By Steve Fretzin and Jeremy Baker
Why Lawyers Must Become AI-Literate Now
How artificial intelligence is reshaping legal practice, increasing productivity, and creating new opportunities for lawyers willing to adapt
Artificial intelligence is no longer a future trend for lawyers.
It’s already changing how legal work gets done.
From drafting contracts and analyzing documents to conducting research and streamlining administrative tasks, AI is helping lawyers complete work in minutes that once required hours or even days.
The attorneys who understand how to use these tools are becoming more efficient, more competitive, and better positioned for the future. Those who ignore the technology may find themselves struggling to keep pace in a rapidly evolving profession.
In this episode, construction attorney and law firm founder Jeremy Baker shares how he left a successful Big Law partnership to build a modern practice powered by AI. His insights offer a glimpse into what legal services may look like in the years ahead and why every lawyer should start developing AI literacy today.
Leaving Big Law to Build Something Different
Jeremy’s legal career followed a path many lawyers would envy.
As a partner at a respected national law firm, he built a successful construction law practice representing architects, engineers, developers, and property owners in complex disputes and transactions.
Yet despite having what he describes as a wonderful job, he saw a major shift coming.
Artificial intelligence was beginning to demonstrate capabilities that could fundamentally change how legal services are delivered. Rather than wait for the industry to evolve around him, Jeremy decided to build a practice designed specifically for the future.
His decision highlights an important reality: innovation often comes from individuals willing to act before the rest of the market catches up.
You Don’t Need Technical Skills to Use AI
One of the biggest misconceptions about AI is that lawyers need technical expertise to benefit from it.
Jeremy strongly disagrees.
Most lawyers already possess the skills needed to begin experimenting with AI tools.
The barrier is not coding knowledge. It’s willingness.
According to Jeremy, the most important requirement is curiosity and a willingness to start exploring.
Lawyers who can write instructions, ask questions, and copy and paste information can begin integrating AI into their workflows immediately.
This is good news for attorneys who may feel intimidated by technology.
You do not need to become a software engineer.
You simply need to become comfortable using the tools available to you.
Compressing Hours of Work into Minutes
Perhaps the most compelling aspect of AI is its ability to eliminate time-consuming tasks.
Legal professionals have traditionally relied on teams of associates, paralegals, administrative staff, and support personnel to handle large volumes of work.
Many of those same tasks can now be accelerated dramatically through AI-assisted workflows.
Research projects that once required extensive manual effort can be completed more quickly. Drafting can be streamlined. Information can be organized and summarized in seconds.
The result is not necessarily less work.
The result is more productive work.
Lawyers gain the ability to spend more time on strategy, judgment, client counseling, negotiation, and other high-value activities that technology cannot easily replicate.
How AI Challenges Traditional Law Firm Models
The legal industry has long been built around leverage.
Large firms increase profitability by assigning work across teams of partners, associates, and support staff while billing based on hours worked.
AI introduces a significant challenge to that model.
If one lawyer can complete work that previously required multiple people, firms may need to rethink how services are priced, staffed, and delivered.
Jeremy believes market forces will eventually push firms toward leaner teams, greater efficiency, and alternative fee arrangements.
Clients increasingly care about outcomes rather than the number of hours required to achieve them.
As AI improves productivity, firms that continue relying solely on traditional billing structures may face growing pressure from both clients and competitors.
Efficiency Is Becoming a Competitive Advantage
Historically, legal expertise was often the primary differentiator between firms.
Today, efficiency is becoming equally important.
Clients expect faster responses, quicker turnaround times, and greater value for their investment.
AI provides an opportunity to meet those expectations while maintaining high-quality work.
Firms that successfully integrate AI can often deliver services more efficiently without sacrificing quality.
This creates benefits for both lawyers and clients.
Lawyers gain leverage over their time, while clients receive solutions faster and potentially at lower cost.
The firms that master this balance may gain a significant competitive advantage in the coming years.
Ethical Considerations Still Matter
While Jeremy is enthusiastic about AI’s potential, he also emphasizes the importance of responsible use.
Lawyers remain responsible for the advice they provide and the work they deliver.
AI outputs must be reviewed, verified, and evaluated carefully.
Professional judgment remains essential.
The most effective approach is not replacing legal expertise with artificial intelligence.
It is combining human judgment with technological efficiency.
Lawyers who understand both their ethical obligations and the capabilities of AI will be best positioned to use these tools responsibly.
Waiting Is the Biggest Risk
One of Jeremy’s strongest messages is directed toward lawyers who are waiting for permission.
Many professionals assume their firms, bar associations, or industry leaders will eventually provide a roadmap for AI adoption.
The problem is that technology often moves faster than institutions.
Waiting for a perfect moment to begin learning may result in falling behind competitors who are already experimenting and building expertise.
AI literacy is quickly becoming a professional skill rather than a technical specialty.
Just as lawyers learned email, online research, and digital communication, they now need to understand how AI tools work and where they can create value.
The lawyers who begin learning today will have a significant head start tomorrow.
The Future Belongs to Adaptable Lawyers
Every major technological shift creates both uncertainty and opportunity.
Artificial intelligence is no different.
Some lawyers see disruption. Others see possibility.
Jeremy’s experience demonstrates that lawyers do not need to fear AI. Instead, they should focus on understanding it.
The profession will continue to need judgment, advocacy, strategy, negotiation, and trusted advisors. Those qualities remain uniquely human.
What will change is how efficiently lawyers can deliver those services.
The future will likely belong to attorneys who combine traditional legal skills with technological fluency.
Those who embrace that reality today will be better prepared for whatever comes next.
“The only skill that I really needed was the desire to get started, and then the ability to cut and paste, because there’s no coding required to play with AI.” — Jeremy Baker
About Jeremy Baker
Jeremy S. Baker is the founder of Baker Law Group LLC and a Chicago-based attorney focused on construction law, litigation, and alternative dispute resolution. With more than two decades of legal experience, he has represented architects, engineers, developers, and property owners in complex legal matters.
A former partner at ArentFox Schiff LLP, Jeremy is also an adjunct professor, speaker, and writer on construction law and legal innovation. He has been recognized as an Illinois Super Lawyer every year since 2019 and is an advocate for helping lawyers leverage AI to build more efficient, modern practices.
Connect with Jeremy Baker
Website: https://designbuildlaw.com/
Website: https://operationpalmtree.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremysbaker/
Connect with Steve Fretzin
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn’t Rocket Science and more
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
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