Managing Disruptive Change in the Age of AI

A Roadmap for Law Firms

December 2025 By Gene Commander

Artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI (GenAI) are sweeping the legal profession, reshaping how lawyers work and how clients expect services to be delivered. Long known for caution and skepticism, law firm leaders now find themselves at a crossroads. Many clients and younger lawyers are pressing for rapid AI adoption to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and explore new frontiers. Meanwhile, law firm leaders are grappling with serious concerns about accuracy, confidentiality, and threats to established law firm revenue models, among others. Law firms understandably are caught between apprehension and excitement, unsure how to chart the right path forward.

Managing the disruption caused by AI adoption will be no easy task. This article explores how law firms can capitalize on AI’s immense promise as part of a smart growth strategy that lays the foundation for sustained success. It begins by examining the transformative impact of AI adoption and the reasons for resistance within firms. It next presents a change management framework for thoughtful AI adoption—highlighting the importance of building internal expertise, running pilot projects, and shaping a comprehensive AI strategy. The article then outlines the principles that are key to success: lead from the top, embrace vision-driven communication, cultivate emotional intelligence, build diverse thought partnerships, and commit to evidence-based improvement. Together, these tenets will help firms move toward the responsible and purposeful adoption of AI.

How AI Is Disrupting and Transforming the Legal Industry

Industries across the globe are experiencing unprecedented disruption as AI and GenAI move from the margins into the mainstream. The pace and scope of these changes are astounding. According to a 2025 World Economic Forum report, employers anticipate that 39% of workers’ core skills will change by 2030.1 This underscores why AI is not a peripheral tool but a driver of structural transformation—reshaping industries, skills, and the creation of value itself. Meanwhile, experts predict that AI may automate 12% to 57% of lawyers’ work,2 a forecast with deep implications for how legal services are delivered and priced. For lawyers to discount these predictions would be to engage in the common fallacy identified by legal futurist Richard Susskind—the mistaken belief that AI will reshape every field except our own.3

It’s important to note that even before the fanfare accompanying ChatGPT’s public release in November 2022, the US legal industry was already feeling the disruptive effects of sweeping demographic, professional, and technological trends.4 With the advent of GenAI, the business of law will likely experience more fundamental change in the next three to five years than it has over the past several decades, and the momentum shows no signs of abating.

Innovation and Transformative Potential

AI’s disruptive nature also offers a pathway to innovation and transformation. Law firms have relied for years on narrow AI applications such as legal research engines, e-discovery platforms, and document management tools. But the leap in AI capacity over the past three years, particularly with GenAI that can produce text and generate convincing arguments, has created entirely new opportunities to augment lawyers’ human capabilities.

The possible benefits are wide-ranging. AI can enable tech-savvy talent to improve productivity, boost accuracy, and increase the overall value delivered to clients. It has the potential to enhance team collaboration, attract and retain forward-thinking human capital, and fill chronic talent gaps through efficient completion of repetitive and time-consuming work. It can also help lawyers better manage heavy caseloads by moving nonbillable and routine work off their desks, enabling them to dedicate more time to offering higher-value strategic services, engaging deeply with clients, and providing personalized mentoring and talent development support to their colleagues. Importantly, AI can even open the door to offering new lines of legal services that firms previously could not provide in a cost-effective manner, thus expanding access to legal representation.

The real-world numbers are compelling. Thomson Reuters’ Future of Professionals report found that professionals expect to free up 240 hours of valuable time per year when using AI—which can be invested in other productive activities benefiting themselves, their firms, and their clients.5 And according to a recent legal industry report, 59% of lawyers in midsized firms reported that AI saved them time and increased their efficiency.6 These findings point toward the potential for AI to reinvigorate law firm business models.

Status of AI Adoption

Law firms today are in a transitional moment, with accelerating but uneven AI deployment levels reflecting a “jagged edge” of adoption.7 The most widespread uptake has been in narrower applications where AI already has a track record, such as document review and summarization, legal research, and drafting correspondence. Some law firms—especially larger ones8—are already actively experimenting with advanced GenAI tools, launching pilots, and even hiring AI specialists, while other firms are barely engaging beyond individual lawyers experimenting on their own with open-access GenAI tools. Overall, the American Bar Association’s (ABA) 2024 Legal Technology Survey Report found that 30% of respondents were using AI tools, up sharply from just 11% in 2023.9 Although the data on realized returns from AI adoption are mixed, the consensus is that measurable gains are only a matter of time.10 But despite the growing momentum, resistance to AI adoption persists.

