On-demand webinar: The future of law

The future of law – why human skills matter more than ever

AI and legal technology are evolving quickly, raising an important question for in-house legal teams: what does the future of the legal profession actually look like?

In this webinar, delivered in partnership with Being Human, we explore how legal professionals can balance technological innovation with the human skills that make great lawyers indispensable.

Watch the full on-demand session above, where Being Human co-founder Claire Sanders and Summize Chief Technology Officer Richard Somerfield discuss how lawyers can thrive in a tech-enabled future.

Why is the future of law still human?

The parts of legal work that people value most often don’t involve routine tasks – a simple but powerful insight. In-house lawyers often say their favorite parts of the job include collaborating with stakeholders, solving complex business problems, providing strategic guidance and finding practical solutions to risk.

But studies show that legal teams can spend a large amount of time on repetitive admin work rather than strategic legal thinking, creating a gap between where lawyers add the most value and how they actually spend their time.

Technology – especially AI – has the potential to close that gap.

Why AI triggers uncertainty for legal teams

Despite the opportunity, many lawyers feel a mixture of excitement and uncertainty when it comes to AI, a completely natural reaction. As Claire explains, humans are wired to be cautious about change, and adoption can feel uncomfortable or overwhelming at first.  

Lawyers attending the session described feeling curious but cautious, excited but overwhelmed and interested in the potential but unsure where to start. Understanding this reaction helps legal teams recognize that the hesitation around AI isn’t a failure to innovate – it’s just human nature.

Where AI can help lawyers

One of the practical discussions in the webinar focuses on where AI genuinely delivers value to lawyers today. Rather than replacing legal expertise, AI is far better suited to tasks like:

• Handling repetitive administrative work

• Organization and prioritizing incoming legal requests

• Drafting initial content or summaries

• Supporting research and document review

As Richard explains, lawyers increasingly act as a “director” – steering AI towards better results rather than relying on it blindly.

The future legal professional

The discussion in the webinar highlights a key shift in how legal professionals create value. Technology will continue to evolve, but the qualities that make lawyers effective remain deeply human, for example judgment, contextual decision-making, strategic thinking and empathy and collaboration.

Combining those strengths with the efficiencies that legal technology can bring, in-house teams can move away from reactive work and focus on the more strategic parts of their roles.

Further reading

If you’re exploring how AI and legal tech fit into your day-to-day work, or wondering how to balance innovation with the human side of the profession, watch the full webinar to get practical insights and perspective from both legal and technology experts.

To explore more about AI within the in-house legal world, check out our AI & CLM guide, providing you with insights into the space, useful examples of how to put AI into practice and address any security or trust concerns you might have.