In a legal industry increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, keeping abreast of technological developments while remaining grounded in business objectives is essential. In a recent episode of the Legal Leaders Exchange podcast, Jennifer McIver, Associate Director of Legal Operations and Industry Insights at Wolters Kluwer ELM Solutions, sat down with Ken Crutchfield, Vice President and General Manager of Legal Markets at Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S., to explore how innovation in legal AI is evolving. Their wide-ranging conversation covered everything from agentic AI and access to justice to co-creation, adoption trends, and what’s on the horizon for legal professionals
Partnering with legal professionals to design practical tools
One of the central themes of the episode was the importance of aligning AI development with the practical realities of legal work. Jennifer emphasized that legal professionals are looking for tools that save time and reduce risk—solutions that slot into their workflows rather than reinventing them. Ken reinforced this point by highlighting the growing need for relevance, usability, and trustworthiness in AI tools aimed at the legal sector.
Whether it's corporate counsel looking to integrate AI into contract review or firms searching for time-saving tools to manage workloads, the guiding principle is clear: successful legal AI must be grounded in real use cases and developed in conversation with those who use it.
Legal roles are changing, but not disappearing
Both experts reflected on how AI may reshape roles within legal departments and law firms. While there's understandable anxiety about automation replacing jobs, the reality appears more nuanced. New roles are emerging, such as prompt engineers and legal technologists, that blend legal expertise with technical skills.
Ken drew a parallel to the calculator: once feared as a tool that would dull mathematical ability, it ultimately became a productivity enhancer. Similarly, AI can serve as a "cheat code" that frees up lawyers to focus on higher-value strategic work. Jennifer agreed, emphasizing the importance of avoiding overreliance on new technology.
The next buzzword: Agentic AI
Looking ahead, Ken identified agentic AI as the next major trend, though he advised a healthy dose of skepticism. Agentic AI refers to systems that can make decisions and take actions autonomously to achieve specific goals. While the concept is gaining traction, Ken urged legal professionals to look past the hype. "Whenever somebody says 'agentic,' I think stepping back and thinking through, what does that really mean… Are they throwing out a buzzword, or is there a specific application?"
The key is to probe vendors and partners for details about how agentic capabilities will actually work in legal settings. Real-world application, not theoretical potential, should be the benchmark.
Democratizing legal through AI
One of the more hopeful dimensions of the conversation centered on AI’s potential to expand access to justice and legal expertise. Ken noted that small businesses and underserved communities often lack affordable legal support. AI-powered tools, when responsibly designed, could help bridge that gap by offering self-service options and making legal information more accessible.
This theme ties back to the importance of grounding AI development in ethical principles and cultural awareness. Just as the printing press democratized knowledge centuries ago, the thoughtful application of AI could democratize legal expertise in the years to come.
Despite the fast pace of change, our experts remained optimistic, predicting that the AI transformation in legal will unfold in manageable increments. "In the day-to-day, it's going to move quickly, but it's going to be manageable," Ken says. The key for legal leaders will be staying engaged, asking the right questions, and building partnerships that prioritize both innovation and integrity.
Listen to the full episode titled Regulating intelligence: Navigating AI governance with Wolters Kluwer and visit the Legal Leaders Exchange podcast page to explore the full catalog of episodes.
