Why is one of the most intellectually rigorous professions still hesitant about artificial intelligence?
That’s the question we unpacked in the latest Crespect Talks episode, hosted by Karolina Šilingienė, Co-founder of Crespect, together with two industry leaders who see the legal sector’s transformation up close:
- Lembit Loo – Strategic Advisor & Transformation Expert, sharing lessons from global institutions on overcoming digital resistance.
- David Baskerville – LegalTech Consultant, advising top firms on AI adoption, governance, and risk management.
Together, they explored why law firms – built on intellect, precedent, and precision – often struggle to embrace the technologies they intellectually know are inevitable. And more importantly: what firms can concretely do next.
AI resistance in law isn’t technical – it’s psychological
Law firms aren’t held back by technology maturity – they’re held back by identity, precedent, and control.
As Lembit noted, across industries, the blockers are rarely technical – they’re rooted in fear of losing professional status, authority, or mastery.
Law firms reward precedent and risk-aversion, making innovation feel like a threat rather than an opportunity.
The key shift is from “Will AI work?” to: “How do we make AI work for our firm and our clients?”
Partnership with AI is the next frontier of professional excellence
The future isn’t automation – it’s collaboration between human and machine intelligence.
According to Lembit, partnership unfolds on three levels:
– Strategic: lawyers guide AI toward insight
– Operational: AI drafts, compares, analyses, and predicts as an invisible team member
– Ethical: humans remain the moral compass that defines fairness and accountability
This evolution shifts legal work away from mechanical review and toward interpretive leadership. AI becomes a multiplier of human expertise.
The billable hour paradox – innovation is punished
Latest PwC’s findings from the Law Firms Survey highlight a structural contradiction: firms admit automation will reduce hours, yet almost none want to move away from the billable hour.
David highlighted that firms are squeezed from both sides:
– Clients expect AI-enabled efficiency
– But firms struggle to recharge AI investments or justify costs
The billable hour is more than a pricing model – it is the cultural engine of resistance.
As Lembit puts it, it was built for a pre-intelligent economy where time equalled value – but that logic no longer holds.
Myths still dominate the conversation – and slow firms down
The biggest myth? That AI will only “assist” lawyers without reshaping the profession.
Reality is more nuanced:
– Routine and commoditised work will be automated
– Strategic, judgment-based work becomes more valuable
– The risk isn’t replacement – it’s stagnation
David emphasised the real risks firms should manage: expectation vs reality gaps, data leakage, weak model traceability, and governance – not fears about replacement.
Smart firms start small – and learn fast
The most successful firms follow a simple, repeatable approach:
– Pick one real business problem
– Start with a small, measurable pilot
– Define success criteria on one page
– Expect some failures – the first project is a learning return, not an ROI calculation
– Scale only what works
Lembit highlighted: adoption becomes easier once the organisation builds a rhythm of experimentation and reflection.
Client value is the real accelerator for adoption
The fastest path from fear to opportunity is connecting AI directly to client outcomes:
– Faster turnaround
– Stronger due diligence
– Proactive risk detection
– More strategic recommendations
– Greater transparency and accountability
When firms show clients how AI improves accuracy and responsiveness, AI stops being a tech initiative and becomes a competitive advantage.
Leadership must evolve – from billing to learning
Transformation becomes sustainable when three elements align:
– Mindset: seeing AI as a strategic partner
– Metrics: rewarding foresight and collaboration
– Leadership: modelling curiosity and continuous learning
When all three shift together, law firms stop fearing efficiency and begin celebrating intelligence as a new form of value.
The Crespect perspective
At Crespect, we believe AI-native practice management shouldn’t feel futuristic – it should feel practical.
We’re building software that doesn’t just store a firm’s data but actively helps lawyers manage tasks, uncover insights, and work smarter every day.
Because the future of legal work isn’t fewer humans – it’s more human value, amplified by intelligence.
