Generative AI in law: the opportunities, the challenges, and getting started


Matthew Stridon

Matthew Stringer, founder and CEO of Stridon

By Matthew Stringer the founder and CEO of Stridon, a technology transformation partner.

The legal world is standing at the edge of significant transformation, and Generative AI (Gen AI) is driving it. Although Gen AI remains in its nascent stage, it continues to develop at an astonishing rate of acceleration, and we are already witnessing the benefits of it. The evolution of the AI Age presents significant opportunity for Law firms to transform the way they work, unlocking time that can be focussed on delivering better outcomes across a multitude of areas, be that talent development, client experience or perhaps most importantly, an opportunity to balance work with the rest of life’s riches.

As a passionate advocate of using technology to improve people’s lives, I see Gen AI as a pathway to enabling significant positive change, with the right culture and focus in place.

Why I believe Gen AI matters

Gen AI has the power to take the weight out of those repetitive, time-consuming tasks like email management, document summarisation or those administrative activities that are a critical part of operating a firm but take you away from doing the part that means the most, helping your clients to be successful. Imagine freeing your team up to focus on the work that really matters – like growing your client relationships. We’re already seeing global firms like DLA Piper and Clifford Chance embracing Gen AI platforms, such as Microsoft 365 Copilot, to improve how they work.

But here’s the thing: this technology isn’t just the domain of the global players. With the right approach, firms of any size can reap the same benefits. And the potential goes far beyond productivity – Gen AI could genuinely help reduce burnout by easing the workload on people, making their day-to-day lives more manageable and enjoyable.

The challenges we have to face

Of course, it’s not all smooth sailing. There’s so much noise out there and thousands of AI tools claiming to change everything. It’s hard to figure out what’s worth your time. Then there are the serious concerns about privacy and trust. Clients expect their data to stay safe, and firms need to ensure they don’t lose control of sensitive information.

Many organisations don’t have a clear plan for where to start. It’s AI information overload out there and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. And without a proper strategy that fully considers your culture, how your firm and your people work, you risk wasting time and resources – or worse, causing reputational damage by using the technology incorrectly.

How I think we should approach this

Where I genuinely believe you can be successful is by focusing on some key simple areas where you can make tangible gains. This will give you some quick ROI and a chance to validate the concept and business case, whilst also building skills and champions within the business. Gen AI isn’t just about technology; it’s about people and changing our approach to work. That’s why I believe success starts with collaboration. By this, I mean getting a broad mix of people from across the business involved, from the various practice groups, business support functions and senior executive sponsorship, so you can build a team of champions to lead the way.

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Start small with clear, simple use cases in the technology suite your team already know and uses, like Outlook, Word or Teams. This approach helps people get comfortable with Gen AI whilst still experiencing immediate value. Once you’ve built confidence and skills, you can tackle bigger, more advanced use cases.

My vision for the future

Gen AI represents the dawn of a new era in legal services. With the right strategy and the right focus, we can unlock time that can be spent driving initiatives that reduce burnout, enhance productivity, and improve employee well-being, aligning closely with the industry’s pressing need to address talent acquisition and retention challenges.

This presents the legal sector with a unique opportunity to lead the charge in demonstrating how to balance innovation with responsibility, but it takes a practical, people-first mindset to get there. If we take small steps and focus on what really matters, combined with helping people work better, we can truly unlock its full potential.

Take your first small steps today: –

  • download our step-by-step guide. No technical jargon, just practical insights you can put into practice now. Download the guide here
  • secure your place now for our webinar in February, where we’ll cut through the noise and provide a clear path forward. Sign up here https://insights.stridon.co.uk/webinar-series

 

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