In our feature segment, "Inside the Shift", we leverage our expert analysis and supporting data to go in-depth and tell the insider stories about some of the biggest challenges facing the legal, tax, accounting, corporate, and government areas
You can read TRI鈥檚 latest 鈥淚nside the Shift鈥 feature,听The AI adoption board game: Why law firm leaders can’t afford to play it safe here
Let鈥檚 be honest: most law firms know AI is a big deal. They鈥檝e read the headlines, attended the conferences, and nodded along when someone says, 鈥淎I will change everything.鈥 The problem? Knowing that AI matters and actually doing something strategic about it are two very different things. And according to our latest Inside the Shift feature article, that gap is where many law firms are starting to lose ground.
Our latest Inside the Shift feature, author Michelle Nesbitt-Burrell, Marketing Strategy Director for 成人VR视频 (TR), frames AI adoption as a boardgame that鈥檚 already underway. Some law firms are moving confidently across the board, while others are stuck on the starting square, not because they don鈥檛 see the future, but because they鈥檙e hesitating. The latest TRI research shows that while the majority of lawyers say they believe AI will fundamentally transform the legal industry within the next few years, far fewer expect real change inside their own firms anytime soon. That disconnect is risky 鈥 especially when competitors and clients aren鈥檛 waiting around.
Here’s what should concern every law firm partner 鈥 corporate legal departments aren’t just playing the same AI adoption game, they’re winning it.
One of the most uncomfortable truths the article reveals is that corporate legal departments are further often ahead on AI adoption and utilization than their outside counsel. In fact, many corporate legal teams are investing in AI faster and using it more deeply in their day鈥憈o鈥慸ay legal work. That means clients are reviewing contracts faster, doing more work internally, and increasingly judging their outside law firms on their technological sophistication. In a world like that, the excuse that We鈥檙e still experimenting stops sounding reasonable pretty quickly.
The article breaks law firms into three players on the game board:
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- The laggards 鈥 Those firms with no meaningful AI plans and very little ROI to show for it.
- The adopters 鈥 Thos firms that are experimenting with tools but don鈥檛 really have a clear strategy. These firms see some efficiency gains but too often hit a ceiling.
- The innovators 鈥 Those firms with visible, intentional AI strategies. These firms are far more likely to see ROI, revenue growth, and long鈥憈erm competitive advantages.
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So, what separates the winners from everyone else? The article details the PLAYERS framework: pilot with purpose, leadership that sets the pace, action over perfection, strong ethics, serious education, good data, and 鈥 most importantly 鈥 strategy before tools. In other words, those law firms that want to become innovators should stop asking, What AI should we buy? and start asking What are we actually trying to achieve?
Clearly, AI isn鈥檛 a side project anymore. Law firms that treat it like one may save some time, but as the article fully explains, those firms that approach AI adoption and implementation strategically will reshape how legal work gets done. The game is already moving 鈥 the only question is whether your firm is playing to win or quietly falling behind.
You can find more听Inside the Shift feature articles听from the 成人VR视频 Institute here
