According to data from Factor’s AI Benchmarking Report, more than 60% of legal departments say their teams have — or will soon have — AI access. Yet fewer than 20% feel confident using these tools effectively. This gap between access and confidence isn’t just a skills issue — it’s a mindset shift.
In our recent webinar, moderator Chris DeConti (Factor’s Chief Strategy Officer) was joined by Ed Sohn (Factor’s Special Advisor), Shilpa Bhandarkar (Partner, Client Tech & AI, Linklaters LLP), and Professor Dan Hunter (Dean, The Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London) to explore what it really takes to build AI-confident legal teams. The panel unpacked the reality of AI readiness, internal resistance, and how leading teams are building capability, not just awareness.
Some key moments:
Ed Sohn highlighted the difference between superficial skills and lasting transformation: "Mindset was key to not just harnessing AI for productivity, but in decision-making and in the way you approach the entire initiative."
Shilpa Bhandarkar shared a powerful metaphor to explain adoption challenges: "The technology is the car—we might give you a Ferrari or a tractor depending on the use case. But you still need a driver’s license, and only with practice can you drive it well."
Professor Dan Hunter explained why lawyers may overestimate what they've learned: "Give someone an LLM and they’ll produce something faster — but without proper design, they don’t actually learn. There’s no transfer learning happening. That’s the worst of all worlds."
Chris DeConti underscored the deeper cultural shift required: "Lawyers have a natural reverence for precedent. Asking them to move from walking to flying a drone isn’t just training — it’s a cultural shift."
This conversation is essential for legal leaders looking to move beyond experimentation and start building practical, resilient AI capability across their teams.
Watch the full recording now!
