Everlaw Summit Recap: Translating Industry Research into Firm Strategy
Rachel Fernandez, Director, Sales Engineering
This year, I had the opportunity to join a panel of thoughtful colleagues at Everlaw Summit to discuss how firms are translating industry research into strategy, specifically around the adoption of AI.
At Sandline, I’m fortunate to collaborate with firms and case teams of all sizes and experience levels. That perspective gives me a front-row seat to the ways AI is reshaping workflows, as well as the hesitation that still exists across the industry.
AI is advancing faster, and with greater inevitability, than any technology that’s come before it. Yet many firms remain cautious. Our panel focused on the factors that make AI a feasible, defensible, and sustainable tool for legal professionals today.
The Human Touch
Across the panel, we agreed that AI amplifies what lawyers already do well.
When an attorney pays attention to detail, proofreads carefully, and takes time to vet their work product, AI becomes a power tool that expands their efficiency without compromising quality. AI tools are reducing the burden of menial tasks and allowing for more time to be spent on case strategy and creative solutions.
Practical examples include:
- Using AI for brainstorming and organizing arguments.
- Employing “opposing” tools to challenge and strengthen one’s own position.
- Leveraging automation for time tracking or billing to reduce administrative overhead.
AI tools are not magic, but they can feel magical when they give you back hours to focus on client impact.
Defensibility
AI in eDiscovery and legal work doesn’t exist in a vacuum, it instead builds on the same foundation as technology-assisted review (TAR).
Classification tools can provide familiar metrics like recall, precision, and elusion, all of which support defensibility in review workflows. Summarization tools can be validated by sampling and manual review to confirm accuracy.
These technologies are evolving rapidly, but one principle remains the same: human input determines quality. Good input yields good output. Bad input yields bad output. AI is not replacing the professional judgment of attorneys; it simply reinforces the quality of work product performed.
Looking Forward
As we discussed where AI is heading, we all agreed that there’s no single formula for successful adoption. Testing and validating your workflows, focusing on defensibility, and maintaining a strong human element are all essential to integrating new technology with confidence.
AI may accelerate change, but the core of firm strategy remains the same; it’s about trust, validation, and human expertise guiding innovation.