From AI Curious to AI Enabled: How We Deployed an AI Tool Without an Internal IT Team

Lots of law firms are trying out GenAI tools with mixed results. In this practical session, Paula Hoctor (Q Workplace Solutions) and Fiona McLay (McLay Legal Consulting) will walk you through exactly how they launched an AI tool. Hear from a non-techie business leader on how to get confident enough to roll out the digital support your business needs to stay competitive. From selecting the right project, assembling the right team, experimenting responsibly, and securing buy-in, this session will step through the process. Learn from our real-world experience so you can confidently introduce AI into your practice while managing risk and driving adoption.

• Choosing the right AI project based on real business pain points.
• Finding the right internal champions and external experts.
• Experimenting safely while ensuring compliance and risk management.
• Running a useful pilot before committing resources.
• Engaging and upskilling your broader team for successful adoption.
• How to lead tech projects even when the tech is moving fast.

Key Learnings

1. A step-by-step roadmap of the key elements you need to move from AI curiosity to a fully operational custom AI powered tool.
2. Strategies to engage stakeholders, address concerns, and integrate AI into existing workflows with minimal disruption to business operations.
3. Tips on how to evaluate real-world impact and drive AI adoption for longterm efficiency and competitive advantage.

About Fiona

After 25 years working in litigation in BigLaw, Mid tier and a small firm Fiona is determined to get more lawyers using technology to streamline and continuously improve the delivery of legal services – to benefit lawyers, law firms and their clients. As a legal tech consultant, she brings a unique insider’s perspective on how firms are actually using—or underutilizing—technology. Fiona is also the author of Tech Enabled Lawyer, a practical guide that provides a clear framework for maximizing existing technology and identifying the tools that will take any legal business to the next level.