Building AI Foundations in Legal Practice
A People-First Approach to AI Adoption
A large UK-based law firm partnered with First AI to introduce Microsoft Copilot into everyday legal work in a way that was secure, practical, and genuinely useful. Rather than rushing to deploy new technology, the firm prioritised confidence, capability, and trust, ensuring AI was embedded thoughtfully into existing workflows.
The initial focus was on helping teams understand how AI could support real legal tasks, from document review to legal research. Early adopters tested and refined practical use cases, creating momentum and credibility across the organisation. Through hands-on support, regular clinics, and visible leadership sponsorship, AI adoption became sustainable rather than disruptive.
Today, the firm continues to build on these foundations, extending its AI strategy through custom agents and enhanced data governance to support long-term innovation.
Context and Challenge
As an internationally recognised law firm with a strong track record in innovation, the organisation was well aware of AI’s potential to transform legal delivery. However, it also recognised the complexity of responsible adoption, particularly around data governance, regulatory compliance, and cultural change.
The firm engaged First AI to design a structured, collaborative rollout that prioritised people, process, and data readiness before scaling Microsoft Copilot across the business. The shared goal was to ensure AI adoption delivered measurable value while being trusted, well understood, and aligned with professional standards.
A Phased, Collaborative Rollout
The programme began with firmwide education sessions aimed at demystifying AI, addressing misconceptions, and building curiosity. From there, adoption progressed in carefully managed phases, starting with business services teams and internal champions who were keen to explore new ways of working.
These early participants played a key role in shaping how Copilot was used across the firm. Their feedback helped refine prompts, establish best practices, and create practical guidance that smoothed later rollout stages.
Understanding User Needs
Reactions to AI varied across the organisation, from enthusiasm to understandable caution, particularly around how Copilot might affect existing roles and responsibilities.
To address this, First AI worked closely with the firm to carry out user interviews and needs assessments. This helped identify role-specific use cases that addressed genuine pain points, ensuring AI was positioned as a practical assistant rather than a theoretical concept.
By focusing on everyday challenges, initial hesitation gave way to confidence as teams experienced tangible time savings and workflow improvements.
Transforming Day-to-Day Legal Work
Efficiency gains were realised quickly once Copilot was applied to real tasks. Early adopters used the tool to support routine drafting, summarise lengthy documents, and streamline administrative work, allowing them to focus on higher-value legal tasks.
Key use cases included:
- Summarising meetings and extracting action points from transcripts
- Automating and improving time entry accuracy through tailored prompts
- Rapidly locating precedents and templates
- Reducing research time for complex, multi-jurisdictional matters
- Drafting and checking contract clauses for consistency and compliance
Custom prompts ensured Copilot felt integrated into daily workflows rather than an additional system to learn.
Embedding a Learning Culture
Adoption continued to grow steadily following the initial rollout. Regular drop-in clinics and collaborative workshops gave teams the opportunity to bring real work, share approaches, and learn from one another.
This created a supportive learning environment where experimentation was encouraged and confidence increased over time. Teams began to identify new opportunities for AI use organically, extending value beyond the original scope.
Ongoing Support and Governance
First AI’s Adoption Managers worked closely with teams throughout the programme, offering real-time coaching and capturing feedback to continuously refine both tools and processes.
This iterative approach enabled the firm to adapt quickly to user needs while maintaining strong governance. Together, the teams developed frameworks that balanced innovation with compliance, ensuring AI use remained secure, ethical, and aligned with regulatory expectations.
Overcoming Adoption Challenges
As with any transformation programme, the firm faced challenges. These included limited time for learning, varying levels of AI familiarity, and the pace of ongoing Copilot updates.
These challenges were addressed through:
- Clear and visible leadership sponsorship
- Consistent communication of AI’s value
- Role-based training tailored to different teams
- Ongoing engagement through clinics and feedback loops
This ensured AI adoption remained a priority and felt supported at every stage.
Results and Impact
The programme delivered clear results across adoption, productivity, and confidence:
Over 50% of the firm’s 575 users trained across legal and business services
A 437% increase in Copilot usage during the rollout period
An average of 13 hours saved per week by AI champions
55 practical use cases identified across legal and operational teams
305 custom prompts developed for consistent and effective use
An average feedback score of 8.7/10
Confidence and skill levels doubled among participating users
Looking Ahead
Microsoft Copilot is now embedded into daily workflows across the firm, with adoption continuing to grow. The next phase focuses on extending this foundation, developing bespoke AI agents tailored to legal processes and further strengthening data governance to support future innovation.
By investing in people, process, and trust first, the firm has positioned itself for sustainable, long-term success with AI.