The efficiency imperative: AI as a tool for improving the way lawyers practice

2026-03-18 · Source: Thomson Reuters Institute · Field: Legal & Regulatory — Legal Technology (LegalTech), Compliance & Risk Management · Depth: Intermediate, short

Summary

Rabihah Butler, Manager for Enterprise content for Risk, Fraud & Government at Thomson Reuters Institute, highlights how AI can significantly enhance efficiency in legal practice, particularly for high-volume tasks like document review and legal research. AI's capacity to accelerate these processes frees lawyers for more high-value client work and levels the playing field for small firms and solo practitioners by providing additional capacity without increasing headcount. However, the adoption of AI in law necessitates robust human oversight and accountability to ensure accuracy, preserve professional judgment, and maintain the nuance critical to effective legal representation. Experts from the AI Policy Consortium webinar, "Navigating the AI landscape: Best practices for legal professionals," emphasized AI's utility in generating initial outlines and identifying issues, while stressing that lawyers must always apply their judgment to verify and refine AI outputs.

Key takeaway

For legal professionals considering AI adoption, prioritize its use in high-volume, repetitive tasks to gain efficiency and capacity. However, you must establish clear guardrails, review steps, and accountability protocols to ensure accuracy and preserve professional judgment. Your firm's implementation discipline will differentiate between capturing value and creating risk, making human-in-the-loop verification a non-negotiable step for client protection and court integrity.

Key insights

AI boosts legal efficiency and capacity, but demands human oversight to preserve professional judgment and nuance.

Principles

• AI accelerates high-volume legal tasks.
• AI provides capacity without added headcount.
• Human oversight is critical for AI accuracy.

Method

Integrate AI for initial drafts, research outlines, and document review, then apply attorney judgment to accept, reject, refine, and verify AI-generated content.

In practice

• Use AI for first-pass review of large document sets.
• Generate initial outlines for motions or advisories.
• Automate repetitive research and administrative tasks.

Topics

• AI in Legal Practice
• Legal Workflow Automation
• Human-in-the-Loop AI
• Law Firm Efficiency
• Legal Technology Adoption

Best for: Executive, Legal Professional, AI Ethicist

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by Thomson Reuters Institute.