{"id":12870,"date":"2025-11-12T09:45:15","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T09:45:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/?p=12870"},"modified":"2025-11-12T16:48:51","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T16:48:51","slug":"ai-in-the-legal-industry-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/eu\/blog\/ai-in-the-legal-industry-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The Case for Change: AI in the Legal Industry"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Technology is creating opportunities for law firms to be more productive, profitable, and ultimately fulfilling \u2013 fundamentally changing how lawyers work for the better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, advocating for technology adoption and AI in the legal industry is an uphill battle. From billable hours and the partner model to fears about AI’s impact on intellectual work, making the case for change can be tough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Concerns centre around whether AI could not only replace repetitive work, but also more intellectually challenging work which has taken years of expertise and experience to cultivate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And there\u2019s a big gap between awareness and actually taking action \u2013 with 88% of law firms in the UK recognising AI\u2019s potential, but just 25% actually using the technology regularly, according to research from Thomson Reuters<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why it\u2019s all the more important for leaders to get ahead of change \u2013 understanding what\u2019s possible and more intentionally carving a path forward for what law should <\/em>look like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this takes commitment and consistency from all leadership levels. Let\u2019s explore the barriers advocates must overcome to secure support from leaders \u2013 as well as how technology is already changing law firms \u2013 to help you make the case for change in your organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barriers to adoption<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We highlight six common barriers to technology adoption in law firms in the Change Casebook. Here\u2019s three key ones holding organisations back:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Past project failures<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Many firms will have experienced unsuccessful small scale digital projects implemented for a specific client or case \u2013 whether that\u2019s because they may have been siloed, based on outdated technology or poorly adopted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Change fatigue can be a massive hurdle for adopting new technologies. Especially when businesses have previously struggled through ineffective technology implementations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tech investment model<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The financial structures that exist in many law firms means senior stakeholders are often required to commit a substantial, personal, financial stake to new technology projects \u2013 increasing the barrier to entry. The partnership model doesn\u2019t mitigate towards mid- to long-term financial capital expenditure investment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tech is often seen as a cost-centre, not a value creator. Changing this perspective opens the door to technology adoption that enhances current performance and future-proofs the business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Tech advocates at larger firms \u2013 while benefiting from extensive resources and expertise \u2013 often contend with increased bureaucracy, complex governance, and a higher degree of risk aversion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, smaller firms can be more agile, making and implementing strategic decisions at pace. But, they may face greater difficulty in securing funding for technology investments and acquiring the necessary expertise for effective implementation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can technology help?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Overcoming barriers to technology adoption holds huge potential for lawyers and organisations<\/a>. And one example we\u2019re seeing have great success in firms today is the use of advanced analytics to support data-driven decision making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Business-level data can reveal important trends, but without analytics it can be time-consuming to process information \u2013 at which point, it may well be outdated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By quickly transforming raw data into actionable insights, it\u2019s possible to identify ways to improve the performance and profitability of the firm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With these insights, leadership teams can track metrics such as client satisfaction, engagement levels, and billing trends. And this can inform strategic decisions \u2013 enabling firms to proactively adjust services to meet client needs, identify growth opportunities, and optimise operational efficiencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this is just one example. We\u2019ve included several use cases already helping law firms stay ahead of the curve \u2013 from accessing comprehensive client-centric data to setting the groundwork for AI and continuous evolution \u2013 in the Change Casebook to shed light on the true potential tech adoption holds for the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n