Legal AI has become a necessary technology when the work of in-house lawyers and legal managers is more complex than ever. Workloads are increasing, turnaround times are shrinking and the pressure to optimise processes is constant. Technology has arrived to alleviate that pressure and legal AI is at the heart of this transformation.
However, you will have found that not all AI tools are the same. Choosing the right one can make the difference between a leaner, more efficient legal process or a tool that doesn't fit your workflow or meet your security requirements. Welcome to this article, in which we will discuss how an in-house lawyer can choose the best legal AI and what steps to take to implement it successfully.
This article is available in Spanish.
In this article you will find:
Before evaluating tools, first ask yourself what specific problems you want to solve with legal AI. Not all solutions are designed for the same tasks, so it is essential to identify in which areas you need more support.
Some of the most common applications of legal AI include:
An in-house lawyer in a retail company spends hours reviewing contracts with suppliers. By implementing a legal AI specialised in contract analysis, he can automate the detection of risky clauses and receive alerts about terms incompatible with company policy, in order to reduce review time and minimise errors. By contrast, a lawyer in a large firm working on dozens of cases simultaneously needs to check their contracts against a legal database that provides reliable references for legal content.
Regardless of the specific functionality they should provide, not all legal AI tools offer the same level of accuracy, security or ease of integration. Here are some other key factors to consider when evaluating a solution:
A legal AI must deliver accurate and contextualised results. It is not enough that it generates answers, it must do so based on up-to-date and relevant legal data.
Key tip: ask the provider how they train their AI and what margin of error or hallucinations their model may exhibit.
Every legal team has different workflows. The AI you choose should allow for customisable configurations and the ability to adjust analysis and content generation criteria.
Key tip: opt for tools that can customise business rules, templates and search criteria.
If you already use a CLM, ERP or CRM, make sure that legal AI can be integrated with these platforms to avoid duplication of tasks and facilitate access to relevant information.
Key tip: consider choosing the most versatile solution for your department, the one that is the most scalable and versatile.
As you know, your work and the data you handle are confidential and sensitive in most cases. Legal AI must comply with data protection regulations and offer secure encryption for the storage and processing of information.
Key tip: check if the tool has certifications such as ISO 27001 or if its servers are hosted in GDPR-compliant regions.
A good legal AI should be easy to adopt without the need for lengthy training or complex configurations.
Key tip: request a demo before making a decision and evaluate whether the platform is intuitive and easy to implement.
Once you are clear about the functionalities you need, it is time to compare tools available on the market. Here is a practical strategy for doing so:
Choosing a legal AI is only the first step. To maximise its impact, follow these recommendations during implementation:
The adoption of legal AI does not end with its implementation. To ensure it continues to deliver value, consider these points:
Legal AI is not only a tool to optimise processes but also an opportunity for in-house lawyers to take on a more strategic role within their firms. By delegating repetitive tasks to artificial intelligence, legal teams can focus on what matters: negotiating better deals, minimising risks, and delivering business value with more informed decisions.
The real challenge is not whether to adopt legal AI, but how to do so in a way that is smart and aligned with the legal department's goals. The technology is here to stay and will evolve with those who know how to take advantage of it. Are you going to lead this change or be left behind?