How AI Work Culture is Shaping Law?

What kind of difference will there be between a lawyer working with AI support and a lawyer who remains attached to traditional methods in five years?

This question has become one of the most critical topics in the legal world today.

The speed of technological development, especially considering the integration of AI applications into legal practice, is inevitably changing the ways of doing business. Legal professionals who adapt to this transformation are moving to a faster, more efficient, and more strategic working model, while maintaining competitiveness becomes more difficult every day for those who remain attached to traditional methods.

We address this inevitable change in legal practice and how lawyers can position themselves in this process in this article.

The Crossroads Awaiting the Legal Sector in 3 Years

The legal sector is at perhaps the most distinct transformation threshold in its history. Especially in the last two years, the rapid development of AI technologies and their integration into practical legal processes has created a new working model for legal professionals.

The problem is very clear: The difference between AI-supported lawyers and those who remain attached to traditional methods is deepening every year. And the next 3 years will be a critical period when this difference becomes decisive.

According to current reports: While the AI usage rate in law offices was only 11% in 2023, this rate has risen to 30% as of 2024. In large-scale law firms, intensive usage is observed at 47-46% levels. (Source: LexisNexis, Thomson Reuters)

77% of legal professionals believe that AI will have a transformative effect on the profession in the next 5 years. 72% see this transformation as a positive development. This shows that the sector is generally preparing to adapt to technology.

However, what will make the real difference is the "time and competition" difference between legal professionals who adapt early to this process and those who remain distant from the process.

According to Deloitte and LexisNexis research, it is predicted that up to 40% of repetitive tasks can be done with AI and efficiency can increase up to ten times in many processes. Academic studies show that 92% accuracy rate and up to 99% cost reduction can be achieved in areas such as contract review.

Corporate customers will expect AI-supported solutions as standard from law offices and lawyers who are their business partners within the next three years. According to surveys, 91% of legal departments state that they will request their business partners to document their use of AI technology.

This means:

Law offices that are not integrated with AI technology will lose not only time but directly competitive power. Lawyers who can produce fast and accurate services and work with an AI-supported assistant will be positioned in more strategic positions in the coming years.

How Does the Efficiency, Speed, and Quality Advantage of a Lawyer Working with an AI Assistant Increase?

In traditional legal practice, a large part of a lawyer's time is devoted to repetitive and high-attention-requiring tasks such as research, document review, case law scanning, and initial draft production.

These processes are not only time-wasting but also processes open to human error.

AI-supported legal technologies make a clear difference at this point. On one hand, they increase efficiency, while on the other hand, they raise the speed and quality of legal work.

In terms of efficiency, AI systems can scan millions of pages of case law, legislation, and case data at a speed far above the speed a lawyer can access. A research process that would take hours for a lawyer can be completed in minutes with an AI-supported assistant. This means not just time savings, but a fundamental redesign of workflows.

Today, many law firms report 40% to 50% time savings per file thanks to AI-supported tools.

The speed factor is directly related to customer expectations. Corporate and individual clients now want to reach more accurate information in a shorter time. A lawyer working with an AI-supported assistant can meet this expectation. It becomes possible to produce much faster and more comprehensive responses to a client question or research need related to a case process compared to previous years. This provides an important competitive advantage that strengthens customer satisfaction and client loyalty.

From a quality perspective, AI technologies not only increase speed but also expand the scope of access to information. It is possible for a system that is not dependent on human memory and individual experience to quickly scan thousands of case laws and legal sources. In this way, more balanced, consistent, and high-quality legal analyses and documents can be prepared. It also contributes to more professional content production in terms of language and writing, which directly positively affects the quality and persuasiveness of legal arguments.

So is this just a matter of technology, or does the culture of the legal profession have to change too?

The answer is very clear: the legal profession cannot be satisfied with just learning technological tools; it must also transform culturally.

In many law firms today, the time-based billing model and "hours worked" focused value perception still stand out. However, client expectations are now differentiating: Faster, more accurate, and more strategic solutions are being demanded. That is, not just the hours spent, but the final value produced becomes important.

The lawyer of the future will not only be a professional who "does faster research" but will also become a consultant who can produce higher added value with AI-supported tools and develop more refined solutions to complex legal problems.

Leagle, developed in line with this vision, as Turkey's first AI-supported legal platform, enables lawyers to work more efficiently, quickly, and effectively with technology.

Leagle supports legal professionals' adaptation to the new era with its data structure specific to the Turkish legal system, high accuracy rate, and secure usage infrastructure, while also advancing the profession's value production method.