How AI is streamlining legal services at Whiteford

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Six months into its partnership with Harvey AI, Whiteford has already begun transforming its operations by leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance efficiency and productivity in its legal practice.

Since launching the partnership as a pilot program, Whiteford has seen significant advancements in how attorneys utilize AI to streamline their workflows. According to Bruce Martino, Director of Privacy, Data Security & Compliance at Whiteford, the firm has been impressed with Harvey AI’s capabilities.

“Across the firm, there has been a high level of attorney interest in understanding Harvey AI’s capabilities and how they may be relevant to specific practices,” Martino said.

To support this interest, Whiteford partnered with Harvey AI to offer training and shared learning sessions, which began in August 2024 and have seen strong and growing engagement.

Approximately 70% of Whiteford’s attorneys hold active licenses for Harvey AI, and the tool is accessible to all attorneys and many staff members. The firm has identified a wide range of use cases for the platform, including drafting and reviewing contracts, pleadings, and motions; analyzing and comparing complex documents; gaining insights into intricate transactions; translating documents; creating summaries; brainstorming legal arguments; and developing lines of witness questioning.

“Harvey is designed to ensure that responses are accurate and grounded in the data users upload,” Martino said. “This maintains the integrity and reliability of outputs, and helps minimize risks associated with generative AI.”

Harvey AI has also been designed with stringent ethical and privacy considerations.

“We reviewed Harvey’s data security controls and are comfortable that user prompts are held secure and confidential,” Martino said.

Whiteford has implemented a policy requiring all license holders to review the firm’s AI usage guidelines and complete a knowledge check before using the tool. Additionally, Whiteford professionals oversee and review all outputs to ensure quality and compliance.

Efficiency and productivity gains are evident, though the firm acknowledges it is still early to quantify these improvements. Lori Brown-Simmons, Executive Director at Whiteford, said, “While we’re excited about the power of Harvey, it’s clear that legal professionals play an important oversight role in any use of generative AI.”

According to Minesh Patel, a representative from Harvey AI, the company’s impact on the legal industry is significant and growing.

“Harvey currently supports more than 235 customers in 42 markets, helping attorneys and professional services teams be more effective and efficient. Over time, our objective is to help our clients, like Whiteford, continue to deliver exceptional results for their clients, and for attorneys to feel as though Harvey is a tool that makes their jobs notably easier on a daily basis,” Patel said.

Looking ahead, Whiteford envisions expanding Harvey AI’s integration into its workflows. Upcoming plans include integrating Harvey AI with the firm’s document management system and Microsoft Word. Additionally, licenses will be extended to all paralegals, and practice section-specific training sessions will be implemented.

The legal industry has seen a rapid increase in the adoption of AI tools. According to a report from Clio, 79% of legal professionals now incorporate AI into their daily work, a significant rise from 19% in 2023. This shift highlights the growing recognition of AI’s potential to revolutionize legal workflows.

Despite the enthusiasm for Harvey AI’s capabilities, Whiteford acknowledges the importance of addressing potential ethical risks. The American Bar Association (ABA), in its formal opinion issued in July 2024, emphasized the importance of maintaining ethical standards when using generative AI tools in legal practice. The opinion highlights key responsibilities such as ensuring competence, preserving client confidentiality, verifying AI-generated outputs for accuracy, and communicating effectively with clients about AI usage.

Patel noted that Harvey AI was designed from the ground up with enterprise trust in mind, ensuring compliance with the legal industry’s high standards for privacy, ethics, and data security.

Whiteford and Harvey AI’s highlights the growing role of technology in modern legal practice, while also underscoring the need for ethical oversight and careful implementation to address potential risks.