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Embrace The Future: How In-House Legal Professionals Can Thrive By Partnering With AI – Above the Law

I’ve
been
fortunate
to
witness
and
be
a
part
of
many
technological
revolutions
throughout
my
career.
From
the
dawn
of
the
internet
to
the
explosion
of
blockchain,
each
wave
of
innovation
has
had
the
power
to
propel
careers
forward.
Now,
we
stand
on
the
brink
of
another
transformative
wave:
artificial
intelligence
(AI).
For
in-house
legal
professionals,
AI
isn’t
just
a
buzzword

it’s
a
powerful
tool
that
can
enhance
our
work,
improve
efficiency,
and
drive
strategic
value
for
our
organizations.

In
my
recent
TEDx
talk,
“Why
We
Need
to
Evolve
Alongside
AI,”
I
explored
the
profound
impact
AI
can
have
on
our
professional
lives.
To
navigate
this
evolving
landscape,
I
introduced
a
high-level
TRACE
framework

Technological
Proficiency,
Responsible
Engagement,
Adaptable
Mindset,
Creative
Problem-Solving,
and
Emotional
Intelligence.

Here,
I’ll
break
down
each
step
with
practical
tips
tailored
specifically
for
corporate
legal
departments
on
how
to
integrate
AI
into
their
workflows.


Technological
Proficiency:
Mastering
The
Tools

The
first
step
is
to
build
technological
proficiency.
As
legal
professionals,
we
must
become
adept
at
using
AI
tools
to
stay
relevant
and
effective
in
our
roles.


Practical
Tips:


  1. Continuous
    Learning
    Programs
    :
    Develop
    and
    mandate
    AI
    training
    programs
    for
    your
    legal
    team.
    Partner
    with
    AI
    technology
    providers
    to
    offer
    hands-on
    workshops
    and
    certification
    courses.

  2. Pilot
    AI
    Tools
    :
    Implement
    AI
    tools
    on
    a
    small
    scale
    to
    handle
    specific
    tasks
    such
    as
    document
    review,
    contract
    analysis,
    and
    e-discovery.
    Evaluate
    their
    performance
    and
    scalability
    before
    broader
    deployment.


Responsible
Engagement:
Ethical
And
Thoughtful
AI
Use

Engaging
responsibly
with
AI
means
understanding
its
ethical
implications
and
ensuring
its
use
aligns
with
our
professional
standards.


Practical
Tips:


  1. Develop
    AI
    Usage
    Policies
    :
    Create
    clear
    policies
    that
    define
    acceptable
    AI
    use
    in
    your
    legal
    department.
    Include
    guidelines
    on
    data
    privacy,
    bias
    mitigation,
    and
    transparency.

  2. Regular
    Audits
    And
    Assessments
    :
    Establish
    a
    schedule
    for
    regular
    audits
    of
    AI
    systems
    to
    ensure
    compliance
    with
    ethical
    standards
    and
    regulatory
    requirements.


Adaptable
Mindset:
Embracing
Change

Change
can
be
daunting,
but
adapting
to
new
tools
and
methodologies
is
crucial
for
staying
competitive.
Embrace
the
shift
and
be
open
to
evolving
your
traditional
workflows.


Practical
Tips:


  1. Change
    Management
    Strategy
    :
    Develop
    a
    change
    management
    strategy
    that
    includes
    communication
    plans,
    training
    sessions,
    and
    support
    systems
    to
    help
    your
    team
    adapt
    to
    AI
    integration.

  2. Encourage
    Flexibility
    :
    Foster
    an
    adaptable
    mindset
    within
    your
    team
    by
    promoting
    flexibility
    and
    a
    willingness
    to
    embrace
    new
    technologies.
    Highlight
    success
    stories
    and
    benefits
    to
    build
    enthusiasm.


