AI is becoming an increasingly familiar part of legal practice. It can support research, organise information, improve efficiency and help professionals produce work more quickly. It is changing how legal services are delivered, how teams operate and what clients expect from their advisers.
But greater access to technology does not automatically create better client relationships, stronger teams or more effective leadership.
As AI becomes more widely used, the capabilities that distinguish one professional from another may become increasingly human. Technical expertise will remain essential, but the ability to communicate clearly, understand others, exercise judgement, build trust and respond well to change will determine how effectively that expertise is applied.
Some tasks that once required a significant amount of time can now be completed more quickly with the support of AI. This creates opportunities for firms to improve efficiency and focus professional time where it adds the greatest value. It also raises an important question: when technology becomes available to everyone, what will make one lawyer, team or firm stand out?
The answer will not lie in technology alone.
Clients may expect their lawyers to use AI and other tools appropriately, but they will still judge the service by the experience they receive. They will notice whether they feel understood, whether advice is clear and practical, whether expectations are managed and whether the person advising them understands the wider commercial context.
These are human questions.
The capabilities that will matter most are not new. They have always influenced client satisfaction, professional relationships and performance. What is changing is their importance. As technology supports more of the analytical and administrative elements of work, the human contribution becomes more visible.
A well-researched answer still needs to be communicated effectively. A technically correct recommendation still needs to reflect the client’s circumstances. A new system still needs leaders who can explain why it matters and support people through the change. AI-generated information still needs to be checked, challenged and interpreted by someone exercising professional judgement.
Over the coming weeks, we will be exploring seven capabilities that we believe lawyers and business services professionals will increasingly need in order to thrive alongside AI: client excellence, emotional intelligence, communication, becoming a trusted adviser, leadership, critical thinking and resilience.
Client excellence is about more than achieving the right legal outcome. Clients remember how easy a firm was to work with, whether communication was proactive and whether the advice reflected what mattered to them.
Emotional intelligence helps professionals understand their own responses, recognise the perspectives of others and handle difficult situations constructively. This matters particularly in a profession where clients and colleagues are often working under pressure or dealing with uncertainty.
Communication turns expertise into understanding and action. As producing content becomes easier, the ability to explain complexity clearly, tailor a message to the audience and help people decide what to do next will become even more valuable.
Becoming a trusted adviser means moving beyond the immediate legal question. It requires an understanding of the client’s wider world, the ability to identify issues early and the confidence to challenge where necessary.
Leadership is equally important. It is not simply about seniority, but about creating the clarity, support and confidence that enable other people to perform well. As firms adapt to new technology and changing expectations, leaders will play a central role in how successfully that change is understood and adopted.
Critical thinking will also become increasingly important. AI can generate polished and convincing responses, but plausible is not always the same as correct. Professionals still need to question assumptions, evaluate evidence and decide when further investigation is needed.
Resilience, meanwhile, is not simply the ability to endure more pressure. It is the capacity to adapt, recover and continue performing sustainably through challenge and change. It is shaped both by individual capability and by the environment created around people.
The future of legal practice will not be determined by choosing between technology and people. The greatest value will come from professionals who know how to combine the two.
Firms need people who can use technology confidently while continuing to build relationships, communicate with impact, challenge assumptions and make sound decisions. These capabilities do not always develop automatically through technical experience. They require attention, practice and opportunities to apply them in realistic situations.
That is why human capability needs to remain central to firms’ learning and development strategies.
It is also why the development of these skills cannot be left to AI alone.
AI can support learning by providing information, generating examples and helping people prepare. But the most effective training occurs through human interaction. People need opportunities to practise, receive feedback, reflect on their impact and respond to the reactions of others.
Live, facilitated training creates the space for that to happen. It allows participants to test their approach, learn from colleagues, explore different perspectives and build confidence in a way that self-directed or AI-led learning cannot fully replicate.
The most effective development will therefore use technology where it adds value, while preserving the human interaction needed to turn knowledge into behaviour.
Throughout this series, we will look more closely at each of these seven areas, why they matter and what they look like in practice.
To support firms in developing these capabilities, we are offering 20% off our in-house courses covering these topics when booked by Friday 11th September for delivery during 2026.
AI will continue to influence how legal work is delivered. But the quality of the client experience, the strength of professional relationships and the effectiveness of teams will continue to depend on people.
The firms that thrive will be those that invest in both.
You can view the articles in this series as they are released here.
Ready to book with your discount? Email info@professional-training.co.uk and one of the team will be in touch.