How Can Law Firms Use AI in Litigation?

The Applications of AI in Litigation

Legal work is getting a boost from AI. Litigation is faster, more streamlined, and a lot less tedious, thanks to AI. Lawyers can now focus on the important parts of their job. Here’s how it’s being used in litigation today.

1. eDiscovery

Discovery is one of the most time-consuming parts of litigation. Finding the right stuff in a sea of emails, contracts, and case files takes forever. Lawyers and their assistants can spend weeks on this alone. 

AI-powered eDiscovery tools take the heavy lifting off legal teams by scanning massive amounts of data in minutes.

Think of it like this: people reviewing things manually miss things. These tools, using machine learning, are much better at finding patterns, spotting errors, and highlighting important details. They’re much more accurate. 

Instead of digging through endless documents, attorneys get a prioritized list of the most relevant files, making it easier to focus on building their case.

Besides saving you time, AI helps prevent those annoying little mistakes we all make sometimes. Overlooking evidence weakens any argument. But AI catches everything to minimize that problem. 

With tighter deadlines and increasing data volumes in litigation, AI-driven eDiscovery helps firms stay ahead without getting buried in paperwork.

2. Legal Research

Finding the right case law, statutes, and legal precedents takes up a significant portion of an attorney’s time. Research platforms using AI speed things up; they quickly find the right cases and give you the main legal points.

Instead of manually combing through databases, lawyers can rely on AI to surface the most applicable rulings in seconds.

A few platforms offer case comparisons to show where arguments might fall short. Attorneys use this to make their strategies sharper. 

Less time researching means more time crafting winning arguments for your clients. 

3. Drafting Legal Documents

Legal document drafting is another area where AI is making a difference. Whether it’s responding to discovery requests, preparing contracts, or reviewing your legal writing, AI-powered tools automate much of the process with generative AI and large language models.

Generative AI tools generate templates based on past cases and legal best practices. Imagine trying to build a house without a blueprint.  These tools are like that blueprint, making sure everything is done correctly and nothing is forgotten.

Essentially, using AI for writing is great for saving time; it handles a lot of the grunt work, but human review is still necessary.

A great example of this is Briefpoint, an AI-driven platform designed to handle discovery responses efficiently. Instead of spending hours drafting responses manually, attorneys can use Briefpoint to generate high-quality, customized discovery documents in minutes.

The tool automates formatting, inserts relevant objections, and structures responses based on legal standards—saving firms time and reducing errors.

By integrating AI-powered tools like Briefpoint, attorneys can focus more on case strategy and client advocacy rather than getting bogged down by repetitive paperwork.

4. Case Strategy and Predictions

One of AI’s most powerful applications in litigation is predictive analytics.

Using past cases and their results, AI can figure out the probable outcome of a new case. It does this by also looking at settlement patterns. Better decisions about settling versus trial are easier for attorneys with this information. 

Some AI tools even assess the strengths and weaknesses of different legal arguments so lawyers can fine-tune their approach. While AI can’t guarantee an outcome, it provides valuable insights that help firms manage risk and develop stronger case strategies.

5. Compliance and Risk Management

AI is also playing a key role in regulatory compliance. Law firms dealing with highly regulated industries—such as finance, healthcare, and corporate law—use AI to review contracts and agreements for compliance risks.

Legal issues? These tools will flag them. Need contract revisions? They’ll suggest them. Want to compare your new contract to past agreements? These tools make it easy to achieve better consistency.

Firms can sidestep costly legal battles by automating compliance checks; this helps prevent missing important requirements.

6. Contract Review and Analysis

Reviewing contracts manually can take hours, especially for firms handling large volumes of agreements.

Contracts get a speed boost from AI; it spots inconsistencies, missing pieces, and possible problems. It can also compare agreements against previous versions to highlight any changes that may impact legal standing.

AI-powered contract analysis tools don’t just speed up reviews—they improve accuracy by catching details that a human reviewer might overlook. 

This is particularly useful for transactional law, mergers and acquisitions, and employment agreements, where small errors can lead to significant legal consequences.

7. Client Communication and Chatbots

While AI won’t replace direct client interactions, it can make communication more efficient. Some law firms use AI-powered chatbots to handle routine inquiries, schedule consultations, and provide basic legal information. Lawyers gain extra time; clients get quicker responses. 

Chatbots can’t offer legal advice, but they can assist with initial intake, document collection, and FAQs. Clients can access law firms more easily, and it doesn’t mean more work for the firms.

8. Fraud Detection and Investigations

Finding fraud and misconduct is easier with AI, mainly because it’s really good at picking up patterns in huge data sets.

Law firms and corporate legal departments use AI to analyze financial records, contracts, and communications for suspicious activity. Spotting possible fraud is easier for legal teams thanks to these tools, which identify irregularities. Investigations become more efficient as a result. 

AI is particularly useful in white-collar crime cases, regulatory investigations, and corporate compliance audits, where finding key evidence quickly can make a significant difference.

What Are The Benefits of Adopting AI Into Your Practice?

AI isn’t just about speeding up processes—it brings real, measurable advantages to law firms. By handling repetitive legal tasks, improving accuracy, and reducing costs, AI allows attorneys to focus on strategy, client relationships, and complex work.

Here’s how integrating AI into your practice can make a difference.

Faster, More Efficient Workflows

Legal work comes with a ton of paperwork, research, and repetitive tasks, especially during litigation. AI takes a lot of that off an attorney’s plate by speeding up processes like document review and case research.

For example, generative AI models and natural language processing (NLP) can help you draft documents in minutes instead of the hours (or days) it would usually take.

So, instead of spending eternity digging through discovery documents or searching for relevant case law, AI can pull up what’s needed in minutes. That means lawyers can focus more on case strategy and less on tedious admin work.

