My recent blog on my decision to take August off has inevitably prompted questions, queries, comments, and more than a bit of envy? In this follow-up piece, I explain why it has transformed my use of AI on my return to work.
If we step back from the daily grind and ask ourselves—honestly—whether we’re leveraging the full power of the tools at our disposal, the answer is often uncomfortable. This is why I take proper breaks at August and Christmas, space to reflect after truly resetting my mind.
Typically, we adopt, we adapt, and then, all too human, we settle. Progress plateaus just as the technology takes flight. Nowhere is this more evident than in the legal sector’s approach to AI.
I recall a revealing moment: after nearly two years using Microsoft CoPilot within Office 365, I realised our relationship with AI had stagnated. We initially embraced it with curiosity, but soon fell into the rut of using it for basic, routine tasks. The technology, meanwhile, has not stood still—it has sprinted ahead, transforming from a basic assistant into an engine for productivity and analytical work. The difference between then and now is, frankly, night and day.
So, what does it mean to adopt an “AI First” mindset in this new era? For me, it’s about shifting focus from the comfortable and habitual to the bold and transformative. First, there’s the sheer time-saving efficiency. By automating administrative and repetitive tasks, I’ve reclaimed up to two hours a day so far in September 2025 — time that now fuels deeper, client-focused problem-solving. AI isn’t just about working faster; it’s about liberating the mental bandwidth to tackle complex issues with renewed intensity.
But there’s also a foundational principle that we refuse to compromise: security. Every tool and process must honour the sanctity of client data. This is table stakes—non-negotiable. As we explore what AI can do, we don’t lose sight of what it must never do: compromise trust.
Why, then, should the legal profession embrace AI more fully? Because the parameters of possibility have shifted. Traditional AI was adept at crunching numbers and parsing snippets of text, but generative AI is something fundamentally new. It’s a system capable of absorbing vast datasets, generating insights, and producing content that reflects the richness and nuance of those datasets. In the hands of professionals, it augments productivity, clarity, and—most importantly—understanding.
My own early wins with this AI-First approach have been telling. When AI drafts email responses from my bullet points (so I have read and considered the email being replied to), I’m not surrendering judgment; I’m reclaiming time. Each AI draft is a starting point—one that I refine, ensuring my voice and intent remain intact. The cumulative effect? Hours saved each week, which can be reinvested where human expertise matters most.
Document analysis is another revelation. AI now distils large judgments and documents into key point summaries before I even begin my own review. This isn’t about replacing professional discernment and knowledge; it’s about enhancing it. With the landscape mapped, I can dive deeper into the details, spot patterns more quickly, and deliver greater value to clients.
If there is one lesson I’ve drawn from this journey, it’s that progress is not inevitable. It requires a conscious decision to move forward, to break free from the comfort of the familiar, and to reimagine what’s possible. My argument for law firms is: the fundamental constraint is rarely the technology—it’s our willingness to step into the unknown, to experiment, and to learn.
In the coming months, my focus is clear: to challenge myself to be a pioneer in the next chapter of legal practice, harnessing AI not as a shortcut, but as a catalyst for deeper insight and more meaningful work. AI for added value is not scary and a threat to our business or jobs in the future, as doom-mongers argue; it is simply the latest technology platform to enhance the client experience. Did the move from landlines to iPhones herald the end of the workplace? No. Did the move to Zoom and Teams end meetings? No. AI in the legal space is just a platform for delivery; we owe it to our clients to use that platform where it helps and to use other traditional methods when they are a better platform.