Reasons for Resistance and Delay

The 2025 Generative AI in Professional Services Report from Thomson Reuters found a pronounced shift in attitudes from hesitancy toward excitement and hopefulness among law firm professionals,11 but fears remain deeply rooted. Resistance shows up at both the organizational and individual levels, reflecting a mix of barriers relating to trust and ethics, operational and business model constraints, and culture and psychology.

Trust and ethics. Lawyers are justifiably cautious when it comes to technology that poses ethical risks. In one recent survey, 75% of attorney respondents cited accuracy as their top concern with AI, followed by reliability and data privacy/security.12 Hallucinations—where AI generates fabricated content—are both real and notorious. On the other hand, we should remember that humans are hardly infallible themselves.13 The ABA’s Formal Opinion 512 (2024) addresses these issues by outlining attorneys’ ethical duties when using AI,14 and further guidance and regulation will certainly follow.

Trust- and ethics-based concerns demand genuine attention, yet they should not be an excuse for paralysis, and lawyers should not fall prey to “technological myopia”—the tendency to place excessive focus on current limitations of an evolving technology.15 In fact, law firms that tackle these issues responsibly—by establishing strong validation protocols, maintaining human oversight, and being transparent with clients—can gain a competitive advantage.

Operational and business model constraints. Even when lawyers see AI’s potential, adoption can be slowed by practical hurdles. Many firms lack clear policies and educational resources on AI, and Wharton School expert Ethan Mollick points to a knowledge gap in which few professionals truly understand how AI tools function.16 Likewise, lawyers may be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of AI offerings on the market and may lack the bandwidth to vet or implement them. Beyond that, the “innovator’s dilemma,” as identified by Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen, looms large: firm leaders fear disrupting their existing business model by embracing untested technologies and transformative opportunities, even when the responsible assumption of those risks can greatly benefit the firm, its talent, and clients.17

Culture and psychology. Finally, the profession’s culture and human psychology are additional barriers. Research by psychologist Larry Richard (himself a former attorney) has found that lawyers tend to score low on resilience and openness to change.18 This personality profile, reinforced by years of training that emphasizes each lawyer’s duty to minimize risk for their clients and law firm, makes embracing new technology inherently uncomfortable. Concerns about job displacement and reduced profitability contribute additional layers of anxiety. Furthermore, most lawyers have had limited exposure to formal business training and lack the business acumen to think critically about how business models must adapt to the structural changes AI demands.

Taken together, the barriers described above highlight why AI adoption is not simply a technical issue, but also a leadership and cultural challenge. Yet as Bill Gates has observed, “Soon after the first automobiles were on the road, there was the first car crash. But we didn’t ban cars—we adopted speed limits, safety standards, licensing requirements, drunk-driving laws, and other rules of the road.”19 The same principle applies to AI.

Revenue and Talent Model Disruption

Underlying all these challenges is the significant complicating factor that AI adoption will produce cascading effects for firms’ business models. For decades, most firms have relied on the billable hour to price services and on a leveraged labor model (where many junior attorneys and paralegals bill time under the supervision of fewer partners) to drive profitability. AI threatens traditional models by accelerating the routine work that has historically supported associate training and firm profitability.

Law firms must rethink their pricing, talent development, and compensation strategies to stay profitable while aligning with client demands for efficiency and creativity and with evolving talent expectations. For example, future revenue models will need to embrace new pricing rationales and alternative fee arrangements, which so far have seen only modest adoption in the industry. And as AI automates many of the lower-level tasks that once formed the backbone of early legal training, firms will need to reimagine how they develop inexperienced lawyers, so they do not become overly reliant on automation and neglect their critical thinking and legal judgment. These shifts will take time to fully materialize, but they are already visible on the horizon and will force a level of transformation in firms not witnessed in decades.

The Takeaways

As clients press for smarter, more efficient service through AI integration, firms that fail to engage with AI will risk losing existing clients and find it increasingly difficult to compete for new business. On the other hand, firms that lean into AI adoption have a unique opportunity to amplify their capacity and their quality of service.

Ultimately, AI adoption is a complex, multifaceted process that demands deliberate change management. The next section presents a framework to guide law firms through the process.

