Session from 27th February 2025
In a recent Platforum9 session, Uwais Iqbal, founder of AI consultancy Simplexico, shared insights on how law firms can develop effective AI use cases. With his background in theoretical physics and experience at companies like Eigen Technologies and Thomson Reuters Innovation Lab, Iqbal approaches legal AI from a technologist’s perspective.
Education First, Use Cases Second
Iqbal emphasised that education must precede use case development. Due to marketing hype, many legal professionals have inflated expectations about AI, viewing it as a magical solution requiring minimal effort. This leads to “shiny object syndrome” (purchasing technology simply because it’s trendy) and FOMO-driven implementations.
Proper education demystifies the technology and enables more productive conversations about specific applications relevant to a firm’s practice areas.
Context Matters
The appropriate AI applications vary based on a firm’s size and focus. “If you’re a large firm, there might be areas where AI could introduce cost savings. If you’re a mid-sized firm doing volume-based work, AI can help you create scale,” Iqbal explained.
The key is identifying existing bottlenecks in legal service delivery before considering whether AI could solve these problems.
The Data Reality
“I’ve yet to meet a firm who has the data pristine and clean,” Iqbal admitted. With AI systems relying heavily on data quality, firms must now recognise the value of proper data management.
Iqbal compared this to gardening: “AI is a lot like cooking. The more well-kept your garden is, the better the dishes you’ll be able to make from them.”
The Implementation Spectrum
Iqbal introduced a helpful metaphor for understanding different types of AI implementations:
- Microwaves – General-purpose applications like email drafting
- Pizza ovens – Specialised applications for specific problems
- Personal chefs – Bespoke AI solutions tailored to specific workflows
Understanding this spectrum helps firms identify when off-the-shelf solutions are sufficient and when custom development is necessary.
The Agility Advantage
Midsized firms often have an advantage in AI implementation due to greater agility. “It’s a lot trickier to do things with larger firms because there’s a lot of bureaucracy,” Iqbal noted.
This ability to iterate rapidly may allow smaller firms to compete through clever use of technology.
The User Interface Challenge
A significant but overlooked barrier to legal AI adoption is inadequate user interface design. Unlike healthcare and financial services, legal technology often fails to create interfaces addressing lawyers’ specific needs around verification and trust.
“The bottleneck wasn’t on the AI side, the bottleneck was on how you design the user interactions so that [users] can trust the output,” Iqbal explained.
A Framework for Implementation
Simplexico has developed a framework called “legal actions”—concrete activities lawyers perform that might benefit from AI assistance:
- Extracting information
- Comparing information
- Organising information
- Drafting information
- Summarising information
By focusing on these specific actions rather than abstract capabilities, firms can more easily identify where AI might deliver value within existing workflows.
Conclusion
Building effective AI use cases requires a thoughtful approach beginning with education and realistic expectations. By understanding implementation types, focusing on specific legal actions, and addressing data and interface challenges, firms of all sizes can develop AI strategies that deliver genuine value.
The biggest barriers to AI adoption aren’t technological but organisational—requiring law firms to bridge education gaps and align technology capabilities with lawyers’ specific needs.
