By LSJ Staff -
What impact will the growing field of AI have on our profession? The Law Society of NSW AI Taskforce asked a panel of AI solutions providers for their tips and suggestions for legal practitioners.
In late 2024 we asked experts from the Law Society of NSW AI Taskforce to share some predictions, tips and practical suggestions. We put the same questions to key AI solutions providers currently marketing their products to NSW solicitors and they share their thoughts here.
Among vendors, unsurprisingly, there is a general anticipation or prediction of high growth in use of AI based solutions. They also predict that experimentation and exposure to those products in the legal market is important and those who don’t will get left behind.
However, the view that lawyers have specific skills and insight that cannot be replaced or replicated was also highlighted.
The most frequent comments stressed that regardless of what a product offers them, lawyers need to be diligent about compliance, securing data and safety when using AI technology and always verifying outputs from AI tools. Alongside the primacy of safety, and of ethical approaches to use of AI, efficiencies in terms of time saving were tied to streamlining legal research, document review and agreement analysis. There was also a focus on embracing new ways of working with a shift towards new pricing models for legal services and a move away from the billable hour model as AI adoption grows.
With the formal start to the legal year, the opening of Law Term on 3 February 2025, the Supreme Court’s Practice Note SC Gen 23 – Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI), and the District Court’s adoption of it as General Practice Note 2 determining use of generative AI within those Courts will also commence.
John Ahern, CEO, InfoTrack
What is your AI “top tip” for lawyers?
Legal professionals must become AI technology natives. The next generation already have AI skills and awareness ingrained into them. Our professionals have a long history of guiding interns to navigate the law and to provide excellent service to their clients. You can’t teach what you haven’t learned, therefore legal professionals need to embrace this technology to guide and influence the next generation.
Denise Farmer, Clio Software, General Manager, APAC
What is the most critical AI-related activity or action for lawyers right now?
The most critical AI-related action for lawyers is to embrace AI and view AI as an essential ally that can enhance productivity, and improve outcomes for clients, without replacing their roles. Understanding the value of AI in streamlining routine tasks and freeing time to focus on the strategic and complex aspects of legal practice, ultimately means delivering more value to clients. Lawyers who choose to embrace AI will gain a competitive advantage – boosting productivity and allowing time for strategic work, which will add far more value to their clients – those who don’t embrace these changes risk being left behind. It is however important for lawyers to use good judgement around effective AI use. While AI has the potential to transform how lawyers work, it can never replace the unique insights and decision-making that lawyers bring to the table.
Do you have a prediction in relation to AI use by lawyers in the coming year?
In the coming year, AI adoption will grow significantly among lawyers and this impact will drive a shift away from the traditional billable hour and towards alternative pricing models that reflect the actual value delivered. Whilst firms still hold onto the ‘billable hour’ model, there is a disconnect emerging between the rigidity of this time-based billing and the efficiencies that both AI and other legal tech are bringing. AI is now driving a change in that firms are able to deliver greater value in less time – making it clear that the billable may no longer be an adequate measure of work and value of lawyers. As such, there will be a shift towards new pricing models that better reflect the value of work – for example, fixed fees. Smaller and medium sized firms that are more likely to embrace these models, will be in a better position to compete in the evolving legal landscape.
What is your AI “top tip” for lawyers?
To integrate AI responsibly by ensuring that it is safe and ethical and aligns with all critical standards around privacy, discrimination, and safety. We see increasing numbers of people using AI at work, but often businesses don’t know how their employees are using AI and what for. To ensure responsible AI use, businesses choosing to embrace AI must put policies and best practices in place for employees. Investing in safe practices, protects the interests of clients and ensures that you are always compliant.
Andrew Crawshaw, Groundsure
Do you have a prediction in relation to AI use by lawyers in the coming year?
There are obvious benefits to embracing AI technology, and while it might take time for a wider shift to be trusted, there are certainly aspects of a solicitors day to day life that can, and will, be made quicker and easier by using AI. In the next 12 months I can see AI being used to streamline legal research – quickly scanning large bodies of text, case law and statutes much faster and with greater accuracy. Analysing and drafting contracts will become more efficient by spotting incorrect/missing clauses, speeding up processes and automating routine parts of contract reviews (freeing up much needed time for solicitors!)
We will see AI used by solicitors to keep up to date with regulatory compliance, which will help firms reduce risk for themselves and their clients and we’ll certainly see AI utilised further for admin related tasks like billing and time tracking. The customer service side of firms’ websites will probably embrace AI to handle routine, frequently asked questions. Or gathering basic information before being passed on to speak to someone. Anything that can save a solicitors time to focus on more important aspects of their job, while not placing too much risk on their liability, will be embraced when it comes to AI!
Christian Beck, Founder and CEO of LEAP
What is the most critical AI-related activity or action for lawyers right now?
Lawyers spend vast amounts of time looking for information from within their own matters. If the entire matter is loaded into a private and secure practice management system with AI capabilities, its remarkable what you can use it for. With this setup, you can:
- Ask it any questions about the matter and it will tell you the answer and the source
- Get it to help with initial drafts and formatting of legal documents
- Write letters or emails to your client or to the other side
Do you have a prediction in relation to AI use by lawyers in the coming year?
