More and more lawyers are using artificial intelligence to save time and improve their workflow, and individuals are outpacing their firms in bringing on the technology.
The reasons why are clear: 65% of those who use AI report saving 1-5 hours weekly, and some save 10-plus hours, according to the 2025 Legal Industry Report from 8am™.
Meanwhile, law firms at the organizational level are signaling a cautious approach that is likely slowing adoption. The top reason firms adopt legal-specific AI tools, for example, is integration with a trusted service provider, and firmwide adoption slightly slowed from 2023-24, according to the report.
However, organizations that adopt AI tools are seeing big benefits; 61% of these firms report improved efficiency, while 21% report significant improvements.
Lawyers are using AI to reduce non-billable hours on tasks like email drafting and file review. Firms are seeing faster client intake, better data analysis, and improved payment collections.
At the same time, firms that are slow to adopt risk falling behind competitors who leverage AI for both legal and business operations.
Here, we look at three areas where firms are finding efficiency and productivity gains with AI. If you’d like to see how your firm could benefit, you can learn more here.
Legal Research and Writing
In what is perhaps its most transformative application for the legal industry, generative AI has eliminated countless tedious hours from the drafting and research process.
As noted by Nicole Black of 8am, an Above the Law contributor, the technology has reshaped numerous tasks in this area.
AI can create outlines for memos and pleadings to organize your research and writing. It can evaluate briefs and offer suggestions on improving their persuasiveness, and it can quickly find answers to general legal questions.
Its other functions are as varied as generating questions for depositions, summarizing case law and statutes, brainstorming legal arguments, and translating between languages in real time.
Check out these prompt ideas from 8am.
Document and Data Management
Lawyers live and work in documents, spending a great deal of their time editing, retrieving, storing, and extracting information from them.
This is one area particularly ripe for time savings, and AI tools have transformed these processes for the firms that utilize them.
As noted in the 2025 Legal Industry Report, document summarization and data extraction are top-priority AI features.
Law firms are using these tools for tasks as varied as reviewing and summarizing contracts, extracting key terms for deal management, and drafting document templates. Capabilities that platforms like 8am MyCase bring together for modern firms.
Some are using these tools to translate contracts and client communications. They can also summarize deposition transcripts and medical records, which is particularly useful in personal injury and immigration practices.
Law Firm Operations
Lawyers are also adopting AI to transform workflows like billing and scheduling — not just their legal tasks.
The text generation features can be used to draft marketing copy, blog posts, and social media content, as well as to create client-facing items like intake forms or FAQs.
AI can particularly improve a firm’s financial wellness as well.
It can help grow your bottom line by easing the collections process and eliminating administrative burdens.
These systems can also analyze your firm’s data to help you spot important trends, make evidence-based management decisions, and maximize profitability.
AI tools will manage workflows and calendaring with ease, further eliminating tedious work and allowing lawyers to focus on high-level strategy.
How Your Firm Can Move Ahead
Despite all of these benefits, law firms are trailing individual lawyers in adoption. It’s a trend that’s likely driven by concerns over ethics, privilege, and lack of trust in outputs.
Firms can avoid these obstacles in a number of ways.
Legal-specific AI tools that are integrated with trusted platforms address these concerns. (43% of firms cite this as the top adoption driver, according to the Legal Industry Report.)
Law firms can also start with use cases that are lower risk, such as drafting marketing content or summarizing internal memos.
Today’s mature AI systems, however, already bring transformative benefits.
Curious to see how these technologies can position your firm for long-term growth and competitiveness? You can learn more here.
The post 3 Ways Lawyers Are Finding New Efficiencies With AI appeared first on Above the Law.
More and more lawyers are using artificial intelligence to save time and improve their workflow, and individuals are outpacing their firms in bringing on the technology.
The reasons why are clear: 65% of those who use AI report saving 1-5 hours weekly, and some save 10-plus hours, according to the 2025 Legal Industry Report from 8am™.
Meanwhile, law firms at the organizational level are signaling a cautious approach that is likely slowing adoption. The top reason firms adopt legal-specific AI tools, for example, is integration with a trusted service provider, and firmwide adoption slightly slowed from 2023-24, according to the report.
However, organizations that adopt AI tools are seeing big benefits; 61% of these firms report improved efficiency, while 21% report significant improvements.
Lawyers are using AI to reduce non-billable hours on tasks like email drafting and file review. Firms are seeing faster client intake, better data analysis, and improved payment collections.
At the same time, firms that are slow to adopt risk falling behind competitors who leverage AI for both legal and business operations.
Here, we look at three areas where firms are finding efficiency and productivity gains with AI. If you’d like to see how your firm could benefit, you can learn more here.
Legal Research and Writing
In what is perhaps its most transformative application for the legal industry, generative AI has eliminated countless tedious hours from the drafting and research process.
As noted by Nicole Black of 8am, an Above the Law contributor, the technology has reshaped numerous tasks in this area.
AI can create outlines for memos and pleadings to organize your research and writing. It can evaluate briefs and offer suggestions on improving their persuasiveness, and it can quickly find answers to general legal questions.
Its other functions are as varied as generating questions for depositions, summarizing case law and statutes, brainstorming legal arguments, and translating between languages in real time.
Check out these prompt ideas from 8am.
Document and Data Management
Lawyers live and work in documents, spending a great deal of their time editing, retrieving, storing, and extracting information from them.
This is one area particularly ripe for time savings, and AI tools have transformed these processes for the firms that utilize them.
As noted in the 2025 Legal Industry Report, document summarization and data extraction are top-priority AI features.
Law firms are using these tools for tasks as varied as reviewing and summarizing contracts, extracting key terms for deal management, and drafting document templates. Capabilities that platforms like 8am MyCase bring together for modern firms.
Some are using these tools to translate contracts and client communications. They can also summarize deposition transcripts and medical records, which is particularly useful in personal injury and immigration practices.
Law Firm Operations
Lawyers are also adopting AI to transform workflows like billing and scheduling — not just their legal tasks.
The text generation features can be used to draft marketing copy, blog posts, and social media content, as well as to create client-facing items like intake forms or FAQs.
AI can particularly improve a firm’s financial wellness as well.
It can help grow your bottom line by easing the collections process and eliminating administrative burdens.
These systems can also analyze your firm’s data to help you spot important trends, make evidence-based management decisions, and maximize profitability.
AI tools will manage workflows and calendaring with ease, further eliminating tedious work and allowing lawyers to focus on high-level strategy.
How Your Firm Can Move Ahead
Despite all of these benefits, law firms are trailing individual lawyers in adoption. It’s a trend that’s likely driven by concerns over ethics, privilege, and lack of trust in outputs.
Firms can avoid these obstacles in a number of ways.
Legal-specific AI tools that are integrated with trusted platforms address these concerns. (43% of firms cite this as the top adoption driver, according to the Legal Industry Report.)
Law firms can also start with use cases that are lower risk, such as drafting marketing content or summarizing internal memos.
Today’s mature AI systems, however, already bring transformative benefits.
Curious to see how these technologies can position your firm for long-term growth and competitiveness? You can learn more here.
The post 3 Ways Lawyers Are Finding New Efficiencies With AI appeared first on Above the Law.
