Imagine a corporate legal department where contracts self-populate, compliance risks are instantly identified through real-time dashboards, and routine legal queries are addressed before the business team even asks. While this may seem like a futuristic concept, according to Ryan Finn, an attorney at Boeing, it’s the inevitable future of legal services. The real question is—how many lawyers will remain relevant when this future arrives?
The traditional model of lawyering—poring over stacks of documents, drafting emails late into the night, and manually tracking regulatory changes—is crumbling under the weight of its own inefficiency. Businesses no longer have the patience (or budget) for legal teams that operate like a black box. They want speed, transparency, and scalability. And the only way to deliver that? Code. Data. Automation.
Ryan Finn, an attorney at Boeing who is passionate about the intersection of law and technology, sees a future where in-house lawyers don’t just interpret the law—they engineer it. But getting there requires a fundamental shift in mindset.
Watch the full conversation with Ryan Finn here:
From Paper Pushers to Legal Engineers
The days of treating contracts as static documents are numbered. Ryan envisions a world where agreements are built like software—structured, modular, and capable of auto-updating based on shifting regulations. Imagine a procurement agreement that dynamically adjusts clauses when a supplier’s compliance status changes. Or an NDA that self-executes the moment both parties e-sign, with obligations automatically tracked in a centralized system.
This isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about survival. Legal teams that cling to manual processes will drown in the sheer volume of work, while those who treat contracts as code will free themselves to focus on high-stakes strategy.
The Future of Legal Services Blending Tech and Legal Expertise
The future of legal services won’t be staffed solely with JDs. It’ll be a blend of lawyers who speak Python, compliance analysts who build risk algorithms, and legal ops specialists who design self-service tools. Ryan doesn’t expect every attorney to become a programmer, but he does believe the next generation of in-house counsel must be fluent enough in tech to collaborate with those who are.
Think of it like a hospital: Surgeons don’t build their own scalpels, but they understand how they work. Similarly, lawyers won’t need to code their own AI, but they should know how to brief the engineers building it.
From Firefighting to Foresight
Most in-house lawyers spend their days reacting—scrambling to review last-minute contracts, fielding urgent compliance questions, and putting out fires. But what if legal teams could predict problems before they arise?
Ryan sees a shift toward proactive legal service delivery: AI that flags regulatory changes the moment they’re published, predictive analytics that identify high-risk clauses before they trigger disputes, and chatbots that resolve routine queries without human intervention. The goal isn’t to replace lawyers but to elevate them—freeing them from repetitive tasks so they can focus on the work that truly requires human judgment.
Future of Legal Services and the One Percent Mindset
So how does an in-house lawyer future-proof their career? Ryan’s answer is simple: Get one percent better every day.
That might mean learning to automate a simple workflow with no-code tools. Or experimenting with AI to draft faster first-pass reviews. Or even just tracking key metrics—like contract cycle times or litigation spend—to identify inefficiencies. The point isn’t to transform overnight but to build momentum.
The legal profession is at a crossroads. Firms and departments that resist change will find themselves sidelined, while those who adapt will redefine what it means to practice law. The choice is stark: Evolve or become obsolete.
The future of legal services isn’t coming. It’s already here. The only question left is—are you ready?
Watch the full conversation here: Notes to My (Legal) Self: Season 2, Episode 17(ft. Ryan Finn)
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