Interview with employment law partner at Jurilo.ch - is it better than a lawyer?
Could you please briefly introduce yourself and describe your role at Streiff von Känel?
My name is Simon Hampl and I am a lawyer and partner at the law firm Streiff von Känel AG in Wetzikon, which specializes in employment law. In this role, I advise and represent companies of all sizes, from large corporations to SMEs, state authorities such as communities and offices, as well as private individuals in all areas of employment law and public employment law.
What is your core competence in employment law — and how long have you been advising companies in this area?
In principle, I advise my clients on all facets of employment law, from extrajudicial advice to representation before courts and authorities. One focus of my work is dispute resolution, whether through out-of-court negotiations with opposing parties or, if necessary, conducting complex legal proceedings, which may concern a variety of topics such as wage claims, bonus claims, compensation for abusive or discriminatory dismissals or job references - to name just a few. I have worked as a lawyer for nine years, including over seven years with a clear focus on employment law.
What was your first impression of Jurilo.ch as a legal chatbot?
The first impression of the now more recent version of Jurilo was very appealing. The operation is simple and self-explanatory, and the answers to questions asked are provided very quickly and precisely.
What prompted you to test or support Jurilo.ch yourself?
Our law firm is an advisor to Jurilo and Lawise and works closely with them. The aim is to develop a chatbot that is as precise as possible and provides answers at a high level. In this role, I continuously test Jurilo in order to be able to monitor progress in the quality of the answers.
How do you rate the quality of Jurilo.ch's answers, particularly in employment law?
In my experience, the majority of the answers are of very good quality. The answers are carefully justified and are generally legally correct. In my experience, legally clearly incorrect answers are the absolute exception and occur significantly less frequently than with similar products such as ChatGPT. I dare to say that the answers are significantly higher than that of an “average” lawyer who does not specialize in employment law, if he had to answer questions “spontaneously” and without preparation.
In your opinion, are the answers legally reliable — even vis-à-vis lawyers or courts?
Very often, the answers are flawless and could therefore also be used against lawyers and courts. The “crux” is that mistakes can happen and you have to recognize these mistakes - but lawyers can also make mistakes. However, before you submit a claim to a court, you should definitely check the statements of a chatbot or, if you are unable to do so yourself, have them checked. In the USA and Germany, for example, there have already been several cases in which lawyers have submitted AI-generated legal documents containing false information. This is, of course, a violation of lawyers' duty of care and must not happen.
For which target group do you think Jurilo.ch is particularly valuable?
Jurilo is interesting for anyone who is confronted with employment law issues. This can be a trustee who is the contact person for personnel law issues for an SME, or a personnel manager of any kind (HR manager, etc.). But it also makes work much easier for lawyers and lawyers when comprehensive information and thus an initial clue is provided within seconds, without having to spend a long time researching in comments or databases.
What do you think of the idea of using Jurilo.ch as a first point of contact before an expensive lawyer appointment?
That can certainly make sense, especially if you're not sure whether you're even eligible. At best, this can save yourself the hassle of getting a “no.” This will certainly give you a clue as to whether it could be worthwhile to have the case examined more closely by a lawyer.
Would you recommend Jurilo.ch — and if so, why?
Definitely The quality of the product is very good and the prices are fair. In addition, the quality is constantly improving due to the increased number of users and feedback, so that the accuracy of the answers is constantly increasing.
