Legal IT Insider today (10 July) launches our 2025 Gen AI And The Practice Of Law Report, which takes a deep dive into the dramatic technological and cultural shifts that are well underway within the legal profession, and those that are on the horizon.
The report by our lead analyst, leading technology consulting Neil Cameron, explores how Gen AI has moved beyond legal tech hype to become a fundamental catalyst reshaping the practice of law. Unlike prior innovations such as OCR or search platforms, Gen AI offers not just efficiency but ‘epistemological disruption’ – altering the role of lawyers from originators to curators of legal content.
The report highlights a shift from tech pilots to enterprise-grade adoption across firms, with AI tools now embedded in research, drafting, due diligence, and even client-facing applications.
It addresses risks such as hallucination, erosion of professional judgment, and data confidentiality, warning that overreliance on Gen AI may undermine junior lawyer development. It urges firms to resist blind delegation and instead develop structured human-in-the-loop protocols and AI governance boards (now reportedly established in over 80% of AmLaw 100 firms).
On the economic front, the report examines at length how GenAI is impacting the law firms business model, including the billable hour. It also notes that some firms may reduce junior hiring altogether, reallocating resources to technologists and AI workflow designers.
Finally, the report charts the divergence in global regulation, from the EU AI Act’s high-risk system requirements to more permissive stances in the US and UK. It anticipates a future where client expectations, AI maturity, and ethics collide – especially around client-facing tools that may constitute unauthorised legal advice, arguing that the firms who thrive “will not be those with the flashiest tools, but those that align AI strategy with firm culture, client needs, and legal obligations.”
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