Settling the GenAI frontier: A guide for General Counsel

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As generative AI (GenAI) becomes increasingly integral to legal workflows, general counsel must lead the charge in adopting this innovative technology. The recent Generative AI in Professional Services Report from the Thomson Reuters Institute provides key insights from a global survey of professionals across multiple disciplines. From legal research to drafting, discover how corporate legal departments can effectively integrate GenAI into their operations. 

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Overview of GenAI’s impact on the legal profession

Strategic planning for GenAI adoption

Communicating GenAI benefits to business leaders

Ensuring ethical and responsible use of GenAI

Training and development for the law department

Measuring ROI and success metrics

The evolving role of General Counsel

Overview of GenAI’s impact on the legal profession

The legal profession is on the cusp of a technological revolution, driven by the rapid advancement of GenAI. According to the Generative AI in Professional Services Report, GenAI is poised to transform legal workflows by automating routine tasks, enhancing document review, and improving legal research. These advancements not only promise to increase efficiency and accuracy but also to free up legal professionals to focus on more strategic and high-value work. 

GenAI’s impact is already being felt in various areas of legal practice. For instance, GenAI tools can quickly analyze large volumes of legal documents, identify relevant clauses for a given prompt, and summarize content, significantly reducing the time and resources required for document review. Additionally, GenAI can assist in drafting legal briefs and memos, ensuring consistency and quality while reducing the risk of human error. 

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Strategic planning for GenAI adoption

Strategic planning is the foundation of successful GenAI adoption. General counsel must take a proactive approach to integrating GenAI into their legal departments. This involves several key steps: 

1. Assess current needs and capabilities: Begin by evaluating the current state of your legal department. Identify areas where GenAI can provide the most value, such as drafting, legal research, or spend management. Consider the technical capabilities of your team and the existing technology infrastructure. 
2. Set clear objectives: Define clear, measurable objectives for GenAI adoption. These objectives should align with the broader goals of the legal department and the organization. For example, you might aim to reduce the time spent on drafting by 50% or improve the accuracy of legal research by 30%. 
3. Develop a roadmap: Create a detailed roadmap for GenAI adoption, outlining the steps, timelines, and resources required. This roadmap should include pilot projects, training programs, and ongoing evaluation and refinement. 
4. Engage stakeholders: Involve key stakeholders, including business leaders, IT teams, and legal department staff, in the planning process. Their input and support are crucial for the successful implementation of GenAI. 

Communicating GenAI benefits to business leaders

Effective communication is essential for gaining the support of business leaders. General counsel must clearly articulate the benefits of GenAI and address any concerns or skepticism. Here are some key points to consider: 

1. Enhanced efficiency: GenAI can significantly reduce the time and resources required for routine legal tasks, allowing legal professionals to focus on more strategic work or reduce reliance on outside counsel. This can lead to cost savings and improved productivity. 
2. Improved accuracy: GenAI tools can analyze large volumes of data with high accuracy, reducing the risk of human error. This can enhance the quality of legal work and minimize the risk of legal disputes. 
3. Strategic insights: GenAI can provide valuable insights and analytics, helping legal departments make data-driven decisions. For example, GenAI can identify trends in legal cases and predict outcomes, enabling more informed decision-making. 
4. Competitive advantage: Early adopters of GenAI can gain a competitive advantage by leveraging the technology to deliver faster, more accurate, and more innovative legal services. 

Ensuring ethical and responsible use of GenAI

The ethical and responsible use of GenAI is a critical consideration for general counsel. As the technology becomes more prevalent, it is essential to establish clear guidelines and best practices to ensure that GenAI is used in a way that aligns with the organization’s values and legal standards. General counsel will also need to evaluate specific GenAI solutions with these concerns in mind — free or consumer-level tools will raise many more concerns than professional-grade applications built specifically for lawyers.

1. Data privacy and security: GenAI tools often require access to sensitive data. Ensure that data privacy and security measures are in place to protect client information and comply with relevant regulations. 
2. Transparency and explainability: GenAI should be transparent and explainable. Legal professionals should be able to understand how GenAI tools arrive at their conclusions and make decisions based on this information. 
3. Bias and fairness: GenAI can inadvertently perpetuate biases if not properly designed and monitored. Implement measures to detect and mitigate bias, ensuring that GenAI tools are fair and unbiased. 
4. Human oversight: While GenAI can automate many tasks, human oversight is still essential. Legal professionals should review and validate the output of GenAI tools to ensure accuracy and compliance. 

Training and development for the law department

The successful integration of GenAI requires a skilled and knowledgeable workforce. General counsel must invest in training and development programs to ensure that all team members are equipped to use GenAI effectively. 

1. Technical training: Provide training on the technical aspects of GenAI, including how to use specific tools and interpret their output. This training should be ongoing to keep up with the rapid advancements in the field. 
2. Ethical training: Educate department staff, both lawyers and others, on the ethical considerations of using GenAI, including data privacy, bias, and transparency. This training should emphasize the importance of responsible use. 
3. Change management: Implement change management strategies to help legal professionals adapt to new technologies and workflows. This may include mentoring programs, peer support, and regular feedback sessions.

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Measuring ROI and success metrics

To demonstrate the value of GenAI, general counsel must establish clear metrics for measuring return on investment (ROI) and success. These metrics should be aligned with the objectives set during the strategic planning phase. 

1. Time and cost savings: Track the time and cost savings achieved through the use of GenAI. For example, measure the reduction in time spent on document review and the associated cost savings. 
2. Accuracy and quality: Monitor the accuracy and quality of legal work produced with GenAI. Compare the output of GenAI tools to traditional methods to assess improvements. 
3. Client satisfaction: Gather feedback from clients to gauge their satisfaction with GenAI-enhanced legal services. This can provide valuable insights into the perceived value and impact of GenAI. 
4. Innovation and strategic impact: Evaluate the strategic impact of GenAI, such as the ability to take on more complex cases or provide more innovative legal solutions. 

The evolving role of General Counsel

As GenAI continues to evolve, the role of general counsel is also evolving. General counsel must not only be legal experts but also technology leaders, guiding their organizations through the GenAI frontier. By adopting a strategic approach to GenAI, communicating its benefits, ensuring ethical use, and investing in training and development, general counsel can position their legal departments for success in the digital age. 

To learn more about how law departments, their businesses, and other professionals are navigating the future of GenAI, read the full report.