The legal industry just hit an inflection point most firms haven't recognized yet. AI usage among legal professionals jumped 50% in ONE YEAR (48% to 72%) based on Intapp research. But here's the real takeaway: it's not about the technology alone; it's about change management capabilities. In my experience helping organizations navigate complex transformations, I've seen that law firms with their intellectual capital and problem-solving DNA are uniquely positioned to thrive in the AI era. The challenge isn't adopting the technology; it's managing the human side of change effectively. Legal professionals: What's been your experience with AI adoption? Smooth sailing or major resistance? 👇 I've outlined my thoughts on this challenge in my latest article and would love your perspective on what you're seeing in your firms.
Julia Montgomery
2mo
Couldn’t agree more! Law firms have spent large amounts of money over the past 5-7 years to grow Innovation functions. And those teams are terrific at bringing forward new ideas and new tools. But I only know of a small handful of U.S. firms that have stood up a change management function alongside the investment in innovation. Worth noting: You’re more likely to find this function in firms outside the U.S. Change management puts innovation into production. It’s a valuable and important operational function and in my view, and with the now steady-state of change happening in legal, it’s well past time for firms to stand up a change management function in their organizations.
Karen Campbell
2mo
Sonia Ahluwalia Such a great article capturing so many key aspects of change management challenges with considerations to manage the challenges: the science behind changes, the impact of the AI disruptions, managing change fatigue, competitive pressures, and more. Thank you for an insightful article.
The shift from lawyers "doing" legal work to "orchestrating" AI agents represents perhaps the most fundamental identity transformation the legal profession has ever faced—making change management not just operational necessity but existential requirement. Awesome Sonia Ahluwalia 👏