Artificial intelligence (AI) is more than just a buzzword. AI is powering many of the systems and apps we use every day. But what do lawyers think of it? The attitudes fall into two groups. One group really understands what AI is and believes it has a key role in the practice of law. The other group doesn't really understand what AI is and doesn't believe it has a key role in the practise of law. The first group contains clients, and the second group contains law firms. This is a crude over-generalization of course, but it has some validity. There is also a third group in the middle, which contains Chief Information Officers (CIOs) employed by law firms. These folks are smart, helpful and often under-used.

Maybe some lawyers still fear AI, with visions of Skynet from The Terminator films taking over the world. Let's clarify this picture and get to the real value of AI in a law firm. As we have discussed, clients actively expect law firms to embrace lean legal practice, they tell us that they have the same expectation of tech in general, and AI in particular. The good news is that AI and lean law practice go hand-in-hand. AI is a tool that can be used to improve processes and automate otherwise mundane tasks. It's not going to replace human workers, but it will replace tasks which are a time-suck and of little value to the client. This instantly explains the widespread client enthusiasm. Law firms have nothing to fear from this. The way to look at AI is as a creator of won-back time which can be spent on legal analysis, case strategy, client interaction, and many other tasks that lawyers enjoy and clients appreciate.

So how should law firms answer the increasingly common question from clients about whether they use AI? The good news is that they have a ready-made answer — yes, all the time. This is one of those rare but happy alignments where law firms are already doing the thing clients want without even knowing it. Truth is, lawyers are inundated with data from various sources — evidence, litigation data, legal source materials, practical guidance — and AI already sifts and prioritizes. But it can go way beyond that, and clients want it to. AI can not only streamline document reviews, it can help build the RFP response process by suggesting responses based on the request, and even predict the likelihood of success of that proposal.