AI is changing how work gets done inside law firms. Tasks that once took your attorneys and staff hours can now be completed much faster.
However, that raises a bigger question: If AI gives your employees more time, what should they be doing with it?
The answer could change how you develop your team, hire new employees, and grow your firm.
Your Employees’ Jobs May Look Different Tomorrow
Think about how much time your team spends gathering information, preparing documents, reviewing files, and completing administrative tasks. AI can already assist with portions of that work, but that doesn’t mean your employees are suddenly unnecessary. It means their time and expertise may be more valuable elsewhere.
A paralegal who spends less time preparing initial drafts may have more time to coordinate cases, communicate with clients, and review information for accuracy. An attorney who spends less time on routine research may be able to focus more attention on legal strategy, client relationships, and complex decisions. Even automating routine client follow-ups could free up your staff for conversations that require personal attention.
The opportunity isn’t simply to give everyone more assignments. It’s to rethink how your employees can contribute to the firm.
Use AI to Make Your Team Stronger
One of the biggest opportunities with AI is making the knowledge and experience of your most experienced employees more accessible to everyone else.
Think about the questions your newer attorneys and staff ask repeatedly. Where can they find the firm’s procedures? How should they handle a particular situation? Who knows the next step when something doesn’t go according to plan?
Instead of relying on the same experienced employee to answer every question, imagine giving your team access to an organized, searchable resource built around your firm’s established processes.
Custom GPTs and other internal AI tools can help turn existing training materials, procedures, and guidance into resources employees can reference as they learn. For example, a newer legal assistant might use a firm-approved internal tool to find the firm’s documented steps for opening a new matter rather than interrupting a senior paralegal each time. Of course, those resources need to be accurate, regularly reviewed, and used with appropriate safeguards for confidential client information. AI doesn’t replace supervision or professional judgment.
But it can make training more consistent and help employees become more independent. It may even change how you approach hiring. With better systems for training and supporting employees, you may be able to hire someone with less experience and help them become productive faster.
That doesn’t mean lowering your hiring standards. It means recognizing that the right training and support can expand what your existing and future employees are capable of doing.
Faster Doesn’t Always Mean More Profitable
Something to consider: What happens to your revenue when AI significantly reduces the time it takes to complete a task? If your firm bills by the hour, completing work faster could mean fewer billable hours for the same result. Of course, that saved time could also allow your attorneys to handle additional matters. But increased efficiency doesn’t automatically translate into increased profitability.
That’s why adopting AI should also prompt a conversation about how your firm charges for its services and uses its available capacity.
Could flat-fee pricing make sense for certain matters? Could subscription services create more predictable revenue? Could your attorneys serve more clients without increasing overhead at the same rate? Not every pricing model works for every practice, but if AI changes how long work takes, it’s worth reconsidering how your firm captures the value of that work.
The goal isn’t just to save time. It’s to make sure those savings benefit your clients, your employees, and your firm’s bottom line.
Start With One Problem Worth Solving
You don’t need to overhaul your entire firm or invest in every new AI platform.
Start by looking at the work your team handles every day. Where are employees spending time on repetitive tasks? What questions are your most experienced team members answering repeatedly? Where are delays frustrating clients or preventing your team from moving forward?
Choose one problem and involve the employees who understand that work best. Then consider whether AI or automation could help.
Before implementing anything, make sure your team understands how to protect confidential information, review AI-generated work for accuracy, and maintain appropriate attorney oversight.
Most importantly, decide what success looks like. Are you trying to reduce turnaround time? Improve client communication? Give experienced employees more capacity? Make onboarding easier?
Measure whether the change actually accomplishes that goal before moving on to the next opportunity.
Make AI Work for the Firm You Want
AI can help your employees accomplish more, but technology alone won’t make your law firm more successful.
That still requires leadership, clear priorities, and a willingness to rethink how your people spend their time.
For a real-world look at what’s possible, listen to the Great Practice, Great Life episode, How AI Is Helping Attorneys Grow More Profitable Practices. Jennifer and Fred Felten share how they’re using AI, automation, and new approaches to pricing to increase capacity, strengthen their team, and grow their firm.
Because the real opportunity isn’t simply getting more work done in less time.
It’s deciding how to use that time to build a better law firm.
