Curious to explore AI in your firm? 8 lawyers share their advice

AI is no longer a distant promise—it's here, it's evolving fast, and it's already reshaping how legal professionals work. But with so much noise around what AI could do, many firms are asking a more grounded question: what does AI actually look like in a legal practice?

We have spoken with many lawyers, from across our wide pool of users and Verifiers, to hear their thoughts. The question: what advice would they share to other firms who are curious but perhaps hesitant about implementing AI?

Explore their insights to inform your own approach to what ethical and effective use of AI can look like in your firm.

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What advice would you give to other firms interested in AI?

Gather feedback from across your firm

When introducing AI into legal practice, it’s important to involve the people who’ll be using it most—often junior lawyers and articling students doing the bulk of the legal research. They’re in the best position to identify where it can genuinely improve workflows.

At the same time, it’s just as valuable for senior and mid-level lawyers to engage with the tools, so they understand its strengths and limitations. Gathering feedback from across the team helps ensure whatever technology solutions you implement will deliver real, practical benefits.

“…So I would say that it's probably useful to get people's feedback from those who are doing the heaviest lifting in the firm. So, i.e. articling students or younger lawyers because that I think those are the people that will maybe see the most benefit to their workflow. It's also useful to get, obviously, senior people and mid level people to play around with it, to understand its strengths and limitations.”
— Ben Grant, Tax and Civil Litigation Lawyer 🇨🇦

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Start small with a specific use case

Starting small is a useful approach when adopting AI, or any technology in your firm. It helps you quickly evaluate how useful and trustworthy the technology is, identify any potential risks, and outline immediate ways the technology can add value to your day.

In this excerpt, James Thornton recommends testing out LawY with drafting correspondence or asking research questions. Additionally, LawY offers a unique ‘lawyer-in-the-loop’ feature, which provides added confidence when conducting legal research. You have the option to send substantive legal questions to experienced local lawyers who will review the AI-answers and make changes where necessary to improve accuracy. This process is called Verification and is included in your existing subscription with any of our integration partners.

Rather than avoiding AI out of caution, actively engage with it to understand its strengths.

“Start small…Use it for document drafting. Use it for research, and then satisfy yourself within your teams that it's generating the right answers and use the verification because that's what it's there for.”
— James Thornton, Founding Partner at James Thornton Family Law 🇬🇧

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Take it for a spin and experiment with it

The best way for lawyers to get started with AI is simple: just experiment. There’s no substitute for hands-on experience, and diving in is often the most effective way to understand the value AI can bring to legal practice. Whether or not a lawyer is familiar with a particular area of law, AI tools like LawY can provide rapid insight and structure to even the most unfamiliar matters.

In this excerpt, Gary Blaustein encourages attorneys to test out AI and also shares his experience of exploring an unfamiliar area of law using the power of LawY.

“Do it, and don't be afraid of it. If you're watching this, you've probably already started it, if you haven't, just go play around with it.”
— Gary Blaustein, Owner, Gary A. Blaustein, Esq. 🇺🇸

In another excerpt, Lisa-Marie shares her simple yet powerful advice for firms still on the fence about using AI: just give it a go. She mentions how LawY is easy-to-use, a real time-saver, and impressively accurate. The key is to ultimately use AI thoughtfully and with the right oversight.

“I would say at the very least give it a go. You know, it's always worth trying to see how you get on with it. As I say, I find [LawY] so easy to use. I find it time saving.”
— Lisa-Marie Keefe, Senior Associate, Head of Probate and Trust Property 🇬🇧

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Remember the role of AI is to support, not replace

Navigating the rapid rise of legal tech can feel overwhelming, but as Puneet reminds us, embracing change is the key to staying competitive. It’s natural to feel hesitant at first—she did too—but gaining confidence starts with getting informed. Whether it’s through webinars, peer conversations, or personal research, the goal is to understand how AI tools like LawY can streamline your work without replacing your judgment.

LawY produces first drafts instantly, and springboards your research effortlessly. It does not replace the nuanced and complex decision-making as that is uniquely a lawyer’s role. The best way to leverage LawY is as a powerful starting point.

“Look, learn, and just dabble in AI and just see what it can do for you. Test it out. Don't shut it out. And just, you know, remember that it's just producing a draft for you. It is not the final product and that is what everyone needs to understand. Just because you've gotten something from AI does not mean it is worthy enough to present in court or to your client or whatever. You need to remember it's just a draft and you build from that.”
— Puneet K. Mann, Co-founding partner of Mahogany Law Group LLP 🇨🇦

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Free up time for more strategic work

AI is a powerful tool that has incredible time-saving potential for your firm. The benefits are plentiful, as long as you’re using it ethically. Katherine emphasises the value of incorporating LawY to assist and accelerate the early-stage tasks, allowing her to focus her time on reviewing, supervising, and approving refined work, later in the process.

Used ethically, AI can make you and your team more efficient, with no real downside—just a smarter, more streamlined way to work.

“Well, the sooner the better, really. As long as you use AI and LawY ethically, there's really no downside…It will make your team more effective and efficient.”
— Katherine Guilfoyle, Senior Lawyer and Mediator, Next Legal & Conveyancing 🇦🇺

Similarly, Paras references a similar message that there really is nothing to lose. AI is here to stay and will help you reclaim time better spent on developing your practice.

“AI is here to stay, so you don't have anything to lose by giving a try. And once you do, you'll notice very quickly that you have more time to develop your practice or to focus your time on other tasks that can be handled by LawY.”
— Paras Patel, Founder of PMP Law 🇨🇦

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Don’t get left behind, AI is your competitive edge

With the ability to handle tasks faster and more accurately than a human alone, AI offers a level of efficiency that’s simply beyond traditional methods. Firms that embrace this technology can operate more smoothly, deliver results more quickly, and ultimately serve more clients—without compromising quality.

It’s not just about keeping up with competitors; it’s about setting a new standard for how legal work gets done. Tools like LawY are as integral to a modern practice as smartphones and Google are to daily life. They help lawyers stay focused on what matters most—advising clients and making strategic decisions—while the AI takes care of the heavy lifting behind the scenes. Embracing this shift isn’t just smart; it’s essential.

“It definitely is technology that if it's not taken up, will mean that other competing firms who are using AI can offer an efficiency that is beyond the scope of human capacity… [AI] basically means practices can operate in a much more efficient manner, and engage more clients at the end of the day.”
— Bridget Barnett, Manager of LEAP Criminal Law 🇦🇺

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In conclusion

Exploring AI in your legal practice doesn't have to mean sweeping change overnight. As these lawyers show, it is important to make small, strategic steps towards the adoption of AI as it will unlock incredible opportunity.

Whether you're already experimenting with AI or just starting to consider it, their experiences highlight both the opportunities and the guardrails worth keeping in mind. Above all, the message is clear: with the right approach, AI can be a valuable ally in the modern legal toolkit.