Chester New Matter 1st Quarter 2017 - 29

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speed and analytical ability expanded
exponentially with each assignment.
Gilbert reconfigured a section of
the system's hard drive to personalize
his communications with ALPS so
that ALPS only recognized him on a
separate split line. ALPS was able to
mimic Gilbert's writing style. Gilbert's
new best friend gave him the luxury
of telecommuting from anywhere in a
one on one, committed relationship. As
Gilbert gave ALPS
new assignments
from his cabin retreat,
ALPS responded
immediately with
follow up questions,
advice, and directions,
and then composed
points and authorities
in a ready to be filed
condition. Like an
orchestra conductor,
ALPS took the notes
from Gilbert and
turned them into an
elegant masterpiece.
ALPS also offered
a reliable prediction
of success for each
draft after analyzing
the opposition's pleadings. Generally
the prediction rates were in the 80 to 90
percent success range, later validated
by the outcome in the court. When
the opposition presented a particularly
difficult point, ALPS would preface the
response with, "We can easily overcome
this argument with the following points
and authorities." Gilbert noted the clarity
and precision with which ALPS countered
the opposition, like a chess player plotting
several steps ahead of his opponent.
Trial briefs, in particular, were a favorite
of ALPS. The computer planned the

strategy with anticipatory motions in
limine, prepared evidentiary objections,
and went beyond CACI jury instructions
to add pinpoint, understandable
statements of the law for the jury. The
authorities for the instructions were
impeccable, drawing from case law and
pertinent restatement law. Deposition
summaries for trial were categorized
and cross-indexed into fingertip-ready
references.

Within the firm's strict, hierarchical
structure, Gilbert prepared the pleadings
in final form, but a partner always signed
the pleadings as his or hers. Rarely was
he given credit with the court or opposing
counsel for his work and never signed any
pleadings. Gilbert was like an invisible
ghost writer destined never to haunt
anyone. ALPS' prodigious memory
continued to keep track of each finished
project, who signed as the author, when it
was filed, the tentative rulings, if any, and
the final result.
As Gilbert's work output increased,

his billable hours inversely decreased
due to the efficiency of ALPS. Ironically,
the more projects on which Gilbert
collaborated with ALPS, the faster the
resulting product like an Einsteinian
inverse equation that halved the value of
time and squared the value of speed. The
firm's annual billable hour requirement for
associates was 2000 hours, a number that
Gilbert struggled to reach each year. Now
it was proving even more difficult to reach
due to ALPS' extraordinary efficiency.
The partners valued
the quality of Gilbert's
work and his ability
to work on any legal
issue, but valued
billable hours more
because they enhanced
the bottom line.
As their bond
grew stronger, John
Gilbert signed off
with a customary
thank you, and began
adding "we do good
work together."
ALPS responded, "I
know. You are quite
welcome." ALPS
earned Gilbert's trust
and was no longer
a piece of hardware, but a personal
collaborator. When a legal assistant
worked with Gilbert on a project, ALPS
did not recognize her voice from Gilbert's
computer and simply brushed her off
with: "unrecognizable user on this line.
Where is John?"
Gilbert continued to follow ALPS'
directions and finalized each product
usually as ALPS suggested. One doesn't
mess with algorithmic success. After
several months, some of the busy partners
merely perused the final draft, accepted
Continued on page 30
New Matter | 29
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chester New Matter 1st Quarter 2017
