Hearsay Podcast – Do Human Lawyers Dream of Electric Briefs? Using AI Wisely in the Practice of Law – Will McCartney

• CPD Points: 1 [PM] [PS]
• Price: $79.00
• Area: Digital and Information Technology Law; Risk Management and Liability; Workplace, Business and Career
• Delivered: December 2025

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• Podcast
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Description

In this February 2026 podcast, Will McCartney considers that the law is sometimes criticised for being slow to change, but it feels like legal practice is evolving rapidly these days. And there's few rapidly evolving developments, more disruptive or promising – or for that matter, divisive – as artificial intelligence. As generative AI tools integrate into the daily workflows of lawyers to varying degrees of depth and rapidity, they're transforming how legal professionals research, draft and think about the law, perhaps. These systems can provide up-to-date conversational answers to natural language questions complete with citations and source links, which change how information is accessed and used, but the reliability of that information is sometimes called into question and raises important questions about a lawyer's responsibility and independence when using these tools. As with any powerful tool, the potential for misuse or misunderstanding is significant. An effective use of AI in your legal practice requires an awareness of its limitations and an understanding of how it all actually works.

Podcast Takeaways

• The adoption of legal AI tools is becoming increasingly important for firms looking to improve their productivity and remain competitive in the legal field.
• A common misunderstanding around AI tools can arise when they are used for a purpose they are not intended or designed for. For example, a user mistakenly uses a legal AI tool built for contract drafting to perform research tasks, resulting in the user becoming frustrated and forming the misconception that legal AI tools more broadly are not suitable for research.
• Consider using specialised, purpose-built AI tools and acknowledge your own personal responsibility and duties when utilising AI in the course of legal practice.
• To make informed decisions around AI usage and avoid over-relying on AI tools, it is important to understand the underlying technology of AI tools and how they work.
• Another common misunderstanding stems from the perception that AI tools can do all the work for you, with little user input. Users expecting perfection from an AI tool after only one query might then dismiss it and give up on further exploring its potential benefits. Whereas users who embrace AI tools as an aid and work with it to leverage its capabilities tend to see more successful outputs.
• Traditional legal approaches can also be adapted by implementing a combination of AI tools to streamline different tasks without requiring entirely new workflows.
• Of course, it is always important that lawyers understand when to leverage AI tools for tasks and when to exercise solely their own skills.
• With the advancement of AI, there is a shift towards broader skill utilisation across various sectors. Upskilling in specialised tech tools, development, coding, or marketing can help lawyers both enhance their legal practice and open up opportunities for a multifaceted and flexible career path beyond traditional law firm roles.

The following supporting materials are provided with this podcast:

– Infographic

– Session Summary

– Presenter Bios

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