Sarah Murphy, general manager of legal technology company Clio International, shares practical advice on how to implement AI responsibly and safely in legal services.
A transformational opportunity for the legal sector has arrived in the form of AI. AI tools can automate tedious tasks and augment human reasoning to make lawyers both more effective and more efficient. The potential to grow revenue and increase profitability is immense.
But as the use of AI in firms moves from sporadic experiments to robust integration, supported by government funding, there is a growing risk that adoption occurs without appropriate guard rails. We’ve all seen the stories. Hallucinations are popping up in court documents for high stakes matters. Client privacy remains a salient concern, as does bias in AI models and transparency on AI use.
‘Good enough’ technology is costing firms
On the surface, the UK legal sector appears comfortable with its current technology. Recent data showed that 85% of UK lawyers were satisfied or very satisfied with their current legal technology.
But that satisfaction masks a significant productivity problem. The same research found that 50% of UK lawyers lose six hours or more each week to complicated or outdated technology. Over the course of a year, that equates to more than 42 working days lost. To put it into perspective, this is the equivalent of a business starting the fiscal year in March, while their competitors began in January.
That lost time has a direct commercial impact. It reduces billable work, client responsiveness, service quality and a firm’s ability to take on new matters. It also reduces the time lawyers have for valuable advisory work and actively developing the business.
Contrary to popular belief, this problem is not solved by simply having AI in the room. Much of the technology used in legal firms already has some form of AI features embedded. Yet those tools are not being used to their full potential, impacting scattered tasks rather than entire workflows. When used in the right way, AI offers a practical route to reclaiming some of this lost capacity, particularly by reducing repetitive administrative tasks, improving matter management and helping lawyers deliver exceptional client work.
AI as a growth enabler, not just an efficiency tool
AI is often discussed narrowly as an automation tool. But for small and mid-sized practices in particular, it can help drive profitable growth. From streamlining client intake and drafting routine documents to summarising case histories and improving billing accuracy, AI can save time, facilitate better legal work, and free lawyers to take on additional clients.
These are not abstract benefits. They can be directly linked to growth and profitability. A firm that responds faster with stronger legal advice is better positioned to attract and retain clients. A firm that manages matters more consistently and improves efficiency can serve more clients without increasing headcount. This is where AI helps set the foundations for growth as well as productivity.
Why governance is the real gap
Many lawyers are already experimenting with AI in some form. However, the research highlighted that only 39% of UK firms have strong AI policies and oversight in place. That means the majority are operating with partial guidance, limited guardrails or in the worst case, no clear framework.
This distinction matters. The bigger risk is not that firms are failing to adopt AI, but that official rollouts and governance are not keeping pace with actual use. Without approved, secure and purpose-built tools, staff may turn to unsecure platforms to save time. This creates the conditions for shadow AI – the use of unsanctioned tools outside the firm’s visibility and control. Legal work demands robust confidentiality and strong data privacy. It also requires legal AI backed by comprehensive data to mitigate hallucinations. Considering the stakes for the modern law firm, the risk of shadow AI is not an insignificant concern.
The case for secure, legal-specific AI
Legal work involves confidential and regulated information, and that makes the choice of AI platform critical. Firms need tools designed around legal workflows, permissions, auditability, security and data protection. They also need AI backed by legal data to reduce hallucinations and surface reliable citations. Purpose-built legal AI can provide a safer pathway than ad hoc experimentation with consumer tools, particularly when it is embedded into existing systems and governed by clear policies.
Once the decision is made to implement legal AI, vendor selection becomes important. Firms should look for providers who can showcase transparent data ownership, strong cybersecurity credentials and clear governance capabilities. The other point to consider is the hidden cost of switching providers. UK law firms pay an average of £12,888 to retrieve their own data when leaving a software provider, which means that it is even more critical to make the right choice in the first instance. Vendor selection becomes a strategic decision as the right platform can directly support revenue growth. The wrong one can create lock-in, friction and risk.
An intentional shift towards the ‘right’ technology
Growing client expectations, increasing government support for legal innovation and rapidly maturing AI capabilities, have provided a clear opportunity for firms to modernise how they operate and deliver services. But taking advantage of that opportunity requires more than technology investment alone. Legal firm leaders need to start with a clear idea of how AI will benefit their organisation and demonstrate a commitment and a willingness to approach AI strategically. This means ensuring that the right governance, safeguards and education are in place before selecting the right tool.
The evaluation process should not be treated lightly either, and it’s critical for leaders to have clear criteria for tool selection. Ask yourself the following questions: What are your primary objectives for using AI? Are you trying to save time, boost efficiency, or reduce errors (or all of the above)? Are there specific areas where AI could be most impactful? For example, staying organised or reviewing key documents? Consider not just bottlenecks in your workflow – this can help pinpoint where AI can step in to streamline operations and resolve issues – but if the tool cites its sources and offers sufficient security measures.
Finally, AI implementation is only the beginning. Continuous monitoring and evaluation will keep legal leaders abreast of how the tool is actually being used and which features are going overlooked. In this way, they can have a true view of how AI is benefiting their practice and how it supports their long-term vision of success.
About the author
Sarah Murphy is the general manager of Clio International, overseeing EMEA, APAC, and Canada for Clio, the global leader in legal technology. With a strong emphasis on innovation, she leads and inspires her teams, ensuring Clio remains at the forefront of transforming the legal experience across these diverse regions.
