Rather than limit associates' AI use to a handful of tasks, law firms that provide their younger attorneys with the space to learn how the tool can best be used in their practices stand to be on the cutting edge of the fast-moving technology, said Brad Sidwell, client technology strategist at professional services software company Intapp.
As opposed to a top-down set of instructions on how to use AI, firms should encourage their younger associates to engage in so-called experiential learning, where they can learn lessons from how they used the technology yesterday and apply those results to today, said Sidwell, who previously served as chief information officer for Buckley LLP.
"With AI, I think that's how you really start to learn both the capabilities of the particular tool [and] how you're going to make use of it in your particular practice as well," Sidwell said. "We need to give the new lawyers permission to do so."
Associates can use AI for helping to generate first drafts of documents, conducting legal research, managing the data within a matter, and conducting case studies and risk management, said Andrew Dober, chief operating officer of K2 Services, a law firm technology services provider.
Dober says he views AI as a "great equalizer" between more seasoned attorneys who can generate revenue for their firm through their client lists and higher billable rates, and younger lawyers who can power through assignments that up until recently would have taken much longer to complete. For younger attorneys, the additional time they gain could be used to round out their own practices in ways that they may not have been able to before, such as through networking or proactive client outreach, he said.
"A lot of the older generation, they have high billable rates, they have a lot of experience, they can drive a lot of good revenue without doing as much work," Dober said. "But what we're seeing now is that if you can get an associate harnessing the power of AI in the right way, yeah they might have a lower billable rate, but they can jam out a lot more work and get to A to B to C in a much quicker way."
Sidwell notes that some of the firms acting more proactively toward AI are gathering associates for learning sessions where everyone can appreciate how much the tools can be pushed toward achieving a more efficient workflow, along with best practices for ensuring that errors are not incorporated into the work.
While many younger attorneys may already use AI in their daily lives, associates can also differentiate themselves from their peers by demonstrating to partners and other decision-makers at their firm that they can be counted upon to use AI in innovative — yet responsible — ways to further their practice's needs, said James Barclay, chief executive officer of Passle, a marketing technology company.
Barclay believes AI can also assist associates as they work on developing and distributing outside-the-box ideas on how to bring innovation to their law firms. But he cautions that younger attorneys should not necessarily use AI to actually develop an idea — rather, the tool can assist them in researching their concept and fine-tuning any related pitches or presentations, for example.
"You don't want AI writing your thought leadership for you," Barclay said. "If in any way you are seen as not having done the leg work, if you actually haven't used your brain, you are going to be seen as inauthentic, you will lose your brand."
Sidwell encourages associates to use any additional time they might generate through completing their assignments quicker to cultivate relationships with clients, getting to know them and their needs better.
"Everyone wants to be known as that associate who can manage and develop business," Sidwell said.
AI not only could assist associates with doing their jobs more efficiently, it could also more quickly provide them with skills necessary to advance in their careers, Dober said.
"You might be doing great work without AI, but at the end of the day, if you're getting a lot more done and generating more billable hours for the work that you're doing, that's ultimately the driver of jumping into being a partner," Dober said.
--Editing by Daniel King.
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