Artificial Intelligence—What it means for the future of law
Legal professionals are discovering that artificial intelligence is more than just a tech buzzword—it’s becoming a practical tool for saving time, improving accuracy, and delivering better results for clients.
A recent industry spotlight revealed that attorneys and support staff using AI platforms like Casetext CoCounsel, ChatGPT, Claude AI, and other specialized tools are saving up to four hours each week. In a profession where time is money, that translates to a potential increase of $100,000 annually in billable value for a mid-sized practice.
How AI Is Boosting Productivity
The ways AI is making an impact in legal practice are as diverse as the matters we handle:
- Document Review & Summarization: AI can quickly sift through large volumes of case law, contracts, or discovery documents, flagging key issues and summarizing them for attorney review.
- Legal Research: Platforms like CoCounsel use natural language queries to locate relevant statutes, regulations, and case law in seconds—dramatically cutting down research time.
- Drafting Assistance: From initial contract frameworks to tailored legal memos, AI can produce first drafts that attorneys then refine, speeding up turnaround without compromising quality.
- Client Communication: AI-powered tools can help create plain-language summaries of complex legal concepts, enhancing transparency and client understanding.
Why This Matters for Clients
The benefits of AI adoption aren’t just internal. For clients, increased efficiency often means:
- Faster turnaround times on deliverables
- Reduced costs for routine legal tasks
- Greater access to up-to-date, comprehensive legal analysis
- More attorney time devoted to strategic, high-value work
The Ethical Dimension
While AI offers clear productivity gains, the legal community is also navigating important ethical questions:
- Confidentiality: Firms must ensure sensitive client data is protected when using AI platforms.
- Accuracy: AI-generated results require careful review by licensed attorneys to ensure legal correctness.
- Bias & Fairness: As with any technology, ensuring outputs are free from bias is essential to maintaining justice and equity.
Our Perspective
At McDonald Hopkins, we view AI as a valuable tool—not a replacement for human judgment, advocacy, or experience. Technology enhances our capabilities, but the core of effective legal representation remains the same: understanding our clients’ goals, applying deep legal knowledge, and exercising sound judgment. As AI continues to evolve, we will remain committed to leveraging it responsibly, ethically, and strategically—always with the goal of delivering exceptional service and results for our clients.
