PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten — August 29, 2025 — Prominent local attorney Cor Merx has published a substantive essay introducing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to the island’s legal community, arguing that AI should be treated as a practical assistant—used thoughtfully and ethically—rather than a threat to legal craftsmanship. The article, titled “AI voor Juristen op Sint Maarten – een kennismaking met kansen”, appears on the Orde van Advocaten Sint Maarten website and is dated March 5, 2025.
Merx—founder of Cor Merx Legal Services and a longtime figure in St. Maarten’s legal affairs—is also listed among practitioners by the Orde van Advocaten Sint Maarten.
“Mijn advies: zie AI niet als bedreiging, maar als kans.” — C. Merx
Main takeaways from Merx’s essay
- AI is already present in legal work. Merx points to international surveys showing widespread, weekly use of generative AI by corporate legal departments and law firms—evidence that the technology has moved from hype to daily utility.
- Ethics and confidentiality remain paramount. He underscores the duty to scrutinize sources, guard client data, and ensure AI outputs do not amplify bias or legal error.
- Practical applications today. From drafting plain-language client communications to organizing case materials, AI can reduce repetitive work so attorneys spend more time on substantive analysis.
- Education for the next generation. Merx urges training in digital literacy so younger can lawyers integrate AI responsibly within professional standards.
Why this matters for St. Maarten
The essay invites a local conversation on how AI can improve service quality and access to justice without compromising professional ethics. It suggests a pragmatic path forward: start small, test specific tools, and maintain a critical, human-led review of outcomes.
Context: global benchmarks
Internationally, AI adoption in law continues to accelerate. Wolters Kluwer’s Future Ready Lawyer 2024 reports that 76% of corporate legal departments and 68% of law firms use generative AI at least weekly, reinforcing Merx’s call for structured experimentation and training.
What’s next
Given Merx’s intervention, St. Maarten’s bar could consider Continuing Professional Development (CPD) sessions, roundtables, and practical workshops on responsible AI use—including confidentiality safeguards, prompt-engineering basics, and validation protocols. The full essay is available on the Orde’s website: read it here.
###
ADVERTISEMENT
