A practical guide to AI legal software

Start with the problem, not the label

“Legal AI” covers very different products and uses. Begin by identifying the specific task that is slow, repetitive, document-heavy, or difficult to review. Then assess whether a focused tool can assist that task without obscuring the sources, assumptions, or final decision.

Evaluate the workflow end to end

Assess what information enters the tool, how the output is produced, what sources can be checked, and who approves the result. A strong evaluation considers the workflow around the model as well as the wording of a demonstration answer.

• Feature scope, authorised inputs, and expected outputs.
• Privacy, confidentiality, security, provider, and retention arrangements.
• Source traceability, output limitations, human review, and escalation.

Pilot a defined use case

Choose a practical workflow such as preparing a chronology, locating a starting set of authorities, comparing two drafts, or creating a first draft from an approved template. Use representative material that the team is authorised to process and compare the result with the existing review process.

Decide what good adoption looks like

A useful pilot measures more than speed. It should show whether reviewers can understand the source material, catch errors, apply professional judgment, and work consistently with the team’s governance requirements. Expand only when the controls and outcomes are clear.