Laying the Groundwork for an AI-Ready Legal Team

As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes the work of legal teams, an article by Checkbox suggests that legal operations professionals need to lay the groundwork for an AI-ready legal team. A thoughtful approach ensures that adopting AI will enhance productivity, reduce manual tasks, and align with business goals.

The first step in becoming AI-ready is evaluating where AI can provide the most value.  Legal teams must assess their current pain points and processes, identifying areas with repetitive tasks, bottlenecks, or data challenges. Without clean, structured data and clearly defined goals, even the most advanced tools won’t yield meaningful results. Legal ops should first ensure that legal requests, workflows, and data retrieval are structured and accessible before implementing AI solutions.

Once foundational processes are in place, driving adoption becomes the priority. Gaining leadership support hinges on presenting a strong business case, emphasizing measurable benefits such as increased efficiency, faster response times, and greater alignment between legal and business units. Team-wide acceptance is equally vital. Concerns about job security must be addressed by positioning AI as an assistant that enhances rather than replaces legal professionals.

The final step is choosing the right AI tool. Legal ops professionals must avoid general-purpose AI and instead focus on solutions specifically built for legal workflows, such as intake, matter management, and data storage systems. Starting with a high-impact, low-risk use case can demonstrate immediate value and ease the transition. Security is paramount; legal AI tools must comply with data protection and industry regulations. Integration with existing platforms ensures adoption without disrupting workflows.

Before selecting an AI tool, request a demo to evaluate usability, customization options, and real-world impact. Choosing the right AI platform is not just about its features; it’s also about its capabilities. It’s about how well the platform aligns with your team’s specific needs, processes, and compliance requirements, ensuring your organization has an AI-ready legal team.