Is Legal Tech Making My Legal Life Better?

Session on 13th of March 2025

In a thought-provoking Platforum9 session, Antoinette Moriarty, a psychotherapist specialising in law firm culture at the Law Society of Ireland, and Jordan Furlong, a legal sector analyst at Law21 and self-described “troublemaker,” explored how technology is reshaping the legal profession’s human landscape. Their conversation revealed that the impact of legal tech extends far beyond efficiency gains to touch the very purpose and identity of lawyers themselves.

The Storm of Anxiety

The rapid advancement of AI in legal practice has created what Furlong describes as a “thundercloud of anxiety” hanging over the profession. While society generally harbours apprehension about AI, lawyers feel particularly vulnerable.

“Lawyers have this particular [anxiety] to say, ‘I feel particularly vulnerable to this technology in ways that paper hangers and brick layers and pastry chefs do not,'” Furlong explains. This anxiety stems from a fundamental reality: “If AI is a words and language machine, well, so are we fundamentally as lawyers.”

The source of this anxiety isn’t merely fear of the unknown, but rather recognition of a profound business disruption. As Furlong notes, “Generative AI is going to fundamentally destabilise the standard business model of law firms and lawyers.” When a machine can produce in seconds what previously took hours of billable work, the economic foundation of legal practice faces existential challenges.

The Generational Divide

Perhaps no aspect of legal tech’s impact is more pronounced than the widening gap between generations. Moriarty points out that today’s newest lawyers “have been educated now during a period of intensive use of AI. So they’re coming in with a reliance, if you will, and not an open-mindedness.”

This presents a double bind. For experienced lawyers, AI threatens the economic model they’ve built careers upon. For new lawyers, the situation is potentially more dire. Furlong observes that junior lawyers have traditionally learned through what he calls “grunt work” โ€“ the very tasks AI is most adept at automating.

“Law firms take on new graduates almost as a developmental charity case,” Furlong states bluntly. “I will bring you up to speed to a point in which you can deliver even basic work for us. There’s not going to be that basic work available for them when they arrive.”

This crisis of lawyer formation โ€“ how to develop future lawyers without the apprenticeship model of learning by doing โ€“ emerges as one of the most significant challenges facing the profession.

Finding New Foundations

Despite these challenges, both speakers identified promising paths forward. Furlong suggests lawyers should focus on two foundational elements that remain uniquely human: advocacy and advisory roles.

“The classic sense of the trusted advisor, the counsellor, you go to them and say, ‘Okay, I know what the law says… but what do you think I should do? Because I trust your judgement, I trust your character, I trust your experience.'” These roles, he argues, are “relatively free from AI assimilation.”

For newer lawyers lacking the traditional development path, creative approaches are emerging. Furlong describes using AI itself as a training tool: “I am a new lawyer. I need to do some role playing. I want you to pretend you are someone who is facing a divorce… Ask me some tough questions. And at the end, I want you to tell me, how do you think I did?”

While acknowledging this isn’t ideal โ€“ “I really don’t love the idea of people learning from machines” โ€“ he sees it as a pragmatic interim solution while the profession develops better models.

Restructuring the Firm

For law firms, adaptation demands fundamental structural changes. Furlong advocates eliminating billable hour targets for partners: “At the best of times, it never made any sense to me that partners, equity partners, the owners of the firm also had billable hour targets. That’s stupid… Anybody can bill hours in a law firm. That is the least valuable thing you can be doing.”

Instead, he argues partners should redirect that time toward mentorship and development of junior lawyers โ€“ not just out of altruism but self-interest: “If you don’t do something to sustain the set of younger lawyers, who’s going to buy you out?”

Moriarty highlights the psychological challenge this represents for senior lawyers accustomed to “main character energy” who must learn to “step sideways or even backwards sometimes and let others shine.” Yet she notes this transition can be deeply rewarding: “They’re hearing an awful lot more about the experiences of their colleagues, which is its own form of satisfaction, so derivable from reaching targets.”

The Purpose Question

Perhaps most profound is how legal tech is forcing a reassessment of purpose within the profession. As routine work shifts to machines, lawyers must confront deeper questions about their value and identity.

“The American Bar Association recently has required law schools to start teaching courses in what they call professional identity,” Furlong notes, adding that this includes “interrogating yourself to say, why am I here? Why am I doing this? Why law?”

This reconnection with purpose extends beyond individual lawyers to firms and the profession as a whole. As Moriarty observes, there’s a growing recognition that while American approaches often focus on individual purpose, European models more often examine “the collective and the community.”

Furlong concludes with a powerful reframing of the current disruption: “Look at the mess we’re in right now globally. What else is it except the ultimate triumph of individualism of looking out for number one? During the pandemic, normal got us here. There’s no point going back to normal. So we need something new and better.”

