Legalweek 2025 came and went in a flurry of panels, product demos, networking events, and—unsurprisingly—a whole lot of AI talk. But unlike the splashy debut of generative AI at Legalweek 2023, this year’s event was more about practicality. AI is no longer the shiny new toy—it’s the toolbox. And law firms are finally starting to figure out what to build with it.
We scoured the top recaps so you don’t have to. Here’s what stood out across the board:
From Hype to Hands-On: AI’s Maturing Moment
AI dominated the conversation—again—but with a new tone. As LegalTech Talent Network put it, “AI is no longer optional.” From internal firm operations to client-facing services, AI is showing up in very real, very measurable ways.
Key trends included:
Purpose-built legal AI tools are gaining ground over general-purpose platforms. Think contract analysis, legal research, document classification—tasks where domain-specific data gives AI a real edge.
Cross-functional “AI squads” within firms are testing use cases internally, often led by legal assistants or business operations teams. These grassroots efforts are helping to uncover the low-hanging fruit for automation.
Clients are watching. Above the Law’s recap made it clear: GCs increasingly expect their law firms to be as tech-savvy as their in-house teams. They want partners who bring solutions—not blockers.
Practical Innovation > Flashy Demos
As TechLaw Crossroads summed it up, “Legalweek 2025 wasn’t about big bangs. It was about smart fixes.” Many vendors took a more thoughtful approach this year, focusing on solving niche but stubborn problems.
Two smart standouts:
NetDocuments’ AI-powered document classification tool, highlighted by Above the Law, auto-categorizes documents at upload—reducing manual work and metadata errors. A classic example of “AI doing what humans hate doing.”
AffiniPay’s MyCase Smart Spend feature lets attorneys capture client-related expenses on the go and auto-sync them with billing. It’s a small but mighty fix to one of the most annoying parts of legal practice.
The End of the AI Identity Crisis?
Business Insider framed it well: law firms are finally moving past “Should we use AI?” and into “How do we use it responsibly?” The vibe this year was less about blind adoption and more about frameworks, governance, and measured experimentation.
What’s changing:
Firms are actively testing multiple generative AI tools and renegotiating vendor contracts on shorter cycles to stay flexible.
There’s a growing emphasis on human-AI collaboration, not replacement. Panelists stressed that lawyers should remain the final decision-makers—but AI can drastically speed up prep work and pattern recognition.
Ethics and compliance were woven into nearly every session, thanks in part to regulatory developments around AI usage, both in the U.S. and internationally.
Opus 2 noted that AI’s integration is pushing firms to rethink training, client service, and even pricing models. The tools may be new, but the strategic questions they raise are old: How do we deliver better legal work, faster?
AI in Action: Demos That Moved the Needle
Legalweek 2025 wasn’t just talk—this year’s product demos showed AI making real, task-specific impact. Vendors leaned into integrations and usability, focusing on tools that fit seamlessly into legal workflows.
Legal IT Insider highlighted several standouts:
DeepJudge impressed with its AI-powered document search across internal firm data, plus a no-code workflow builder for customizing AI tasks.
Thomson Reuters’ CoCounsel 2.0, now embedded in Westlaw and Practical Law, introduced tools like Mischaracterization Identification and AI Jurisdictional Surveys to boost research precision.
LexisNexis Protégé debuted as a contract review tool aimed at automating risk spotting in due diligence processes.
Billables AI (we've heard of them!) is automating time capture through user-friendly UI and device-agnostic workflow integrations.
Overheard at Legalweek: The Best Sound Bites
Here are a few gems captured by LegalTech News’ “Overheard at Legalweek”:
“It’s not about whether we’ll use AI—it’s about who owns the risk when we do.”
– Panelist on regulatory panel
“You’re not competing with AI. You’re competing with lawyers who use it well.”
– GC from a Fortune 500 company
“Hackathons are our new innovation engine. No budget, just creativity.”
– Director of innovation at an Am Law 50 firm
What’s Next?
The main takeaway from all these takeaways? AI isn’t the future—it’s the now. But Legalweek 2025 made it clear that success depends on how well firms align tools with strategy. The era of experimenting is giving way to execution.
As Verbit put it, firms should “lean in, but tread wisely.” Tech-savvy clients, leaner operations, and smarter competitors are all reshaping the legal landscape—one well-targeted AI use case at a time.
