7 Top Ways to Use AI For Better Law Firm Efficiency

A Crash Course to AI and Its Legal Applications

AI is basically software that can “learn” from patterns and do things that normally require human thinking, like reading, writing, or analyzing.

For law firms, it means tools that help with repetitive tasks, cut down on manual work, and give you more time for tasks that demand more brain power and human intervention.

At its core, AI looks at data and makes recommendations or takes action based on rules it’s learned. Here are a few types of AI used in legal tech today:

• Natural language processing (NLP): Understands and analyzes human language, which is great for reviewing contracts or pulling key terms from large documents.
• Machine learning (ML): Learns from past data to improve over time and is often used in tools that flag risky clauses based on previous cases.
• Generative AI: Creates text, summaries, or drafts—helpful for legal memos, emails, or even first-draft contracts.
• Predictive analytics: Looks at trends and past outcomes to help estimate risk, likely decisions, or timelines.

Used right, AI becomes a smart assistant, not a replacement. But how can you apply this tech to your law firm’s operations?

Best Ways to Use AI to Improve Law Firm Efficiency

Improving efficiency is the best first step when adding AI to your law firm’s toolkit. You don’t need to overhaul your entire practice; just start with the areas that slow you down the most. Here are some of the most practical ways to use it day to day.

1. Speed Up Paperwork With Document Automation

Drafting legal documents is one of the most tedious tasks in any law firm. Whether you’re responding to discovery or creating routine contracts, the back-and-forth, formatting, and manual edits can take hours.

That’s why document automation is one of the most practical ways to improve law firm efficiency, especially when it comes to reducing administrative tasks and cutting down the document review process.

Document automation tools use legal technology and, more recently, generative AI to help create first drafts in minutes. You upload a file or fill out a simple form, and the tool builds a complete document based on preset templates or your firm’s past work.

Here’s where legal document automation helps:

• Creating discovery requests and responses
• Filling out standard agreements like NDAs or contracts
• Reducing errors from copying and pasting
• Keeping formatting and legal language consistent

Tools like Briefpoint go a step further by handling full sets of interrogatories, requests for admission, and production, letting you propound or respond to discovery in all U.S. jurisdictions with just a few clicks. 

Learn more about how it works here.

2. Automate Client-Related Tasks

Meeting client demands is a big part of running a successful law firm, but it’s also one of the most time-consuming. From answering questions to gathering paperwork, these tasks often pull staff away from billable work.

With that in mind, automating parts of client service is one of the most effective ways to improve law firm efficiency while still delivering exceptional service.

For example, AI can help with:

• Client intake: Collect basic information through AI-powered forms or chatbots to reduce back-and-forth and manual data entry.
• Appointment scheduling: Use smart scheduling tools that sync calendars and send reminders to clients automatically.
• Document collection: Let clients upload files through secure links while AI organizes and stores them properly.
• Status updates: Keep clients informed through automated messages that track key milestones and deadlines.
• Answering common questions: Use AI chat assistants to respond instantly to FAQs without tying up staff.
• Personalized follow-ups: Trigger messages based on case stage, deadlines, or client activity for a more personalized client experience.

These tools don’t just save time, but also improve client communication, reduce overhead costs, and help firms focus on improving operational efficiency while still maintaining the quality of their legal services.

3. Leverage AI-Powered Legal Research Tools

Legal research is another common time drain for attorneys. It’s tedious, slow, and often hard to bill at full value. But with AI-powered tools, legal professionals can get through research faster and sharpen their legal strategies more efficiently.

According to the Legal Industry Report 2025, 46% of frequent AI users in law already rely on it to conduct general research. This shows that AI is becoming a go-to tool across the legal industry for saving time and making data-driven decisions.

Here’s how AI can improve your research process:

• Search in plain English and get precise results without complex query strings
• Scan case summaries to find what matters faster
• Catch outdated or missing citations before you file
• Link related rulings and laws automatically for deeper context
• Reduce non-billable research time and focus more on strategy

By helping law firms adopt more streamlined processes, these tools give you more control over your time and allow you to compete with other law firms that are already using tech to improve performance and client results.

