How Law Firm Partners Use AI to Read Markets the Way Litigators Read Cases
How Law Firm Partners Use AI to Read Markets the Way Litigators Read Cases
An Actionable Guide for Law Firm and Legal Department Leaders
By Khrhysna “Khrys” McKinney
Litigators develop power through pattern recognition. They collect facts, test assumptions, anticipate countermoves, and assemble narratives that reveal leverage. This discipline allows them to reduce uncertainty and replace chaos with structure.
That same discipline now belongs in how partners approach growth.
Artificial intelligence gives legal leaders the ability to read markets with the same analytical rigor they apply to case strategy. When firms embrace this approach, they shift from reactive growth toward intelligence-driven influence. The sections below translate that shift into concrete actions firms can take now.
Step One: Treat Market Signals Like Evidence
Litigators never rely on instinct alone. They gather signals, validate context, and test conclusions. Market intelligence deserves the same treatment.
Practical Execution
Law firms can begin by identifying five categories of market evidence and assigning ownership for each:
Client Engagement Signals
Email response cadence
Meeting frequency changes
Topic repetition in communications
Industry Activity Signals
Conference agendas and attendance
Regulatory alerts and enforcement actions
Trade publication focus areas
Competitive Signals
Public announcements
Hiring patterns
Practice expansion indicators
Economic and Operational Signals
Layoffs, mergers, or restructuring announcements
Capital investments
Geographic expansion
Legal Demand Signals
Emerging litigation trends
New compliance requirements
Shifts in enforcement posture
AI tools can collect and organize this information automatically, allowing partners to review a curated intelligence summary instead of raw data.
Step Two: Build a Market Intelligence Dashboard That Mirrors Case Analysis
Litigators rely on structured outlines. Market intelligence benefits from the same architecture.
Practical Execution
Create a Market Intelligence Dashboard with sections that mirror a case file:
Market Context Overview
Client Pressure Indicators
Regulatory Environment Snapshot
Competitive Landscape
Opportunity and Risk Forecast
This dashboard should update regularly through AI-assisted data ingestion rather than manual research. The goal focuses on clarity replacing the volume paradigm.
Partners who review this dashboard monthly develop pattern awareness that supports proactive advisory conversations.
Step Three: Reframe Business Development Conversations
Litigators frame arguments around the core question that drives the case. Partners can apply the same discipline to client conversations.
Practical Execution
Before each client meeting, partners can ask one intelligence-driven question:
“What external forces currently shape this client’s risk or opportunity profile?”
AI can support this preparation by analyzing:
Client industry activity
Public disclosures and announcements
Engagement patterns with firm content
Regulatory or litigation exposure trends
This preparation allows partners to shift conversations from reactive updates toward strategic guidance, positioning them as trusted advisors rather than merely on-demand service providers.
Step Four: Deploy AI as a Continuous Monitoring Partner
Partners juggle competing demands. AI supports focus by monitoring signals continuously and escalating insights that matter.
Practical Execution
Firms can deploy AI tools that:
Flag emerging risks in client industries
Identify shifts in engagement that suggest readiness for deeper conversations
Surface cross-practice opportunities based on shared client pressures
Highlight trends across markets rather than isolated events
This approach reduces cognitive load while increasing strategic visibility.
Step Five: Measure Influence, Not Just Activity
Traditional metrics track hours and originations. Influence requires different measurement.
Practical Execution
Firms can introduce Influence and Engagement Metrics, such as:
Frequency of proactive advisory touchpoints
Client follow-up velocity
Cross-matter expansion within existing relationships
Sentiment indicators in client communications
Referrals or introductions initiated by clients
AI tools can capture these signals with passive participation of attorneys, eliminating the need for attorneys to log business development activity and associated findings manually.
Step Six: Align Growth Strategy with Intelligence
Reactive growth limits momentum. Intelligence-driven growth compounds it.
Practical Execution
Leadership teams can schedule quarterly reviews focused exclusively on:
Market intelligence insights
Emerging client pressures
Practice areas gaining momentum
Strategic gaps requiring investment
These reviews mirror litigation strategy sessions, replacing anecdotal discussion with structured analysis.
What This Shift Delivers
When firms adopt this approach, they gain:
Early visibility into client needs
Improved positioning as strategic advisors
More focused business development efforts
Increased partner confidence in growth decisions
Reduced reliance on chance referrals
Rather than expending resources with concerns regarding the replacement of judgement, law firms can gather low hanging fruit of growth by using AI to support judgement.
The Path Forward
Attorneys already possess the analytical skills required to master this shift. AI simply extends those skills beyond the case file and into the broader market landscape.
The firms that succeed in the next phase of legal services will not chase growth. They will read it, interpret it, and act on it with confidence.
At K L McKinney, we help law firms, legal departments, and legal technology organizations translate intelligence into execution, connecting strategy, talent, and technology to support sustainable growth nationwide.