Whether your law firm is still exploring or you are ready to go big, here’s how legal marketers can guide the way toward smart, sustainable and ethical legal AI adoption.
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By now, you’ve heard the message loud and clear: Artificial intelligence is changing the game. But in law firms, especially those that lean traditional, the big question is how to start using AI in a way that’s smart, ethical and sustainable. That’s where legal marketers come in.
Whether you’re the solo marketer in your firm or part of a larger department, you have the vantage point, and the skill set, to help your firm move from curiosity to action.
How Legal Marketers Can Step Up AI Adoption
AI doesn’t have to be a mysterious future concept. Legal marketing and business development professionals can lead the charge right now. Here are five practical steps to take.
1. Start the Conversation with Firm Leadership
You don’t need to have all the answers to begin the dialogue. Start with what you know. Talk with firm leaders about where AI is already showing up in law firm marketing and legal practice. Frame it as a business conversation:
- What do clients expect?
- What efficiencies are possible?
- How are competitors positioning themselves?
Suggest visible ways the firm can show it is not asleep at the wheel — whether through updated web messaging, a short blog series on AI and the law, or small internal pilots. These external signals matter. They show clients (and potential recruits) that your firm is forward-thinking.
2. Draft a First Version of the Firm’s AI Policy
AI policy doesn’t need to be a heavy lift. Start with what you know: how marketing and business development might responsibly use tools like ChatGPT or other content-generating software. Outline what’s allowed, what needs review and where human oversight is non-negotiable.
Even a draft policy gives the firm something to react to and improve. Plus, it sends a message that the firm is proactively thinking about risk, opportunity and client trust.
3. Identify Internal AI Advocates
Chances are, someone in your firm is already exploring AI tools — whether they’ve mentioned it in a meeting or not. Maybe they’ve automated a contract draft or used AI to outline a CLE talk. Legal marketers are often the ones who spot these early adopters. Support them. Encourage them. Help them share what they’re learning.
These individuals can become internal champions or even lead a new AI-focused practice initiative. You don’t need to be the AI expert. You just need to help create the conditions for innovation to grow.
4. Use Coaching to Personalize AI Adoption
If you offer business development coaching to attorneys, this is an ideal place to bring in AI. In these one-on-one conversations, you can introduce practical ways to save time and improve client service:
- Automating client alerts and check-ins.
- Drafting follow-up emails.
- Creating first drafts of proposals or bios.
- Researching prospects more efficiently.
These aren’t hypotheticals — they’re time-savers that reduce non-billable hours while helping lawyers stay visible and client-focused.
5. Stay Current and Lead by Example
AI is evolving fast, and one of the best ways to build trust is to experiment with the tools yourself. Explore platforms like Jasper, GrammarlyGO, ChatGPT, or Canva’s AI features to speed up content creation, improve personalization or analyze campaign performance.
By testing tools in your own workflow, you’ll quickly identify what’s useful, what’s noise and where the real value lies. That firsthand experience makes you a more credible guide to attorneys who may be skeptical — or simply overwhelmed.
Once you can show lawyers how AI can lift some of the burden from their non-billable time, your case for adoption becomes undeniable. You’re not just recommending change — you’re modeling it.
Bottom Line: Legal Marketers Can Lead in AI
You don’t need a technical background to drive your firm’s exploration of AI. You need curiosity, a willingness to initiate the conversation, and a plan to keep it moving forward. Whether your firm is dipping a toe in or ready to dive deep, legal marketers are in a prime position to guide the way — with strategy, clarity and a firm eye on the client experience.
Image © iStockPhoto.com.
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