Legal AI in Australia: Recap of Our Protégé Webinar Series

Australian lawyers have a reputation for being pragmatic; and this trait shows when the conversation turns to artificial intelligence.

There’s no blind rush to adopt the latest shiny tool, no “AI or bust” mentality. Instead, what we’re seeing is something much more considered: careful curiosity.

And this theme came through loud and clear in our recent three-part Protégé webinar series, held throughout August in the wake of the July 1 launch of Lexis+ AI with Protégé.

Over the course of these sessions, we put Protégé through its paces, showing how it works in real legal workflows, and just as importantly, listening to the questions and concerns raised by lawyers themselves, from partners in big firms, to barristers, and in-house counsel.

What emerged was a fascinating picture: a profession that sees enormous potential in AI, but only if it can deliver what matters most to lawyers; efficiency, accuracy, and compliance, without ever compromising trust.

So, Where Are Lawyers on Their AI Journey?

When we kicked off the webinar, the first question we put to the audience was simple: “Where are you on your legal AI journey?”

The answers told a very Australian story. Many admitted they’re still in the “looking over the fence” stage. Curious about what AI might mean for their practice, but not yet hands-on. 

A solid group were further along, piloting tools in specific workflows to see if the promise lives up to the hype. Then there were the early adopters, already weaving AI into their daily routines.

And finally, a small but ambitious handful said they’re thinking about scaling AI across entire teams or firms.

• Many were just exploring what AI might mean for their practice.
• A sizeable group were piloting tools in specific areas.
• Some were already using AI daily in their workflow.
• And a handful are at the scaling stage, thinking about firm-wide adoption.

Taken together, the poll results painted a clear picture: there’s no single pace of adoption in the Australian legal market. Instead, there’s a shared mindset — a willingness to experiment, but always with caution and responsibility front of mind.

What’s Driving Lawyers’ Interest in AI?

When we dug into why lawyers are even considering AI, the answers were refreshingly down-to-earth.

The overwhelming favourite? Efficiency.

No surprise there. Most attendees said they’re looking for tools that can claw back hours otherwise lost to manual review and repetitive drafting.

A healthy number also admitted that competitiveness was top of mind. They know clients are paying attention to which firms are innovating, and which ones are still shuffling paper the old way.

And then there was a smaller but telling group who pointed to client expectations themselves as the driver - the reality that sophisticated clients are starting to expect their legal advisers to be at least as tech-enabled as the businesses they serve.

• Efficiency and productivity came out on top, by a long way. Lawyers want tools that can cut hours of manual work.
• Others said staying competitive was key because they know clients are watching.
• A smaller group pointed to client expectations as their biggest driver.

This mix shows that while hype is in the air, Australian lawyers are focused on tangible business outcomes: time saved, competitive edge, client value.

Practical AI Use Cases for Australian Firms

So, what does all of this look like in practice? When we asked where AI could make the biggest impact, three areas stood out clearly:

1. Legal research - turning hours of case law review into minutes.
2. Contract drafting - generating first-pass agreements, grounded in Australian legislation and precedent.
3. Litigation support - producing timelines and case summaries that give barristers and solicitors a head start.

These are not hypothetical future developments; they are currently available.

During the webinars, we demonstrated exactly how Protégé delivers on these use cases today; showing attendees that AI isn’t about replacing lawyers, but about giving them a faster, smarter toolkit to work with.

Lexis+ AI Powers Exponential Growth at Whitehall & Associates

Data Privacy and Compliance: Still the Top Concern

Of course, none of these matters if confidentiality is compromised. Across every session, the same theme came up: data privacy and professional privilege are non-negotiable.

Attendees wanted clear answers to questions like:

• Where exactly is client data stored?
• Is it leaving Australian shores?
• Could it ever be used to train models?

These aren’t trivial worries, they’re the right questions, asked by lawyers who know exactly what’s at stake.

And they’re the very concerns Protégé within Lexis+ AI was built to address, with local hosting in Australia, strict privacy controls, and outputs grounded in LexisNexis’ trusted content.

What’s Next for Australian Legal Practice?

If the webinars proved anything, it’s that Australian lawyers are willing to embrace AI, but only on their terms.

Yes, efficiency is attractive. Yes, competitiveness matters. But not at the expense of accuracy, compliance, or privilege.

That balance - innovation anchored in trust - is what will ultimately define AI in the Australian legal market. And as more firms move from exploring to piloting, and from piloting to everyday use, Lexis+ AI with Protégé shows that AI can already sit comfortably alongside existing workflows.

The next chapter of legal practice won’t be written by hype. It will be written by Australian lawyers demanding, and getting, tools that respect their expertise, their clients, and their obligations.