How AI Is Transforming In-House Legal Teams into Strategic “Departments of Yes”

Corporate legal departments may have once operated as risk-averse gatekeepers, but today’s in-house counsel are expected to serve as strategic business enablers. They want to shake off the stigmas of the past and establish a reputation for what Profile Magazine described as “the Department of Yes.”

This shift is now being facilitated by the strategic implementation of AI-powered in-house legal solutions that are fundamentally changing how legal teams operate.

Research conducted in 2025 by LexisNexis®, in collaboration with Corporate Counsel Business Journal, reveals the scope of this transformation:

• 96% of in-house legal professionals believe AI will be integrated into their departments within the next five years;
• 86% report improved work efficiency from current AI implementations;
• 82% feel pressure to deliver faster legal responses today; and
• 59% say AI has already improved their ability to manage risk effectively.

These new findings underscore how in-house legal teams are leveraging the power of AI to become enablers of growth and innovation, stepping into the role of The Department of Yes.

Six-Step Roadmap for Building an AI-Powered Legal Department

The path forward for in-house legal teams ready to embrace the future requires more than simply adopting new technology; it demands a strategic, phased approach. Below is a six-step roadmap to guide your department’s transformation into an AI-powered strategic partner, drawn from the new LexisNexis/CCBJ research findings.

Step 1: Identify High-Impact Use Cases in Legal Workflows

Success begins with strategic focus. Rather than attempting to implement AI across all functions simultaneously, start by identifying workflows where automation and augmentation can deliver immediate value. When evaluating potential use cases, prioritize workflows that are currently time-intensive, repetitive or prone to human error. These represent the greatest opportunities for efficiency gains and risk reduction.

Legal research tops the list, with more than 60% of teams already leveraging AI to enhance research capabilities. This application  of AI can deliver faster, more accurate results while freeing attorneys to focus on analysis and strategy rather than information gathering. Document drafting follows closely, with 48% of legal departments using AI to significantly reduce preparation times for contracts, memos and other routine documents. Contract management represents another high-impact opportunity, currently utilized by 38% of legal teams to streamline contract review, comparison and analysis processes that traditionally consumed substantial resources.

Step 2: Choose the Right Tools That Are Purpose-Built for Legal Teams

Generic AI solutions often lack the precision, transparency and legal grounding required for professional legal work. The stakes in legal decision-making demand tools specifically designed for legal workflows, with built-in safeguards and authoritative legal foundations.

Purpose-built legal AI solutions offer several critical advantages. They're trained on legal-specific datasets, understand legal terminology and concepts, and can provide citations to authoritative sources. These tools also typically include features like multi-step task execution, self-evaluation capabilities and integration with established legal databases.

Step 3: Integrate AI with Legal Systems and Data

Maximum AI value comes from integration, not isolation. Your AI tools should connect seamlessly with existing document management systems (DMS), contract repositories and internal knowledge bases. This connectivity enables the reuse of past work product, provides context-aware analysis and enhances visibility into legal operations.

Integration allows AI to leverage your organization's institutional knowledge, making recommendations based on previous successful approaches and highlighting potential issues based on historical patterns. This creates a compound effect where the AI becomes more valuable over time as it learns from your organization's specific legal landscape. For example, an AI tool that can access both your contract database and compliance monitoring systems can provide more nuanced risk assessments than one operating in isolation.

Step 4: Ensure AI Security and Legal Compliance

Security concerns rank among the top considerations for legal leaders implementing AI, and rightfully so. Legal departments handle some of the most sensitive information in any organization, from confidential business strategies to privileged attorney-client communications.

Ensure your AI provider meets rigorous security standards. Verify that they don't use your data to train public models, they do maintain strict data segregation, and they provide transparency about data storage, access and protection protocols. The provider should be able to demonstrate compliance with relevant industry standards and regulations. Establish clear data governance policies for AI usage, including guidelines on what information can be processed through AI tools and what safeguards must be in place.

Step 5: Measure AI ROI in Legal Departments

Successful AI implementation requires demonstrating clear value to stakeholders and building organizational support for broader adoption. Establish baseline metrics before implementation and track improvements consistently.

Key performance indicators should include time savings (cited by 76% of legal leaders as a primary benefit), accuracy improvements (noted by 55% of respondents), and cost reductions from decreased reliance on outside counsel (reported by 38% of legal teams). Additional metrics might include client satisfaction scores, matter resolution times and resource allocation efficiency.

Step 6: Cultivate a Culture of AI-Driven Legal Innovation

AI adoption represents more than a technological upgrade—it's a fundamental shift in how legal departments operate. Success requires cultivating a culture that embraces experimentation, continuous learning and strategic thinking.

Provide thorough training to help team members understand AI capabilities and limitations. Encourage experimentation with new tools and approaches while maintaining appropriate oversight. Celebrate progress and acknowledge team members who contribute to the department's AI evolution. As AI handles routine tasks, legal professionals can focus on higher-value strategic initiatives, deepening their role as business partners.

The transformation from traditional legal gatekeeper to strategic “Department of Yes” represents both an opportunity and an imperative for today’s in-house legal teams. Legal departments that embrace this evolution will find themselves driving organizational success through enhanced efficiency, proactive risk management and strategic business enablement.

Resources to Help Legal Teams Build the Department of Yes with AI

LexisNexis has published a complimentary new white paper, “The Department of Yes: How AI is Reshaping Corporate Legal Strategy,” which provides valuable insights into how AI empowers in-house legal teams to enhance decision-making, manage risks more efficiently, reduce costs and foster deeper business collaboration. Download it today.

Lexis+® General Counsel Suite provides in-house legal professionals with access to a vast set of legal resources and tools that help them better manage risk, oversee legal operations and cultivate business skills to succeed as part of a broader organization. It’s available with Lexis+ AI®, built to help legal professionals efficiently conduct research, summarize information and analyze documents. Experience the power of these resources at your fingertips by signing up for a free 7-day trial of Lexis+ General Counsel Suite.