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AI
AI doesn’ t eliminate the need for judgment. It amplifies the consequences of it.
The decision point
Which brings us back to that memo.
The issue wasn’ t that AI was used.
The issue was that it was used without a framework, without verification, and without a clear understanding of its limitations.
That is the moment organizations find themselves in right now.
AI is not slowing down. It is accelerating, across every department, every workflow, every decision layer.
The question is not whether it will be used. The question is how intentionally it will be used.
The future of in-house counsel
The legal departments that thrive in this environment will not be the ones that resist AI.
They will be the ones that shape it.
They will move earlier in the process. Ask better questions. Build smarter governance systems. And position themselves not as obstacles to innovation, but as enablers of responsible progress.
Because at the end of the day, AI doesn’ t eliminate the need for judgment.
It amplifies the consequences of it.
And that makes the role of in-house counsel more critical, not less. ■
Steve Frazier www. linkedin. com / in / stevefrazier / modern-counsel. com 21