Embracing Change Management as a Human Transition

Adopting a change management framework means focusing on the humans that will use the technology. Everlaw’s Justin Smith writes that the greatest challenge for legal ops professionals is getting people to use the technology law firms invest in. Organizations are overlooking the human side of change management, which is jeopardizing technology rollouts. Smith recommends a five-stage roadmap. Legal ops leaders should build a clear business case that emphasizes the strategic priorities of these technological investments. From there, it is important to show stakeholders how automation and AI can shift legal professionals toward higher-value analytical work.

The third stage is to engage peers, particularly through influential internal advocates who can build trust among the team. Equally important is addressing the cultural and behavioral adjustments that are required to replace manual review with AI-driven processes. The last stage, sustainable adoption, depends on reinforcing new workflows through recognition, accountability, and clear operational standards.

Generative AI represents the most significant shift for legal teams. It changes not only how legal information is managed but also how legal professionals think and produce work. Unlike earlier technological transitions, AI introduces a cognitive transformation that requires moving from manually producing every output to validating and refining AI-generated results. Organizations that recognize change management is a human-based transition will be best positioned to lead the legal profession forward.