The 2024 Wolters Kluwer Future Ready Lawyer Survey reveals that generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is no longer optional but a reality in the legal industry. To stay relevant and deliver efficient services, legal professionals need to effectively apply this technology to their work. But despite the promising benefits, implementing GenAI is not without its challenges.
According to the Wolters Kluwer’s Future Ready Lawyer Survey, 76% of legal professionals in corporate legal departments and 68% in law firms use GenAI at least once a week, with 35% in corporate legal departments and 33% in law firms using it daily.
GenAI's primary use has been for legal processes that involve managing a significant amount of detailed information – to increase efficiency and reduce manual tasks. Legal research, analysis, and document automation are becoming increasingly AI-driven due to GenAI’s ability to process large datasets quickly.
The challenges of implementing GenAI
Despite the promising benefits, implementing GenAI is not without its challenges.
“The single greatest challenge lawyers face in implementing GenAI is fear, and that fear is driven by lack of understanding,” says Robert Ambrogi, Publisher, LawSites blog/LawNext podcast “Law firm leaders have a critical role to play in helping overcome these fears.”
Moreover, integrating GenAI into existing workflows presents a significant hurdle, with 37% of law firm employees and 42% of their corporate counterparts experiencing challenges. Trust issues around GenAI outcomes and ethical concerns surrounding AI and data privacy are also significant issues for around 37% of law firms and 41% of legal department professionals.
Part of the challenge around GenAI integration is knowing how to use the technology to leverage it responsibly, ethically, and to maximum effect. There is an overwhelming consensus on the importance of GenAI training: 71% of survey participants say they are either already required to participate in formal training or will be required to do so within the next year. However, 30% of law firms and legal department respondents indicated that their organizations do not currently offer such training programs.
The future of GenAI in legal practice
Despite these challenges, the potential positive impact of GenAI is undeniable. More than half of law firms (58%) and almost three-quarters of corporate legal departments (73%) plan to significantly increase their AI investments over the next three years.
However, it is important to note that while AI can handle many routine tasks, the need for skilled legal professionals who can provide strategic advice, make complex legal judgments, and manage nuanced client relationships remains strong. Legal practice involves a high degree of critical thinking, emotional intelligence, ethical judgment, and client interaction: all areas where human expertise is indispensable.
“I expect lawyers to be thoughtful and cautious in how digital technologies are adopted and used. AI, like other digital technologies, can present numerous challenges for lawyers to address, including ethical considerations. Lawyers must carefully consider, for instance, how AI tools might affect issues of confidentiality and attorney-client privilege,” says Janet LeVee, Vice President and Associate General Counsel, Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory.
To read the full legal industry analysis, download the 2024 Wolters Kluwer Future Ready Lawyer Survey Report >>