Creative
Problem-Solving:
Leveraging
AI
For
Innovation

AI
can
significantly
enhance
our
ability
to
solve
problems
creatively.
By
leveraging
AI,
we
can
find
innovative
solutions
to
complex
legal
challenges.


Practical
Tips:


  1. AI-Driven
    Brainstorming
    Sessions
    :
    Use
    AI
    tools
    to
    facilitate
    brainstorming
    sessions.
    For
    example,
    employ
    AI
    to
    analyze
    large
    datasets
    quickly,
    providing
    insights
    that
    can
    lead
    to
    innovative
    legal
    strategies.

  2. Benchmarking
    And
    Case
    Studies
    :
    Study
    successful
    AI
    implementations
    in
    other
    corporate
    legal
    departments.
    Use
    these
    case
    studies
    to
    inspire
    creative
    applications
    in
    your
    own
    department.


Emotional
Intelligence:
Balancing
Technology
With
Humanity

While
AI
can
handle
many
tasks,
emotional
intelligence
remains
a
uniquely
human
trait
that
is
essential
in
the
legal
profession.


Practical
Tips:


  1. Enhance
    Client
    Relations
    :
    Use
    AI
    to
    automate
    routine
    tasks
    such
    as
    document
    drafting
    and
    research,
    freeing
    up
    time
    for
    your
    team
    to
    focus
    on
    building
    stronger,
    more
    empathetic
    client
    relationships.

  2. Improve
    Team
    Dynamics
    :
    Implement
    AI
    tools
    to
    manage
    administrative
    tasks,
    allowing
    your
    legal
    team
    to
    engage
    in
    more
    meaningful
    and
    intellectually
    stimulating
    work.
    Encourage
    regular
    team
    meetings
    to
    discuss
    how
    AI
    can
    further
    support
    their
    roles.

Integrating
AI
into
your
corporate
legal
practice
is
not
just
about
keeping
up
with
technology

it’s
about
future-proofing
your
career
and
your
organization.
By
following
the
TRACE
framework,
you
can
build
a
solid
foundation
of
technological
proficiency,
engage
responsibly,
maintain
an
adaptable
mindset,
solve
problems
creatively,
and
balance
technology
with
emotional
intelligence.

Embracing
AI
will
not
only
enhance
your
efficiency
but
also
open
up
new
avenues
for
strategic
contribution
and
professional
growth.
As
someone
who
has
seen
firsthand
the
transformative
power
of
technology,
I
can
assure
you
that
partnering
with
AI
is
a
journey
worth
embarking
on.

Let’s
embrace
this
revolution
and
propel
our
careers
to
new
heights
together.




Olga MackOlga
V.
Mack



is
a
Fellow
at
CodeX,
The
Stanford
Center
for
Legal
Informatics,
and
a
Generative
AI
Editor
at
law.MIT.
Olga
embraces
legal
innovation
and
had
dedicated
her
career
to
improving
and
shaping
the
future
of
law.
She
is
convinced
that
the
legal
profession
will
emerge
even
stronger,
more
resilient,
and
more
inclusive
than
before
by
embracing
technology.
Olga
is
also
an
award-winning
general
counsel,
operations
professional,
startup
advisor,
public
speaker,
adjunct
professor,
and
entrepreneur.
She
authored 
Get
on
Board:
Earning
Your
Ticket
to
a
Corporate
Board
Seat
Fundamentals
of
Smart
Contract
Security
,
and  
Blockchain
Value:
Transforming
Business
Models,
Society,
and
Communities
. She
is
working
on
three
books:



Visual
IQ
for
Lawyers
(ABA
2024), The
Rise
of
Product
Lawyers:
An
Analytical
Framework
to
Systematically
Advise
Your
Clients
Throughout
the
Product
Lifecycle
(Globe
Law
and
Business
2024),
and
Legal
Operations
in
the
Age
of
AI
and
Data
(Globe
Law
and
Business
2024).
You
can
follow
Olga
on




LinkedIn



and
Twitter
@olgavmack.