From deep legal research to document automation and discovery, AI is rapidly transforming how law firms operate.
Whether you’re a solo attorney looking to streamline your workflow, or part of a mid-size firm rethinking operations post-2020, there’s never been a better time to integrate AI into your practice.
But often taking sales calls, and trialing software ends up in a situation where a law firm owner might be looking at 5/10/15 different software tools without knowing how best to use them all.
In this post, we’ll break down how law firms are using AI in 2025, which tools are worth your attention, and how to stay compliant and efficient while leveraging this emerging tech.
This is part of our larger Legal Tech Guide for Solo Attorneys in 2025.
Two Primary Uses of AI in Law Firms
Most AI tools for lawyers fall into two categories:
- Legal analysis tools help lawyers find, interpret, and analyze legal information faster and more effectively
- Workflow tools help automate time-consuming tasks like drafting, reviewing, and organizing documents
Understanding the difference is key to choosing the right tech stack for your firm.
Legal Analysis Tools: AI That Thinks With You
These tools specialize in deep legal understanding, research, and summarization. Think of them as AI-powered legal analysts—great at scanning large bodies of law and helping attorneys get to key insights faster.
1. Harvey.ai
Backed by OpenAI and built specifically for law firms, Harvey is one of the most promising AI legal assistants on the market. It plugs directly into your firm’s knowledge base and securely performs tasks like contract analysis, case law research, and summarization.
Best for: Large firms, especially BigLaw and litigation-heavy practices
Standout features:
- Custom-trained AI on your firm’s internal documents
- Drafting memos, contracts, and internal summaries
- Secure and compliant with enterprise-grade controls
2. Lexis+ AI (LexisNexis)
LexisNexis has deeply integrated AI into its research platform. Lexis+ AI brings conversational legal search to the table, letting attorneys ask plain-English questions and get back relevant statutes, cases, and commentary.
Best for: Mid to large firms with existing Lexis subscriptions
Standout features:
- Conversational search and summarization
- Shepard’s Citations now AI-enhanced
- Industry-leading database coverage
3. Westlaw Precision (Thomson Reuters)
Westlaw’s latest AI-powered research system is laser-focused on improving legal precision. It uses machine learning to help lawyers narrow down legal issues, filter by procedural posture, and draft arguments quickly.
Best for: Litigators and appellate attorneys
Standout features:
- Advanced issue filtering
- KeyCite integrated with AI
- “Quick Check” for brief analysis
4. Other Notables:
- CoCounsel by Casetext (now part of Thomson Reuters): still loved by small-to-mid firms for its affordability and interface
- Blue J Legal: great for tax and employment law predictive modeling
- PythagorAI: emerging as a strong player in contract risk analysis
Workflow Tools: AI That Works For You
Legal analysis is just one part of practicing law. Most attorneys still spend hours each day on repetitive, high-volume tasks that don’t directly require legal reasoning—like document creation, discovery prep, or client communications.
That’s where AI-powered workflow tools shine.
1. Casely.ai - AI Document Drafting for High-Volume Firms
Casely is purpose-built for firms that generate large volumes of legal documents like employment, immigration, personal injury, and consumer litigation firms.
With Casely, lawyers can:
- Upload legal templates
- Replace variables (e.g., [Client Name], [Incident Date]) across 300+ documents at once
- Use AI to fill in narrative sections (e.g., describing case facts or damages)
- Generate two versions of each document: one finalized, and one with changes highlighted
Best for: High-volume firms that rely on templates (flat-fee, contingency, immigration)
Standout features:
- Bulk document generation
- Secure S3-based storage
- Highlighted and clean versions of documents
- HIPAA/PII-safe output for sensitive casework
2. Briefpoint.ai - Discovery and Initial Disclosures
Discovery remains one of the most painful bottlenecks in litigation. Briefpoint speeds up the generation of discovery responses, initial disclosures, and RFP objections by letting you upload a complaint and generate a first draft in minutes.
Best for: Litigators looking to speed up early-stage work
Standout features:
- Upload PDF complaint → get draft objections & disclosures
- Customizable templates
- Rapid turnarounds, reducing weeks of prep time to hours
What About Legal Chatbots?
Legal chatbots are gaining traction, but they’re best used as intake tools, not as legal advisors (unless tightly regulated and reviewed).
You can build or embed a chatbot that:
- Screens clients for qualification
- Answers FAQs about your practice area
- Collects basic info to streamline consults
Important Note: Always disclose that chatbots are not offering legal advice, and make sure any sensitive data collected is handled with encryption and compliance (HIPAA, GDPR, etc.).
Final Thoughts: How to Choose Legal AI Tools in 2025
When evaluating AI for your firm, ask yourself:
- What tasks take up the most time each week?
- Can this tool help me do that work faster without compromising accuracy?
- Does it keep my data secure and confidential?
- Is it cost-effective for my size and practice area?
AI cannot replace lawyers, there's far too many unknowns an attorney deals with in real life that can't be done by computers. AI however, is excellent when replacing hours of wasted work and manual drudgery. The best legal professionals in 2025 will be those who know how to delegate the busywork to smart tools, and focus on what matters most: judgment, trust, and advocacy.