In a recent interview with Business Insider…
Cozen O'Connor's Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, Andrew Woolf, discussed a challenge many law firms are currently facing…
AI pilot fatigue.
Law firms are being inundated with AI demos, software trials, and vendor pitches.
The result is that many firms find themselves evaluating so many tools that attorneys become overwhelmed and adoption stalls.
Different tools for different things…
Research, drafting, intake, note-taking, marketing, client communication.
Before long, the firm has paid for six different tools and nobody is using half of them.
Cozen's approach is instructive.
Rather than running as many AI pilots as possible, the firm has become more disciplined.
Before testing a new tool, they first define what success looks like.
They prioritize solutions that fit existing workflows, improve client outcomes, or make attorneys' lives easier.
There is a lesson here for firms of all sizes.
Instead of shopping for AI tools, it may be worth finding out what your biggest bottleneck is.
Some common ones are intake, client follow-up, document drafting, internal communication, knowledge management…
Start there.
You get a higher ROI from AI when you solve the most important problems.
As firms head into the second half of 2026, now may be an appropriate time to identify the one operational issue that, if solved, would create the greatest impact.
Everything else can wait.
Until next time,
The Legal Brief
P.S. The Legal Brief is currently offering complimentary AI strategy sessions for law firms.
During the session, we'll identify operational bottlenecks inside your practice and explore where AI and automation may create meaningful value.
To learn more, simply reply with "AI."