A year from now most small and medium law firms will use AI to:
- Do initial drafts of legal documents and other complicated letters
- Conduct legal research
- Write letters and e-mails
- Track the time they spend on their matters and help them bill it in a descriptive way to their clients
- Check if clients are happy with their service
What is your AI “top tip” for lawyers?
Don’t be scared of it, give it a try, but always verify its outputs.
Lindsay O’Connor, General Manager, Content, LexisNexis
What is the most critical AI-related activity or action for lawyers right now?
To successfully integrate AI and GenAI while effectively mitigating risks, legal organisations must adopt a strategic approach. This involves conducting comprehensive risk assessments, implementing robust data governance and security measures, and ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations (which will differ from region to region and may evolve rapidly in coming years).
Organisations looking to develop their own AI projects should prioritise ethical AI development practices. For those utilising third-party AI tools, it is essential to establish clear guidelines for responsible use and invest in training and upskilling their workforce to collaborate effectively with these technologies. A practical step in this direction is to draft a comprehensive AI policy and communicate it to all employees, whilst also putting in place practical measures to ensure compliance.
Finally, organisations should implement a systematic process for tracking the return on investment for any AI tools deployed, ensuring that these tools deliver the desired outcomes.
Do you have a prediction in relation to AI use by lawyers in the coming year?
As we witness the widespread adoption of general GenAI and AI tools, we can anticipate the gradual emergence of more specialised solutions. In the legal sector, this will pave the way for the development of AI-powered legal assistants that provide intelligent support for tasks such as research and document review. Additionally, we will see a shift toward generating more personalised outputs, with GenAI and AI tools capable of working with an organisation’s own content sets to deliver results tailored to its specific style and previous work.
One promising technical methodology that will enhance the effectiveness of GenAI tools is the use of Knowledge Graphs. This approach structures underlying data into an interconnected network, illustrating relationships between data points and reflecting the complexities of the real world. By employing knowledge graphs, GenAI tools can better understand the intent and context behind user queries, resulting in more relevant outputs. This is especially beneficial in fields such as law, where important connections exist among case law, legislation, and related commentary.
Furthermore, the ethical and regulatory landscape surrounding AI and GenAI technologies is likely to continue evolving, with an increasing focus on transparency, accountability, and fairness. Legal professionals must remain informed and adapt to these changes to ensure compliance and maintain the trust and confidence of their clients.
What is your AI “top tip” for lawyers?
The legal organisations of the future will be defined by the seamless integration of AI and GenAI technologies throughout their processes and workflows. These organisations will prioritise continuous learning and the upskilling of their workforce to facilitate collaboration between legal professionals and AI systems.
This approach will enable legal practitioners to effectively harness these technologies, delivering more efficient, cost-effective, and innovative legal services. This will enable lawyers to focus their time on work which requires their specific legal expertise so that they can add additional value to their clients, whilst also having more time to focus on business development activities which can help to expand their network and grow their client base.
New lawyers will be expected to possess a solid understanding of technologies such as AI, along with at least basic skills in this area. Those who demonstrate greater knowledge and experience in AI will likely distinguish themselves in the field.
Jill Schornack, Vice President, Product Management, NetDocuments
What is the most critical AI-related activity or action for lawyers right now?
Above all, the most critical step is to get moving – lawyers need to start exploring AI technologies. They should be actively evaluating their existing tech stacks to identify opportunities where AI can naturally extend their capabilities, enhance workflows, and improve efficiency. With AI capabilities and use cases constantly evolving, it’s crucial firms partner with trusted technology providers to integrate secure, compliant AI solutions that align with their needs – whether that’s a simple conversational interface with an AI assistant, or a tool to build or tailor AI-powered apps.
Do you have a prediction in relation to AI use by lawyers in the coming year?
In the coming year, AI will evolve into an indispensable tool for lawyers, enabling significant time savings on tasks like document review, drafting, and contract analysis. We anticipate the rise of more tailored and secure AI solutions seamlessly integrated into legal workflows. The foundational AI capabilities like summarize will be applied to high value use cases like deposition summary with a focus on identifying contradictions in testimony. AI’s transition from an experimental technology to a core component of legal practice will redefine how lawyers stay competitive in the industry.
What is your AI “top tip” for lawyers?
There are so many different schools of thought and moving parts when it comes to AI. Lawyers need to make sure that through all the noise, they remain focused on making sure any AI tools they adopt are secure, compliant, and tailored to their needs. To enable this, firms should be collaborating with trusted partners to ensure tight integration across the organisation. By embedding AI where they are already working—such as a Document Management System (DMS)— they can securely leverage AI without disrupting existing workflows or introducing unnecessary risk. Harnessing proven, secure technologies will help unlock AI’s potential without compromising the firm’s data and reputation.
Chris Britton, Chief Operating Officer, Tensis
Do you have a prediction in relation to AI use by lawyers in the coming year?
In the coming year, we see AI becoming a powerful, behind-the-scenes enabler that will allow law firms to make significant leaps in automation. Rather than being front and center, AI will quietly streamline the foundational processes that allow firms to automate entire practice areas more effectively. For example, AI can handle the heavy lifting of organising clause libraries, generating metadata, and importing precedents—all of which set the stage for faster, more scalable document automation. At Smarter Drafter, we believe AI’s true value lies in this supportive role: reducing manual setup and creating the branching logic essential for automation, so firms can focus on high-value work. As AI continues to advance, we predict it will quietly transform legal operations by making automation simpler and more accessible than ever before.