A Change Management Framework for AI Adoption

A thoughtful change management framework can help law firms assess where they stand today, take the next steps toward building internal capacity and, in time, develop a dynamic AI strategy that will guide their future investments in both human capital and advanced technology. However, the research on organizational transformation is sobering: most large-scale change efforts fail.20 Success requires intentionality, discipline, and effective leadership. For law firms, this means recognizing that AI adoption is not a matter of simply purchasing the latest technology—it requires deliberate planning and a continuous firmwide effort.

The importance of a comprehensive AI strategy cannot be overstated. As one global report concluded, “Organizations that craft a strategic plan for their AI adoption and implementation are 3.5-times as likely to experience critical AI benefits compared to those that do not.”21 Meanwhile, in firms lacking comprehensive strategies, many lawyers are using GenAI on their own, without oversight—a risky practice that highlights the need for robust policies and guardrails. Business leaders themselves often fail to appreciate how widespread this unsanctioned behavior is. Executives estimated in one survey that only 4% of employees used GenAI for at least 30% of their daily tasks, while their employees self-reported the figure at three times that level.22

Against this backdrop, firms should resist the temptation to rush headlong into purchasing expensive AI systems before they have developed a thoughtful change management framework. Instead, leaders should move forward by assessing their current AI status, identifying pain points, clarifying priorities, and anticipating the barriers they will need to overcome. From there, three essential elements of an AI adoption framework will emerge: (1) identify and empower AI experts within the firm, (2) launch pilot projects, and (3) develop a comprehensive AI strategy.

Identify and Empower AI Experts

Building internal capacity is one of the earliest and most important steps in the change process. Law firms need dedicated individuals tasked with guiding the AI journey. In larger firms, this may take the form of a cross-functional leadership committee with representation from partners, associates, technologists, and other professional staff. In smaller firms, it may mean designating one or two in-house volunteers with a passion for technology and a good understanding of the business of law.

Crucially, these AI pioneers must be accorded authority and ample time to immerse themselves in the work. Their responsibilities should include exploring AI platforms, monitoring developments in the AI marketplace, experimenting with low-risk use cases, and developing best practices. To succeed, firms should create ongoing roles for these experts in shaping AI use. And the firm’s compensation strategy must fairly reward their contributions to this transformative endeavor, which will enable attorneys firmwide to increase their cash receipts in the years ahead by dedicating more time to offering higher-value strategic services.

Generational dynamics are also relevant. Millennials and Gen Zers grew up with technology at their fingertips, and a McKinsey & Company survey shows that millennials are the generation most highly engaged with AI.23 Firms should consider tapping into this enthusiasm and skill set by engaging younger lawyers as AI trailblazers. Doing so not only leverages their comfort with technology but also signals that the firm values all voices in shaping its future.

Launch Pilot Projects

Alongside identifying AI experts, law firms should move quickly to launch pilot projects. Pilots are experiments that allow firms to test various AI tools in a contained setting before they narrow their tool selection and scale more broadly. Pilots reduce exposure to accuracy, confidentiality, and cybersecurity risks while giving participants the chance to build familiarity with the technology.

Furthermore, early wins in pilot projects can create champions who help sustain momentum. As change management research shows, it is not necessary to win over every skeptic at the start. Instead, it is sufficient to build a coalition of enthusiastic early adopters: “When people see that something is working, they want to be involved, and they bring in others who bring in others still.”24

Who should be involved? Pilots require a commitment at the senior leadership level to demonstrate the seriousness of the effort. And whenever possible, they should include a mix of team members to ensure broad feedback and trust-building. Once again, this may be an opportunity to leverage the tech-savviness of younger lawyers. In business-facing firms—those that serve companies’ ongoing legal needs rather than primarily representing individuals—inviting clients to participate in shaping pilot projects can be especially powerful. This approach can ensure that the experiments align with client needs while building lasting relationships.

Where to start? Firms should focus pilots on relatively simple use cases that align with existing workflows and ease real pain points. Talking with staff at all levels—from paralegals to partners—can help pinpoint vexing inefficiencies. Common bottlenecks include drafting nuanced correspondence, creating detailed timelines, and summarizing voluminous business records and transcripts. AI often can complete these tasks as well as or better than attorneys and paralegals.

Pilots also require phased implementation. Firms can begin by using AI as a limited assistant, then move to integrating it into workflows, and potentially progress to agentic AI systems that operate in a more autonomous fashion.25 Leveraging free trials or publicly available tools in initial stages can help lower financial barriers to entry.

