AI in the Legal Sector: ‘AI Will Replace Admin – Not Legal Advice’

Debates have been raging about whether AI is coming for white collar professions like law for a long time now. However, as the technology becomes more widely adopted, more experts agree that its value lies in automating and augmenting routine tasks – not legal decision-making. 

Stu White, Product and Engineering Director for Access Legal, shares: 

“As more AI tools become available, it will become clear to lawyers that the technology is not a substitute for legal advice, and nor should it be. The power of AI is in its ability to reduce the hours of tedious admin which detracts from the time which could be spent providing legal advice. These hours saved are both from the preparation before giving legal advice, with AI document summarization and the like, and equally important in saving time with the automation of business as usual tasks. Far from the lawyer being replaced, they’ll be freed up to deliver more invaluable advice and legal expertise to clients.  

“AI enables firms to make significant improvements almost as soon as they’re implemented. But developments in the technology, and the growing number of use cases, means that the power of AI will become super charged over the next few years.” 

Such Amin, CEO of inCase, solicitor, and a former president of the Manchester Law Society, agrees. He urges firms to act sooner rather than later to avoid making risky decisions in the future: 

“The legal profession is at an inflexion point – and if firms don’t take AI seriously now, they’re going to get left behind. There’s still a great deal of understandable apprehension and even pessimism around AI but we shouldn’t lose sight of how exciting it is and the fact it creates new opportunities by releasing professionals to do more ‘human’ work and less admin.  

“AI can feel like uncharted territory for many law firms – with the lack of AI legislation in the UK, and currently no defined rulebook from the SRA. 

“That doesn’t mean they should shy away from adoption though. If they don’t implement it in a considered and strategic way now, they’ll be forced to adopt it quickly to avoid being left by the wayside, which is far more risky.  

“They’ll need to think about how they measure its ROI too. Fee-earners are typically recruited based on their ability to bill three or four times their salary – but what if AI allows them to complete their work much quicker?” 

Clare Bonsall, Head of Product for Access Legal, added that AI could transform how law firms operate, opening up new revenue streams: 

“Where AI can deliver genuine value is in targeting the routine tasks that take up fee-earners’ time so that firms can improve both employee and client experiences. I’m particularly excited about sentiment analysis – using AI to identify any signs that a client might be unhappy before it escalates into a complaint.” 

It goes without saying that law firms must carefully balance the opportunities AI offers with the risks – particularly when it comes to data security and client confidentiality. 

Brian Rogers, Regulatory Director at Access Legal, said: 

“As the number of tech companies offering AI applications grows, then the costs will come down – but security must be a priority for the legal sector, especially as nearly two-thirds of firms have already been a victim of a cyber incident. Mid-sized firms, in particular, often rely on third-party IT services, which puts them at risk if their provider’s security credentials are weak. The threat is now heightened by the use of unsecure and/or unapproved AI tools.  

“It’s therefore critical that firms undertake robust due diligence checks when choosing any third-party AI provider, and develop policies around what AI can and cannot be used for.” 

His comments were echoed by Professor Stephen Mayson, legal thought-leader, barrister and honorary professor (UCL), who urges firms to adopt a ‘strategising mindset’ to continually review the benefits and risks of AI: 

“AI isn’t affecting all parts of the legal market in the same way.  

“There’s a huge gap both between the high street law firms and the bigger commercial ones, as well as with the unregulated providers of non-reserved activities. These unregulated firms can innovate faster but the risks are higher too – and without the same complaints mechanism, there is little redress for consumers, other than Trading Standards for the most serious cases.  

“All firms could benefit from using AI to make routine processes faster, cheaper and more predictable. To do so successfully, they need an AI strategy – but that doesn’t mean creating one and letting it sit in a drawer while they go back to delivering legal services. 

