AI Tools for Lawyers: A Practical Guide
AI is transforming legal practice, but the landscape is confusing. This guide cuts through the hype to show you which tools actually deliver value—and how to implement them responsibly.
The State of Legal AI in 2025
After years of promise, AI tools for lawyers have reached a tipping point. Large language models like GPT-4 and Claude have enabled a new generation of legal technology that can actually understand context, synthesize information, and produce useful work product.
But "useful" doesn't mean "reliable without oversight." The lawyers who have been sanctioned for submitting AI-generated briefs with fake citations serve as a warning: these tools amplify human capability, they don't replace human judgment.
The firms seeing the most success treat AI as a skilled but inexperienced associate—capable of producing a solid first draft, but requiring supervision and correction. Used this way, AI can dramatically increase throughput without sacrificing quality.
AI Tools by Category
Here's a breakdown of the leading AI tools across key legal functions.
Legal Research
CoCounsel (Thomson Reuters)
AI-powered legal research assistant that can analyze documents, search case law, and draft memos.
Best for: Complex research tasks, document review, brief preparation
Lexis+ AI
Conversational legal research with citation verification and hallucination checks.
Best for: Case law research, statutory analysis, research verification
Harvey
Enterprise AI built specifically for law firms, with strong security and compliance features.
Best for: Large firm deployments, contract analysis, knowledge management
Document Review & Analysis
Kira Systems
Machine learning contract analysis that identifies clauses, risks, and anomalies.
Best for: M&A due diligence, lease abstraction, contract review
Luminance
AI-powered contract intelligence for review, negotiation, and compliance monitoring.
Best for: Contract lifecycle management, risk identification
Eigen Technologies
Document intelligence platform for extracting and analyzing unstructured data.
Best for: Financial document analysis, regulatory compliance
Legal Writing & Drafting
Spellbook
AI drafting assistant that works inside Microsoft Word for contract creation.
Best for: Contract drafting, clause suggestions, redlining
Tome
AI that helps draft litigation documents by analyzing case specifics.
Best for: Pleadings, motions, litigation support
Brief Catch
AI-powered brief analysis that catches errors and suggests improvements.
Best for: Brief editing, citation checking, argument refinement
Client Communication & Intake
Smith.AI
AI-enhanced virtual receptionist service for law firms with 24/7 live answering. Partner.
Best for: After-hours intake, appointment scheduling, lead qualification, overflow call handling
Blazeo
Live chat staffing and AI chatbot solutions for law firm websites. Partner.
Best for: Website live chat, AI chatbot automation, lead capture, client engagement
Krisp
AI noise cancellation for clearer calls and meetings. Partner.
Best for: Remote consultations, depositions, noisy offices, improving client-call audio quality
LawDroid
Conversational AI for client intake and FAQ automation.
Best for: Website chatbots, intake automation, client self-service
Ethical & Professional Considerations
Using AI in legal practice raises important ethical questions. Here's what every lawyer needs to consider.
Confidentiality
Ensure AI tools don't store or train on client data. Review data processing agreements carefully.
Competence
Lawyers must understand how AI tools work and verify outputs. You can't delegate professional judgment.
Supervision
AI outputs require human review. Billing for AI-assisted work may require disclosure to clients.
Accuracy
AI can hallucinate citations and facts. Every AI output must be verified before use.
Implementation Best Practices
How to roll out AI tools successfully at your firm.
Start Small
Pilot AI tools with a small group before firm-wide rollout. Choose low-risk use cases first.
Create Usage Policies
Document which tools are approved, what data can be input, and review requirements.
Train Your Team
Effective AI use requires training. Invest in helping your team craft good prompts and evaluate outputs.
Measure ROI
Track time saved and quality improvements. Adjust tools and workflows based on real data.
Need Help Implementing AI?
We help law firms evaluate, implement, and optimize AI tools while maintaining security and ethical compliance.