Keys to implementation. The lawyers and professional staff who participate in pilots must receive ongoing training to engage meaningfully with the technology. The participants should be given ownership of the process, with responsibility for identifying both strengths and weaknesses of the tools and proposing improvements. Ethical issues should be taken seriously from the start, not only to minimize risks but also to position the firm as a responsible industry leader. Feedback must be collected systematically and used to iterate the pilot process.

Form a Comprehensive AI Strategy

Pilots, in turn, provide the foundation for creating a comprehensive AI strategy. While this article cannot lay out every detail of such a strategy, a few essential components are worth emphasizing.

The strategy should at the outset articulate the leaders’ vision for how AI will support the firm’s core values going forward. Adoption will be strongest where AI is deployed to demonstrably improve efficiency to meet both lawyer and client needs. Next, while encouraging experimentation, the strategy must also establish governance and oversight systems. This includes designating the individuals who are responsible for proper AI use, empowering them to lead, developing firmwide use policies, and implementing validation protocols to ensure outputs are accurate, unbiased, and ethically sound. Such protocols typically require attorney review, including comparing AI outputs against reliable sources and monitoring for compliance with professional rules of conduct. Clear guidelines should also address appropriate corrective action when deficiencies are discovered.

A comprehensive strategy must integrate AI into the broader fabric of firm management. Pricing, revenue, and compensation strategies should be adjusted to reward behaviors that support AI adoption, such as experimenting responsibly, sharing knowledge, and enhancing client services.

Finally, an AI strategy must provide for robust and sustained training and support. Too many firms limit training to one-off demos, leaving lawyers ill-prepared to use AI effectively and risking inefficiencies instead of gains. Instead, firms should invest in a well-rounded training program that blends in-person and remote learning, including written guides, live sessions using real firm examples, and ongoing access to experts who can promptly troubleshoot problems and design solutions. Rigorous hands-on learning is particularly important, as it allows lawyers to experiment safely, learn from peers, and build confidence. A strong AI talent development strategy will allow firms to build a pipeline of talent with the skills to continuously reassess and reshape the firm’s AI use as the technology inevitably evolves.

Longer-term AI tool selection should come only after the foundation of an AI strategy is in place. Even then, firms should be careful not to lock themselves into a single platform, given how rapidly the marketplace is evolving. At its core, the firm’s AI strategy should be a living, dynamic creation that evolves alongside the firm’s progress with AI implementation.

The Takeaways

A change management framework for AI adoption is not about buying the shiniest new tool; it is about building the cultural, leadership, and talent development foundations that will ensure sustainable success. By empowering internal experts, experimenting with pilot projects, and ultimately developing a comprehensive AI strategy, law firms can move beyond risky ad hoc adoption toward intentional, firmwide transformation.

Principles Governing Effective Change Management

A change management framework is only as sound as the principles that animate it. For law firms charting their course through AI adoption, success will turn less on the technical specifications of the tools and more on the leaders’ dedication to five bedrock principles: (1) leading by example, (2) communicating purposefully, (3) cultivating emotional intelligence, (4) embracing diverse expertise, and (5) committing to measurement and adaptation.

Lead by Example

Firm leaders must lead by example. It is not enough to delegate AI exploration to a committee or assume that intelligent professionals will naturally adopt the appropriate new tools. Leaders across all levels must themselves engage directly with the technology, understand its limitations and capabilities, and clearly demonstrate their buy-in to every phase of the change management process.

This requires leaders to become more comfortable with change and uncertainty than many lawyers are accustomed to.26 They must also fulfill their most vital function: serving as genuine role models. As behavioral science confirms, people tend to mimic the conduct of those in positions of influence.27 Within firms, role models are not limited to the managing partner—different individuals serve as exemplars for different groups, whether that is a high-billing partner, practice group chair, senior associate, or senior staff member. To shift culture firmwide, leaders throughout the firm must “walk the talk.”28 Getting thought leaders and respected role models on board early helps draw others into the process and accelerates adoption.29

Communicate With Purpose

If leadership by example is the first principle, then purposeful communication is the second. Communication cannot be an afterthought; it must be central to the change effort.