4. Add Smart Scheduling Assistants

Schedules are the backbone of any law firm. From client meetings to court deadlines, everything depends on staying organized and on time.

Smart scheduling assistants make this easier by handling meeting coordination automatically. These tools manage invites, reminders, and updates, so your team doesn’t have to do it all by hand.

For instance, platforms like Calendly and Clara, or features built into legal practice management software like Clio and PracticePanther, allow clients to book appointments based on your availability.

They sync with calendars, prevent double-bookings, and send confirmations or reminders with minimal human intervention.

Using AI like this improves time management, reduces administrative overhead, and keeps your day running smoothly. It also helps create a more professional and responsive experience for clients.

5. Let AI Draft Routine Communications

Not every message needs to be written from scratch. Simple emails, follow-ups, and routine updates don’t always require legal expertise, and many law firms are now using AI to help with these day-to-day tasks.

While AI shouldn’t send messages without review, it can save time by drafting first versions that you can quickly personalize.

This approach helps boost law firm productivity, free up billable hours, and improve how you’re keeping clients informed without constantly starting from a blank screen.

AI can help with:

• Drafting appointment confirmations and reminders
• Writing follow-up messages after meetings or filings
• Creating templates for intake, updates, or status reports
• Responding to common client questions with approved language
• Generating internal updates or summaries for staff

Using communication tools with built-in AI also supports more personalized client experiences, since messages can be tailored quickly based on case type or client needs.

When used thoughtfully, AI helps keep your communication timely, consistent, and professional without draining your team’s time. It’s one of the easiest ways to keep things moving, maintain client satisfaction, and make routine tasks far more manageable.

6. Use AI-Driven Analytics to Find Opportunities for Improvement

Data is a valuable resource that often gets overlooked in the legal process. As firms continue to explore better ways to save time and work smarter, AI-driven analytics offer a clear advantage.

By tracking metrics across your practice, like response times, billing patterns, and document turnaround, you can spot what’s working and what needs attention. These insights help you adopt strategies that actually move the needle and support your law firm’s success.

AI tools built into case management, document management, and law firm billing software often include dashboards that visualize trends across teams, clients, and matters.

Here’s what you can track and improve:

• Key performance indicators (KPIs) like time to resolution, case duration, and task completion rates
• Billing gaps where work was done but not logged
• Workflow delays in document review or client communication
• Utilization rates by attorney or team
• Client feedback trends and satisfaction scores

These insights can help you streamline workflows, balance workloads, and make more informed decisions across the firm. With the right data, you can improve how your team works and how your clients experience your services, leading to long-term results that matter.

7. Try Using Voice-to-Text Tools

Voice-to-text tools offer a simple way to turn spoken words into written content quickly, which can help reduce non-billable work and free up more time for other tasks.

You can use this kind of AI during client meetings, internal briefings, or even while you’re thinking through ideas on the go. It’s especially useful for capturing details you might otherwise forget or for organizing thoughts before a draft.

By reducing time-consuming tasks like manual transcription, these tools help improve efficiency without much effort. Some tools can even support analyzing data from multiple recordings to identify common issues or trends across cases, adding even more value to your notes.

However, because sensitive case information may be shared aloud, privacy matters. Make sure you’re using the right technology that offers encryption and data security, especially when client information is involved.

For firms focused on maximizing law firm productivity, cutting down time spent on routine documentation, and improving the firm’s efficiency, voice-to-text can be a quiet but powerful upgrade.

Briefpoint Makes Document Work Easier, And That’s Just the Beginning

It’s already 2025. Getting through all the day-to-day tasks at a law firm doesn’t have to mean long nights and crowded calendars. And with smarter tools, you can take back your time while still maintaining high-quality work.

That’s where AI fits in. Of course, not to replace your expertise, but to take the routine stuff off your plate.

Briefpoint is one of the easiest wins. It handles your discovery drafting from requests for admission to interrogatories, so you don’t have to start from scratch every time.

Modern firms using it are saving up to 87% of the time they used to spend on document prep. No wonder more than 500 law firms already rely on it to make their workflow faster and easier.

Curious how much time your team could save? Book a demo with Briefpoint and see how it fits into your day.