AI in Legal Practice: Practical Intelligence for Mid-Sized Law Firms

Artificial intelligence is reshaping legal practice at a pace the industry has not experienced since the shift from offline to online research. While today’s tools are more sophisticated and the risks more nuanced, the underlying truth remains the same: firms that adapt will pull ahead, and those that wait will feel the pressure.

During SurePoint’s September AI webinar, the audience echoed this reality. As one law firm shareholder in attendance shared in the chat:

“Didn’t the legal industry experience the same fear when shifting from offline to online research? We’ve seen this before—and we adapted.”

Their observation became a defining theme of the discussion: AI in legal practice is new, but transformation is not.

The Current State of AI in Legal Practice

Across the legal market, AI adoption is accelerating, but unevenly.

According to the ILTA 2025 Technology Survey, firms are actively testing AI for:

• Legal research
• Summarization
• Drafting
• Document analysis

But governance and policies lag behind. Firms report continued challenges around:

• Security
• Reliability
• Ethical use
• Change management
• Training time

In SurePoint’s latest law firm leadership report, over 60% of mid-sized firms report some level of generative AI adoption, while more than 80% say they still have concerns about reliability. Nearly all respondents said technology is improving client service and revenue, but  the pathway from “experimentation” to “meaningful adoption” varies dramatically.

This divide was highlighted sharply during the webinar. 

The “Wild West” of AI Adoption

Nancy Griffin of 3545 Consulting described today’s environment succinctly:

“It is the wild, wild west of AI.”

She noted that while some firms have sophisticated deployment plans, others insist they are “not using AI at all,” only for firewall analysis to reveal dozens (sometimes hundreds) of unapproved tools in active use.

Griffin emphasized the consequences of this gap:

• Firms underestimate the AI already inside their walls
• “Shadow AI” creates ethical and security risks
• Policies must set do’s and don’ts without requiring constant rewrites
• Adoption depends on meeting very different comfort levels within the firm: thrill seekers, cautious adopters, and those “paralyzed with fear”

Her message was clear: the starting point is not technology. It’s policy, transparency, and guardrails.

Future Trends in AI for Legal Practice

From vendor roadmaps to market research, several trends are shaping how firms will adopt AI over the next 12–24 months.

Generative AI and Automation Become Standard

The webinar panel repeatedly underscored the importance of practical, embedded AI and not standalone apps.

As Nancy Jeng (Billables AI) put it:

“Meet people where they are. Automate ruthlessly and weave AI into existing workflows.”

She emphasized transparency, showing users what’s working and what isn't so trust grows alongside capability.

Ethical AI and Compliance Take Center Stage

When firms hesitate on AI, the hesitation is rarely about capability, but about risk.

This was underscored by Njama Braasch, SurePoint’s Vice President of Security & GRC:

“Assume the model will change. AI is not static. Privilege is a legal concept, but it is also a data boundary.”

He urged firms to:

• Run vendor risk assessments
• Demand clarity on training data
• Ensure privilege protections
• Align with ABA Formal Opinion 512
• Keep policies alive, reviewed quarterly, and embedded in daily workflow

His guidance reinforced a core point: AI governance is not a one-and-done effort. It’s a discipline.

Cloud Integration and Virtual Assistants

More firms are embracing cloud-first ecosystems where core systems work together:

• Front-office tools
• Back-office financial systems
• Market intelligence platforms

Virtual assistants and embedded AI will increasingly serve as the connective tissue between systems to improve accuracy, reduce duplicative work, and accelerate decision-making.

A Future Defined by Practical Intelligence

AI is not replacing the core of legal practice, but it is reshaping how firms operate, compete, and grow.

As Alexia Maas, the webinar moderator, noted:

“Strategy is the framework that helps you make choices—not a list of tools.”

The firms that will lead the next era of legal practice are not the ones adopting AI the fastest, but they are the ones adopting it responsibly, strategically, and with measurable outcomes in mind.

SurePoint’s AI capabilities across Practice, Finance, and Growth are built to help firms move beyond experimentation and into meaningful, secure, and sustainable modernization.

If you’d like deeper insight into how firms are approaching AI adoption, and what effective governance, practical use cases, and early wins look like, explore two resources highlighted in this discussion:

• Watch the on-demand AI webinar featuring expert perspectives from legal technology, consulting, and security leaders
• Download the Law Firm Leadership Report for data-backed findings on how mid-sized firms are preparing for 2026

Both offer practical, real-world guidance for firms building their AI strategy with clarity and confidence.