At the outset, leaders should craft a vision-driven narrative that explains the “why” behind the firm’s AI journey, including the mounting pressure clients are exerting to adopt AI tools.30 Research confirms that “human beings strive for congruence between their beliefs and their actions and experience dissonance when these are misaligned.”31 Thus, believing in the “why” reduces the tension and inspires behavior change.32 Yet many leaders do not fully comprehend the reasons for making changes or mistakenly assume that the rationale is obvious, and they overlook the need to explain it firmwide. Crafting a clear and consistent “change story”—one that explains why this journey is worth undertaking and how each individual’s contribution fits in—will level-set expectations about AI and create both alignment and meaning.33

Effective messaging should highlight several themes:

• Benefits for lawyers: Rather than replacing lawyers, AI can meaningfully augment lawyers’ work and enhance their human potential, thus freeing them from rote tasks and letting them dedicate more time to strategic, creative, and engaging projects.34
• Benefits for clients: Adoption can enhance the quality, timeliness, breadth, and value of client services.
• Oversight and guardrails: The firm’s plan for responsible adoption includes sensible safeguards to ensure accuracy, confidentiality, data security, and ethical compliance.
• Necessity of change: AI is accelerating the pace of change in the business of law in ways the profession has not previously seen. Firms must invest in and leverage the game-changing nature of this advanced technology to remain competitive.
• Examples of success: Because lawyers often dislike being the first movers, pointing to respected peer firms that have successfully adopted AI tools will strengthen the credibility of the adoption effort.35

Communication should not be a one-time announcement. It should be ongoing and multidirectional. Firms should create opportunities to share successes and lessons learned, whether through lunches, practice group meetings, or digital platforms. Storytelling—collecting and sharing anecdotes about how AI saved time or improved client service—helps make adoption tangible.

Transparency is also essential. AI adoption affects every person in the firm and is of high interest to clients as well. Sharing policies, strategies, and progress preempts unfounded apprehensions and encourages buy-in. While leaders should cultivate an overall narrative of enthusiasm for the AI transition, they also should not shy away from acknowledging challenges, as authenticity builds trust. Further, disclosing relevant strategy elements to clients and codesigning client-friendly solutions demonstrates integrity and strengthens relationships. Finally, communication within the firm must be a two-way street. Listening to employees’ perspectives on AI adoption can uncover concerns, surface valuable new ideas, and create a sense of shared ownership within a culture of innovation.

Cultivate Emotional Intelligence

The third principle is to cultivate emotional intelligence throughout the firm. While lawyers’ formal education and training often emphasize skepticism, perfectionism, and risk avoidance, AI adoption calls for a different mindset that emphasizes curiosity, humility, and courage in the face of uncertainty.36

Effective leaders can foster these qualities in several ways. They can normalize risk-taking and reward individuals who explore new use cases. They can also offer training and change management coaching that enhances emotional intelligence by helping lawyers recognize their own response to stress and build capacity to navigate uncertainty.

Equally important is recognizing the emotional journey of change37 and not rushing the process for individuals.38 AI adoption can provoke anxiety about competence, job security, or professional identity. Leaders must acknowledge these feelings, provide appropriate support, and build the right emotional conditions for experimentation and growth. That means fostering psychological safety—ensuring that people feel comfortable surfacing mistakes, admitting discomfort, and suggesting improvements without fear of judgment or punishment. Creating this environment not only makes AI adoption more effective; it also supports a more magnetic workplace culture that attracts and retains top talent.

Embrace Broad Thought Partnership

A fourth principle is to embrace diverse expertise and thought partnership. AI may not be implemented to its full potential if left solely in the hands of lawyers. Firms will increasingly need to rely on tech-savvy professionals who may not have law degrees but who bring deep expertise in technology, data, and leadership development.

For many firms, this will require a cultural shift. To be frank, lawyers are not accustomed to placing nonlawyer voices on an equal footing, especially when shaping the business of law. But doing so is essential in times like these. In addition, business-facing firms should partner with clients to codesign use-case solutions, which can help differentiate the firm, strengthen relationships, and build long-term success.39

Finally, broad thought partnership should reach across generational lines. Reverse mentoring—where younger or more tech-advanced talent helps educate less skilled lawyers—not only accelerates AI adoption but also reinforces the message that “we’re in this together and everyone has something to contribute.” This collaborative approach will foster a culture where lifelong learning, adaptation, and innovation are valued throughout the enterprise.

