Survey of Law Firm Attorneys: Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence
Description
Primary Research Group announces the release of its latest report, Survey of Law Firm Attorneys: Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence, offering an in-depth look at how legal professionals are adopting and expanding their use of generative AI tools. This comprehensive study provides actionable insights for law firm leaders, technology strategists, and legal practitioners seeking to understand the evolving landscape of AI in legal practice.
What’s Inside the Report?
The report features detailed quantitative and qualitative data from law firm attorneys across a range of firm sizes, practice areas, and roles. Readers will find:
Statistical tables and charts on AI adoption, expansion expectations, and usage patterns
Breakouts by firm size, practice area, technological adaptability, gender, and title
Analysis of specific AI tools used, including ChatGPT, Copilot, Harvey, Westlaw AI, Lexis AI, and more
Commentary on effectiveness, barriers to adoption, and practice-specific trends
Open-ended responses revealing attorney perspectives on AI’s impact and utility
Five Key Findings from the Survey
Strong Expansionary Expectations:
Over three-quarters of attorneys (77.55%) anticipate significant or moderate expansion of AI use in their work over the next 12 months, with 45.92% expecting significant expansion and 31.63% moderate expansion. Only 6.12% report no expansion planned, and just 1.02% expect to use AI less.
Firm Size Drives Adoption Patterns:
Mid-size firms (50–150 lawyers) are the “growth engine” for AI adoption, with 64.71% expecting significant expansion and only 5.88% reporting minimal expansion. In contrast, mega-firms (over 1,000 lawyers) skew toward moderate expansion (61.54%) rather than significant.
Recent Surge in AI Adoption:
The largest group of attorneys began using AI tools 1–2 years ago (23.47%), but a substantial share are new adopters: 13.27% started within the past 3 months and 15.31% within 3–6 months. Notably, 10.20% say they don’t really use AI.
Usage Intensity Varies Widely:
Attorneys spend an average of 5.57 hours per week using AI tools, but usage is highly skewed—some are heavy users, while the median is just 3 hours. Intellectual Property attorneys report the highest sustained usage (mean 11.91 hours/week).
ChatGPT Leads in Tool Usage:
ChatGPT is the most broadly used AI application, with a mean of 55.7 minutes and a median of 25 minutes spent in the past week. Mid-size firms again stand out, averaging 116.31 minutes (median 90).
What’s Inside the Report?
The report features detailed quantitative and qualitative data from law firm attorneys across a range of firm sizes, practice areas, and roles. Readers will find:
Statistical tables and charts on AI adoption, expansion expectations, and usage patterns
Breakouts by firm size, practice area, technological adaptability, gender, and title
Analysis of specific AI tools used, including ChatGPT, Copilot, Harvey, Westlaw AI, Lexis AI, and more
Commentary on effectiveness, barriers to adoption, and practice-specific trends
Open-ended responses revealing attorney perspectives on AI’s impact and utility
Five Key Findings from the Survey
Strong Expansionary Expectations:
Over three-quarters of attorneys (77.55%) anticipate significant or moderate expansion of AI use in their work over the next 12 months, with 45.92% expecting significant expansion and 31.63% moderate expansion. Only 6.12% report no expansion planned, and just 1.02% expect to use AI less.
Firm Size Drives Adoption Patterns:
Mid-size firms (50–150 lawyers) are the “growth engine” for AI adoption, with 64.71% expecting significant expansion and only 5.88% reporting minimal expansion. In contrast, mega-firms (over 1,000 lawyers) skew toward moderate expansion (61.54%) rather than significant.
Recent Surge in AI Adoption:
The largest group of attorneys began using AI tools 1–2 years ago (23.47%), but a substantial share are new adopters: 13.27% started within the past 3 months and 15.31% within 3–6 months. Notably, 10.20% say they don’t really use AI.
Usage Intensity Varies Widely:
Attorneys spend an average of 5.57 hours per week using AI tools, but usage is highly skewed—some are heavy users, while the median is just 3 hours. Intellectual Property attorneys report the highest sustained usage (mean 11.91 hours/week).
ChatGPT Leads in Tool Usage:
ChatGPT is the most broadly used AI application, with a mean of 55.7 minutes and a median of 25 minutes spent in the past week. Mid-size firms again stand out, averaging 116.31 minutes (median 90).
Table of Contents
49 Pages
- Table 1.1 How much do you expect your AI use at work to expand in the next 12 months?
- Table 2.1 When did you first begin using AI tools in your legal practice?
- Table 3.1 On average, how many hours per week do you spend using AI tools for work-related tasks?
- Table 4 In the past week how many minutes did you spend using each of the following applications? (put in 0
- if not used at all)
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