AI and the future of legal services: leadership, responsibility and opportunity

Emma Waddingham - Founder & Editor, Legal News Wales

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Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant concept for the legal profession. It is already shaping how legal services are delivered, how firms operate and how lawyers spend their time.

Across the sector, the conversation has moved beyond whether AI will have an impact. The real question now is how law firms can adopt the technology responsibly while continuing to deliver trusted professional advice.

From document analysis to legal research and workflow automation, AI tools are already changing how lawyers work.

But while the technology itself is evolving quickly, the real challenge facing law firms is not simply adopting new tools. It is understanding how those tools will reshape the structure, culture and business models of legal practice.

At the recent LegalTech Wales Roadshow event in Cardiff hosted by Legal News Wales, with Ogi Pro, PureCyber and Osprey Approach, legal leaders, regulators and technology specialists came together to explore what responsible AI adoption might look like for the profession. One of the key themes was that AI adoption is fundamentally a leadership issue, not simply a technology project.

Rupert Poole, Chief Technology Officer and AI Director at Hugh James, has been leading a significant AI programme within the firm. His view is clear: successful adoption starts with strategy and education.

“AI is not about IT,” he explained. “Anyone who thinks they can simply ask their IT department to ‘sort AI’ is missing the point. It’s about the business and the strategy.”

Education has therefore become central to the firm’s approach. Lawyers are encouraged to understand how the technology works before adopting tools in practice.

Helen Barry, Director and Head of Residential Conveyancing at Robertsons Solicitors, described the current mood within many regional firms as a mixture of anxiety and optimism.

“The conversation swings between people being scared to death that AI will take their jobs and people being really excited about the opportunities,” she said.

In areas such as conveyancing, where large volumes of administrative tasks are involved, AI could eventually automate significant parts of the process.

“One day it could be the solicitor’s computer talking directly to the bank’s computer,” Helen suggested.

But she emphasised that this does not remove the need for lawyers. Instead, it changes where lawyers add value.

“It means we can spend more time focusing on complex work and guiding clients through the process.”

For Simon Drinkwater, Founder of Vantor Advisory, the key challenge for organisations is clarity of purpose.

“You have to start by understanding what your business actually is and where it’s going,” he said. “Only then can you decide how AI fits into that future.”

Regulation will also play an important role in shaping how the technology is used.

Aisling O’Connell, Head of Innovation Policy at the Solicitors Regulation Authority, emphasised that while innovation is welcome, professional responsibility remains firmly with solicitors.

“Firms remain responsible for the outputs,” she said. “AI should support professional judgement, not replace it.”

Another crucial issue for many organisations is data.

Amy Bruce, Marketing Director at Osprey Approach and host of the Empowering Law Firm Leaders podcast, regularly speaks with managing partners and transformation leaders across the sector.

Her experience suggests that many firms are still at an early stage of preparing their data for AI.

“If your data is in a mess, you’re never going to get value from AI,” Amy said. “Data governance is the foundation for everything that follows.”

As the legal profession navigates this transition, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: artificial intelligence is unlikely to replace lawyers, but it will change how legal services are delivered and where human expertise adds the greatest value.

Law firms that succeed with AI may not necessarily be those with the most advanced technology, but those with the clearest strategy and leadership.