If you’ve been watching the AI wave from the sidelines, wondering when it’ll really hit your firm? Well, that time has already come. Artificial intelligence isn’t some future disruptor hovering on the horizon. It’s already reshaping how lawyers research, bill, draft, and even think about their business models.
Many legal professionals know about AI but haven’t yet taken the leap to use it. And that’s perfectly understandable as the legal profession has a long history of weighing risks carefully before adopting new technology. But to call lawyers resistant to change is, frankly, untrue. Lawyers simply need a clear reason and the right tools to justify the investment of time and energy.
The AI That’s Already in Your Office
You might not realise how much AI is already woven into your daily work. When you use Google Maps, Microsoft CoPilot, or even Meta AI inside WhatsApp, you’re already engaging with artificial intelligence. The leap from there to using legal-specific AI tools, like Harvey, Lexis+ AI, or Adjunct is smaller than you think.
A 2025 Thomson Reuters survey found that 53% of legal professionals (including South Africans) are already seeing positive returns on their AI investments. On average, firms saved 240 hours a year, worth around R312,000 in billable time. Yet, despite this, 71% of respondents admitted they still don’t understand how to implement AI effectively.
That’s the gap we need to close.
The Real Threat Isn’t AI — It’s Doing Nothing
There’s an old comparison here: when the fax machine arrived, it didn’t replace phone calls or post offices — it changed how we worked. The same is happening with AI. It won’t take away your job, but it will redefine it.
The real danger lies in ignoring the shift. As Professor Richard Susskind, one of the foremost thinkers in legal technology puts it, “The market will show no mercy or loyalty to the process and business of law.”
Susskind’s “Black & Decker” story captures it perfectly: when salespeople were asked what they were selling, they said “drills.” The trainer corrected them — people don’t want drills, they want holes.
In law, clients don’t want documents, memos, or billable hours. They want peace of mind, resolved disputes, and completed deals. AI helps lawyers focus more on the hole — the outcome — instead of the drill — the process.
AI as a Fee Earner, Not a Cost
AI isn’t just a productivity hack; it’s a new kind of fee earner. Think about tasks like document review, meeting notes, or client follow-ups. Tools such as Fireflies.ai can record, transcribe, and summarise meetings while you focus on your client — for around R200 a month.
Chatbots on WordPress sites can handle initial client queries, collect contact details, and even book consultations. A simple WPBot system can be set up for roughly R1,000 per month, providing constant client engagement and lead generation.
Then there’s ChatGPT Plus, at around R350 per month which is powerful enough to perform deep legal research, summarise case law, and help you draft correspondence. Just remember though, that better prompts equal better answers.
Billing and Ethics in the AI Age
Once AI starts saving you time, billing models will have to evolve. Clients won’t always accept the same fees for tasks that now take minutes instead of hours. Transparency will be key. Some firms are already segmenting their pricing — fixed rates for AI-generated contracts, hourly rates for lawyer reviews, and value-based pricing for complex advisory work.
The in-house counsel and clients themselves will drive this change. The firms that adapt early will shape how AI-related billing is perceived.
Practical Steps for the Next 30 Days
You don’t need to overhaul your entire firm overnight. Start small:
- Dedicate 15 minutes a day to exploring AI. Google’s free Skills for AI courses (https://www.skills.google/) offer 35 learning credits a month, an easy way to get your team started.
- Ask your practice management vendor what AI features are already available in your system.
- Start mining your own data. Your firm’s documents, timesheets, and communications hold insights about client behaviour, case patterns, and business opportunities. Ask your practice management vendor to extract this data and let AI help you uncover them.
The Bottom Line
AI isn’t here to replace the human lawyer, it’s here to enhance the human element of law. It’s about giving you back time, improving precision, and helping your firm stay ahead in an industry that’s rapidly evolving.
As Susskind says,” the question isn’t whether AI will change law, but whether you’ll choose to be part of that change or watch it from the sidelines.”
So, start today. Learn, experiment, adapt — and make AI your next junior partner.
Malcolm Pearson
Editor at Tech4Law
