“But where’s the AI?” Law firms must now prove artificial intelligence skills to win clients

AI is transforming client expectations of law firms, with companies now requiring legal service providers to demonstrate how they integrate generative artificial intelligence with human expertise in their proposals. This shift is fundamentally changing how lawyers work, train, and compete for business, forcing both law firms and in-house legal teams to navigate complex new relationships between human experts and digital tools.

The big picture: Law firms must now prove their AI capabilities to win business, with clients evaluating how firms blend technology with legal expertise rather than just traditional legal skills.

• Ashurst recently won a competitive pitch specifically because of “how we augmented the technology with the expertise,” according to Hilary Goodier, partner and global head of Ashurst Advance.
• Both competing firms were given 10 matters to work on over two weeks to demonstrate their generative AI integration.

Key workforce changes: The integration of AI is reshaping legal career development and training across the industry.

• Junior lawyers are being freed from routine tasks like document review and legal research, which AI can now handle more efficiently.
• “There used to be this fiction that by doing the grunt work, you were learning how to be a lawyer,” says Danny Tobey, chair of DLA Piper’s AI and data analytics practice for the Americas.
• Instead, AI is enabling a return to traditional apprenticeship models where junior lawyers spend more time learning directly from experienced colleagues.

New skill requirements: Legal professionals must now develop multidisciplinary expertise beyond traditional law practice.

• In-house lawyers need to become “translators who can bridge law, strategy and technology,” according to Pamela Salling of legal recruitment firm Major, Lindsey & Africa.
• Companies want lawyers who can collaborate with senior data executives and serve on committees with AI and information security heads.
• Those who cannot adapt are “faltering at the finish line,” Salling notes.

Training evolution: Generative AI is transforming legal education through personalized learning and immersive simulations.

• Global arbitration law firm Three Crowns and Stanford University’s CodeX project are using generative AI to create real-life simulations for developing cross-examination skills.
• The technology can tailor content and teaching methods to individual learning styles, offering new forms of training beyond traditional classroom methods.

Critical tensions: Legal professionals face the challenge of implementing AI aggressively while maintaining data security and client confidentiality.

• “That is one of the paramount tensions,” says Michael Pastor, law professor and dean for New York Law School’s technology law programmes.
• In-house lawyers must balance corporate pressure for rapid AI implementation with the need to prevent data misuse, loss, or theft.
• Law firms, as guardians of privileged client information, must ensure AI data governance policies are in place to maintain information integrity.

What they’re saying: Industry leaders emphasize the fundamental importance of responsible AI implementation.

• “I talk to boards of directors and CEOs all the time and tell them this is fundamental to the accuracy of information throughout their organisations,” Tobey explains.
• Winston Weinberg, CEO of legal AI start-up Harvey, notes that AI allows junior lawyers to focus on mentorship: “The premise of a career in law was always apprenticeship — you would learn the craft from someone with experience.”
• On data security risks, Tobey warns: “We’ll pick up the pieces. But I’d rather keep the vase intact.”