Measure and Adapt

The final principle is straightforward but vital: measure and adapt. AI adoption should not be judged by intuition or anecdote alone. Firms must identify metrics aligned with their vision and strategy. These should include quantitative indicators such as hours saved on typical legal tasks, reductions in turnaround time, cost savings relative to historic billings, and profitability when service costs are compared to cash receipts. The metrics also should include qualitative indicators such as perceived service quality, client satisfaction, and attorney well-being. But firm leaders should resist the temptation to emphasize immediate financial gains when measuring progress. Patient, unwavering leadership will be needed as the return on investment climbs toward its full potential.

Measurement should be transparent, with results shared broadly across the firm to reinforce successes and identify areas for improvement. Importantly, measurement is not about proving that adoption “worked.” Rather, it should be treated as an iterative process of continuous improvement. Data should inform adjustments to strategy, training, and allocation of resources. In this way, measurement becomes a feedback loop that keeps the adoption process dynamic and responsive.

The Takeaways

The success of any change management framework depends less on the tools chosen than on the principles that shape leadership and culture. Staying true to the principles outlined above will empower law firm leaders to transform AI adoption efforts from a one-time project into a living experience of learning and smart growth.

The Path Forward: Learn, Grow, Invest

While the advent of AI poses real and pressing challenges for law firms, it also presents an extraordinary moment of possibility. The profession is being reshaped in ways not seen in generations. With thoughtful leadership, law firms can seize this moment not simply to keep pace with technological change and ensure continued profitability, but to reimagine how they deliver value to clients and how lawyers find meaning in their work. To make the most of this transition, firms will need to adopt a future-oriented mindset built around three values that define smart growth strategies: learn, grow, and invest.

Learn

Law firms must embrace continuous learning. In the age of AI, the firms and lawyers who remain curious, adaptable, and willing to experiment will be those who succeed. This means creating a culture of innovation through continuous learning where every new pilot project, every experiment with an AI tool, and every client collaboration is treated as a source of insight. Lessons should be drawn both from internal experiences—what worked well in the firm’s own adoption process—and from other law firms, corporate legal departments, and the broader business world.

Continuous learning provides the foundation for resilience in a rapidly changing environment.

Grow

Firms must commit to growth. Growth here means more than financial expansion or adding headcount. It means embracing what some call “blue-sky thinking”40—encouraging open-ended, creative exploration of how AI can reshape business models for the better. This is the moment for firms to break free from entrenched practices and constrained thinking. AI adoption should not be limited to automation and efficiency gains; it can also help achieve truly transformative innovations—enabling new services, ways of pricing, avenues for client engagement, and pathways for career advancement.

Critically, firms should not expect to get everything right on the first try. Instead, they should recognize that missteps are a natural and valuable part of experimentation.41 Over time, rewarding innovation through financial incentives and other forms of recognition will help instill a true culture of innovation.

At the same time, growth must be balanced with responsible guardrails. Ethical oversight, validation protocols, and transparency with clients ensure that innovation builds trust rather than eroding it. A culture of innovation, tempered by a renewed commitment to professional responsibility and client service, will allow firms to grow with both confidence and credibility.

Invest

Law firms must be prepared to make substantial investments of time and other resources. Financial gains from AI adoption may or may not materialize in the short term, but early investment in AI lays the foundation for lasting success. Firms that wait until the business case is undeniable will find themselves far behind future-focused competitors and alternative service providers, and they may never catch up.

Investments must be both financial and human. Financially, firms should commit considerable resources to AI tools that best serve their needs and to robust training programs. Human investments are equally important. Tech-savvy lawyers should dedicate time to mentoring and supporting colleagues who are still getting comfortable with AI, while firm leaders should ensure that all employees have the space to experiment, learn, and build confidence at their own pace. These investments should not be viewed as discretionary overhead expenses or lost billable hours; they are strategic investments in the future of the enterprise. The payoff will come not only in improved efficiency and quality, but also in cash receipts that flow from the firm’s ability to attract and retain valuable clients and top talent who seek out innovative, future-ready firms.

Conclusion

AI will continue to challenge traditional law firm business models, unsettle established habits, and raise difficult questions of ethics and risk. Yet a future augmented by AI42 also offers a chance for firms to redefine professional excellence—to deliver more value to clients, free lawyers to perform more meaningful and higher-value work, and broaden access to legal services. By approaching AI adoption with clarity, discipline, and continuous learning, law firms can not only weather today’s uncertainty but also help shape the future of the legal profession itself.

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