Ed.
note: This
article
first
appeared
in
an
ILTA
publication.
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on
ATL
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It
has
been
over
two
years
since
large
language
models
(LLMs)
burst
onto
the
technology
scene,
giving
many
of
us
our
first
taste
of
AI
and
sparking
our
imagination
about
how
it
could
transform
the
way
we
work
and
do
business.
The
legal
industry
quickly
recognized
AI’s
ability
to
streamline
repetitive
tasks,
draft
documents,
categorize
content,
turbocharge
ediscovery,
and
efficiently
sift
through
large
amounts
of
information.
Today,
almost
every
type
of
software
used
by
lawyers
incorporates
some
form
of
AI,
as
technology
continues
to
evolve.
Nearly
every
firm
has
made
significant
investments
in
AI
tools.
Have
those
investments
been
effective?
The
answer
is
yes
and
no.
While
the
tools
are
improving
exponentially,
many
firms
are
struggling
with
some
fundamental
questions:
Which
AI
do
we
use?
How
can
we
get
our
lawyers
to
adopt
it?
What
workflow
improvements
can
we
make?
To
effectively
shape
the
future
of
legal
practice
with
AI,
firms
must
first
identify
the
problems
that
need
to
be
solved
and
define
the
strategic
business
outcomes
they
aim
to
achieve
by
implementing
AI-powered
technology.
Successful
AI
adoption
depends
not
only
on
the
technology
itself,
but
also
on
how
strategically
it
is
deployed.
In
this
article,
we
examine
four
strategies
that
can
help
legal
professionals
optimize
the
return
on
their
AI
investments,
ensuring
that
innovation
translates
into
meaningful
impact.
Know
Your
Outcome
Implementing
an
AI
tool
requires
a
clear
understanding
of
expected
returns
on
investment.
Defining
strategic
outcomes
at
the
project’s
outset
will
simplify
technology
selection
and
guide
implementation,
including
change
management
and
adoption.
It
also
sets
realistic
expectations
for
AI
capabilities.
The
market
for
AI
in
the
legal
field
is
increasingly
crowded.
As
with
any
new
technology,
AI
capabilities
are
often
misunderstood.
It
is
essential
to
have
a
clear
understanding
of
the
various
types
of
AI
available.
•
Generative
AI
can
summarize
documents,
create
content,
and
is
often
paired
with
advanced
search
platforms.
•
Agentic
AI
can
act
independently
on
your
behalf
by
making
decisions
and
performing
tasks.
These
technologies
can
automate
tedious
processes
for
both
lawyers
and
business
professionals.
•
Extractive
AI
identifies
and
extracts
specific
content
from
a
document,
such
as
deal
terms
or
parties.
When
selecting
AI
solutions,
it
is
crucial
to
consider
how
the
tools
will
access
content,
whether
through
integration
with
firm
systems
or
uploading
to
vendor
systems.
The
costs
of
some
AI
features
can
be
surprisingly
high.
Comparing
defined
outcomes
with
available
products
and
resources
helps
firms
determine
the
feasibility
of
implementing
a
particular
tool.
Practice
Productivity
By
efficiently
sifting
through
large
volumes
of
information
and
streamlining
repetitive
tasks,
AI
can
help
lawyers
and
legal
professionals
focus
on
more
substantive
and
strategic
aspects
of
their
work.
AI
tools
can
generate
content,
summarize
documents,
and
streamline
the
production
of
client
work.
When
coupled
with
advanced
search
platforms,
these
tools
enable
legal
professionals
to
quickly
and
accurately
retrieve
relevant
documents
and
information,
drastically
reducing
the
time
spent
on
manual
searches.
Agentic
AI
can
take
actions
on
behalf
of
users,
make
decisions,
and
perform
tasks
autonomously.
This
transforms
how
lawyers
manage
workflows,
schedule
appointments,
and
reduce
data
entry.
Such
technologies
remove
time-consuming
tasks
for
both
legal
professionals
and
business
staff,
enhancing
overall
productivity.
Knowledge
management
systems
that
incorporate
AI
and
advanced
search
functionalities
are
becoming
essential
tools
for
creating
work
products.
