51.6% of Clients Just Sent Law Firms a Gen AI Mandate

Thoughts and expectations speak louder than words.

Clients change their expectations of law firms all the time – and don’t tell them. Corporate counsel are too busy with their own sets of challenges. And few law firms ask.

And this time, it’s about Gen AI – not as a tool, but as a test. A test of who can use it to get better outcomes, faster insights, and smarter answers.

Our new survey of corporate counsel reveals a silent but stark shift in thinking. Here’s what we found:

51.6% of corporate counsel now embrace their law firm’s use of Gen AI – up sharply from 31.2% last year.

Here’s why – things are crazy complex, chaotic, and clients want better ideas:

• Clients want a creative edge as they tackle more business issues, especially in:
  • Litigation
  • Regulatory
  • Labor & employment
  • M&A

• Clients believe Gen AI can spark new thinking by:
  • Acting as a brainstorming tool
  • Time shifting outside counsel time to more strategic issues

• Clients expect law firms to have built safe, smart ways to use Gen AI on client matters

• The novelty has worn off; acceptance has replaced curiosity

Corporate counsel thirst for creative approaches tops all else, rivaled only by risk management. They are starting to think law firms who don’t embrace Gen AI are ignoring a key tool. They expect law firms to manage the risk of using it. This shift marks the moment Gen AI moves from experiment to expectation.

The conversation between law firms and clients has fundamentally changed. This is no longer an innovation initiative – it’s a client development and retention imperative. Clients want to see AI in action.

Inaction on Gen AI is becoming a red flag.

Embrace it. Talk about using it. Deliver more insight. Then – enjoy the rewards of being on the leading edge of the curve.