I have been working as a lawyer in various industries for 15 years, first at a conventional law firm and then as an in-house lawyer, but one issue remains strong. That means contract management can sometimes feel like chasing scattered puzzle pieces. I've seen time wasted sifting through old folders, fighting with cluttered Google and OneDrive, combing through coworkers' email archives, and digging through old USB sticks. There were countless times when I needed a colleague to check if my contract file was up to date. It's not just frustrating. It's a costly task that takes your eyes off what really matters, such as serving clients, guiding strategic decisions, and managing risk.

2025 is right around the corner. I'm sure we're at the forefront of something better. AI is no longer just a buzzword thrown around by tech enthusiasts. For us lawyers, AI is a practical and proven ally in turning these unmanageable archives into streamlined and insightful resources. I've been testing, proposing, and re-testing the tools, but sometimes I wasn't convinced until I saw the implementation results myself. For me, AI is no ordinary tool. With GenAI, AI has been the catalyst for the most dramatic transformation of legal affairs.

Having witnessed the transformative power of a technology-enabled legal environment, I have closely watched the trends that shape this industry. Here are a few major changes that are around the corner that I believe will redefine how businesses and legal teams use AI to achieve better results in 2025.

1. Expect further AI integration into legal workflows

AI has realized its presence at every stage of the contract lifecycle, from drafting and review to compliance monitoring. By automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks, legal teams can shift their focus to strategic, high-value activities, and ultimately have a greater impact on the business. Please consider our partnership agreement, Podai's Leh Drive. I've seen firsthand how this transforms contract management from a glorious repository to a dynamic analysis engine. It's more than just searching and speeding up searches. It's important to clarify obligations and risks, and implement new models and frameworks to address various legal use cases.

But even with these advancements, AI cannot completely replace the subtle judgments of human experts. That's why I strongly believe in “Human in the Loop (Human in the Loop).” We leave the tedious work to AI, but we maintain monitoring and context to ensure accuracy.

2. Legal advisors and business lawyers re-evaluate their value in the organization.

Until now, legal teams have been plagued with repetitive and time-consuming tasks. I remember an old colleague complaining that he spent hours searching through other former colleagues' inboxes looking for emails from 3 years ago to finalize his court filings. In my internal work, it sometimes takes days to get used to previous transactions for files that are often incomplete and not properly indexed. At some point, we lawyers need to ask ourselves. Why are highly trained professionals spending so much time on this kind of work when they have advanced technology that can help right away?

As AI now handles tedious tasks, lawyers are now free to shift to roles where they can further demonstrate their value and expertise. Today, many of us see ourselves not as “risk firefighters,” but as strategic advisors to help businesses grow and innovate. We focus on complex negotiations, guide compliance strategies, and advance conversations about ethics and corporate responsibility. Of course, AI won't do everything for you. The value lies in our ability to work at the highest level of expertise.

3. Lawyers are beginning to take on interdisciplinary roles

As technology seamlessly blends into our workflows, many attorneys find themselves expanding their skill sets. Legal professionals have developed business acumen, technical fluency, and strategic insight. Instead of becoming a data scientist overnight, it's important to understand tools that can improve legal judgment and make a more meaningful contribution to the business.

Looking ahead to 2025, we anticipate a rapid increase in hybrid roles of law and technology, such as “legal data scientists” and “AI compliance officers.” These people can interpret AI-driven insights, oversee technology adoption, and translate technical results into meaningful legal strategies. Personally, I've found myself in multiple roles. As Chief Legal Officer, I don't just give advice on contracts. I explore new technology solutions, coach teams on best practices, and sometimes write articles like this. All of this is part of an evolving environment where legal expertise meets technological advancements.

4. More lawyers will use data analysis to make better insights and decisions

A contract is more than just a document. It's an important asset packed with strategic insights. By applying advanced analytics, it is possible to measure contract performance, identify patterns in negotiation implementation results, and identify hidden risks. This is no longer a far-fetched fantasy. I've used these tools to turn what used to be a static PDF into a living asset to use as a reference for decision making and benchmarking processes against industry standards. In 2025, we expect this data-driven mindset to take root further, enabling legal teams and businesses to operate more confidently and efficiently.

5. Increased use of self-service legal tools and knowledge management

As internal legal teams grow in size, self-service tools are becoming essential. Allowing business users to access pre-approved templates and quickly answer common legal questions reduces everyone's workload. We've seen platforms like Thomson Reuters Co-Advisor (formerly CaseText) streamline research and drafting processes and reduce hours of work to minutes. The great thing about it is that even non-legal staff can handle everyday tasks independently. This allows us lawyers to spend more time on important and complex issues.

6. Other Proprietary AI Models

In addition to ready-made solutions, an increasing number of organizations are developing unique AI models tailored to their unique business needs. Law firms are modelling these systems by imitating excellent lawyers and expanding their expertise without increasing headcount. We've seen several big players like DLA Piper invest in bespoke AI solutions that deliver personalized, high-quality legal insights at scale.

This approach is still evolving. We hope that in the near future, more clear regulations and guidelines will be developed so that these models are used responsibly and transparently. In a sense, we're looking ahead to a future where the secret to corporate legal excellence may lie in the careful training and refinement of our own AI.

Momentum for 7. Is increasing

Traditionally, businesses have turned to law firms for contract support, whether it's drafting, reviewing, or negotiating contracts. However, in recent years, an alternative model called “” (CaaS) has gained momentum. In this model, companies have a more efficient, responsive, and cost-effective alternative to traditional law firms. You can subscribe to specialized contract services that utilize AI, streamlined processes, and deep legal expertise at scale.

The appeal of CaaS is that it combines legal know-how with cutting-edge technology. Providers (such as Execo) don't just provide human resources. Use AI-driven insights to handle repetitive, high-volume contract tasks while maintaining quality and consistency. This approach is transforming rapidly changing industries, such as healthcare, finance, and investment banking, where organizations need agile, on-demand support for large numbers of recurring contracts. For businesses that want to stay competitive, this is a way to turn an often tedious contract process into a strategic advantage.

Proactive compliance monitoring with 8.AI

Just the other day, I received a message from my colleague CLO asking if there is an AI tool that can monitor compliance with trade sanctions in real time. This is the direction we are heading. No more last-minute dealing with overlooked clauses or rapidly changing regulations. AI can cross-reference legal documents with current laws, track changes across multiple jurisdictions, and alert before issues occur. Predictive analytics takes that a step further and identifies new risks long before they're seen by users.

This forward-looking attitude transforms compliance from a reactive chore to a strategic advantage. By using specialized AI tools, such as those designed to track trade sanctions, companies can stand on the right side of the law, maintain their reputation, and avoid expensive penalties.

Strengthening scrutiny of the ethical framework relating to the use of 9.AI

As AI becomes more integrated into the legal sector, the challenges of prejudice, transparency, and accountability cannot be ignored. Clients and regulators alike will expect organizations to demonstrate impartiality and uphold ethical standards. This means that legal teams must verify AI output, manage audit trails, and in some cases comply with new industry guidelines to ensure reliability.

Here, too, it's still important to have a human in the loop. AI can help identify patterns, but it's up to us to make sure those patterns don't lead to discriminatory implementation records or ethical blind spots. Over the next few years, I'm sure more formal frameworks, audits, and best practices to curb the use of AI will emerge.