AI in Legal Practice: Skills, Empathy, and the Future of Law

Embracing AI in Legal Practice: What Lawyers Need to Know

In a recent discussion with Sam Moore, Senior Director of Innovation at SkillBurst Interactive (now part of BARBRI), we explored how lawyers can adapt to AI tools and the shifting legal tech environment. Sam’s core mission is to help attorneys bridge the gap between technology and their daily practice.

Why Lawyers Often Resist New Technology

Sam shared his experience working directly with lawyers struggling with unfamiliar tools. The main challenge is that lawyers rarely have input in designing these tools, which leads to frustration and resistance. It’s not about laziness; it’s about lacking control and clear understanding. Sam points out that lawyers need meaningful reasons to change—benefits that resonate personally, not just corporate or client-focused advantages.

What Makes AI Different from Past Legal Tech

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT stand apart for three key reasons:

• Enthusiasm: AI excites lawyers more than earlier tech like e-signatures. It’s a topic they discuss beyond work.
• Invasiveness: AI integrates into everyday applications like Microsoft Office and Slack, making it unavoidable.
• Data Access: AI lets lawyers query and analyze data quickly, turning raw information into useful insights without deep tech skills.

Sam’s advice for firms is to welcome this enthusiasm but balance it with clear policies and opportunities to test AI safely.

Adoption Challenges: Feeling Out of Control

AI features appearing unannounced—such as auto-summarization in Microsoft Teams or Zoom transcription—can confuse lawyers. Sam compares it to suddenly having new buttons appear on a car dashboard. To address this, education is key. Lawyers must learn AI’s strengths and limitations, like its occasional errors with dates or deadlines, to use it confidently and responsibly.

Data: An Untapped Asset for Lawyers

One of AI’s most promising uses is unlocking private legal data. Sam recalled spending over a day manually finding contracts related to a UK contractor collapse. AI can now perform this task in minutes, summarizing relevant documents. This frees lawyers to focus on higher-value work.

With AI, legal professionals can:

• Serve clients more efficiently.
• Create new advisory services based on data insights.
• Increase their value by offering previously inaccessible information.

Rethinking Legal Education

The skills gap affects lawyers at all career stages. Sam suggests shifting educational focus:

• Drop: Highly specific practice tasks like drafting meeting minutes or wills, which can be learned on the job.
• Add: Transferable skills such as critical thinking and empathy. Understanding the purpose behind tasks is as important as executing them.

Empathy is often overlooked but vital. Exposure to other fields like healthcare or creative exercises such as role-playing can help lawyers develop this skill.

Showing Up Matters

Sam’s simple but powerful advice: show up. Attend events, participate in discussions, and try new tools. Lifelong learning is the most important skill for staying relevant. “Never think you’ve learned everything you need to,” he says. “Keep showing up.”

Practical Takeaways for Legal Professionals

• Experiment Safely: Start AI use with low-risk tasks—ask ChatGPT to summarize a topic or suggest a simple recipe.
• Embrace Data: Use AI to gain insights from private legal data, improving efficiency and client service.
• Focus on Core Skills: Critical thinking, empathy, and a commitment to continuous learning are essential.

For those interested in expanding AI skills relevant to legal practice, exploring courses on Complete AI Training can offer practical guidance tailored to legal professionals.

Final Thoughts

AI is reshaping how lawyers work, but it’s not about replacing legal professionals. Instead, it’s about empowering them to do more, smarter, and faster. The best approach is to stay curious, start small, and keep learning.