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P E E R T O P E E R M A G A Z I N E · S U M M E R 2 0 2 5 23 Assuming the trajectory proves true, the question becomes: how do we design the human into modern legal workflows? How human should they be? Recently, the authors of this article, three knowledge and innovation professionals working in law firms and one co-founder of a company serving the legal- tech industry, participated in a panel discussion on AI Overload, a growing phenomenon brought on by the flood of GenAI tools entering the legal sector. It quickly became apparent that we were only scratching the surface of a far more fundamental phenomenon. Across our three firms, a few clear themes emerged: 1. Adopting AI tools has already become business as usual in many firms. 2. AI is driving demand for new forms of cross- functional collaboration and redefining roles, management committee is doing a fantastic job with leadership here by highlighting the expertise of the KM team. We honor that collaborative approach by pursuing constant dialogue with the practice groups so that they feel heard about what they think is important." This strategy avoids the risk of investing in capabilities that end-users are unaware of by front-loading change management efforts. It is also crucial to prevent the risk of application sprawl because lawyers have transparency in how their requirements are recorded and considered in the decision-making process. Part of making these efforts successful is offering real value to the lawyers who invest their time in the piloting and decision- making process. One way Stradley did this was through a significant investment in carefully designed, practical training. "This is why Stradley has sought out partnerships with fuelling momentum for innovation. 3. The pace of adoption is accelerating, driven by both top-down interest and bottom-up experimentation. In many ways, new norms have already been set irreversibly. While not every AI tool will withstand the test of time, the overall impact of disruptive AI is undeniable. It is reshaping legal workflows and transforming firm operations in ways more profound than even the transition to the cloud. Sarah Hirebet points out that a new challenge when investing, as Stradley Ronon has done in several preferred GenAI tools, is to control the noise and clearly articulate and communicate across the firm where and how these new capabilities can realistically support legal professionals. In particular, the communication between the practice groups and the knowledge team is key: "Our legal tech vendors, which have included co-creating the pioneering program Stradley Labs Legal GenAI Drivers Certification, which offers hands-on practice, hackathons, intensive support with ethics requirements and client communications, as well as 13 hours of CLE credits." Hirebet notes that Stradley finds vendor relationships bring far more value when they are willing to go beyond an exclusive focus on their platform and truly invest in helping lawyers build the core skills they need to embrace the transformative potential of GenAI thoughtfully. It does not take a rocket scientist to understand why many firms face a "do or die" moment - or at least, a seismic shift driven by a new technological paradigm. Yet, as stewards of our firms' intellectual property and data, not to mention the technology itself, we must ask ourselves: what kind of firm do we want to become? Should we be able to deliver legal work end-to-end with AI in just a few years? Are we prepared, ready, and willing to let human involvement decrease within legal workflows? Considering the five-to- ten-year horizon belongs firmly in today's strategic roadmap. Strategic direction Are we prepared, ready, and willing to let human involvement decrease within legal workflows?

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