Elli Peterson's TechCrunch

Three years ago, our corporate law practice faced a crisis that many firms quietly endure but rarely discuss openly: we were drowning in discovery requests, our contract review backlog stretched six weeks deep, and associates were billing 70-hour weeks just to keep pace. Traditional solutions—hiring more lawyers, outsourcing to LPOs, optimizing workflows—had reached their limits. That's when we began our journey into artificial intelligence, not as a trendy experiment but as an operational necessity. What followed taught us more about change management, technology integration, and the future of legal practice than any CLE course ever could. The initial skepticism was palpable. Partners questioned whether machines could handle the nuance of contractual interpretation, associates worried about their career trajectories, and our IT department raised valid concerns about data security in cloud-based systems. Yet the pressure to transform was undeniable. AI in Legal Operations wasn...

When our mid-sized corporate law practice first considered implementing artificial intelligence tools three years ago, we faced the same skepticism that pervades much of the legal profession. Partners questioned whether algorithms could truly understand the nuances of contract law. Associates worried about job security. Our IT team raised concerns about data privacy and client confidentiality. Looking back now, those early hesitations seem almost quaint given how fundamentally AI has transformed our approach to case management, e-discovery, and legal research. The journey hasn't been without missteps, false starts, and expensive lessons—but the insights we gained along the way have proven invaluable not just for our firm, but for any legal practice considering this inevitable transition. The decision to embrace AI in Legal Practice came after a particularly challenging quarter in 2023. We were drowning in discovery requests for a major securities litigation matter, and our traditi...