Law firms are investing heavily in generative AI, but many are learning that purchasing is the easy part. The harder — and more consequential — challenge is changing how people work.
Technology on its own does not deliver value; it is the behaviors surrounding the technology that determine whether adoption succeeds or stalls.
This is why so many firms encounter what innovation theorists call “the chasm”: the point where initial enthusiasm from a small group of early adopters fails to translate into firm-wide integration.
Without deliberate behavior change, firms find that attorneys and other legal professionals evert to old methods, supervisors remain skeptical, and clients see little evidence of efficiency gains.
In other words, successful AI adoption is not a question of access to tools or even awareness of their potential. It is a matter of whether firms can shift day-to-day behaviors — how lawyers draft, review, collaborate, and supervise — in ways that make AI a natural part of practice rather than an optional experiment.
Legal innovation doesn’t happen overnight. It unfolds in waves, often beginning with a handful of forward-thinking individuals before gaining firm-wide traction.
This pattern of adoption follows the framework outlined in E.M. Rogers’ Innovation Adoption Cycle, a model developed in 1962 to explain how new technologies spread within communities. Generative AI adoption mirrors this well-established cycle, progressing through distinct groups with varying willingness to embrace change:
Within law firms, this cycle is reflected not only between organizations but also within them, as different teams and individuals move at different speeds. Successfully crossing the “chasm” from early adopters to majority users depends heavily on effective education and training, making these efforts critical to firm-wide generative AI adoption.
When teams roll out new technology, the first instinct is often to rely on familiar tactics: a vendor demo, an organization-wide town hall, maybe a one-time workshop or a library of training videos.
These approaches worked when teams were introducing tools like Microsoft Office and task management systems. But generative AI is a different kind of technology that requires a different kind of learning.
Here’s why:
Vendor training sessions and demos typically focus on features and functions — what each button does — without connecting the technology to real legal workflows or use cases.
Town halls build awareness and excitement, but that energy rarely translates into day-to-day use.
One-off workshops provide a brief introduction but little follow-up or reinforcement.
Video libraries or training materials offer passive learning experiences that few attorneys revisit.
The problem is that training alone does not change behavior. Lawyers may leave a session with new information, but without reinforcement, practice, and accountability, that knowledge fades.
Worse, a single exposure can create the illusion of readiness, leading legal teams to believe they have addressed adoption when, in fact, nothing in day-to-day practice has changed.
History shows this is a familiar pattern. Legal teams approached e-discovery, document management, and even email in much the same way: an orientation session followed by a rapid return to established habits.
AI presents an even greater risk, because its value depends not merely on understanding what the tool does, but on consistently reshaping workflows to integrate it.
If one-and-done training does not work, what does?
The answer lies in creating opportunities for lawyers to practice new behaviors in realistic contexts, supported by feedback and iteration. Training that sticks looks less like a lecture and more like a simulation of the actual work lawyers perform.
Here's how it works in practice:
Even the best-designed training will not create lasting adoption unless it is reinforced over time.
Lawyers are more likely to revert to familiar methods when AI remains optional or when early lessons fade without structured follow-up. Sustained behavior change requires turning adoption into habit.
Here are some ways to make AI adoption stick:
Host regular live review sessions where attorneys share successes, troubleshoot challenges, and exchange practical use cases to keep momentum alive. This is especially beneficial if people go through an exercise on their own using AI and then meet to review their outputs, discuss their approach, and compare results.
Designate knowledgeable attorneys or staff in each department as AI champions to provide peers with an accessible resource when questions arise.
Signal to teams that AI is an ongoing priority by scheduling monthly check-ins to update prompts, refine policies, and share lessons learned.
Over time, consistent reinforcement turns initial adoption into a durable habit embedded in team culture.
Behavioral change cannot be sustained without governance.
In the context of AI adoption, oversight is not an afterthought — it is an ethical and professional necessity. The American Bar Association has long emphasized obligations of supervision, client communication, and risk management, and these duties extend naturally to the use of emerging technologies.
For legal teams, this means training cannot stop at the associate and staff level. Partners and supervisors must be equipped to oversee AI use effectively, ensuring that efficiency does not come at the cost of accuracy or compliance.
This requires implementing supervisory best practices for guiding legal professionals, applying skills in problem-solving, quality assurance, and error correction, and using tailored checklists to monitor AI workflows within the organization.
Equally important is establishing clear, organization-wide guidelines that document acceptable uses, review processes, and client-facing considerations. When policies are codified and consistently communicated, adoption moves beyond ad hoc experimentation and becomes embedded in the organization's standard practices.
By linking governance directly to training, teams close the loop between policy and behavior. The result is not only more consistent adoption, but also the assurance that AI is deployed responsibly, in alignment with both professional obligations and client expectations.
One example of this in practice comes from Workday’s legal department, which transformed from a late adopter to a company-wide leader in AI use within a year. After partnering with AltaClaro for skills-based AI training, the team established a structured rollout designed to measure and sustain progress. By tracking completion rates, proficiency gains, and comfort levels over time, leaders could see how effectively new capabilities were being applied in real workflows.
Rather than offering one-off sessions, Workday trained its legal professionals in phases over several months. This approach helped identify and empower “AI champions” who modeled best practices, shared insights, and encouraged peers to participate. As enthusiasm spread through these networks, adoption evolved from isolated experimentation into a shared culture of innovation and accountability.
The story of AI in legal teams is not about technology alone. It is about whether teams can guide their lawyers across the adoption curve and over the chasm that separates early enthusiasm from meaningful, sustained use.
The teams that succeed will not be those that rely on one-time training or assume that curiosity is enough. They will be those that invest in changing behaviors, embedding new habits, and reinforcing them with governance and oversight.
In this sense, AI adoption is less an event than a transformation. It is the gradual, deliberate process of reshaping how lawyers draft, review, collaborate, and deliver value to clients.
When teams approach adoption as a behavioral shift, they not only cross the chasm — they position themselves to capture the real promise of AI: durable efficiency, improved accuracy, and stronger client service.
AltaClaro helps legal teams turn AI curiosity into lasting adoption with contextual, hands-on training designed for every role.
Book a demo today to learn how AltaClaro can help your legal team drive adoption, reduce risk, and support a culture of innovation.