By Brian Jorgenson, Vice President of Product Management, Wolters Kluwer ELM Solutions
Legal departments have always balanced innovation with risk. Every new technology promises greater efficiency, but also introduces new questions around security, compliance, and accountability.
Artificial intelligence (AI) —and agentic AI in particular—is no exception.
While the first generation of AI helped legal professionals summarize documents, conduct research, and draft communications, the next generation is designed to do much more. Agentic AI can analyze information, apply business rules, coordinate workflows, recommend actions, and execute defined tasks with limited human intervention.
As AI takes on a more active role in legal operations, organizations need confidence that every recommendation and action is governed appropriately.
Scaling AI starts with governance
Executives, boards, regulators, and customers increasingly expect organizations to understand how AI is being used and how its risks are managed. As AI becomes more embedded in legal operations, demonstrating responsible governance is non-negotiable.
Governance is no longer simply a compliance exercise. It provides the transparency, accountability, and oversight that legal departments need to build trust, manage risk, and scale AI in a sustainable manner.
What should legal leaders be asking?
Governance should be a core part of every AI evaluation, not an afterthought. Beyond features and functionality, legal leaders should understand how a solution protects data, explains its outputs, supports oversight, and documents AI-driven decisions.
Key questions include:
- How is customer data protected?
- Can AI recommendations be explained?
- Is every AI action auditable?
- What governance framework supports the platform?
- Where does human oversight remain?
The answers help determine whether an AI solution can support long-term adoption without introducing unnecessary risk. They also help legal leaders distinguish between AI that simply delivers results and AI that delivers results responsibly.
Learn how to scale AI responsibly
Our new eBook, The governance imperative: How legal departments can scale AI with confidence, explores why governance has become essential as AI evolves from productivity tool to operational partner. Inside, you'll learn:
- Why AI governance is becoming a strategic priority
- How agentic AI changes governance requirements
- Five questions every legal leader should ask AI vendors
- A four-pillar operating model for responsible AI adoption
- How governance enables legal departments to scale AI confidently
As capabilities continue to evolve, the organizations that govern AI effectively will be the ones best positioned to realize its full value.
Download the ebook to learn how your legal department can build a trusted foundation for AI.