Cost Savings

Law firms run on billable hours, but not all billable work adds real value.

Automating routine tasks like legal research and document creation with AI offers substantial cost reductions. This efficiency boost translates directly to the bottom line for businesses. For example, a law firm could reduce its administrative costs by 15% or more.

Take Briefpoint, for example—it slashes the time attorneys spend drafting discovery responses, saving firms around $20,477 per year, per attorney. That’s money that can be reinvested into client service, firm growth, or even taking on more cases without overloading the team.

Improved Accuracy and Reduced Errors

Even the best attorneys can miss small details when reviewing stacks of documents. AI provides an extra layer of accuracy by flagging inconsistencies, spotting missing clauses in contracts, and identifying compliance risks before they become problems.

It won’t replace human judgment, but it can help make sure nothing slips through the cracks. With AI handling the heavy lifting, legal teams can be more confident that their research and filings are rock-solid.

Better Decision-Making

By analyzing past rulings, settlement trends, and even judge behavior, AI can predict case outcomes with surprising accuracy. Before court or settlement talks, this gives lawyers a much better idea of their likelihood of success.

High-stakes litigation? Forget relying solely on intuition. Data-driven strategies provide a powerful competitive edge.

More Time for High-Value Work

Legal work isn’t just about filing motions and drafting contracts—client relationships and courtroom strategy matter just as much. AI helps attorneys shift their focus from repetitive admin tasks to the work that truly moves the needle.

Because AI now does the legwork of research, document preparation, and compliance reviews, lawyers have more time for the things that really matter: building winning cases, negotiating fair settlements, and providing expert advice to their clients. 

This means better representation for everyone.

Better Client Service

Clients want quick answers and timely updates, and AI helps law firms deliver just that. Chatbots and virtual assistants can handle basic client inquiries, schedule meetings, and even help with initial case intake.

AI-powered document automation tools also speed up response times, so clients aren’t left waiting on paperwork. Ultimately, this results in a more seamless experience for clients and less back-and-forth for attorneys.

Scalability for Law Firms

Growing a law firm takes more than just adding new attorneys—it requires efficient processes. AI makes it easier for firms to scale without hiring an army of associates.

Smaller businesses can handle a bigger caseload by automating their busywork. This prevents them from becoming overloaded.

It’s a win-win: Smaller legal practices can compete with larger ones by providing excellent service at a reasonable cost. This means clients get quality representation without the hefty price tag.

Are There Any Limitations or Drawbacks to AI-Powered Litigation?

AI is a powerful tool, but it’s not perfect.

One of the biggest concerns is that AI lacks human judgment. While it can analyze documents, predict case outcomes, and automate research, it doesn’t understand legal nuances the way a trained attorney does. Complex cases require strategic thinking, negotiation skills, and ethical considerations that AI simply can’t handle.

Bias is another issue. AI learns from the past. So, if past court cases showed bias, the AI might repeat those same mistakes. Attorneys must check AI suggestions; otherwise, predictions and recommendations might be biased.

There’s also the matter of cost and implementation. While AI can save money in the long run, high-quality legal AI tools require upfront investment and ongoing training. Firms must integrate these tools into their workflow and make sure staff knows how to use them effectively.

Don’t forget the laws and the moral side of things. These are critical considerations. Legal work from AI needs a lawyer’s check to make sure it’s right and follows all the rules.

Courts may also challenge AI-generated filings or arguments, making it clear that while AI can assist in litigation, it won’t be replacing attorneys anytime soon.

What Does AI Mean For the Future of the Legal Profession?

The legal field is changing thanks to AI, and it’s happening faster than most people thought. When OpenAI first released ChatGPT, most law firms weren’t paying much attention.

A survey from Thomson Reuters found that only 3% of attorneys and law firm staff were actually using AI, and 60% had no plans to adopt it. Even firms that were considering AI were hesitant to implement it in real legal work.

Less than a year later, the landscape had completely shifted. A follow-up survey of top U.S. law firms revealed that AI was already making an impact.

While many firms initially limited its use to internal tasks that didn’t involve client data, nearly half of the Am Law 100 firms had started actively using AI for legal research, business operations, and case strategy.

This rapid adoption shows that AI isn’t just a passing trend for the legal industry—it’s a fundamental shift in how legal work gets done. While AI won’t replace attorneys, firms that embrace it will be better positioned to stay competitive, improve efficiency, and provide faster, more accurate legal services.

Your Discovery Process Doesn’t Have to Be a Drag

Here’s a clear fact—litigation comes with a lot of tedious work. You didn’t become a lawyer to spend hours drafting discovery responses or digging through endless case files. And this is exactly why AI is becoming more and more of a necessity for legal professionals these days.

Adopting AI is all about giving you the tools to work faster and more efficiently. The firms that embrace AI aren’t drowning in paperwork. They’re focusing on case strategy, client advocacy, and winning.

If you’re tired of spending hours on discovery drafting, Briefpoint makes it simple. Generate structured, professional responses in minutes instead of wasting valuable time on formatting and repetitive edits. More efficiency means more time for legal work that actually matters!

See what it can do for your legal practice—schedule a Briefpoint demo today.

Make Your Litigation Workflows More Value-Adding

Discovery responses cost firms $23,240, per year, per attorney. $23,240 estimate assumes an associate attorney salary of $150,000 (including benefits – or $83 an hour), 20 cases per year/per associate, 4 discovery sets per case, 30 questions per set, 3.5 hours spent responding to each set, and 1800 hours of billable hours per year.

Under these assumptions, you save $20,477 using Briefpoint, per year, per attorney.

Test Briefpoint yourself by scheduling a demo here.