The (Not So) Hidden Costs of Lawyers Doing Admin
Think about the math behind that for a moment. You hire this hypothetical lawyer - someone who has spent three years in law school, passed the bar exam, and commands $200-$400+ per hour. Yet, their time is being spent completing rote tasks, formatting documents, or handling routine administrative duties.
Lack of efficiency aside, this approach is economically destructive and can have devastating long-term effects on a legal practice. Every minute a lawyer spends on non-billable tasks instead of client-facing work represents lost revenue.
Why AI Is Changing the Equation
Legal technology has always promised to solve efficiency problems. The difference now is that AI has reached a level of maturity where it can handle the nuanced, context-heavy work that defines legal practice.
Take speech recognition as an example. Previous generations required extensive training of voice profiles and struggled with legal terminology. Modern AI-powered speech recognition flips this equation. Instead of lawyers adapting to technology, technology adapts to lawyers. It understands legal context from day one and handles natural speech patterns. More importantly, it works immediately with no training period or learning curve.
When I work with firms that have successfully implemented modern solutions, we see something that extends beyond basic time savings. The transformation touches multiple layers of how legal work gets done. Lucy Stark, Managing Partner at Holland & Hart, aptly captured this when she noted that "With BigHand, we can drive more value while ensuring a seamless, integrated experience that keeps clients engaged and satisfied."
Notice the language here - beyond just doing the same work but faster, this transformation drives more value for firms and creates better client experiences.
The Transformation Pattern That Actually Works
The most successful implementations I’ve seen follow a consistent pattern:
- Address an immediate pain point (lawyers wasting billable time on admin)
- Provide value quickly (speech recognition that works out the box)
- Expand strategically into other areas once confidence is established
These firms aren't trying to revolutionize everything at once. They're making targeted improvements that demonstrate a clear ROI and build internal confidence. More importantly, when lawyers use AI that works with a minimal disruption to their processes, they become more open to other AI-powered tools.
AI-powered speech recognition then becomes a gateway to broader digital transformation. We're seeing firms that started with simple dictation now exploring AI for contract review, legal research, and case management. The success of one implementation creates confidence for the next.
The Forward-Thinking Firm’s Approach
Law firms that thrive in this environment are all asking the same questions: How can we use AI to deliver better client outcomes? How can we create more satisfying work experiences for our teams?
They're also thinking beyond just efficiency gains. They understand that administrative creep represents both a crisis and an opportunity to fundamentally reimagine how legal work is done.
In the legal industry, accuracy, confidentiality, and reliability are non-negotiables. Now, we've reached a point where the risk of not adopting AI thoughtfully may be greater than the risk of adopting it. The question isn't whether AI will transform legal work - that's already happening. The question is whether your firm will be proactive about this transformation or reactive to it.
"At the end of the day, it's simple. If you don't give your clients and staff members access to technologies that are going to make their working lives easier, fairer and more transparent, you're doing them a disservice." - Neil Blum, Head of IT at Barry Nilsson
Now we’re talking about basic professional responsibility. The administrative creep crisis won't solve itself. But for firms willing to act strategically, it represents an unprecedented opportunity to build competitive advantages while delivering better outcomes for clients and more satisfying work experiences for teams.
The firms that recognize this shift early are positioning themselves for fundamental competitive advantages. They're reclaiming lawyers’ time for high-value work while building organizational capability with AI.
I recently had the pleasure of hosting a webinar, where I showcased BigHand’s latest developments in AI and Cloud Speech Recognition. It’s now available to watch back on demand, so please feel free to tune in and learn how our tech can help your firm tackle administrative creep.
