After Baker & McKenzie laid off hundreds of business professionals this year, several law firm staffing leaders predicted more cuts coming in Big Law, whether it’s a result of artificial intelligence tools or other factors. Some staffing recruiters predicted that Baker McKenzie’s move could even encourage others to go forward with their own cuts.
Large law firms were settling into 2026 on a high note. Early returns showed that, despite the pressure from the Trump administration last Spring, law firms turned in some of the highest profit increases they have seen in the last decade. But, as recent events show, nothing is certain.
Attorney bios are read by people, but often before that happens, they are parsed, ranked, summarized and compared by machines. Bios have become an essential source of data and content for AI-enabled technology, and their quality, structure and content impact which lawyers — and firms — get surfaced, promoted and, ultimately, hired.
Artificial intelligence is changing how legal work is performed. What’s needed is problem-solving optimism, a clinical appraisal of the firm’s capabilities and economic position, and earnest resolve to change before market pressure forces change under duress.
Organizations are buying technology but failing at transformation. The difference between the 48% that succeed and the 52% that don’t isn’t the software. It’s how they manage the human side of change.
The firms that will thrive when it comes to the adoption of AI will not be those with the most tools or the most prompts. They will be the ones with clear standards, defined human ownership and a dedicated AI partner able to turn raw generation into reliable, high‑value content.
Litigation is now digital, but is it more efficient? With hybrid work, AI enhancements, and billions of dollars invested in legal tech, are we achieving the right goals of empowering litigators to spend more time on productive (and billable) work? The answer is clear — and surprising: no.
Many, but not all, professional associations have a class of membership for people and businesses not holding a license to practice in the field yet do provide services frequently used by members of the profession.
Current restrictions constrict access to capital and stifle the innovation needed to rise to these challenges. They also hinder recruitment by preventing firms from offering equity stakes or profit-sharing options that top talent, lawyers or not, demands. Worse, they breed insularity. No other sector dismisses highly valued experts, for example, in finance, marketing and technology, by defining them by what they are not — “non-lawyers”? We should stop.
Legal spend has become a core business issue that now shapes financial planning, operational decision making and risk management. What once lived primarily in the legal department has become a shared responsibility across client legal, finance, and operations teams and their outside counsel.
