By Alisa Groom – Manager, Advisory Services
There has been no shortage of conversation about artificial intelligence over the past two years. Every conference agenda includes it. Every technology vendor promises it. Every law firm seems to be experimenting with it. But despite all of the noise, I continue to hear the same question from firm leaders:
It’s a fair question.
The immediate challenge for law firms is to determine how to adopt AI in a way that creates measurable business value while simultaneously managing risk, enabling operational integration of AI technologies, and recognizing tangible ROI from investments.
That’s where many firms are getting stuck.
According to recent industry research, nearly 80% of legal professionals are already using AI in some capacity, yet only about one in five firms has a documented AI strategy. That disconnect explains why so many organizations struggle to see meaningful ROI from their investments.
A common misconception firms make is treating AI like another software purchase, but gaining value from AI requires a much deeper consideration for firm strategy and its operating model. AI is fundamentally changing how legal services are delivered, how firms operate, how clients evaluate outside counsel, and how attorneys expect to perform work. Therefore, the success of AI will be a direct function of a firm’s strategy, not based on technology alone.
The most successful AI adopters are focused on scaling meaningful AI solutions for the firm. This means shifting away from asking “which AI platforms should we buy” and focusing on enabling factors that drive clarity and security for an AI portfolio. Successful firms are asking:
In order to leverage AI as a firm accelerator, a clear vision with supporting governance will ease the challenge of selecting and scaling AI technologies.
In working with firms across the legal industry, I’ve found that nearly every successful AI initiative begins by answering three fundamental questions.
1. What should we implement?
The most successful firms identify the highest-value opportunities first—areas where automation, document intelligence, research, workflow optimization, or knowledge management can create measurable improvements. AI transformation requires focused execution and organizational readiness. Investing too broadly can unnecessarily introduce risk, operational complexity, and user burden that detracts from adoption and realized ROI.
2. How do we navigate the AI technology landscape?
Today’s market offers hundreds of AI solutions, with frequent emergence of new and evolving platforms. Successful adopters leverage governance and prioritization mechanisms to tune out market and vendor noise, and focus on rationalized implementation of general AI productivity tools, coupled with legal-specific use-cases with high impact. Vendor evaluation and strategy is a critical component here to ensure long term alignment and benefits optimization.
3. How will we govern it?
Governance is often viewed as something that slows innovation, but it is in fact the opposite. Clear governance creates confidence. It enables attorneys to adopt AI responsibly and confidently because expectations, policies, security standards, and accountability are already in place. Firms lacking AI governance with focus on strong enablement and change management see lower adoption rates and increased hesitation from key stakeholders. Slowing the pace of change and negatively impacting ROI.
As AI adoption accelerates across the legal industry, firms that delay strategic planning are inadvertently allowing competitors to become more efficient, improve client experiences, attract stronger talent, and rethink how legal services are delivered.
The firms that establish their strategy now will have a significant advantage over those that delay – risking downstream revenue impact, talent retention challenges, and reputational shift in the market.
If there’s one message I’d leave law firm leaders with, it’s this:
AI is not a technology strategy. It’s a business strategy.
The legal industry has reached an important inflection point. The firms that approach AI intentionally—with clear priorities, practical governance, and a focus on measurable outcomes—will be better positioned to compete in the years ahead.
That’s why our team developed The AI Imperative in Legal Services, a new white paper designed specifically for law firm leaders navigating AI adoption.
Inside, we explore:
If your firm is beginning its AI journey—or looking to move beyond experimentation—I’d encourage you to download the white paper and continue the conversation. Because the question is no longer whether AI will transform the legal industry. It’s how intentionally your firm chooses to lead through that transformation.
Interested in reading more?
Download the full white paper here: The AI Imperative in Legal Services