In a revealing development about the future landscape of the legal profession, Thomson Reuters has published its 2025 Generative AI in Professional Services Report, highlighting the growing importance of generative AI among legal professionals. This evolving enthusiasm is apparent as adoption rates have nearly doubled, with increasing recognition of the technology’s potential integration into legal workflows.
The survey results indicate a significant rise in generative AI usage among legal organizations, now standing at 26%—a notable jump from 14% in 2024. While currently only 15% of law firms identify generative AI as central to their operations, an overwhelming 78% anticipate it will become a core component within the next five years.
This trend is mirrored across other surveys in the industry. For example, the American Bar Association’s Legal Technology Survey Report shows that 21% of law firms are embracing legal-specific generative AI tools. A separate study, the 2025 Legal Industry Report from AffiniPay, notes individual generative AI use in law firms at 31%, although organizational adoption trails at 21%. Meanwhile, smaller and solo law practices have seen AI adoption surge from 27% in 2023 to 53% in 2024, as reported by the 2025 State of Law Report by Smokeball.
Despite this upbeat sentiment, there are notable gaps in strategy and implementation. Only 41% of firms have policies for AI application, merely 40% offer AI training, and a scant 20% measure return on investment of these tools. Moreover, client awareness remains low, with 71% of corporate legal clients uninformed about their firms’ AI usage.
As observed by Raghu Ramanathan, president of legal professionals at Thomson Reuters, law firms are increasingly viewing generative AI as an ally, not a threat—a tool that enhances rather than replaces legal expertise. According to the report’s suggestions for organizations, strategic implementation and governance frameworks are necessary steps forward if they are to fully exploit the potential of this technology.
The findings are based on responses from 1,702 professionals across various sectors, with legal professionals constituting 41% of the survey pool conducted between January and February 2025.
For further details on this report, visit LawNext.