Generative AI (GenAI) is no longer a novelty. It’s a strategic asset for firms that know how to use it well. For legal marketers, it presents a powerful way to accelerate content creation, boost efficiency, and spark creativity. But like any tool, results depend on how well you use it. If you’re asking ChatGPT to “write a blog” and expecting magic, you’re doing it wrong.
Here are some tips to unlock GenAI’s potential in legal marketing and avoid the pitfalls.
Shift from Automation to Collaboration
One of the most common misconceptions about GenAI is that it’s a “set it and forget it” solution. In reality, it works best when used with humans, not instead of them. Generative AI isn’t a replacement for your judgment, expertise, or strategy. It’s your co-pilot.
The firms getting the best results are using AI to brainstorm, organize, rewrite, and refine. Not to generate final deliverables. AI drafts. Human polishes. AI organizes. Human critiques. Treat GenAI as your most versatile (and tireless) junior assistant, not your ghostwriter.
Give Better Prompts, Get Better Results
Vague inputs yield vague outputs. If you want content that sounds insightful and strategic, don’t just say, “Write a blog about personal injury law.” Instead, frame a specific problem, outline your angle, and add context. Try:
“Generate a blog introduction for personal injury attorneys targeting cyclists injured by delivery trucks in NYC, focusing on changes in city regulations in 2024.”
The more detail you give the AI, the more useful its response will be. Consider adding tone, audience, length, format, or reference sources. Prompting is a skill, and the firms that are investing in it are seeing huge returns.
Use GenAI to Jumpstart Thought Leadership, Not Replace It
Lawyers resist content creation in part because of the time it takes and in part because they don’t always know where to start. AI can change that. Use it to:
- Summarize a recent case or development
- Turn a webinar transcript into a blog outline
- Generate five angles for a LinkedIn post
- Rephrase complex legalese into plain language
But don’t let AI strip out the voice and nuance that makes content compelling. AI can accelerate the first 60 percent. Your insight, examples, and perspective are what transform that draft into thought leadership.
If your firm is struggling to develop a consistent thought leadership program, GenAI can help you scale faster. Just be sure to layer in your attorneys’ voices, especially on complex or high-value topics.
Build AI into Your Workflow Strategically
The most successful firms aren’t just using AI occasionally. They’re embedding it into their content processes in thoughtful ways. Here are a few examples of how to operationalize GenAI:
- Content ideation: Ask GenAI for trending legal topics or evergreen ideas for your practice area.
- Headline generation: Input a draft post and request five SEO-friendly headlines.
- Repurposing: Feed in a long article and ask for a short client alert or LinkedIn carousel.
- Tone and clarity editing: Use AI to simplify complex paragraphs or adjust tone for different audiences.
This isn’t just about saving time. It’s about multiplying your creative output.
Understand the Limits (and Risks)
Generative AI tools can be impressive, but they’re not infallible. They can hallucinate facts, misrepresent legal nuance, or inadvertently plagiarize. That’s especially risky in a regulated, high-stakes field like law.
Ethical use is essential. Always verify facts, cite original sources, and be cautious with confidential or proprietary information. As state bar associations begin issuing guidance on GenAI, compliance should be a top priority. For a state-by-state breakdown, check out our blog Gen AI and Attorney Ethics: A State-by-State Roundup.
Train Your Team — and Your AI
If your marketing team is using GenAI inconsistently, you’ll get inconsistent results. Create prompt libraries, brand voice guidelines, and editorial standards for AI-generated content. Consider training your AI models with your firm’s own tone and style inputs when possible.
You should also align internally on what GenAI can be used for (such as first drafts, email subject lines, or summaries) and what it must not be used for (like legal advice, confidential data processing, or final client-facing copy without human review).
AI Doesn’t Kill Creativity. It Supercharges It.
Some fear that GenAI will make marketing content formulaic. But the opposite is true when used well. It can help overcome writer’s block, offer unexpected angles, and expand the range of voices you can support across your firm.
Creativity isn’t just about what you write. It’s also about how you produce, scale, and distribute it. AI enables lean teams to operate like much larger ones. It gives overworked marketers a fighting chance to deliver more with less.
Final Thoughts: Success Starts with Strategy
Generative AI is a powerful tool, but it won’t fix a broken strategy. Before you integrate it, make sure you know your goals, audiences, and brand voice. Otherwise, you’re just creating content faster without knowing if it’s moving the needle.
At LISI, we help law firms build content strategies that convert. And now, we’re helping them do it even more efficiently with AI. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to elevate your approach, let’s talk about how to make GenAI a strategic asset — not a shiny distraction.
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