AI Won't Totally Replace Outside Counsel, In-House Leaders Say

This article has been saved to your Favorites!
Law360 Pulse asked attendees and speakers at the 2026 CLOC Global Institute in Chicago last week whether in-house legal departments can rely less on outside law firms by using artificial intelligence tools.

Law360 Pulse interviewed Techshow attendees and speakers about whether law firms will need fewer lawyers with the advent of AI tools. The overwhelming answer: Yes, law firms will need to hire fewer lawyers with AI.

Overall, they agreed in-house legal teams will use AI tools to handle some work internally, while continuing to rely on outside counsel for more complex work or larger projects.

Jasmine Singh, general counsel at contract management software company Ironclad Inc., told Law360 Pulse that AI can help in-house teams be better prepared when they go to outside counsel.

"The question isn't necessarily how do in-house counsel, AI and outside counsel compete with one another. It's rather, how do we leverage each one of them to do the best thing that they're specialized for?" she said.

Watch the video to hear Singh and other legal leaders share their perspectives on what effect in-house counsel using AI will have on law firms.

--Editing by Brian Baresch.


For a reprint of this article, please contact reprints@law360.com.

×

Law360

Law360 Law360 UK Law360 Tax Authority Law360 Employment Authority Law360 Insurance Authority Law360 Real Estate Authority Law360 Healthcare Authority Law360 Bankruptcy Authority

Rankings

NEWLeaderboard Analytics Social Impact Leaders Prestige Leaders Pulse Leaderboard Women in Law Report Law360 400 Diversity Snapshot Rising Stars Summer Associates

National Sections

Modern Lawyer Courts Daily Litigation In-House Mid-Law Legal Tech & AI Small Law Insights

Regional Sections

California Pulse Connecticut Pulse DC Pulse Delaware Pulse Florida Pulse Georgia Pulse New Jersey Pulse New York Pulse Pennsylvania Pulse Texas Pulse

Site Menu

Subscribe Advanced Search About Contact