In this view, the technological disruption forcing lawyers to question their roles isn’t merely a threat, but an opportunity to rebuild a profession with greater purpose, deeper human connection, and more sustainable values โ€“ a transformative possibility that extends far beyond mere efficiency gains.

Related

Legal Hiring Trends: Insights from a UK Based Veteran Recruiter

How to Turn Your Network Into New Clients

The Division of Human and AI Roles in Legal Document Drafting

Everyday Leadership in Law: Why Everyone Needs to Be a Leader Now

Legal News and Views

Related

Legal Hiring Trends: Insights from a UK Based Veteran Recruiter

How to Turn Your Network Into New Clients

The Division of Human and AI Roles in Legal Document Drafting

Everyday Leadership in Law: Why Everyone Needs to Be a Leader Now

Legal News and Views

Peak Performance Lawyer: Mastering Emotional Energy

How To Be Successful by Building Strategic Relationships in Law

Open Mic Arbitration: Launching a New Forum on Arbitration Trends

Why Pro Bono Still Matters in Legal

How to Leverage Global Connections to Grow Your Business

B Corp Certification for Legal Firms: Balancing Profit and Purpose

Is Legal Tech Making My Legal Life Better?

Is AI Making Lawyers Lazy or Efficient? A Legal Technology Debate

Peak Performance for Lawyers: Maximising Mental Energy

Change Management for Law Firms: Overcoming Natural Resistance

Leading Change in Uncertain Times: A Framework for Leaders in Law

How Law Firms & Legal Tech Vendors Can Best Work Together

What In-House Counsel Really Want From Their External Lawyers

Corporate Governance, AI and Cybersecurity: Bridging the Gap Between Legal and Business Worlds

Building Your Brand on LinkedIn

Baby Steps to Building Your AI Use Cases in Legal

Peak Performance for Lawyers: Optimise Physical Energy

How to Choose Your Legal Tech Solutions

How Legal Tech Enhances Efficiency in Managing the Board

Why Legal Design Matters: Transforming Legal Services Through Design Thinking

How ALSPs Are Driving Innovation in Legal Services

The Rising Tide of Cybersecurity: Why Legal Compliance Isn’t Optional Anymore

The Changing Face of Law Firm Partnership: Beyond Technical Excellence

Market Segmentation: The Missing Foundation of Law Firm Growth

The Growing Crisis of Global Corruption: A Legal Profession at the Crossroads

The Future of Legal Document Creation: Beyond the AI Hype

Peak Performance Lawyers | Part 1 – Introduction

Bridging the Startup-Legal Divide: Lessons from SeedLegals’ Anthony Rose

The Next Generation Lawyer: Navigating Legal Careers in 2025

Running a Law Firm Like a Startup: Lessons in Legal Innovation

The AI Crossroads: A Practical Guide for Law Firms in 2025

Bridging the Generation Gap: New Perspectives on Legal Team Management

The Strategic Power of Voice: Transforming Legal Practice Through Podcasting

From Courtroom to Legal Tech: Essential Skills When Evolving Your Career

Beyond Transactions: The Art of Authentic Client Relationships in Legal Services

Mastering Legal Directory Rankings

Is Legal Tech Really Broken? A Fresh Perspective on the Industry’s Evolution

Innovating in Law: A Practical Guide to Change

Achieving Your Legal Career Goals Without Burnout: A Guide for 2025

Building Your International Legal Brand: Lessons from a UK IP Pioneer

2024 International Arbitration Highlights: A Year of Fragmentation

New Year’s Resolutions for Lawyers: A Strategic Approach to Growth

AI in Legal Practice: Blessing or Curse?

Business Planning for Small Law Firms: A Practical Guide to Success

Leveraging AI in Legal Practice: From Efficiency to Intelligence

Managing Business Development Across Multiple Offices: Breaking Down Silos

The Evolving Face of Law Firm Partnership: New Research Reveals Shifting Priorities

Working with International Teams: Keys to Cross-Border Success

Legal Directory Rankings: A Strategic Guide to Success

Building Your Legal Brand: A Young Lawyer’s Guide to Business Development

Get early access
to our community

Shape the future of legal

Apply as a moderator by filling and submitting this form.
We will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you. You can change your choice at any time by using the Manage consent link in this widget or by contacting us. For more information about our privacy practices please visit our website. By clicking below, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our Terms.

Get Early Access to our app

We will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you. You can change your choice at any time by using the Manage consent link in this widget or by contacting us. For more information about our privacy practices please visit our website. By clicking below, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our Terms.

Please fill out your details

We'll get back to you within 5 working days