The AI illusion in law firms
Everywhere you turn, firms talk about legal AI: new research tools, drafting assistants, contract analyzers.
But here’s the catch: AI is not the future of legal work.
AI + readiness is.
Without the right people systems, AI becomes another shiny object. For example, Litera’s 2024 Navigating the Legal Horizon survey found that 77% of firms expect substantial AI investment, yet many still lack the change management systems to integrate it.
Other data confirms the gap. The ABA’s 2024 Artificial Intelligence TechReport shows that while many firms explore AI, adoption drops off sharply in mid sized firms. Only 29.5% of firms with 10–49 lawyers report using AI tools.
The message is clear: law firms don’t just need tools, they need transformation.
What AI can’t fix
AI may summarize case law in seconds, but it can’t address these deep law firm realities:
Even in recent industry reports, firms that rolled out AI without leadership alignment and people strategy failed to gain traction. According to Thomson Reuters’ AI Adoption Reality Check, organizations with defined AI strategies are twice as likely to see AI driven revenue growth compared to those without.
Similarly, Thomson Reuters’ Generative AI in Professional Services Report 2025 found that legal adoption of GenAI nearly doubled, yet many firms still lack policies or training to guide usage.
The real readiness question
So the question for managing partners isn’t “Which AI tool should we buy?”
It’s “How do we prepare our people to thrive in a post AI world?”
True AI readiness in law firms means:
- Upskilling attorneys by teaching them how to pair legal reasoning with machine efficiency
- Embedding upward feedback so associates feel heard when tech disrupts their workflows
- Redesigning reviews to reward adaptability, curiosity, and client centric innovation
- Coaching leaders to model curiosity, not skepticism
Because the future of legal work isn’t lawyers vs. machines.
It’s lawyers who know how to work with machines and leaders who know how to guide them.
How SRA helps firms bridge the gap
At Survey Research Associates (SRA), we don’t build AI tools. We make them work for people.
We help firms by:
- Designing feedback loops that surface resistance before it becomes attrition
- Training partners to lead with coaching conversations, not fear
- Linking legal career planning with new future of work expectations
That’s why AmLaw firms trust us: because tools change fast, but culture outlasts technology.
Ready for AI readiness?
Buying tools is easy. Preparing people is hard. But it’s the only way firms will thrive in the future of legal work.
Talk to SRA about building AI readiness through culture, feedback, and leadership training, not just software licenses.
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