Jeffrey Schoenberger, a senior consultant at Affinity Consulting Group LLC, said on Apr. 1 that artificial intelligence is becoming more common in the legal profession, but warned that lawyers must use these tools carefully to avoid mistakes. Schoenberger pointed out that while many business owners see promise in AI platforms like ChatGPT, some lawyers have faced problems after relying on AI-generated information that turned out to be incorrect.
The growing use of AI matters because it can help law firms work more efficiently but also introduces new risks if not used with caution. At the American Bar Association’s TECHSHOW in March, over 15 sessions focused on AI, reflecting strong interest in how these technologies can support legal work.
Schoenberger described several general-purpose AI tools and their potential uses for law firms. He said ChatGPT is helpful for brainstorming and drafting initial versions of documents; Claude provides structured responses and handles long inputs well; Google Gemini connects with users’ stored data; Microsoft Copilot assists with tasks inside Microsoft 365 applications; and Perplexity offers summaries with citations. However, he cautioned against using any of these tools as substitutes for legal research or final-form writing.
He advised: “Use AI for administrative work or for early drafts in areas where you are already knowledgeable.” According to Schoenberger, examples where AI can be useful include generating marketing content ideas, drafting email responses that do not require legal analysis, and creating internal firm policies based on existing rules. He emphasized the importance of reviewing all output from AI platforms: “If something feels wrong, fix it. If you are unsure, verify it or remove it.”
Schoenberger also recommended starting a new chat each time a different topic is addressed within an AI platform to maintain quality results.
He concluded by saying: “AI is neither a silver bullet nor a ticking time bomb. It is a productivity tool — one that rewards clear thinking, good judgment, and appropriate boundaries.”
