The Untapped Potential of AI in Legal Practice

In the legal world, the billable hour has long been the standard for measuring productivity and profitability. But as artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape industries, forward-thinking legal professionals are beginning to ask a more strategic question: Is the billable hour the only metric that matters?

The recent webinar hosted by LexisNexis Canada, “Beyond the Billable Hour,” offered a compelling look at how our AI tools like Lexis+ AI, Lexis® Create+ and LexisNexis® Protégé are transforming legal workflows, not just by saving time, but by unlocking new avenues for value creation across the entire practice.

#1: Legal AI as a Strategic Partner, Not Just a Timesaver

One of the most powerful takeaways from the webinar was the idea that AI isn’t just about shaving minutes off a research task or drafting a memo faster. It’s about redefining how a modern lawyer works, makes decisions, and grows their practice. AI is able to augment a lawyer by being a dependable sidekick that can assist on any matter.

If you want to hear a real example of how a law firm used Lexis+ AI to assess a complex arbitration case and turn it into a business development opportunity, sign up for on-demand access to the webinar here.

#2: Beyond Research: Legal AI for Decision Making and Strategy

Another compelling use case involved a simulated experiment comparing traditional legal analysis with AI-assisted workflows. Using Lexis+ AI, Timon Sisic, Lawyer and Managing Director at LexisNexis Canada was able to produce two comprehensive memos, including one regarding whether the matter was appropriate for summary judgment and one providing a summary of the facts, claim, and viable defenses in just 2.5 hours. A colleague, working manually could not complete this depth of legal research and analysis in the same amount of time.

This illustrates a critical point: using AI with a trusted legal solution like Lexis+ AI isn’t just about efficiency, it’s about accelerating strategic insight. Whether you're evaluating a new matter, preparing for litigation, or exploring unfamiliar legal territory, using Lexis+ AI can help you get to the “go/no-go” decision faster and with greater confidence.

#3: Expanding the Definition of Value in Legal Work

The webinar emphasized that AI tools are flexible and adaptable across a wide range of legal tasks:

• Drafting bespoke clauses and agreements
• Summarizing lengthy transcripts and documents
• Proofreading complex contracts
• Preparing tables of authorities
• Integrating with document management systems for personalized drafting

These capabilities go far beyond the traditional billable hour. They support client responsiveness, quality assurance, and strategic insight, all of which are increasingly important in today’s competitive legal landscape.

Conclusion: AI Is More Than a Clock Stopper

While the billable hour remains a key metric, it’s no longer the only one that matters. Legal AI offers a broader, more strategic lens, one that empowers lawyers to deliver better outcomes, faster decisions, and deeper client value.

So the next time you evaluate an AI tool, ask not just how much time will this save me? but how can this help me think, act, and grow differently?

In Case You Missed It…

Sign up for on demand access to “Beyond the Billable Hour: AI Tools that Save Time and Money” webinar to explore how Lexis+ AI, Lexis® Create+, and Protégé are helping legal professionals go beyond the billable hour.