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As legal teams grapple with rising complexity and shrinking resources, the future of legal firms lies in a powerful alliance between human expertise, robotic process automation (RPA), and artificial intelligence (AI) agents, writes Shaun Leisegang.
Historically, legal support functions have relied on either manual processes or rigid, rule-based automations. While these methods have helped manage repetitive tasks, they are no longer sufficient in a world driven by rapid data growth and increasing regulatory scrutiny.
The next generation of legal services requires a dynamic triad: RPA bots to handle high-volume, rule-based activities; AI agents to process complex, decision-based work; and human professionals to apply judgement and ethical reasoning where needed.
The role of robots
The first pillar of the new “legal dream team” is robotic process automation (RPA). Contrary to the popular sci-fi portrayal, these robots are software-based tools designed to automate repetitive tasks by mimicking human interactions with digital systems.
RPA bots operate using two methods: application programming interfaces (APIs) and user interface (UI) automation. When APIs are available, bots use them to seamlessly pull and push data across platforms. When not, bots can replicate user actions such as clicking through screens, inputting data, and extracting results exactly as a human would.
One real-world example would be automating a paralegal’s workflow during a new matter intake process. Paralegals regularly spend more than 30 minutes a day conducting routine searches on corporate entities. By deploying an RPA bot to handle tasks like Australian Business Number (ABN) look-ups, ASIC searches, and trademark verifications, the legal team can free up valuable time for higher-value activities.
The role of people
While RPA excels at structured tasks, humans remain central to nuanced decision making and oversight. In this new digital environment, people interact with systems through digital process automation (DPA). This involves tools that include dynamic forms, data integrations, and audit-ready workflows.
For example, consider the employee onboarding process. A digital form collects applicant information, which then triggers a workflow assigning reviews to HR staff.
Once approved, the workflow generates contracts, enables digital signatures, and even sets up user accounts. Behind the scenes, all steps are logged for full transparency and auditability.
More importantly, workflows remain flexible while being easily updated with drag-and-drop tools to adapt to changing business needs.
Enter AI agents
The most transformative development in legal tech is the emergence of AI agents. These are intelligent digital workers capable of goal-directed action.
These agents, powered by secure generative AI models, are equipped to observe, decide, act, and learn. They represent a leap beyond RPA by managing unstructured data and making decisions on the fly.
An illustrative use case is contract review. Traditionally, legal teams manually reviewed master service agreements, compared them to standard terms, and flagged discrepancies. This was not only time-consuming but prone to oversight.
AI agents can now automate this process. They ingest incoming contracts, compare clauses to internal standards, flag deviations, and suggest negotiation strategies, escalating only genuinely ambiguous or risky terms to human lawyers.
One such agent, called Redline, combines document analysis with contextual awareness. By referencing a company’s standard agreement and comparing it with an incoming version, Redline generates a summary highlighting key variances, such as differences in indemnity or intellectual property clauses, and proposes actionable next steps. In low-risk scenarios, it can even approve changes without human intervention.
Building the ‘dream team’
So, how can legal departments begin to adopt this trio of technologies? In many cases, the starting point involves identifying use cases where automation or AI could deliver meaningful efficiency gains or risk reduction.
This is often followed by structured evaluations – assessing the feasibility, compliance requirements, and potential impact of each idea. From there, small-scale pilots or proof-of-concept initiatives help validate the benefits before broader implementation.
This phased approach helps ensure the right blend of tools – robots for repetitive actions, AI agents for intelligent decision making, and people for oversight – is applied in the right places.
The right time is now
The legal profession is at a pivotal juncture, and waiting for change is no longer an option. By embracing automation, AI, and process management, legal teams not only increase efficiency and reduce risk but also elevate their strategic value to the broader business.
Whether reviewing contracts faster, improving onboarding processes, or ensuring compliance, the legal “dream team” offers a model for modern legal operations. The future assistant in your law office might not be a person, but it will be smarter than a robot, more agile than a script, and capable of learning like a human.
The era of the AI-enabled legal function has arrived. The only question left is, when will you start your journey?
Shaun Leisegang is the general manager of automation, data, and AI at Tecala.
