Unlocking the AI multiplier in legal practice

Legal firms have spent the last few years exploring the many operational efficiencies AI provides, from faster document review and automated classification to more responsive legal research. But the firms beginning to realize AI's extraordinary potential are recognizing a deeper truth: how its value compounds. Rather than viewing AI as a standalone tool for automating routine tasks, these firms are deploying it as a force multiplier across the business.  

This is precisely what the AI multiplier effect means. Each successful implementation delivers immediate gains but also lays the groundwork for even greater value over time. For example, when deployed within a secure, cloud-native document management system (DMS), generative AI can surface firm-specific knowledge in real time, allowing lawyers to act faster, with greater context and renewed confidence. 

The result transcends output that’s “better.” It delivers output that improves with each query as models are fine-tuned, workflows mature, and teams become more adept at integrating AI into everyday legal practice.

Scaling insight, not just activity 

In many law firms, the most valuable insights are siloed: stored in individual inboxes, scattered files, or the minds of experienced lawyers. This segregation of knowledge and resources makes it difficult for junior staff to access precedent, for teams to avoid duplicating work, and for the firm to share and scale internal expertise. 

AI is shattering this dynamic by making intellectual property highly contextualized and searchable at speed. It empowers every lawyer, regardless of seniority or location, to work with the insight of a seasoned practitioner. This means firms can expand their service capacity without adding headcount as junior lawyers begin to contribute at a higher level, and senior lawyers are freed from lower-value, cyclical tasks.

Ask iManage, an AI-powered assistant built into iManage Work 10, is one example. This tool provides generative AI answers based on specified internal documents and prior work archives. Embedded within a cloud-native DMS, it enables fast, explainable responses to specific document queries without requiring users to leave their workflow. 

Speed and transparency aren’t even the primary gains here. The preservation of source material integrity and strengthened confidence in the results are even more valuable. These foundations ensure the delivery of essential, high-level advice to clients on intricate legal matters.

From marginal gains to market advantage

What begins as a time-saving feature can quickly develop into a firm-wide capability. AI and integrated systems allow more tasks to be completed end-to-end by a single person or team, reducing the bottlenecks caused by miscommunication or duplicated efforts. With accelerated onboarding and real-time access to client knowledge added to the mix, a path is cleared towards stronger client relationships and improved margins. 

A still greater advantage emerges when firms begin using AI to capture adjacent opportunities (such as related practice areas or untapped service tiers) or handle more complex matters without proportional increases in cost. This cumulative effect — the AI multiplier — enables firms to increase the accuracy and consistency of throughput in ways that manual-only processes simply cannot match. And because the underlying models improve with each deployment, the benefits never plateau. 

From experimentation to enterprise-grade impact

According to a 2025 Thomson Reuters report, only 26 percent of law firms currently use generative AI, and just 15 percent have embedded it into core workflows. Yet 78 percent of legal professionals believe AI will become central to their work within the next five years. This widespread belief reflects a watershed moment for the industry. Debates around whether generative AI should be adopted are fizzling out and are being replaced with discussions on how adoption can be completed as effectively as possible. 

At the individual level, AI adoption is higher. Roughly 30 percent of legal professionals now use generative AI tools personally, with the most common use cases being legal research (74%), document review and summarization (77%), and brief or memo drafting (59%). Introducing AI into these tasks delivers immediate efficiency gains, but the real value emerges when firms move beyond isolated tools and begin embedding the technology into everyday processes.

The firms leading on this front also achieve operational efficiencies that lead to something more profound: measurable commercial and reputational enhancement. They can respond faster to client needs, handle more complex matters without proportional cost increases, and maintain consistency and accuracy, elevating their brand identity.

Building momentum

Contrary to common belief, strategic deployment of AI doesn’t require a massive overhaul. But it does require intentionality. Firms that begin with targeted use cases, be they enhanced knowledge search or deeper precedent analysis, often discover that each success builds appetite and capacity for the next. Each implementation causes another internal barrier to fall. Confidence grows. Adoption broadens. And from there, the gains begin to compound exponentially.

The firms already generating material returns from AI have never treated it as a standalone solution. They’ve embedded it into core workflows, aligned it with specific business goals, and cultivated a culture that recognizes AI as a formidable tool for accelerating professional growth.

From a technical perspective, these firms have deployed governed systems that maintain data integrity, provide clear audit trails, and integrate seamlessly into daily legal work. Culturally, they’ve equipped their lawyers with powerful tools that they’ve learned to understand, trust, and want to use. The outcomes are rich and plentiful. 

• Faster onboarding
• Lower review costs
• Higher matter throughput per lawyer
• More consistent client service

And greater resilience when teams change or scale.

This is the AI multiplier in practice, and it’s not sitting on some distant horizon. It’s here. Now. And firms are already capitalizing on it. 

Ask iManage: AI you can trust to help you streamline tasks and surface insights instantly so your legal practice can focus on what matters most — your clients.