Overwhelmed by AI? Lawyers turn to specialists to help power up their practices
Law firms across the country are facing a digital reckoning.
As artificial intelligence continues to make waves in legal research, contract review, client services and more, many firms— especially midsize and smaller practices—are scrambling to keep up.
Overwhelmed by the pace of change and wary of costly missteps, some legal teams are turning to a new kind of expert: the AI consultant.
AI adoption has boomed in a short amount of time. In 2023, just 19% of legal professionals were using artificial intelligence. But by 2024, 79% had jumped on the AI bandwagon, according to Clio’s latest Legal Trends Report.
The big issue: For many, it’s overwhelming.
“They’re getting stuck in analysis paralysis: Which one?” asks Matthew Adams, founder and CEO of MapMatix, a new legal AI consultancy.
Brad Gardner, the director of operations at Tomac & Tomac in Rapid City, South Dakota, reached out to MapMatix in 2024 after struggling with implementing AI in his firm.
“We were looking for a company to help us organize and refine our multiple pieces of tech in our tech stack,” Gardner says. MapMatix helped the law firm use AI-powered work management platform Monday.com in addition to creating solutions that fit their existing workflow.
“We didn’t want to throw out the systems and the work we’d already done to implement automations, and MapMatix has helped us grow and refine what we’ve already got in place.”
The AI consultancy was created a couple of years ago, when Matthew Adams, its founder, realized that legal organizations needed to use AI but were too busy to figure everything out themselves.
When a law firm inquires about help, MapMatix analyzes their technology use for gaps and overlaps. Then they examine the firm’s workflow to identify opportunities for technology implementation.
They’re software agnostic, looking at where the software makes the most sense rather than placing name-brand tech into each firm.
If the firm has minimal or no tech in place, Adams says, MapMatix will spend a few months introducing software so it’s implemented with as little disruption as possible. An automated service manager identifies priorities and goals, while MapMatix has a pool of developers who discuss and create solutions.
If there’s an off-the-shelf, ready-to-go solution that meets the need, then MapMatix will recommend that the firm buy it. If not, the company will create a custom low-code or no-code solution.
For maintenance of start-up models, the cost is $500 to $1,000 per month. But a typical law firm should expect to pay $2,000-$5,000 per month if they have existing technology and processes they want help with. Maintenance packages would include handling software updates, answering questions and identifying and fixing any problems.
The price varies from one consultancy to another, however. Simplexico, a London-based legal AI consultancy, charges $100,000-$400,000 to implement a custom AI strategy, along with ongoing support and maintenance. The company, which largely works with BigLaw firms, says other AI tools would cost $4 million to $5 million combined for a three- to six-month implementation, so their price tag is actually a relative bargain, according to Uwais Iqbal, the founder of Simplexico.
“We build solutions,” he says. “AI is broader than an individual purchase from a vendor, and law firms are shortsighted in terms of just purchasing a single AI system. That’s part of the journey, but that’s not the end of the story.”
Seann Malloy, the founder and managing partner at Malloy Law Offices in Bethesda, Maryland, says his firm hired an AI consultant to help integrate data-driven strategies, and he describes the experience as enlightening.
The consultancy (which they declined to name) assisted the firm in developing an AI-led pattern-spotting system that mapped anonymous intake forms, inquiries from clients and types of cases.
“The model showed a growing trend we hadn’t previously seen … a spike in questions from small-business owners worried about protecting their intellectual property,” Malloy says.
The sheer volume and consistency of their questions indicated an underutilized market segment, Malloy says. With that insight, the firm was able to allocate a portion of their marketing efforts to create assets that serve that niche, resulting in substantial growth for the firm.
One size does not fit all
Most firms don’t have anyone with the expertise to sort through AI companies. Many legal tools didn’t even exist a few years ago, explains Daniel Siegel, chair-elect of the ABA Law Practice Division. Siegel, who is an attorney and the founder of Integrated Technology Services, educated himself about the latest tech so he could help his firm along with others who weren’t up to speed.
He starts by looking at the firms’ needs, and from there, he says, he can suggest vendors.
“A solution that works in one practice or one area may be a terrible solution for another practice area,” he says. “Most firms don’t have the expertise, so as a result, you end up listening to salespeople or just buying based on advertisements, which can be very deceptive.”
But consultants aren’t the only option. Siegel suggests that law firms attend legal seminars focused on technology (he spoke on AI ethics at ABA Techshow 2025) to educate themselves on this changing landscape.
“Like any other emerging tech, you have to do your homework,” Siegel says. “If you’re not capable or don’t have the time or inclination to do that, then I would hire a consultant to do it.”
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