Future-Proofing Your Law Firm: Lessons from AI Benchmarking

Apr 15, 2025

Bridget McCormack and Jen Leonard dive into the fascinating world of AI's role in law, showcasing insights from the VAL benchmarking report. They discuss how AI tools not only rival but sometimes outperform human lawyers in efficiency. The concept of 'cybernetic teammates' is explored, highlighting AI's potential to boost collaboration and morale. The conversation shifts to the future of legal practice, where AI may dismantle traditional specializations and reshape junior lawyer development, urging legal leaders to embrace transformative change.

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ANECDOTE

Show AI Using Real Work

Jen Leonard showed a skeptical law professor DeepResearch on a real project and converted her in 20 minutes.
Demonstrations using someone's own work can be far more persuasive than abstract arguments.

ANECDOTE

Claude In The Public Sector

Bridget McCormack demonstrated Claude to a city government friend to draft press releases and talking points quickly.
The friend was amazed at the practical, low-stakes public service uses that freed up time.

INSIGHT

AI As A Cybernetic Teammate

Ethan Mollick's experiment found AI teammates matched multi-person team performance and boosted innovation.
Teams using AI reported more positive emotions and less frustration than those without AI.

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What happens when AI performs on par with lawyers—and even beats them at key tasks? Bridget McCormack and Jen Leonard explore the implications of the VAL benchmarking report, which compares top legal AI tools to real-life attorneys on real-world tasks. They also break down new research from Wharton’s Ethan Mollick on “cybernetic teammates”—and what it means when AI tools boost not just productivity, but morale. With insights on team design, junior lawyer development, change management, and the emotional impact of AI at work, this episode challenges legal leaders to think beyond tools—and toward transformation.

Episode Highlights:

(02:16) Bridget’s AI Aha: Convincing a law professor of AI’s potential—live with DeepResearch
(5:40) Claude meets city government: AI as a behind-the-scenes comms partner
(11:39) What is a “cybernetic teammate”—and how can AI reshape teamwork?
(24:57) The VAL benchmarking report: Legal AI tools vs. human lawyers
(31:34) What AI means for the future of junior lawyers, specialties, and practice area silos

Key Discussion Points:

The DeepResearch Reveal: Why watching AI in action can convert even the most skeptical lawyers.
The Cybernetic Teammate: Insights from Ethan Mollick's latest study on AI’s role in boosting performance, knowledge sharing, and emotional engagement.
Lawyers vs. AI: What VAL’s benchmarking report reveals about AI performance on real legal tasks—and what it doesn’t.
Beyond Specialization: How AI could break down practice-area silos and return power to the generalist.
Rethinking Legal Teams: Why junior lawyers might soon work across disciplines—and with AI—as their first teammates.
Emotions and Engagement: Surprising findings about AI’s impact on how legal professionals feel about their work.
Training the Next Generation: How legal education and professional development must evolve for the AI era.

Keywords: AI in law, cybernetic teammate, Ethan Mollick, VAL benchmarking, legal education, legal AI tools, legal tech, DeepResearch, team collaboration, Wharton, ChatGPT, Claude, GPT-4, legal transformation, generalist lawyering, emotional engagement, junior lawyers, change management, professional development

About the Podcast:

2030 Vision: AI and the Future of Law is your essential guide to how artificial intelligence is transforming the legal profession. Hosted by Bridget McCormack and Jen Leonard, this podcast dives into cutting-edge AI technologies, their applications, and the trends shaping the future of law. Join us to stay informed, inspired, and prepared for the AI revolution.

Produced by: Aaron Tran for the American Arbitration Association.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.