Beyond the Algorithm: Why Judgment, Trust, and Accountability Still Rule the Courtroom

Posted by

Kate Harry Shipham

Posted on

Feb 23, 2026

AI replaces tasks, efficiently, relentlessly, and at scale. But it does not replace accountability. It does not replace judgment. And it does not replace trust.

As the line between human and machine execution continues to blur, those three qualities become more valuable, not less.

Law firms remain relationship-based businesses operating in high-stakes environments. Clients retain counsel - and pay premium rates - for experienced professionals who can assess risk, guide strategy, and stand behind the advice provided. As operational efficiencies increase, the value of differentiated positioning and revenue leadership becomes even more critical.

Business professionals in law firms, particularly those in marketing, business development, and client relationship roles, play a critical role in translating firm capabilities into market growth, fostering cross-practice collaboration, integrating lateral hires, leveraging data for strategic decisions, and articulating a competitive advantage in an increasingly tech-enabled environment.

Demand for these professionals is growing, and their skills, relationships, and influence are continually raising the standard. In short, they are elevating the industry, not disappearing from it.

From Leverage to Algorithms: The Legal Industry’s Most Defining Moment

The legal industry has gone through several major transformations that reshaped how firms operate, deliver value, and structure careers.

In the 1970s–1990s, the rise of modern “Big Law” saw firms expand globally, institutionalize billable hours, and rely on high associate leverage. This shift professionalized management, created new hierarchies, and fundamentally changed the economic engine of law firms, similar to how AI now reshapes leverage, workflows, and specialized roles.
The early 2000s brought the e-discovery and digital information revolution (much to the satisfaction of this former litigator!). Following corporate scandals and regulatory reforms, law moved from paper-based discovery to massive digital datasets, creating new practice areas and embedding technology into legal workflows. Routine tasks became automated, and efficiency and tech literacy became critical. As routine tasks became automated and proficiency with technology essential, the industry saw a shift that mirrors today’s AI revolution, which is now transforming research, drafting, compliance, and advisory work across the legal landscape.
Finally, the post-2008 financial crisis reset forced firms to rethink hiring, leverage, and pricing amid economic uncertainty. Widespread associate layoffs, alternative fee arrangements, and growing in-house legal influence challenged the assumption that law firms were recession-proof. Today’s AI-driven changes echo this period, raising questions about traditional billing models, long-term associate demand, and career stability, while pushing firms to redefine how they deliver value.

Redefining Value: AI Challenges Traditional Legal Metrics

As an industry that measures itself by time spent, lawyers - and the professionals who support them - are facing some of the most existential challenges in decades.

Traditionally, lawyers are compensated and evaluated based on billable hours, tying perceived value directly to the passage of time. Even with alternative fee arrangements, recording time remains a core metric. AI, by dramatically increasing efficiency, threatens to decouple effort from value: tasks that once required hours can now be completed in minutes, creating tension for legal professionals.

Compounding this is the profession’s short-term focus and constant market benchmarking (hello, Am Law rankings). Firms often prioritize immediate revenue and quick wins over long-term strategy, making adoption of transformative tools like AI a delicate balancing act.

Investments in technology may temporarily slow traditional workflows or reduce billable hours, putting short-term pressure on profits, client expectations, and performance metrics. Lawyers must navigate a landscape where efficiency gains can paradoxically feel like a risk to their standing, even as the same tools promise long-term growth and competitive advantage.

Taken together, these realities create a unique paradox: AI can dramatically enhance impact, but only if the industry evolves its definition of value - shifting from hours billed to outcomes delivered - while balancing short-term pressures with long-term opportunity.

Productivity Gains, Not Role Reductions: The State of Legal Marketing Leadership

From our vantage point across Am Law 100 and 200 firms, we do not see strategic business development or marketing leadership roles contracting due to AI. Rather, we are seeing firms refine role scope to emphasize strategic impact over transactional execution.

McKinsey, Thomson Reuters, and Goldman Sachs have all published research showing AI may automate ~10–25% of certain legal tasks, but it primarily enhances productivity, and firms using AI often redeploy talent into higher-value work. The firms cutting roles are typically reducing duplication, centralizing operations, or automating back-office tasks.

We are not seeing firms eliminating high-level BD leaders, strategic marketing professionals, or revenue strategy roles.

While the legal marketing job market is never static, it reveals a consistent story for those paying attention: there have almost always been more openings than professionals to fill them. This is a long-standing nuance of the industry. Today, the vast majority of executive searches we conduct for clients are focused on new, growth-oriented roles within expanding teams.

Leadership + Technology: The Formula for Legal Success

The firms that will outperform in this next chapter are those that balance technological advancement with thoughtful investment in leadership talent. We remain confident in the long-term strength of the market and are continuing to see healthy demand for top-level strategic professionals.