You’ve heard the AI buzz. It’s in headlines, on CLE panels, and now in your inbox. But the real story isn’t that AI is here. It’s that how law firms use it is quickly becoming the difference between leading and lagging.
A recent survey from Rootstock ERP states that 90% of businesses are using Generative AI in some form. Dig a bit deeper into the report and you’ll see only 20% see ROI from it.
The latest Thomson Reuters report spells this out with unusual clarity. While 96% of professionals are aware of AI, only 22% of organizations have a formal strategy for it.
That’s a critical gap.
Because firms with defined AI strategies are 2-3.5 times more likely to report revenue growth and return on investment.
That’s not a rounding error. That’s a reshaping of the legal playing field.
And I’m not here to get you on the AI hype train. What I am here to do is give you some insight so that if or when you delve into implementing AI in your firm, you do so with strategy so you can be part of the 22% that see solid ROI from it.
This isn’t just theory. It’s dollars and hours
In 2024, the average legal professional saved 200 hours annually through AI-powered tools. That figure has already jumped to 240 hours in 2025.
For the average attorney, that’s the equivalent of $19,000 in productivity gains per year. Multiply that across your team, and it’s easy to see why AI is now tied to financial health, not just efficiency.
For the U.S. legal and tax sectors combined, the total annual impact is a staggering $32 billion.
The adoption gap is real, even inside your own firm
The flip side of this coin is that AI use isn’t consistent. Not even within a single law firm.
The Reuters report highlights what it calls an “AI adoption gap,” where different departments or practice groups adopt AI at different speeds and in different ways. This creates hidden inefficiencies and a fragmented tech culture. More importantly, it can lead to internal pockets of competitive advantage (or disadvantage).
If some attorneys are freeing up hundreds of hours a year while others struggle to draft basic documents manually, firm-wide performance will stay uneven.
AI won’t replace you. But AI-enabled attorneys might
Here’s the most sobering takeaway: Professionals who fail to develop basic AI literacy risk being left behind.
The report doesn’t sugarcoat it: “AI won’t replace professionals. But AI-enabled professionals will.”
That line matters.
It shifts the responsibility from leadership alone to every individual attorney, paralegal, and administrator. The firms that win will be those that not only provide AI tools but also encourage a firm-wide culture of learning, experimentation, and upskilling.
Strategy beats splashy tools. Every. Single. Time.
You can’t shortcut your way to AI success with a trendy tool. The firms seeing real ROI are doing something different. They’re putting AI under the same scrutiny as any other business asset.
They’re forming cross-functional task forces, setting clear use policies, and aligning AI investments with firm goals.
That’s not common. Only about one in five firms have a visible, well-articulated AI strategy. Yet those firms consistently report better results: greater productivity, smoother client delivery, and stronger financial performance.
Perfection is the enemy of progress
Some firms are being cautious. Some maybe too much?
It’s very clear that the law firms want very tailored and specific AI tools for their industry. Fully understandable. And the good news is that many companies are working on making that happen.
But some people take the hard line that AI tools need to be 100% accurate. I understand the sentiment, but that might not be realistic.
My call-out here is not so much what I think you should do (only you can answer that for your firm) but it’s more to point out that preparedness is crucial, even if you aren’t taking action today.
AI is the biggest force, but not the only one
One final note the report makes is a major one. Over the next five years, legal professionals will face a swarm of systemic pressures: geopolitical instability, stricter regulatory environments, a data deluge, shifting workforce models, and a new generation of Gen Z professionals with different expectations.
Yet among all those forces, 80% of professionals say AI will have the most “high” or “transformational” impact on their careers.
So yes, AI is the headline. But it’s also the stabilizer.
Where to begin, practically
- Have clear goals. Do you want to save attorney time? Improve response rates? Increase matter capacity? Define what success looks like.
- Start small: pilot use cases like AI-assisted intake, contract drafting templates, or matter summaries.
- Include every voice. Firms that involve stakeholders from across roles are 1.7× more likely to see real benefits.
- Secure your data. Public models are risky. Use private, vetted systems aligned with your ethical responsibilities.
- Train continuously. This isn’t one-and-done. AI tools evolve fast, and so must your staff’s skills.
- Monitor rigorously: have attorneys review all AI output before it goes client‑facing.
- Track metrics that matter. From hours saved to client NPS scores, the best firms monitor AI impact the way they do billables.
The Final Verdict
Generative AI isn’t a “nice-to-have”. It’s a strategic requirement.
It can free up time, unlock profit, and future-proof your practice. But none of that happens without intentional planning, secure implementation, and team-wide engagement.
We help law firms cut through the noise and adopt AI with confidence, clarity, and measurable outcomes.
Because when the future comes knocking, the best firms won’t be playing catch-up. They’ll be leading the way.