These
tools
often
include
workflows
that
allow
legal
professionals
to
work
effectively
with
the
document
sets
they
retrieve,
further
simplifying
the
drafting
process.
Streamline
Nonbillable
Tasks
and
Improve
Client
Service
There
is
potential
for
AI
to
enhance
a
lawyer’s
workflow
beyond
document
creation.
Lawyers
wear
many
hats
in
an
organization.
Partners
manage
their
client
relationships,
ensure
they
are
running
a
profitable
book
of
business,
supervise
teams,
and
develop
new
clients,
among
other
responsibilities.
If
that
partner
leads
a
practice,
they
have
additional
responsibilities.
To
be
successful,
lawyers
of
all
types
interact
with
numerous
systems
daily.
Many
of
these
tasks
can
be
easily
enhanced
by
leveraging
various
forms
of
AI.
For
example,
rather
than
reviewing
dozens
of
emails,
a
bot
can
be
created
to
prompt
the
lawyer
about
key
activities
due
across
all
the
firm’s
systems.
In
some
cases,
an
agentic
AI
bot
can
monitor
emails
for
potential
issues
and
take
action
to
resolve
them
without
requiring
lawyer
intervention.
Developing
these
AI
assistants
may
have
a
significant
impact
on
the
lawyer’s
job
satisfaction
and
overall
firm
productivity
by
streamlining
many
individual
tasks
that
distract
and
divert
lawyers
from
their
billable
client
work.
Build
a
Strong
Foundation
for
the
Future
Like
any
information-driven
solution,
AI
is
only
as
valuable
and
accurate
as
the
content
it
leverages.
This
is
why
most
AI
solutions
use
a
curated
set
of
documents
rather
than
the
entire
DMS.
Therefore,
creating
a
data
platform
with
clean,
well-governed
data
is
essential.
It
ensures
that
the
data
feeding
into
the
AI
system
is
accurate,
reliable,
and
up-to-date,
thus
enhancing
the
quality
of
AI
outputs.
Firms
that
have
invested
in
and
built
knowledge
banks,
which
organize
and
maintain
the
most
valuable
of
a
firm’s
knowledge,
will
capitalize
on
their
investments
and
likely
achieve
success
with
AI
more
quickly
by
feeding
the
AI
with
good,
structured
content
to
build
upon.
The
combination
of
data
work
and
a
knowledge
bank
not
only
modernizes
workflows
but
also
empowers
AI
to
make
precise
and
informed
decisions,
ultimately
leading
to
more
efficient
and
high-quality
legal
services.
AI
is
advancing
at
an
incredible
pace.
Many
technologies
a
firm
chooses
to
invest
in
will
eventually
become
obsolete,
but
the
data
and
documents
that
drive
AI
solutions
will
always
be
key
for
any
future
AI
innovation.
Shaping
the
Future
Taking
all
of
this
into
account,
the
lawyer
of
the
future
is
going
to
have
different
experiences
in
almost
every
aspect
of
the
practice
of
law.
Essential
tasks
required
today,
including
matter
management,
monitoring
health
status
updates,
document
consolidation,
matter
openings,
and
conflict
checks,
all
have
the
potential
to
be
either
replaced
or
considerably
enhanced
by
AI.
Bots
can
be
created
to
provide
clients
with
basic
answers
to
legal
questions.
The
evolution
of
increasingly
capable
AI
technologies
will
enable
lawyers
to
focus
on
more
sophisticated
and
complex
client
work
that
demands
human
creativity
and
legal
expertise.
Jim
Tuvell
is
the
Managing
Director
of
Fireman,
an
Epiq
Company,
where
he
leads
a
team
of
experts
in
knowledge
management
and
technology
strategy
for
the
legal
industry.
With
over
25
years
of
experience,
Tuvell
has
a
proven
track
record
of
aligning
technology
investments
with
law
firms’
strategic
goals
to
drive
efficiency,
quality,
and
revenue.
Originally
printed
in
ILTA’s
summer
issue
of
Peer
to
Peer
Magazine.