“An AI-Enabled World.” Why You Can’t Avoid Building AI Into Your Practice

Still on the fence about AI? You might not have a choice if you want your firm to succeed. Guest Craig Ball is a lawyer, law professor, special master, author, and above all a tireless student of all things electronic. AI, he says, may be the most transformative legal tool to hit the profession ever. Bigger than word processing, online research, even the internet. 

Ball explains how AI is emerging from hype and headlines to real world applications such as drafting documents and sifting through gigabytes of e-discovery. Learning the art of AI prompting and developing the skepticism to evaluate AI powered product isn’t an option. This is the future of the practice of law, Ball says.

But AI isn’t a free pass and it’s not magic. If you want quality legal work through AI, it’s going to cost you. “Free” AI platforms probably won’t cut it. Be prepared to spend not just the time, but also the money to incorporate your own voice and the particular expertise of your firm into pay-to-play AI programs. 

If you’ve been reading the headlines and wondering how AI applies to your practice, this episode will fill in a lot of the gaps. And here’s the thing, you’re not “too old” to dive in and resistance can hurt you. As Ball says, “It’s an AI enabled world.”   

Questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at [email protected]  

Topics:

• If you thought you could ignore AI, continue your practice without it, and scoff at lawyers who use it, you may be wrong. AI is here to stay and it’s transforming the legal profession.
  Guest Craig Ball – a lawyer and law professor – shares how AI is already performing real tasks and making real, experienced lawyers better. You’re not “too old” or too set in your ways to plug AI into your practice (and to understand how opposing counsel is already using it).
  
• Mastering AI isn’t free and it won’t come without effort. But if you invest the time and money, it can return exponential rewards in productivity and efficiency. Get excited about AI today.

Resources:

Microsoft Copilot AI

Claude AI

Harvey AI

Microsoft Word

ABA Techshow 2026

CraigBall.com 

“Leery Lawyer’s Guide to AI,” by Craig Ball

Ball in Your Court blog

“Forensic Tells: The Litigator’s Guide to Detecting Deep Fakes,” by Craig Ball

Special thanks to our sponsors LEX Reception, ALPS Insurance, and CallRail.