Legal sector shifts focus from AI adoption to governance

AI governance and competency are becoming more prominent in legaltech as firms move beyond deploying tools toward oversight, accountability and risk management. Akerman has appointed Michael Adler as director of AI governance and data protection within Akerman Intelligence and as a partner in its Corporate Practice Group, a newly created role focused on governance frameworks across the firm and client advice on AI governance, data protection, technology transactions and international AI regulation.

VerbaFlo and Homes For Students warned businesses may misinterpret Article 50 of the EU AI Act, which came into force on 2 August and sets transparency requirements for AI systems that interact directly with consumers or generate synthetic content. Their guidance highlights responsibilities shared between providers and deployers, transparency around design choices and AI-generated content, and assessments of high-risk use beyond customer-facing applications.

BARBRI Professional Education’s report, based on interviews with 10 leaders across nine firms, found that law firms are adopting AI tools faster than they are measuring effects on lawyer behavior and business performance. Firms often know who has activated tools but have limited visibility into how work is changing, while collaboration between learning and development, knowledge management and innovation teams remains fragile.