More lawyers think that AI has become mainstream in the legal profession compared to last year, but some lawyers still hesitate to adopt AI into their practice.
The ABA’s annual Legal Technology Survey Report, which analyzes survey responses from 512 attorneys in private practice across various firm sizes, found that 13% of lawyers say that AI is mainstream in the legal profession, compared to 4% in 2023. However, nearly half of the lawyers surveyed (45%) think it will become mainstream within the next three years.
That said, many lawyers remain concerned about AI’s accuracy and relationship with the billable hour, the report said.
Widespread adoption of AI
Nearly one in three lawyers (30%) are using AI, according to the report.
Lawyers who work in big firms are more likely to use AI. Forty-six percent of firms of 100 or more attorneys use AI, compared to 30% of firms with 10-49 lawyers and 18% of solo attorneys.
When using AI, ChatGPT is the most popular platform with more than half (52%) of firms using the tool. About one-quarter of firms use Thomson Reuters CoCounsel (26%) and Lexis+ AI (24%).
More than half (54%) of firms use AI to increase efficiency, while nearly 10% of firms say AI could help with document management and review.
Most law firms are using CLE seminars or webinars to train their attorneys to use AI. Sixty-eight percent of firms with two to nine attorneys said they are using this method.
Hesitations about AI use
Lawyers remain concerned about AI-generated hallucinations, the report said. Three-quarters of survey respondents said that they have been hesitant to implement AI because of these concerns.
Firms have also hoped or feared that generative AI will change the billable hour, the ABA Journal said. However, 67% of firms report still use the billable hour.
How Illinois courts approach AI
In 2024, the Illinois Supreme Court announced a policy governing the use of AI in Illinois courts.
The policy, which was effective on January 1, 2025, says that AI use is allowed and expected by litigants, lawyers, judges, and court staff, as long as they follow legal and ethical rules.
At the Commission on Professionalism’s annual Future Is Now: Legal Services 2025 conference, legal technology experts Nicole Black and Mark Palmer will explore how lawyers can use generative AI ethically and effectively to accomplish tasks ranging from drafting correspondence to legal research.
The virtual conference will be held on Thursday, April 24, 2025, from 12 to 4:30 p.m. Four hours of professional responsibility CLE credit is available, including one hour of diversity and inclusion and one hour of mental health and substance abuse credit.
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Discuss GenAI Opportunities and Ethical Concerns with Fellow Lawyers at the Future Is Now Conference