The adoption of generative synthetic intelligence (Gen AI) instruments within the company authorized sector continues to speed up. Almost half (49%) of in-house counsel anticipate Gen AI instruments to yield price financial savings for his or her authorized departments, and 1 / 4 are already seeing price advantages, according to an Affiliation of Company Counsel survey.
AI stands as a pressure reshaping how in-house authorized groups function. And whereas AI-powered instruments have been a part of the authorized tech panorama for years, current developments in AI capabilities are creating unprecedented alternatives for company authorized departments to drive effectivity, improve decision-making and ship strategic worth to their organizations.
Harnessing Gen AI for Company Authorized
We not too long ago hosted a webinar, “Harnessing Generative AI: A New Period for Company Counsel,” wherein a workforce of LexisNexis® executives shared precious insights with in-house counsel concerning the facility of agentic AI and the worth AI options can carry to authorized departments.
Our panelists included:
“It is rather clear to us that minds are altering quick, and the influence that this (AI) expertise is having on the authorized occupation is being felt already,” mentioned Turner. A current Law360® survey found that the sentiment round Gen AI is now “overwhelmingly constructive, with 70% of respondents having a constructive or impartial view of generative AI throughout the authorized business,” Turner mentioned, including that greater than half of attorneys surveyed at the moment are utilizing Gen AI instruments of their practices.
Turner noticed that company authorized executives are driving the adoption of AI-powered instruments throughout their departments, with momentum constructing in 2025.
“That is the 12 months that in-house counsel are going to maneuver from AI experimentation to actually having the ability to see worth from AI expertise, and they’re going to have the ability to obtain adoption of AI instruments at scale,” she predicted. “The query is now not ‘whether or not’ in-house authorized departments will undertake AI however ‘when’ and ‘how’ to take action in a means that’s finest for his or her wants.”
The panelists famous plenty of vital sensible use circumstances that in-house counsel are discovering as they implement modern authorized AI options.
“For instance, Gen AI instruments now supply company authorized departments enhanced authorized doc drafting and evaluation for higher accuracy and effectivity,” defined Wellen. “There are clever instruments which can be accessible now that may let you do plenty of issues which can be actually essential, reminiscent of discovering vetted paperwork to begin a draft and that can assist you shortly perceive the implications of particular provisions in a contract.”
One other use case the place in-house authorized departments are discovering vital worth is the flexibility to leverage their organizations’ personal precedents throughout the drafting workflow, Wellen mentioned. That is made attainable by secure integration between a authorized division’s AI platform and its doc administration system (DMS), extracting key information factors primarily based on previous work product.
A 3rd distinguished instance includes using Gen AI instruments in authorized operations workflows. “Authorized operations includes the administration of issues, authorized spend, distributors and contracts—loads of complicated information—and managing danger requires that information to be correct and provide the potential to make selections primarily based on insights from the info,” mentioned Wellen. “By integrating Gen AI into your authorized spend and work administration instruments, you’ll be able to shortly perceive complicated information about issues and cut back danger with advisable actions to think about.”
Chapman, who serves within the function of a company authorized division chief herself, shared an vital message along with her colleagues who participated within the webinar.
“My goal is to encourage you to take a step again earlier than simply diving into Gen AI,” suggested Chapman. “As with all new expertise, there are some uncertainties about the way it could influence your work as a lawyer and is it well worth the hype. So the explanation I need you to take a step again is as a result of I need you to take management over how you employ these instruments.”
Chapman inspired her fellow in-house counsel to not be petrified of Gen AI instruments or fear about them probably changing attorneys of their organizations.
“I see AI-powered authorized instruments as an amazing alternative for attorneys to really use their precious time to do the work and apply the essential considering they have been educated to do,” she mentioned. “The purpose is to unlock your time so you are able to do extra of what you ought to be doing and what offers probably the most worth in your organizations.”
Agentic AI and the Reworking Position of In-Home Counsel
The LexisNexis panelists defined that “agentic AI”—AI techniques able to making autonomous selections and taking actions—represents the next frontier for company authorized departments. Not like conventional AI instruments that merely reply to particular prompts, agentic techniques can pro-actively establish points, counsel options and execute outlined duties independently.
The mixing of agentic AI systems into in-house authorized operations represents not merely a technological shift, however a basic transformation in how company authorized departments can perform. That transformation guarantees to unlock in-house counsel to give attention to their highest worth contributions as enterprise counselors. Those that efficiently harness AI’s potential can’t solely improve their division’s operational effectivity, but in addition elevate their strategic affect throughout the company construction.
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