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Published: 12 November, 2025
As a home-grown provider, we understand the AI-powered advantages of modern practice management and how to best overcome the barriers to adoption.
Early this year, the Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia, Debra Mortimer, issued an official media statement on 28 March 2025 sharing the court’s stance on AI. They advised that ‘2025 is likely to see a number of developments’ and they would ‘consider the practices of other courts…before it finalises any position.’ Like most of us, they were going to wait and see.
But what’s happened in the time since?
For one, AI usage has exploded across all areas of law. Every month there seems to be a new startup that promises to change the way firms work. Even big, established players are coming to our shores, with Harvey AI opening its Sydney office in September and already partnering with the likes of King & Wood Mallesons, Ashurst and Gilbert+Tobin. Instead of public access tools like ChatGPT, we’re now being served purpose-built legal AI. Tools made specifically for Australian law.
This corporate investment is a strong signal that AI is here to stay in the Australian legal profession. Now, the task ahead of us is to assess which AI tools bring genuine improvement to the legal process. And all early signs are showing that the best returns are in practice management, especially for boutique and medium-sized firms.
Look at any modern legal practice management solution and you’ll see that AI is their flagship feature. It’s embedded into every core function, from document drafting to time tracking. This is because the potential return on investment is huge. In 2023, McKinsey research put the growth potential from AI-assisted productivity gains at $4.4 trillion annually, and the tools have only improved since then.
Compared to the very early adopters, the legal profession is still playing catchup. But LegalTech companies are making a strong push for firms to take their portion of these profits.
LEAP Legal Software is proud to be leading this shift in Australia. As a home-grown LegalTech provider, we’ve invested heavily in developing AI tools that are purpose-built for Australian law firms. One of the key ways we’re doing this is by making our AI-powered features a complimentary part of every user’s subscription.
This approach has already seen dividends. According to LEAP CEO and founder, Christian Beck, clients report saving upwards of 15 hours a week using LEAP’s purpose-built AI workflows. "This modern approach embeds AI into core legal functions, automating tasks such as document drafting, matter summarisation and legal research," Beck explains.
AI is no longer a peripheral tool in legal practice; it is being natively integrated directly into practice management software to create seamless and secure workflows.
At LEAP, we’ve developed tools like Matter AI for instant fact-finding and insights, and LawY for AI-assisted research with lawyer verification, all within the same system, without the need to switch between applications.
"This shift is not just about automation, but about empowering lawyers to operate more strategically and effectively by making AI an integral part of their existing workflows within the software they already use."
Christian Beck, CEO and Founder, LEAP Legal Software
Native, single-system AI integration is set to be the standard for modern practice management software. Before, keeping up with the pace of AI releases meant relying on fragmented, siloed add-ons. Moving into 2026, however, will see leading practice management systems embedding AI directly into their core features.
This means no more copy-pasting the answer from one chatbot just to prompt another. With LEAP, your AI tools work together seamlessly to deliver the outcome you need from the start.
LEAP’s key AI-powered features include:
Intelligent matter analysis: AI-powered systems, like LEAP’s Matter AI, swiftly scan entire matters, provide concise summaries and identify key facts with accuracy often exceeding 90 per cent.
Document drafting: AI generates high-quality, matter-specific legal documents, such as affidavits, statements and briefs, in minutes.
Integrated legal research assistant: LawY, LEAP’s AI research assistant, surfaces the most relevant case law and statutes, confirming accuracy with a lawyer-in-the-loop verification, saving legal professionals hours of work.
Workflow automation: In the background, AI automates routine tasks that traditionally consume a lawyer's valuable time, such as timekeeping and billing.
Predictive and analytical insights: AI analyses a firm's performance data to provide forward-looking insights on case profitability and risks, aiding in strategic decision-making and resource allocation.
These features are designed to make AI accessible and practical for every LEAP user, regardless of their firm’s size or resources.
Project NANDA, MIT’s AI implementation research initiative, stressed the importance of removing barriers to AI access in its August quarterly report. They concluded that the ‘core barrier to scaling is not infrastructure, regulation, or talent. It is learning.’
For both firms and LegalTech providers, securing a return on investment in AI means creating an environment where legal professionals can freely use the technology, work out its uses cases and provide feedback. It’s also what will lift the industry up as a whole.
Even though reliable, secure AI is more accessible than ever, many firms still face barriers to adoption. Largely, this comes down to user resistance, especially as the efficiency gains of AI directly challenge the traditional billable hour.
This, compounded by ‘cultural resistance from legal professionals who may fear AI will threaten their jobs or their professional identity’, particularly legal support staff and paralegals. There’s also ongoing concerns regarding data security and the risks of AI hallucinations entering the courts, something that NSW Chief Justice Bell has spoken extensively on. For example, in his address to the Australian Bar Association.
At LEAP, we’re addressing these challenges head-on.
To overcome these challenges, firms need to explore a modern billing model that rewards value, not time, and look for solutions that provide guidance on charging for AI work.
"Leaders can look at implementing a phased adoption strategy, introducing different AI features within their platform to demonstrate the tangible benefits and build trust within their teams and with their clients.”
Christian Beck, CEO and Founder, LEAP Legal Software
“Finally, firms must establish a formal ethical framework that includes comprehensive training on responsible AI use, emphasising that lawyers must always verify AI outputs to maintain their professional obligations and ensure accuracy.”
LEAP’s AI tools are designed with these principles in mind. For example, Matter AI compares documents and flags inconsistencies to reduce risk exposure, while LawY automatically removes personally identifiable information from queries and provides additional safeguards through its unique ‘lawyer-in-the-loop’ expert verification.
At LEAP, we see modern practice management software as more than just a tool—it’s a partner that supports lawyers in delivering their best work.
The next generation of legal practice management platforms will move beyond simple automation to become a strategic partner for law firms.
"AI’s capabilities will handle time-consuming tasks, giving lawyers more capacity to focus on high-value work and strengthening client relationships. By enabling firms to handle greater volumes of work with the same resources, AI unlocks new revenue opportunities.”
Christian Beck, CEO and Founder, LEAP Legal Software
At the same time, these efficiencies encourage more transparent and predictable billing models, such as fixed-fee arrangements or subscription services, making legal support more affordable for clients who might otherwise be priced out. The net effect is twofold: firms generate more income while clients benefit from more accessible legal services, helping to close the justice gap.
Note: A version of this article was originally published in Lawyer's Weekly's eBook, "AI and the Future of Legal Practice."
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