I don't like being caught off guard about things that can have a major impact on my way of life and work. Since many things have major impacts on our lives, our best antidote to being caught off guard is preparing and responding proactively.
With generative AI, the world is changing.
I'm no developer, but I've been using AI to develop, including a Joomla plugin! I've since developed a second Joomla SEO plugin, an app for entrepreneurs, marketers, and people who want to get stuff done called Amplify OS. I've been working on an app for Movie Shapes and one for Space Base. Consider it a combination of exploration and potential business side ventures.
The point is that I'm now able to build things I could not have done before using AI. Many things that require humans are going to be doable using technology. And this means that what is valuable and unique to service companies is going to shift. And if we don't want to be caught off guard and fall behind, we should lean in and figure out how to maximize our advantages as this revolution unfolds.
I work with multiple law firms, and I was doing some research on their businesses, as it relates to this revolution, and this post is going to collect and share some of my findings. If you're not a law firm, but are a business that offers services (consulting, accounting, and other expert-type businesses), these insights will still apply.
If you only remember one thing, remember that if doing the work is why people hire your firm, that foundation is going away. You need to adapt. The more clear-eyed we become about how things are changing, the more ahead of the game we can move. We can build (or rebuild) around this new reality so we're not stuck with a mindset and toolbox built for the last reality.
Judgment and making decisions are going to be super important. That's your opportunity.
1) Shift from Doing The Work to Providing The Intelligence
A lot of what clients historically paid experts to produce will be produced faster, cheaper, and often good enough by machines. That doesn’t erase the need for experts. It just removes the illusion about what value we actually provide.
In my previous post advising younger adults, I said the way to flourish in the AI era is by becoming an AI super user and becoming someone who is a trusted advisor and translator of empathy and culture. In the AI era, the differentiator for service companies like law firms is not their ability to generate documents. It’s their ability to make sound, defensible decisions when:
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the facts are incomplete,
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the tradeoffs are ugly,
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the downside is asymmetric,
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and the consequences don’t fit neatly into a template.
For the expert, making tough decisions is going to be a differentiator.
When people go to AI for answers, they're going to face competing perspectives and situations where making the decision and acting in these challenging situations will be what's required. The thing they'll need to do in a hard situation will be the thing they don't want to do (out of fear or some other reason). When facing a high-pressure legal situation, getting information from AI is not what a company needs. What they need is reassurance and support from someone who knows what to expect and how to actually help. Your firm should give clients something AI cannot give them. If AI gives your client advice, and that's all they face their challenge with, they're facing it alone.
As companies think about marketing themselves, they'll need to shift how they position themselves so that they become the go-to source when it matters most. Marketing your firm on your ability to draft contracts, run standard processes, or execute repeatable filings is not an option.
Market your judgment. Judgment is your ability to:
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clarify what actually matters (prioritize),
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see around corners,
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pressure-test options when everyone’s rushing to act,
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anticipate second- and third-order effects,
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and help a client choose the most responsible next step, not just the most aggressive one.
That’s informed and backed intelligence. That’s the part clients can’t afford to get wrong and can’t safely outsource to a bot. It's what gives people reassurance when they're scared or overwhelmed.
And remember, generative AI does not understand things like humans do. It simply runs a prediction machine. But as a mimic, it can only mimic what it's given. And relying on mimics is not a way to truly make producers and generate productivity.
2) Solve Real Problems that Make Life Better, Daily.
To thrive in this next era is to find all the mini problems people have that need solving. Do you have anything your ideal client would use twice a day? Not because it’s sexy, but because it reduces friction, lowers anxiety, and gives them clarity. That's what I'm doing with the apps I'm building. I'm identifying problems I have and ways to solve them. The things that have the most value are the winners.
If you can leverage these types of things as small, focused technology-infused tools that help clients navigate the chaotic world, you'll have a powerful advantage in contrast to simply asking them to contact you. Here are some law firm examples:
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A compliance health check that flags risk weekly
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A regulatory pulse for a specific niche (healthcare, HR, fintech, construction)
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A decision-tree that helps a GC or founder see, early, whether a dispute is trending toward litigation
The goal isn’t to replace counsel. The goal is to be useful before the emergency—so when the emergency hits, you’re not a stranger; you’re already the obvious first call.
You want an established relationship so that when they need you, they call you.
3) Human Accountability
Focus on the human connection and the trust (through accountability). As AI makes it trivial to crank out more content, the world gets noisier. In that environment, the rare asset isn’t volume. It’s accountability. Clients aren’t just asking:
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“Can you do this?”
They’re asking, explicitly or not:
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If this goes sideways, who is on the hook for the judgment call?
It's easy to shift the blame. As I describe as a way to differentiate in my book, Path of the Freelancer, doing hard things is what makes us different and stand out.
The professionals who win the next phase of this transition will be the ones who can say, credibly:
We’ll move quickly. We won’t move carelessly. And we’ll own the consequences of the advice we give.
That is the opposite of what we used a tool and hoped for the best.
4) Use Speed as an Advantage—Without Becoming Shallow
AI makes it possible to respond faster than traditional firms have ever been able to. But speed without substance is just noise. The opportunity is fast + thoughtful.
What this looks like in law firm content
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Track your niche for real changes (rulings, enforcement moves, policy shifts), not just headlines.
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Publish expert-vetted analysis quickly—hours or days, not weeks or quarters.
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Lead with implications, not summaries:
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What actually changed?
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Who is now exposed?
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What’s the first smart, low-regret move?
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What should you resist doing out of panic?
The firm that delivers the first clear, responsible interpretation earns attention—and keeps it.
Personalization at scale
Generic business law marketing is dead weight. Market-specific outcomes for specific groups with specific pressures.
Examples:
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Legal resilience for AI-SaaS startups under regulatory uncertainty
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Employment risk strategy for PE-backed platform companies in year 1–3 post-acquisition
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Governance clarity for founder-led businesses entering messy, multi-entity growth
Clarity beats breadth. Specificity signals you actually understand their world, not just their industry label.
5) Become the Expert Guide (Educational Marketing That Actually Helps)
Most clients do not feel ready for what’s coming next. They don’t need more jargon or another AI is changing everything blog post. They need someone who can explain:
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what’s actually changing,
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what remains true even as the tech shifts,
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where the real risk lives,
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and what the next concrete step should be.
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What's alarmist and unrealistic, and what's a true threat?
This is where educational marketing becomes a powerful resource.
What Law Firms Could Publish
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What the 2027 legal reset means for [industry]—and what you should do this quarter
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The five compliance mistakes AI will quietly cause smart teams to make
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How to use AI internally without creating discoverable evidence you’ll regret later
Teach like a practitioner, not a conference panelist. Use plain English. Give simple frameworks people can apply with or without you. And close with a constructive, realistic next step, a defined action that moves them one rung up the ladder.
Key Takeaway
To survive—and actually lead—through the 2026–2027 transition, your content and positioning need to prove one thing:
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You use AI for efficiency.
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But clients pay you for judgment, responsibility, and strategic foresight.
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