Most AI projects in law firms don’t fail on the technology. They fail because the firm wasn’t ready — the data was a mess, no one owned the decision, or the chosen workflow didn’t actually hurt enough to change behaviour. Here’s a readiness check to run before you spend a dollar.
1. Do you know which tasks actually cost you?
Not “where could AI help” in the abstract — which specific, repetitive tasks are eating your fee earners’ time? The share transfer forms, the BAS deadlines, the chronologies. This task-level view is the first thing we produce in our Map phase, and it’s where most firms discover the real opportunities aren’t the obvious ones.
2. Is your data accessible?
AI is only as good as what it can see. Precedents locked in individuals’ inboxes, matter history scattered across systems — that’s a data problem to solve first.
3. Who owns the decision?
Projects with no clear sponsor stall. A partner or innovation lead needs to own the outcome, not just sign the invoice.
4. Have you decided build vs buy — per task?
It’s not one decision. Commodity tasks lean toward buying; the workflows that make your firm distinctive lean toward building. We unpack this in build vs buy.
5. Can you meet your obligations?
Data residency, supervision, confidentiality — if a tool can’t satisfy your professional duties and keep data sovereign, it’s a non-starter regardless of how good the demo looked.
Scoring yourself
Confident on all five? You’re ready to move. Shaky on two or more? Start there — readiness work is cheaper than a failed rollout.
If you’d like a structured read on where your firm sits, book a call and we’ll walk through it with you.