Leveraging Generative Artificial Intelligence in Your Law Firm Practice, Part Two: Preparing for Success

Last time, I outlined the challenges in keeping up with rapidly evolving Generative Artificial Intelligence (“GenAI”) technology and gave my #1 Tip: Adopt a long-term perspective in thinking about how to explore potential uses for your law practice. Part 1 Here are some more takeaways from the past year since the release of ChatGPT:

2. Educate yourself and stay informed about AI developments. You need to have a foundational understanding of this technology for several reasons, including meeting professional ethical responsibilities and providing meaningful advice to your clients regarding the impact of AI in their respective industries. You can stay updated by setting notifications for AI-related news in the legal and business publications you regularly read, and also consider including sources like the website for the American Bar Association’s Task Force on Law and Artificial Intelligence: (https://www.americanbar.org/groups/leadership/office_of_the_president/artificial-intelligence/).
3. Review your contracts with current service providers. The initial impact of AI will likely be felt through enhancements to the software you use every day. You can expect to see AI accelerating administrative tasks in the near term across an array of solutions you engage. For example, Microsoft CoPilot will soon introduce changes to various Microsoft Suite tools, starting with updates arriving in November. Similarly, Westlaw, LEXIS, and other research platforms will be incorporating new GenAI features over the next year.

This means you should prepare for the possible need to negotiate new pricing when your contracts come up for renewal. Consider factors such as avoiding long-term commitments to specific GenAI technologies (as suggested in Tip #1), keeping an eye out for restrictive indemnification clauses related to data breaches and confidentiality, and negotiating the option to terminate agreements with GenAI startups if their technology, or product, is acquired by another entity.

4. Designate a primary point of contact on AI issues. Form an AI committee or task an individual with keeping up to date on AI practice technology. The composition of a committee may vary depending on the size of your firm but could include individuals from Innovation, IT, practice groups, HR, and Marketing. The designated group can lead the exploration of new AI technologies and ensure that the entire firm remains updated. The key message here is that AI's potential impact extends across multiple functions within the firm, so it's crucial for everyone to grasp how the adoption of a specific tool could influence various areas.
5. Assess your firm’s readiness for AI adoption. Given that the practice of law relies heavily on knowledge, many firms are interested in harnessing AI to optimize their work product. Start thinking about how you plan to utilize AI in the future and what preparations are necessary. This is important when reviewing GenAI solutions.

For example, suppose you're considering AI tools to generate contract templates based on past documents created by your firm. It's important to consider the location of this data. Is it centrally stored and structured in a manner that AI software can access and use effectively? Do you want AI to draw from all contracts in your document management system, or just specific ones? How will you determine which contracts are suitable?

Embarking on certain AI initiatives is essentially a knowledge management endeavor. Organizing your knowledge resources now will pave the way for broader AI integration in the future.

Next time I will give you the rest of my Top Ten Tips and Takeaways! If you have GenAI questions or want more information about how to get involved in the Innovation & Technology in the Legal Profession Committee, please contact me at joy@joyholley.com.