AI in law: cutting through the noise – OneAdvanced
AI is unavoidable right now; the topic is everywhere with businesses across all sectors trying to figure out how best they can use this exciting new technology. For law firms, the potential is enormous, but so are the challenges.
In such a highly regulated sector, it’s natural that many are approaching AI with caution.
I’m speaking to more and more firms about this topic, and while there’s plenty of excitement, there are also some common misconceptions. For many, the challenge isn’t accessing AI but it’s knowing what’s ethical, trustworthy, and which tools will actually make a difference. To really make the most of AI, first you need to understand what it can bring to your firm, your lawyers, and most importantly, your clients.
The current landscape
There’s no denying the pace of change; the rapid acceleration of AI has been astonishing, but not every “AI-powered” solution delivers meaningful results. Too often, we see tools bolted onto existing systems without proper integration or understanding of how lawyers really work.
This creates inefficiency rather than innovation. It adds complexity, disrupts workflows, and, in some cases, even raises ethical and environmental concerns. So, it’s no wonder many firms are sceptical. They don’t want buzzwords; they want real results for their clients and their people.
To bust a common myth, AI is not here to take everyone’s job, so there is no need for lawyers to feel threatened. This technology, if used right, can fundamentally support how the entire ecosystem of a firm can work. It can help take the more onerous tasks away from lawyers and help them focus on what they love most about the job, supporting their clients. Instead of replacement, it’s about keeping the human in the loop and where they are most needed.
People often find the law very complex to understand, and despite technology transforming how people may access justice, they will still look to their lawyers to help them navigate distressing or difficult times. This is where lawyers can offer real value, sitting down with the people who need their help and answering their questions. Technology can’t replace a human in that way.
When innovation becomes inefficient
Where the danger lies in legal tech is adopting AI without intent. The technology may look impressive, but if it doesn’t actually fit how your firm operates, then this can lead to:
- Considerable compliance and administrative burdens. Falling foul of the rules can be a serious risk and it can lead to inefficient workflows that add to the complexity of your organisation.
- Regulatory breaches which can lead to significant financial penalties.
- Reputational damage. If your firm does not strategically partner with the right provider, you increase the risk of adopting tools that leave your data susceptible to inaccuracies or breaches in confidentiality that directly impact your clients. Law firms must ensure all AI tools comply with GDPR and professional confidentiality obligations.
- Ethical concerns. Legal decision-making demands impartiality, so firms must use AI that is explainable, auditable, and bias-tested. This also means all existing data must be accurate, as AI systems are only as good as the data they’re trained on.
- Cybersecurity risks. This cannot be overlooked. Law firms need to be incredibly vigilant about the AI tools being used. This means making sure these systems are secure, training is thorough, and employees aren’t bringing their own AI tools to work, which can compromise security.
Law firms can’t afford to chase the next shiny thing. What’s needed is a pragmatic, lawyer-centric approach, where AI is only used when it genuinely adds value.
There is a huge opportunity for the right AI tools to be used to drive efficiency and accuracy across all functions. Tools that can turn compliance management from a reactive exercise into a proactive function, meaning partners can be kept readily updated about potential issues, instead of waiting for an audit to discover a problem.
Or AI tools that can deliver real efficiencies in case management. So, lawyers don’t have to scrabble around numerous locations when dealing with a client; instead, their AI-empowered systems can present them with cleaner, concise and complete bodies of information. Streamlining how law firms manage a case and helping to drive efficiency right through from a client’s onboarding to the final case outcome.
Access to justice is a major issue, and sometimes the people in society who need legal support the most just cannot afford these services. With the right technology, AI-empowered law firms will have greater efficiency to take on more clients, with greater cost savings, allowing them to leverage more affordable services.
Responsible AI
Responsible AI starts with purpose. It’s important to start with the basics and to determine what is needed for an organisation. Too many law firms succumb to peer pressure from their competitors and rush to buy an AI solution that looks good but isn’t really what they (or their clients) need.
Before choosing a vendor, you must consider your AI strategy and the policies you want to have in place. This isn’t about limiting your firm, but it’s important that you’re clear in what AI will be used for and how, which then helps protect certain responsibilities and functions for your lawyers, whilst minimising the risk of shadow AI in your organisation. It shouldn’t be used for everything so it’s important to take the time to identify the jobs that AI can support with. Once these are identified, it’s about utilising technology to solve the real problems where traditional software has reached its limits, and designing it to enhance, not replace, human expertise.
For law firms, this means AI that is integrated and embedded in workflows, rather than added as an afterthought. It should be transparent and trustworthy, so lawyers, partners and clients can fully understand how insights are generated. Always guaranteeing that compliance, confidentiality and data integrity are at the forefront of your AI strategy, the tools should be ethical and secure, to certify that they are consciously adopted and only used where they can enhance client outcomes.
At OneAdvanced, our approach to AI in legal technology is built around conscious compliance. Our AI agents are designed to automate the critical yet time-consuming tasks, from conflict checking and source-of-funds verification, to AML compliance and ongoing risk monitoring. All while keeping the human firmly in control.
Why this matters for law firms
The truth is, most firms can’t simply increase headcount to meet rising compliance demands, nor should they have to. Integrating responsible AI technology offers a way to ease the manual workload, improve visibility around risk, and deliver a better experience for both clients and employees.
When implemented thoughtfully, AI can:
- Free up valuable time for lawyers to focus on high-value client work
- Help firms demonstrate robust compliance to clients, insurers, and regulators
- Reduce the risk of human error and regulatory breaches
- Enhance employee engagement by automating repetitive admin
- Help to attract and retain talent in what has become an increasingly competitive market by positioning your firm as forward thinkers who embrace technology.
An exciting era for the legal sector
At OneAdvanced, we take a pragmatic approach to AI. We embed it where it makes a measurable difference. That means developing integrated, sustainable, lawyer-centric solutions that are grounded in ethics and transparency. We call this responsible innovation: combining cutting-edge capability with the control and trust that law firms need.
Our aim isn’t to replace lawyers, it’s to empower them. AI truly has the power to transform the legal sector, but it should make your teams more effective, not more anxious. It should strengthen compliance, not weaken it, and it should give you time back, not take it away.
Prioritise thoughtful, ethical deployment over hype, and choose partners who deeply understand both the technology and the legal world. AI isn’t going away, but the difference between success and chaos lies in responsibility. With the right mindset, the right partner, and the right guardrails in place, it can become one of the most powerful tools law firms have ever had.