“What they should adopt instead is a strategising mindset – a constant process for reviewing the technology; understanding its regulatory and ethical impact; and establishing how it could best serve fee-earners and clients. This includes building technical competencies within the firm, so partners can see what AI’s capabilities and limitations are, and make better decisions on how to use it. All this is necessary to mitigate the risk of something going quickly and badly wrong, and damaging the reputation of the legal profession.” 

Brian Rogers agreed, adding: 

“Those who adopt AI most successfully will have laid the groundwork –  ensuring that their data is accurate, up-to-date and managed within a secure environment. They recognise that AI is a tool, not a decision-maker and it certainly won’t replace years of experience and professional expertise. With more AI providers springing up, the ones that prioritise responsible AI are far more likely to win the trust of the highly-regulated legal sector.” 

Despite the challenges, there is clear optimism about the role AI can play in law firms in 2025, and beyond.  

Clare Bonsall shares: 

“2025 will be the year that firms start to see the value of AI, as long as they choose tools that prioritise security and promote compliance with current data protection laws, potential future AI regulations, and SRA rules. They could take on more specialist high-value cases, knowing they have the tools to efficiently manage vast amounts of information. Others will be able to reduce the cost of delivering standard legal services, like wills or conveyancing, and improve profitability on fixed fee or legal aid work.” 

Such Amin highlights the tangible commercial benefits that AI can bring to firms – and advises them to make sure they’re getting the most from their legal software and have buy-in from the wider team. 

“There’s no blueprint,” he said. “The closest thing we can compare it to is the introduction of case management software, which improved productivity by around 30 or 40% – AI is going to go even further.  

“An AI product could save three billable hours in a 10-hour case but each firm must work out what the returns will be for them. They need to get everyone on board too; one of the reasons firms stop using software is because they haven’t fully utilised its features so they don’t realise its value. It could be the same for AI too if they don’t completely champion it and integrate it into their culture.” 

Meanwhile, David Sparkes, M&A broker and advisor to law firms and legal tech companies, believes that AI will play a key role in talent attraction and retention strategies.  

"Winning work isn't usually a problem for law firms – the issue is ensuring there's enough legal talent to deliver it,” he said.  

“In this competitive jobs market, firms will need to work harder than ever to meet professionals' expectations, both now and in the future. The technology landscape is changing quickly, and talented people want to be able to access the latest tools, including AI." 

Finally, as AI becomes more embedded in firms, we can expect a shift in processes and the language around it. Explaining more, Stu White said: 

“We can already see how the language around AI is starting to change – it’s no longer something terrifying but a useful tool for managing workloads. People are now saying they’ll ‘ChatGPT it’ or, in the case of our own software, people will say, ‘Ask Evo’ in time I’m sure.” 

1. Use AI to cut down your admin, not legal decision-making

AI tools are well-suited to routine tasks – so choose ones that intelligently accelerate everyday admin, giving you more time to focus on getting the best outcomes for clients. 

2. Don’t compromise on security

The AI market is booming but law firms must choose their tools carefully to comply with relevant regulations, and avoid a critical data breach. Always opt for a trusted provider, with deep legal sector experience, who prioritises security, and where data is contained within a private secure environment, not used to train AI models elsewhere. There should also be high-level permissions and controls in place for AI to use the data from your legal software. 

3. Adopt a strategising mindset

As the technology advances, firms need to be agile – regularly looking at where AI can be applied to drive innovation and deliver better client experiences, while understanding emerging risks. 

4. Jump on the new commercial opportunities AI brings

Reducing admin and improving productivity enables firms to take on more specialist high-value work, or increase the profitability of fixed fee and legal aid cases.  

5. Don’t fall behind

Firms that adopt AI successfully can dramatically improve their capabilities, meaning those who don’t could quickly drop out of the market because they’re not able to compete. Taking a measured approach, working closely with your legal tech vendors, allows you to unlock the benefits and avoid costly mistakes. 

This article is the first in our new series, AI in the Legal Sector. Find out how Evo, Access Legal’s brand new AI tool, can help you make the most of AI, safely and securely, to cut down on admin in your law firm.