In-House Counsel Revolt: Why AI Is Breaking Old Habits and Reshaping Legal Departments Forever

The ______ answer is: Legal Teams.

Thank you Jason Saltzman for sharing this chart. It is an affirmation of what we've experienced as public company GCs in 2024 - at least the lucky ones!

Firsthand, I’ve seen how AI tools can reshape an in-house legal team. When we first started exploring automated solutions in my department, we weren’t quite sure what to expect. But once we got comfortable with platforms like IVO Min-Kyu Jung , GC Ai Cecilia Ziniti , and now Dragon GC ??Michael Weiksner, Ph.D. , it became clear this was more than just a tech trend—these platforms were genuine game-changers. From boosting efficiency to cutting costs and improving compliance, AI-powered legal operations have opened up a new world of possibilities. I want to emphasize that I haven’t checked in with any of these companies ahead of time, nor am I being compensated for mentioning them; this is my own experience here in 2024. If you’re considering integrating AI into your department, schedule demos with various providers to find the right fit. No single product is a one-size-fits-all solution.

One of the biggest advantages I’ve noticed is the productivity boost. Before AI, contract review often took ages, with our team carefully combing through every clause and trying not to miss any anomalies. Thanks to tools like IVO, we can rely on automated analysis that flags unusual contract language and pinpoints potential risk areas. GC Ai takes it a step further by offering real-time compliance checks and advanced analytics, and Dragon GC has become a go-to reference for all things public company. With these processes handled in the background, our team can focus on more strategic endeavors like negotiating complex transactions, creatively solving legal problems, and offering insight that adds value to the business. The net result is a dramatic reduction in routine legal drudgery.

This enhanced efficiency naturally translates into cost savings. It’s no secret that outsourcing large-scale document reviews or massive discovery projects to outside law firms can run up quite the bill, especially with hourly rates climbing year after year. We can tackle a sizable chunk of that work by bringing a tool like IVO. GC Ai or Dragon GC in-house. Sure, we still lean on specialized external counsel when the situation calls for it—think high-stakes litigation or extremely nuanced regulatory matters—but that reliance has diminished. Less outsourcing means fewer unpredictable invoices and a legal budget that’s easier to manage. Plus, having that extra bandwidth in our department can boost morale, as the team owns more workflow from start to finish.

Speaking of morale, I’ve also found that AI can help mitigate human error and reduce burnout. Even the most diligent attorney can miss a small but critical detail after reviewing contract after contract. GC Ai, Dragon GC, and similar platforms excel at catching these subtle discrepancies because they’re built to process massive amounts of data without fatigue. They maintain consistent performance throughout the day (and night!) and can spot the little clues that might escape even the sharpest human eye. That doesn’t mean we’re leaving everything to the robots. We still take a “trust but verify” approach, reviewing anything the AI flags. Still, it’s reassuring to know we have a robust safety net. It also means fewer late-night worries about whether we overlooked that one crucial clause in a 50-page contract.

Meanwhile, the knock-on effect of all this efficiency and reliability is shaking up the traditional relationship between corporate legal departments and outside counsel. Many large law firms have historically relied on the billable hour model, billing clients for the hours spent on document review, research, and other time-intensive tasks. Now that AI can pare those hours down to a fraction, firms must rethink how they charge for their services. Some are testing out fixed-fee structures; others are investing in their own AI tools to stay competitive. For my part, I welcome the change. As a client, I appreciate transparent, value-driven pricing, and I’m glad to see more firms pivoting in that direction. Shout out to Bryan Brown at Jones Day.

If you’re in-house counsel and haven’t tried an AI tool yet, I’d recommend getting demos from multiple providers. While I’ve had good experiences with IVO, GC Ai, and Dragon GC, each product has unique strengths, interfaces, and feature sets. The key is to find the platform that best aligns with your specific needs—maybe you deal with heavy litigation, or your workload is dominated by contract management. Whatever your scenario, an AI solution probably exists that can lighten your team’s load and free you up for higher-level work.

Ultimately, AI’s transformation of legal departments is more than just a cool technological development—it’s a gateway to practicing law in a more strategic, cost-effective, and engaging manner. Lawyers get to spend less time sifting through routine details and more time delivering real value to the business. Companies save money by keeping more of the work in-house. And when we do partner with outside counsel, we’re better equipped to discuss pricing, timelines, and deliverables. If I’ve learned anything, AI tools won’t replace a human’s legal judgment or creativity; they ensure you can apply that judgment and creativity where it matters most.

So, as we move forward into a rapidly changing legal landscape, I’m excited about the potential of AI to keep unlocking new efficiencies. I’m also optimistic that it will continue to push law firms and in-house teams to adapt their business models to benefit everyone. That’s my view, having lived it in 2024.

And on that note—Happy New AI Year! Let’s keep exploring new tools and approaches that make legal departments a driving force of innovation in our organizations.