. The head of a big lawyer group in (10)______ said that computers can’t do everything that lawyers do. Lawyers know special things that computers don’t. As computers get better, lawyers might have to (11)______ new things, but they will always need to (12)______ sure everything is done right.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is a computer program?
2. How would you feel if a computer did your homework for you?
3. Do you like using computers to help you with work or school? Why or why not?
4. Do you think computers can make mistakes? Why?
5. What is a lawyer? Can you explain in simple words?
6. Do you think it’s good to have computers help lawyers? Why or why not?
7. How do you feel when you have to do boring work?
8. What important jobs do you think lawyers do that computers cannot?
9. Do you think people should always check a computer’s work? Why or why not?
10. Have you ever made a promise to keep a secret? Is it like a non-disclosure agreement?
11. What is something special that you know how to do that you think a computer cannot do?
12. Do you think learning new things is fun? Would you like to learn how to work with smart computer programs?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. program
2. lawyers
3. contracts
4. technology
5. papers
6. clients
7. group
8. computers

Meanings:
(a) Using science to make tools and machines to help people
(b) Machines that can follow instructions and do tasks
(c) Official papers that show an agreement between two or more people
(d) People who help with legal problems
(e) A collection of people who work together
(f) Sheets with writing on them
(g) People who need help from a lawyer
(h) A set of instructions that tells a computer what to do
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the company that made the new computer program for lawyers?
(a) Brightness
(b) Radiance
(c) Glow
(d) Luminance

2. How does the new computer program help lawyers?
(a) It writes legal papers from scratch
(b) It checks and changes contracts by itself
(c) It makes coffee for the lawyers
(d) It organizes the lawyer’s office

3. What did the computer lawyers change very quickly to show how the program works?
(a) A non-disclosure agreement
(b) A will
(c) A rental contract
(d) A birthday card

4. What do some real lawyers think about the new program?
(a) Computers can do everything that lawyers do
(b) Lawyers are not important anymore
(c) People still need to check the work because computers don’t understand everything about what different clients need
(d) The program is not helpful at all

5. Who said that computers can’t do everything that lawyers do?
(a) The CEO of Luminance
(b) The computer program
(c) The head of a big lawyer group in England
(d) A computer scientist

6. What do people agree about the importance of real lawyers?
(a) Real lawyers are still very important
(b) Real lawyers are not important anymore
(c) Real lawyers are not needed
(d) Real lawyers are only important for small cases

7. What did the head of a big lawyer group in England say about lawyers and computers?
(a) Lawyers are not needed anymore
(b) Lawyers know special things that computers don’t
(c) Computers are better than lawyers
(d) Lawyers need to learn everything that computers know

8. What will lawyers always need to do, according to the article?
(a) Let the computers do all the work
(b) Stop using the new program
(c) Learn new things from the computers
(d) Make sure everything is done right

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. Some fake lawyers think that people don’t need to check the work because computers understand everything about what different clients need.
2. The program uses smart technology to check and change contracts on its own.
3. Even though the new program can do a lot, people agree that real lawyers are still very important.
4. The head of a small lawyer group in England said that computers can do everything that lawyers do.
5. The program didn’t learn from any legal papers to do its job.
6. Luminance, a company in the UK, created a computer program to help lawyers work slower.
7. Some people will get to try the program soon, and more will use it next year.
8. The program helps make talking about contracts faster and stops people from slowing things down.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What did the company Luminance make?
2. Why did they create a new computer program for lawyers?
3. What did the computer lawyers do in the demonstration?
4. Do some lawyers think that the computer program can do their job all by itself? Why or why not?
5. What did the head of the lawyer group say about computers and lawyers?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What did the company Luminance make?
Luminance made a new computer program to help lawyers work faster.

2. What can the new computer program do with contracts?
The new computer program can check and change contracts by itself.

3. When will some people be able to try the new program?
Some people will be able to try the new program soon, and more people next year.

4. What did two computer lawyers show with the program?
They showed that the program can change a non-disclosure agreement very quickly.

5. Why do some real lawyers think they still need to check the work?
Some real lawyers think they need to check the work because computers might not understand everything about what different clients need.

6. What does the head of a big lawyer group say about computers and lawyers?
The head of the big lawyer group says that computers can’t do everything that lawyers do because lawyers know special things that computers don’t.

7. Why are real lawyers still very important even with the new program?
Real lawyers are very important because they make sure everything is done right and they can do things computers can’t.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Luminance
(2) legal
(3) more
(4) idea
(5) important
(6) called
(7) stops
(8) things
(9) need
(10) England
(11) learn
(12) make
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. program
Answer: (h) A set of instructions that tells a computer what to do

2. lawyers
Answer: (d) People who help with legal problems

3. contracts
Answer: (c) Official papers that show an agreement between two or more people

4. technology
Answer: (a) Using science to make tools and machines to help people

5. papers
Answer: (f) Sheets with writing on them

6. clients
Answer: (g) People who need help from a lawyer

7. group
Answer: (e) A collection of people who work together

8. computers
Answer: (b) Machines that can follow instructions and do tasks
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the company that made the new computer program for lawyers?
Answer: (d) Luminance

2. How does the new computer program help lawyers?
Answer: (b) It checks and changes contracts by itself

3. What did the computer lawyers change very quickly to show how the program works?
Answer: (a) A non-disclosure agreement

4. What do some real lawyers think about the new program?
Answer: (c) People still need to check the work because computers don’t understand everything about what different clients need

5. Who said that computers can’t do everything that lawyers do?
Answer: (c) The head of a big lawyer group in England

6. What do people agree about the importance of real lawyers?
Answer: (a) Real lawyers are still very important

7. What did the head of a big lawyer group in England say about lawyers and computers?
Answer: (b) Lawyers know special things that computers don’t

8. What will lawyers always need to do, according to the article?
Answer: (d) Make sure everything is done right
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. Some fake lawyers think that people don’t need to check the work because computers understand everything about what different clients need. (Answer: False)
2. The program uses smart technology to check and change contracts on its own. (Answer: True)
3. Even though the new program can do a lot, people agree that real lawyers are still very important. (Answer: True)
4. The head of a small lawyer group in England said that computers can do everything that lawyers do. (Answer: False)
5. The program didn’t learn from any legal papers to do its job. (Answer: False)
6. Luminance, a company in the UK, created a computer program to help lawyers work slower. (Answer: False)
7. Some people will get to try the program soon, and more will use it next year. (Answer: True)
8. The program helps make talking about contracts faster and stops people from slowing things down. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