AI ROI reality check for small and midsize law firms
AI ROI in law is about more than spend and savings. It's proof that your team can work faster, serve better, and grow smart. Firms with visible AI strategies report a 3.9x higher ROI than firms without a plan. That's the second-highest multiplier across the professional services surveyed.
- Law firms with AI strategies achieve 3.9x higher ROI than non-adopters.
- CoCounsel delivers 63% faster document review and doubles relevant case discovery rates.
- Firms report time savings, expanded services, and stronger client satisfaction.
Why ROI is showing up now
Small and midsize firms are using AI to do more with lean teams and fixed budgets. The advantage comes from tight integrations and steady workflows, not shiny features.
CoCounsel Legal plugs into what lawyers already use - Westlaw Precision, Practical Law Dynamic Tool Set, Microsoft 365, and select DMS platforms - so the work stays in one flow. Reported results: 63% faster document review and contract drafting, twice as many relevant cases found in the same window, and roughly 10% more capacity without adding headcount. That can free up to 12 hours per attorney each week for strategy, clients, and business development.
Five firms, five proofs
Hawaii Disability Legal Services
Diane Haar's team serves clients across the Hawaiian Islands and Pacific territories. Westlaw Precision with CoCounsel helps her manage the distance without sacrificing quality. "The time savings is massive, and time is money."
Her approach is disciplined: use AI-Assisted Research to get direction, then verify. "You always need to double-check the work. You still have to read the cases."
Valiant Law
Seven years in, attorney Safa Riadh calls CoCounsel's impact "unreal." He handles more matters while keeping standards high, and he's expanded into practice areas he previously avoided because of research demands. "When I can solve somebody's problem quicker, not only is my client happy with me, but my reputation in the community is strengthened."
AI helps him ramp fast. "Westlaw with CoCounsel gives me language from the statutes or case law themselves to quickly understand what I need to understand and then apply it." For him, adoption is part of the duty of competence: "If I know there are tools out there to help me do my job better and more efficiently, then I should be using those tools."
Bochetto & Lentz, P.C.
With 13 lawyers handling matters from investigations to complex commercial litigation, Partner David Heim and Associate Kiersty DeGroote use CoCounsel tools - Westlaw Precision with CoCounsel and CoCounsel for Drafting - to tighten turnaround without losing rigor.
Heim recently summarized a dense 50-page scientific report and drafted a letter from the output. What normally took half a day was done in under an hour. The consistent workflow across tools made it smooth.
DeGroote's take: aim for a strong starting point, then verify like you would any source. "It's like reviewing opposing counsel's brief. You still have to verify what's cited - but that doesn't mean it's wrong. It's part of the process." Heim adds, "It makes lawyers more efficient. It allows us to accomplish way more in a day than we could without it."
Zarwin Baum
The team adopted AI with intention, not hype. "What used to take hours, we can do in minutes," says shareholder Ross DiBono. "It doesn't change the work; it just changes what we have to focus on."
They chose CoCounsel for safeguards, a closed system, and integrations. "The nice thing when we looked at Thomson Reuters was that we could combine CoCounsel with Westlaw and have the drafting in one place," says Managing Shareholder Lisa Slotkin.
For Chairman of Litigation Ted Schaer, responsiveness is the win: "What CoCounsel has allowed us to do is efficiently manage massive amounts of data and become more responsive to our clients' needs, in a timelier fashion. I'm getting back to my clients faster, with more concise and cogent responses."
Laffey Bucci D'Andrea Reich & Ryan
Attorney Guy D'Andrea supports survivors through complex, sensitive matters. Westlaw's AI-Assisted Research sets the foundation and has cut his research time by up to 80%, freeing capacity for client care.
For huge document sets, CoCounsel builds clarity fast. "I'll have a summary that's near perfect and a timeline that outlines every significant event contextually in less than seven minutes. It saves us weeks!" The timelines reduce client anxiety ahead of depositions and help clients feel prepared and in control - critical in survivor-focused work.
What these results mean for your practice
- Capacity without overhead: reclaim hours for strategy, client contact, and BD.
- Service expansion: take on new matters with faster proficiency ramp-up.
- Better client experience: faster, clearer answers and more proactive updates.
- Quality control stays central: AI gives the draft; the lawyer ensures accuracy and relevance.
How to capture ROI in 30 days
- Pick one workflow to upgrade first: document review, research, or drafting.
- Define your verification steps: always read controlling authorities and check citations with your citator.
- Work inside your ecosystem: keep research, drafting, and summaries in the same toolchain.
- Track time saved weekly: measure hours reclaimed and where they go (strategy, client updates, trial prep).
- Set usage norms: matter-level confidentiality rules, approval for client-facing output, and clear escalation points. For a risk framework reference, see the NIST AI Risk Management Framework here.
- Share wins internally: a 15-minute weekly huddle to review what worked and refine prompts and checklists.
The ROI reality is clear
These five firms are part of a growing community of 20,000+ firms and legal departments using professional-grade AI to save time, widen services, and focus on higher-value work. The pattern is consistent: tighter workflows, faster outputs, and better client moments - all with lawyer oversight.
If your next step is team enablement, consider building practical skills with curated AI training for legal roles here.
Work smarter with CoCounsel - seamlessly integrated with Westlaw, Practical Law, Microsoft 365, and DMS partners - and keep the accuracy and reliability your clients expect.
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