By Liza Pestillos-Ocat, Opus 2.
AI is everywhere in legal tech. It’s summarizing records, powering document review, drafting memos, surfacing key facts, and promising to revolutionize how legal work gets done. From standalone tools to embedded features in existing platforms, the options are multiplying fast.
But here’s the problem: not all AI is useful and not all of it is built for the way your legal team works.
Most firms aren’t asking whether they should use AI because they already are. The real question now is what comes next? How do you expand the value of AI across more teams, more matters, and more workflows without introducing unnecessary risk, complexity, or cost?
To get this right, legal professionals need to understand which tools will solve real problems and deliver the most value to their team. That starts with asking better questions, including the ones that follow, before making your next investment in AI for lawyers.
1. What is the vendor’s approach to AI?
It’s no longer impressive just to have AI—it’s expected. What matters now is whether your vendor has a clear reason for integrating AI and a thoughtful framework behind how they do it.
The best solutions are intentional, not opportunistic. A strong approach starts with purpose: What is the AI trying to improve? And equally important, what isn’t it meant to do? Vendors who can’t articulate this clearly may be chasing trends rather than solving problems.
Look for partners who prioritize long-term value over short-term novelty.
2. How transparent is the solution?
Legal teams can’t afford to rely on tools they don’t understand. When AI delivers an answer, your team should be able to trace how it got there.
That’s why transparency, what many call “white box” AI, is essential. Lawyers must be able to verify results, not just receive them. Whether through linked citations, clear context, or editable suggestions, AI should illuminate reasoning, not obscure it.
Designing for clarity is about more than user experience—it’s a core principle of trustworthy AI. Tools that explain themselves foster adoption, reduce risk, build user confidence, and make it easier to defend work product.
3. How does the AI handle client data?
Client confidentiality isn’t optional, it’s foundational. Any AI solution you bring into your firm must uphold your data protection standards without compromise.
That means no data sharing between clients or matters, no third-party model training on your documents, and no ambiguity about where your data lives or how it’s used. Secure systems should isolate data by default, not just by design.
The platform should also give you control over data access and usage, with clear boundaries and auditability. AI that respects privacy isn’t just safer, it’s more aligned with the real-world demands of legal service delivery.
4. Does the AI solve a real problem?
Every tool in your tech stack probably now claims some AI capability, but that doesn’t mean all of them are worth your investment. The AI needs to be a value-add. Does it eliminate time-consuming tasks? Does it improve how your team delivers work product or interacts with clients?
AI has enormous potential in areas like chronology building, issue spotting, and surfacing key document, especially in litigation and arbitration. But not all applications are created equal. For example, using AI to scan thousands of documents might sound efficient, but if irrelevant or duplicate documents are included, it could introduce noise or risk without improving outcomes.
Prioritize AI that makes your life easier, not more complicated.
5. Is human oversight built in?
No matter how powerful AI becomes, the lawyer remains the final authority and is accountable for outcomes. That’s why any solution must be built with human oversight in mind.
Smart AI design doesn’t just allow for lawyer involvement—it requires it. The best tools suggest, not decide. They highlight patterns, surface evidence, and generate first drafts but always leave room for legal professionals to review, edit, and validate.
6. How seamless is the workflow?
If using AI means exporting data, switching systems, or reformatting results, the workflow breaks down. Legal teams need tools that integrate AI natively into the platforms they already use. Ideally, the AI should help build work product, organize case materials, and extract insights without ever leaving the system.
Solutions that thoughtfully add AI into an existing infrastructure offer a more efficient, secure, and intuitive user experience. By staying inside the tools your team already trusts, AI becomes an enhancement—not a hurdle.
7. Does it deliver client value?
It’s not just internal users you need to consider. Clients are increasingly curious—and cautious—about AI. They want to know how it impacts quality, cost, confidentiality, and strategy.
AI that demonstrably improves accuracy, speeds up delivery, or strengthens outcomes is a market differentiator. That’s especially important for firms using cost-recovery models or focusing on innovation in their pitches.
When AI becomes a strategic advantage you can articulate clearly to clients, it stops being just a back-office tool and becomes a competitive asset.
Bonus: Can the solution scale as you grow?
Finally, make sure your AI investment can grow with your team. Scalable AI isn’t just about processing power. It’s about architecture. Does the platform support large teams, cross-border collaboration, and complex matters? Can it grow from a pilot project to an enterprise-wide solution without losing performance or security?
AI solutions deeply embedded in a strong, flexible platform can adapt to your evolving needs—without requiring constant reimplementation or retraining.
A smarter approach to AI for litigation teams
The legal world is moving fast—and the firms that succeed with AI will be those who invest thoughtfully.
They’ll look for AI that serves a purpose, is built on clear principles, solves real problems, operates on a secure and integrated platform, and evolves through smart, user-driven practice. That’s AI that doesn’t just work—it works for you.
At Opus 2, our award-winning case management, preparation, and strategy solution reflects this approach—enhancing litigation and arbitration workflows with embedded AI that surfaces insights, reduces manual effort, and puts lawyers and legal professionals firmly in control.
Request a demo to see how we’re helping litigation and arbitration teams make AI work where it matters most.
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About the author: Liza Pestillos-Ocat is Senior Vice President of Global Client Success at Opus 2.
[ This is a sponsored thought leadership article for Artificial Lawyer by Opus 2 ]
