Artificial Intelligence (AI), and generative AI in particular, is no longer a distant concept for lawyers and soon-to-be lawyers. This is a new technological revolution in the legal industry. James Kelly L’99, member of the Board of Advisors of Syracuse University College of Law, and partner and chair, New York Private Equity, at DLA Piper LLP (U.S.), who has a role in helping shape his firm’s AI transformation efforts, shared insights on how AI is changing the practice and advice on what law students can do now to build their AI skills.
“AI is transforming legal service delivery models and empowering legal professionals in ways not previously possible,” Kelly says.
At his firm, he helps lead a cross-functional team of lawyers and business professionals to integrate AI into its client service and its business functions. Responsible adoption of this technology by lawyers demands clear objectives, client transparency, and adherence to ethical and professional obligations. It should also leave some room for experimentation;
Kelly says, “This will allow lawyers to focus more on solving the complex problems of their clients.”
According to Kelly, the “true Nirvana state” is when “the technology, tools, and workflow design are able to seamlessly leverage subject matter expertise and proprietary practice data,” to deliver better solutions for clients.
He notes that “This is somewhat quixotic at least in the near term because the practice of law is a living thing, and so too is the market, and the technology will chase that human capital and lawyering aspect when it comes to nuance, judgment, and experience. But it’s a big leap forward and changing the way things can be done. Students should be ready.”
Efficiency and Speed but With Accuracy and Trust
“Maintaining trust in the delivery of your services is paramount. If you don’t have trust, you don’t have a client,” Kelly says, emphasizing that efficiencies gained through speed and automation do not diminish the lawyers’ responsibility to always deliver their highest-quality work.
“The sweet spot today is a task that is repetitive and time-consuming but easy to verify. You need to choose your spots carefully in terms of where, when and how you want to integrate AI into your client service delivery,” he adds. “A lot of thinking, planning, and training goes into making that choice. This is not so much about balancing something opposite of trust, as that the quality of the work can never be sacrificed. This is about leveraging AI as a tool to drive better outcomes for clients consistent with the duties we as lawyers owe to them.”
Lawyers are now able to rapidly review vast quantities of documents or instantly analyze contracts while flagging critical provisions, tasks that may have been prohibitively time-consuming and costly in years past, depending on the volume of the data set.
“This has the potential to enable lawyers to offer clients data-driven advice that is far more sophisticated than previous data sets,” says Kelly. “These capabilities free up attorneys to focus on higher-value work and creative problem-solving, making the overall delivery of legal services faster and more insightful without any compromise with regard to trustworthiness.”
A Big Mindshift
Only a handful of years ago, many clients prohibited their law firms from using AI. Today, some clients mandate that it be utilized in service delivery. And many clients remain neutral, leaving it to their lawyer to determine how and when to use AI ethically and responsibly.
“I believe that it is generally expected at this point that leading law firms will leverage the best generative AI technology to deliver faster, cost-effective, and data-driven solutions. It is not just a select few using this,” Kelly says. “At my firm, every lawyer has the ability to use AI but only after completion of mandated ethical training.”
This is in part driven by the big mind shift in the market and with clients. “The notion that service businesses must strive to always be ‘faster, better, and cheaper’ has been subtly shifting in this AI era to what I call ‘immediate, perfect, and free,’ in certain aspects of the delivery model. But again, this may just allow for more time spent on what truly matters to our clients in a technology-enhanced way,” he says.
AI can accelerate research, surface patterns in large data sets, and generate initial drafts—while attorneys remain responsible for strategy, judgment calls, client communication, and relationships. The result is technology-enabled subject matter expertise.
“AI should be used to elevate, not replace, the human element in legal service. As fiduciary advisors rooted in trust, we’re uniquely positioned to deploy AI to enhance the human elements of our value,” Kelly says.
AI in Legal Education at Syracuse Law
The rapid rise of AI is transforming not only legal practice but legal education as well—and Syracuse Law is positioning itself at the forefront of that shift. Through a combination of coursework, practical learning, and real-world application, the College integrates AI across the curriculum, ensuring students understand both the opportunities and ethical considerations that come with emerging technologies.
“Syracuse Law’s forward-looking approach reflects the firm belief that today’s law students must graduate as AI-proficient professionals to excel in the modern legal landscape,” says Dean Terence Lau L’98.
The curriculum is designed to evolve alongside the profession, incorporating practical exposure to tools such as generative AI, legal research platforms, and data-driven analysis, while also emphasizing responsible use, client confidentiality, and professional judgement.
Syracuse Law continually monitors which technology skills are most valuable in legal practice and adjusts its curriculum accordingly, often tapping into the expertise of experienced alumni like Kelly.
Lau adds, “This collaboration between academia and the legal industry is particularly critical in times of great technological change to ensure that our programs are at the leading-edge—and to prepare our student talent for the challenges that await them in their legal careers.”
Because AI tools evolve so quickly, what students learn as 1Ls may look very different by the time they enter practice. To stay ahead, Syracuse Law emphasizes early and consistent exposure to AI technology. Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with common AI platforms by their second semester, as many will encounter these tools during 1L summer internships and externships. By the time they earn their J.D., Syracuse Law graduates will have a strong foundation in AI applications for law, giving them a competitive edge as they enter firms where junior associates are now expected to use AI tools as soon as they begin practice.
“If I were a law student or junior associate today, I would spend at least 90% of my free time figuring out generative AI and how it can be used in the practice of law,” advises Kelly, noting that advancing the skills to navigate this technology will be essential for career growth. “Overcoming fear of using this new AI machine will become a major differentiator of future talent.”
By contrast, those who avoid the technology will likely fall behind their AI-prone peers. “Best to start now, in law school, while you can freely experiment and collaborate with your fellow classmates. It’s a wonderful time to be a student when a digital revolution is underway,” says Kelly. “I was a law student when the internet was just getting out of the gate in a real way. The internet created massive opportunities for new lawyers, and AI will too.”