So, you’ve decided to roll out AI in your legal department. Congrats—you’re officially drinking the Kool-AI-d. But before you hug your new robot overlord, maybe take a second and not trip over your own digital shoelaces. Here’s how to roll out legal AI without turning your firm into a cautionary tale.
1. Actually Have a Problem to Solve
Look, if you’re rolling out AI because the partners sat in on a TED Talk and now think ChatGPT is going to litigate their cases, maybe take a cold shower. Start with a real problem—something boring but real, like document review taking forever or client onboarding that feels like a hostage negotiation. Don’t try solving ‘everything’ at once. That’s how startups die—and also, law firms.
2. Pick One Damn Thing to Fix
No, your AI platform doesn’t need to brew coffee, draft contracts, and babysit your paralegals all at once. Pick one area. Automate the hell out of it. Prove it doesn’t destroy everything around it or send emails to your mother-in-law by accident. Then, and only then, move on to the next shiny thing.
3. Don’t Let the Interns Run It
This is not the time for Carl, your 22-year-old summer intern who wears Crocs to work, to be piloting your legal workflow overhaul. You need people who understand how legal work functions and what AI can and can’t do (spoiler alert: it can’t replace your lack of strategy). Build an A-team, not a ‘we’ll-figure-it-out-later’ team.
4. Train Lawyers Like They’re Not Technophobic Grandmas
Yes, many lawyers still think turning off a computer means unplugging it. You can either let that continue and deal with the fallout, or you can get serious about training. And no, ‘sending them a YouTube link’ doesn’t count. Build proper onboarding. Offer real-time support. Maybe throw in cookies. Bribery works.
5. You’re Not Done After Go-Live
Rolling out the AI isn’t the finish line—it’s where the real panic starts. Stuff will break. People will complain. Someone will copy-paste something dumb into the AI and somehow end up with a 3-minute video of Joe Pesci swearing. That’s fine. Set up feedback loops. Monitor performance. Iterate. Evolve. Pretend you’re a startup, but with suits.
Final Word
Legal AI isn’t magic. It’s a blunt instrument with Wi-Fi. If you roll it out like a thoughtful adult who isn’t chasing techno-clout, it might just make your practice suck a little less. Or you can ignore all this and explain to the partners why you spent six figures on a glorified Microsoft Word plugin. Your call.