Can in-house legal teams truly keep up with the pace of innovation—or are they being left behind? The legal tech landscape is evolving rapidly, and in-house counsel must find smarter, faster ways to deliver legal services. AI tools for lawyers now offer a practical way to simplify routine tasks and improve overall efficiency.
Olga Mack and Kassi Burns—a senior attorney and expert in eDiscovery—share real-world insights into how legal departments can integrate AI thoughtfully and effectively. Their experience provides an easy-to-follow roadmap for any legal team ready to use AI with confidence.
Kassi describes AI tools—especially GPT-powered agents—as helpful assistants that handle repetitive legal tasks. Rather than replacing lawyers, these tools enhance their abilities. With the right setup, AI can speed up drafting, summarizing, and formatting, which gives legal professionals more time for high-level work.
Watch the full conversation with Olga Mack & Kassi Burns here:
AI Tools for Lawyers: What They Are and Why They Matter
AI tools for lawyers typically rely on generative models like GPT, which respond to prompts or training. Kassi began experimenting with GPT by creating one agent that writes like Jane Austen and another that shares skincare advice like Gollum from Lord of the Rings. These examples show how easy the tools are to use, even without technical skills.
The same simplicity can support legal work, including drafting memos, summarizing case law, or producing standard email templates. When used correctly, these tools improve productivity and reduce time spent on repetitive tasks.
Designing AI Tools for Lawyers with Purpose
Kassi stresses the importance of purposeful design. To create effective AI tools, lawyers need to clearly define their goals and understand what kind of output they expect. The setup process includes choosing quality training data, crafting clear prompts, and iteratively refining them.
Even with a low-code interface, it takes trial and error. AI tools thrive when trained on relevant, structured content—and fail when given vague or inconsistent inputs. Lawyers should expect to tweak their agents frequently to improve accuracy and usefulness.
How to Choose the Right AI Tools for Lawyers
Not all legal work is suitable for AI. Kassi advises focusing on high-volume, low-risk tasks that are time-consuming but don’t require deep legal reasoning. Examples include drafting standard NDAs, summarizing discovery documents, or generating content for client communications or internal FAQs.
She cautions against using AI tools for confidential matters or tasks that involve nuanced judgment. When used wisely, AI tools can help lawyers reclaim time without exposing the organization to compliance or reputational risks.
Data Quality and Human Oversight
The value of AI tools depends on the quality of the input. Kassi emphasizes curating data that is clean, accurate, and contextually appropriate. Poor training data leads to inconsistent or unreliable outputs, and even high-quality models can default to generic or conservative language if not coached properly.
Every output must be reviewed by a human. Legal teams should implement SOPs to ensure that AI-generated drafts are vetted and refined before being finalized or shared. This hybrid approach ensures that efficiency never comes at the cost of professionalism or legal precision.
Governance and Ethical Use
Kassi encourages teams to develop standard operating procedures for AI adoption. This includes documenting approved use cases, setting review policies, and establishing data security protocols. Without these safeguards, even helpful tools can introduce risk.
By approaching AI implementation with clarity and caution, legal departments can build workflows that are faster, smarter, and ethically sound.
In closing, Kassi offers this perspective: AI tools for lawyers are not a threat to legal expertise. Instead, they are strategic assets that, when used responsibly, allow legal professionals to focus on higher-value work and lead the charge in modern legal innovation.
Watch the full conversation here: Notes to My (Legal) Self: Season 6, Episode 14 (ft.Olga Mack & Kassi Burns)
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