This article was originally published by our partner Frontier Law Center and is shared here with permission. For more insights like this, you can find other articles from, Managing Partner, Manny Starr on LinkedIn.
There is a popular saying in legal tech circles: AI won't replace lawyers, but lawyers who use AI will replace lawyers who don't. This isn't just a clever saying—it highlights the fundamental reality that legal professionals remain irreplaceable. AI, for all its capabilities, cannot operate in a vacuum; it requires human guidance, judgment, and expertise. The magic happens at the intersection of human intelligence and artificial intelligence—augmentation rather than replacement. And this brings us to a critical element of any AI transformation: finding and developing the right people to champion and advance your firm's journey to becoming AI-Native.
Becoming an AI-Native law firm demands a team that's ready to embrace, adapt to, and innovate with AI. Without the right team, training, and culture, AI adoption can quickly falter. So how do you build a legal team that's genuinely AI-ready? Let's explore.
Hiring for the AI-Native Law Firm
The legal profession is evolving rapidly, and hiring criteria must evolve with it. While traditional legal skills remain essential, new competencies have become equally important for thriving in an AI-augmented practice.
Look Beyond Traditional Legal Skills
When evaluating candidates, consider these qualities that indicate AI-readiness:
- Technological curiosity: Look for candidates who ask about your tech stack during interviews or who mention tools they've used in previous roles. The specific tools matter less than their willingness to explore and learn.
- Adaptability: Ask about times they've had to learn new systems or processes. Those who view change as an opportunity rather than a burden will thrive in an AI-Native firm.
- Problem-solving mindset: Present scenarios where AI could help and gauge how they approach the situation. Look for those who can articulate which aspects of a problem AI might effectively address. The strength lies not in their immediate technical knowledge, but in their structured thinking about how AI could be leveraged in specific scenarios.
- Comfort with ambiguity: AI tools are constantly evolving, and their applications aren't always clear-cut. Furthermore, AI technology is still developing, and is not perfect. Look for team members who can navigate uncertainty and who won't dismiss AI simply because it can occasionally produce imperfect results.
- Balance of skepticism and openness: The ideal candidate isn't blindly enthusiastic about technology nor dismissively resistant. Look for thoughtful skepticism—people who ask good questions but remain open to new possibilities.
Rethinking Roles and Responsibilities
AI readiness isn't just about individual skills—it's also about how you structure your team. Consider creating or redefining these roles:
- AI Implementation Specialist: Designate someone (perhaps part-time initially) to stay current on legal AI developments and help bridge the gap between technical capabilities and practical applications. This person should be a power user with hands-on experience who can train colleagues, create and maintain prompt templates, troubleshoot common issues, facilitate broader adoption, and serve as the primary resource for AI implementation questions.
- AI Center of Excellence: Establish a core team of AI-proficient staff across different roles who serve as the firm's go-to resource. This team combines technical expertise with legal knowledge and becomes the central hub that others can approach for guidance, troubleshooting, and advanced implementation assistance.
Training: Building AI Competency Across Your Firm
Even the most promising hires (and existing staff) need proper training to fully leverage AI. Create clear learning journeys for different roles:
- Foundational training: Ensure everyone understands AI basics—what it can and cannot do, how it works at a high level, and ethical considerations specific to legal applications.
- Role-specific training: Tailor training to different positions. Paralegals might focus on using AI for responding to and propounding discovery, while attorneys might emphasize legal research, strategy development, and drafting assistance.
- Advanced applications: Once basics are mastered, offer advanced training on prompt engineering, combining multiple AI tools, and pushing the boundaries of what AI can accomplish in legal practice.
Effective Training Methods
Not all training formats work equally well for AI education:
- Hands-on workshops: Nothing beats directly experimenting with AI tools in a guided environment. Schedule regular workshops where team members can bring real work problems and learn to solve them with AI.
- Micro-learning moments: Supplement formal training with short, focused learning opportunities—like sharing a particularly effective prompt or prompting strategy, or a quick desk-side demonstration.
- Peer learning: Encourage those who discover new applications to document and share them. This creates a culture of continuous learning and reduces the burden on formal training programs.
- Scenario-based learning: Develop realistic scenarios that mimic actual client work, then guide staff through solving these problems with AI assistance. This bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application.
Cultivating an AI-Positive Culture
Culture ultimately determines whether your investment in AI and training bears fruit. Here's how to build a culture where AI thrives:
Lead by Example
Firm leadership must visibly embrace AI:
- Practice what you preach—use AI tools in your own work and be transparent about it
- Share both successes and failures with AI implementation
- Allocate real resources (time, budget, personnel) to AI integration
- Recognize and reward innovative AI use
Encourage Safe and Responsible Use
Address resistance by focusing on responsible collaboration:
- Develop clear guidelines that empower rather than restrict—make it easy to know when and how AI use is appropriate
- Open communication channels where staff can ask questions without judgment
- Confront AI's limitations head-on—acknowledge its imperfections, discuss failures openly, and demonstrate how thoughtful human oversight addresses these shortcomings
- Frame AI as augmenting rather than replacing human expertise—emphasize that the goal is to enhance, not eliminate, professional judgment
Measuring Success and Adaptation
How do you know if your efforts to build an AI-ready team are working? Look for these indicators:
- Increasing adoption rates: Engage with staff to determine how often they use AI and in what applications
- Complexity of use: Monitor whether team members are moving beyond basic applications (simple Q&A) to more sophisticated work product (drafting briefs, answering discovery, etc.)
- Contribution to knowledge base: Measure how many team members are actively sharing AI insights
- Client outcomes: Ultimately, AI should improve results for clients through increased efficiency, quality, or both
- Staff satisfaction: Survey team members about their comfort with AI tools and their perception of how it affects their work
The Human Element Remains Central
As we've implemented AI across Frontier Law Center, we've discovered something that might seem counterintuitive: becoming AI-Native has made us more human-centric, not less. By freeing attorneys and staff from routine tasks, AI creates space for deeper client relationships, more strategic thinking, and more fulfilling work.
The firms that will lead in the AI era aren't those with the most cutting-edge tools, but those with people who know how to leverage those tools thoughtfully and responsibly. Building that team starts now.
What's Next?
In the next article in this series, we'll explore how the data paradigm has shifted for law firms—from overwhelm to opportunity—and how your firm can implement a data-first mindset that puts AI to work on your most valuable asset: information.
(Original Post)
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