06 Sep 2024
by Paul Caddy

How AI is transforming how lawyers work

Guest blog from Paul Caddy at Shoosmiths as part of our #PuttingAIIntoAction campaign week 2024.

Embracing the future 

We stand on the brink of incredible advancements with AI—innovations that promise to transform how we live and work. While some narratives focus on potential downsides, it's crucial to recognise the immense opportunities AI presents, especially in fields like law. 

The legal profession—my area of expertise—is sometimes perceived as cautious about AI. Research shows that some of the most common words attributed to lawyers are, for example, 'pessimistic' and 'cynical.' And, as much as I'd rather not admit it, there is some truth to this. Lawyers are often tasked by their clients to consider worst-case scenarios, which naturally encourages a sceptical mindset. 

But caution does not mean inaction. A prudent approach to AI—one that is optimistic, realistic, and thoughtful—opens up incredible possibilities. It’s not about fearing AI but understanding the risks of not using it. The Economist noted on August 19, 2024, that some investors worry about AI not delivering vast profits. But the real focus should be on AI's ability to augment and enhance human capabilities. 

AI as a powerful tool 

A great analogy to understand the potential of generative AI is to consider the humble microwave. It’s a piece of technology that’s almost invisible in our kitchens, and yet it can cut the time it takes to do certain things by almost 90%. Like AI, it has specific use cases: it can't do it all, but what it does, it does exceptionally well. 

The lawyers I work with don’t typically use AI for complex legal research, but they do use it to work smarter, faster, and more efficiently. AI helps with summarising long documents or chains of emails, creating action points from meetings held in Teams, or rewriting texts in a different tone or style. Some law firms are even innovating by developing their own AI-powered tools, such as generative AI chatbots. 

A recent LexisNexis survey conducted in February 2024 revealed that 62% of law firms have modified their daily operations due to the impact of generative AI, a figure that will likely increase substantially in the future. 

The new legal landscape 

The takeaway? AI isn’t here to replace lawyers—it’s here to empower them. Lawyers who harness the power of AI are set to lead the way, bringing unprecedented efficiency, insight, and capability to their practice. 

The legal field is entering an exciting era, so get ready for an exhilarating ride! 



Dive deeper with more AI insights:

If you're interested in AI adoption you can find more insights on our AI Campaign Week page, here:  

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Stay up to date with techUK AI Adoption work:

To help promote greater levels of responsible AI adoption, techUK is working alongside its members and key stakeholders across the AI ecosystem to demonstrate the significant benefits of this technology for both the economy and society. The best way to stay up to date with our work is to visit our AI Adoption Hub.

Call for AI Adoption case studies:

As part of techUK’s 2024 AI Campaign Week, we are launching a call for techUK member case studies, to demonstrate how organisations are tackling the barriers to AI adoption to maximise AI's potential. These case studies will be showcased to UK organisations that are also embarking on their AI adoption journeys, providing them with practical examples and insights to guide their Putting AI into Action efforts. Learn more here.


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techUK - Putting AI into Action 

techUK’s Putting AI into Action campaign serves as a one stop shop for showcasing the opportunities and benefits of AI adoption across sectors and markets

During this campaign, techUK will run a regular drumbeat of activity, including events, reports, and insights, to demonstrate some of the most significant opportunities for AI adoption in 2024, as well as working with key stakeholders to identify and address current barriers to adoption.

Visit our AI Adoption Hub to learn more, or find our latest activity below.

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Contact the team

Usman Ikhlaq

Usman Ikhlaq

Programme Manager - Artificial Intelligence, techUK

Learn more about our AI Adoption campaign:

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Authors

Paul Caddy

Paul Caddy

Head of Insight, Shoosmiths

Paul Caddy is Head of Insight at Shoosmiths, having previously practised as a commercial and data protection lawyer, with a particular focus on new
technologies.

Qualifying in 2000, he has worked in private practice in major law firms, in business and with leading legal publishers, such as LexisNexis (LexisPSL) and Thomson Reuters. Paul joined Shoosmiths in 2019. 

Paul is a prolific writer and, through thought leadership, is determined to help drive change in the legal sector, not only through the use of legaltech, but by focusing on the human side of legal practice too. Together with colleagues David Jackson and Tony Randle, he has recently published a book on the future of legal practice: Legal Practice in the Digital Age. The book shows how lawyers can embrace technological change through taking a people-centric approach, being creative with technology and innovation, and entrenching forward-thinking new mindsets into their firm’s DNA.

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