Last week’s tech-forward Legalweek New York conference was replete with AI-focused panels. (Mindy Kaling gave the keynote; there was—fortunately—no indication that her talk centered on AI.)
One hot topic: what AI means for the billable hour, both in terms the time-efficiency of lawyers and the extraordinary costs of deploying AI-driven services. The economics of legal practice are changing, but where will they settle after this transitional moment? More coverage below the fold.
Law360 has a series of 30-second sound bites from attendees in Steven Lerner, Steven Trader & Connor Relyea, AI’s Growing Role in Law Was Top Talk in Legalweek 2026, Law360 Pulse (Mar. 13, 2026):
- Eric Dodson Greenberg (Cox Media Group) on the ROI of AI
- Nick Curtis (Tokio Marine) on AI best practices
- Melissa Sachs (Constangy Brooks Smith & Prophete LLP) on data breach awareness
- Jacqueline Schafer (Clearbrief) on agentic AI
- Todd Heffner (Smith Gambrell & Russell LLP) on new legal AI uses
Reuters gives a broader frame for the event in David Thomas & Mike Scarcella, Lawyers Flood Tech Expo Wondering: Is AI About to Devalue Their Time?, Reuters (Mar. 12, 2026):
Swedish startup Legora, announced on Tuesday that it had raised $550 million to expand in the U.S., reaching a $5.5 billion valuation. . . .
Oliver Roberts, who teaches at Washington University School of Law and manages a small AI-focused law firm, said AI “will 100% replace lawyers in the future.” There was nervous laughter in the audience.
Related TaxProf Blog coverage:
- Will AI End the Billable Hour, Finally? (Dec. 27, 2025)
