2000 Queries a Day: How Orrick is Making AI the Standard for Legal Service Delivery
- Cosmonauts Team
- Oct 1
- 4 min read
Generative AI is no longer a theoretical threat or a niche experiment—it's a critical operational tool. For law firm leaders and innovation teams, the urgent question is: What Now? It's a challenge that demands we look beyond the initial hype to focus on the implementation, adoption strategies, and governance that define success.
In this exclusive Q&A, Kate Orr, Managing Director of Practice Innovation at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP and named one of the Most Innovative Intrapreneurs by the Financial Times, offers a powerful, practical perspective. Kate details how Orrick is moving past pilots to embed GenAI deep into daily workflows, averaging 2,000 queries a day in their internal assistant. Her insights cover the essential "people, process, and technology" trifecta for achieving measurable transformation.
Kate will continue this conversation on Private Practice Day (November 19th) during the panel, 'Legal AI Is For Real – What Now?' Until then, keep reading to hear lessons from Orrick’s innovation team on how AI is shaping operations, talent, and client service through 2026 and beyond.
How is AI transforming day to day work at Orrick?
KO: AI is becoming an integral part of our daily work – streamlining tasks, improving workflows, and making work better. Our lawyers are using over 35 generative AI tools across all roles, regions, and practice areas. To maximize the value of these tools, we have a team of innovation attorneys focused on developing, training, and consulting on GenAI use cases for specific practices and clients. In fact, we’re averaging around 2000 queries a day in our internal GenAI assistant alone.
How are your clients reacting to AI? Have you seen a shift in clients’ expectations regarding speed, cost, and service quality with AI?
KO: Clients are excited and curious about the potential of the responsible use of AI. They are eager to learn where we are finding value, and they’re focused on the impact it can have in their legal departments and businesses. Clients are also working with us on AI solutions; for instance, we recently partnered with a client and an AI provider to design cross-functional tools that enhance both their legal workflows and ours. At the same time, some clients are much more cautious, and we take care to ensure that the tools we deploy on their matters align with their specific expectations and requirements.
What kinds of legal services do you expect will be most transformed by AI in future?
KO: There is a common misconception that the most important opportunities presented by AI are efficiency and cost savings, which suggests that repeat, commoditized legal services will be most transformed. While there is no doubt opportunity there, we will see transformation across all services – perhaps not in dollars and minutes saved – but in allowing lawyers to dedicate more time on the most substantive, high-value aspects of their work. We have a great example here at Orrick: we accelerated the creation of flashcards to help a litigator prepare for oral argument – not to save time overall, but to give her more time to focus on the thorniest issues in the case.
What is most exciting for you right now?
KO: We spent the spring and summer conducting hands-on workshops to deepen practice-specific use cases for our AI tools. These efforts have sparked a growing wave of adoption; the progress is both tangible and increasingly sophisticated. What excites me most is hearing feedback such as, “I know it can handle X – how can I extend its capabilities to Y and Z?” This shows me that our teams are not only embracing AI but also recognizing its potential in elevating their work.
What new skills will lawyers need to thrive in an AI-enabled workplace?
KO: The lawyer of the future will be part lawyer, part business counselor, and part technologist. Proficiency in embedding AI into daily workflows will be essential, along with a continuous learning mindset. Ultimately, the true differentiator will be a lawyer’s ability to combine technical skills with superior legal acumen and business savvy to deliver client-focused solutions across all industries.
How will AI redefine success as a legal professional by 2030?
KO: By 2023, success will hinge on one’s ability to leverage AI for superior client outcomes. Legal professionals will be valued for their strategic thinking, relationship building, and complex problem-solving. They will integrate AI tools at every turn to deliver faster, accurate, and creative solutions, while focusing on what matters most to their clients—addressing their most pressing business challenges.
Kate Orr's experience at Orrick provides a clear roadmap for law firms: success in the AI era hinges on adoption, not just acquisition. The focus must be on developing practice-specific use cases, aligning AI implementation with client risk tolerance, and redefining the lawyer's role as a strategic partner and technologist. This strategic shift is what allows lawyers to dedicate time to the substantive, high-value aspects of their work.
The question is no longer if you will use AI, but how you will integrate it to gain a competitive advantage.
To gain firsthand lessons on implementation challenges, regulatory concerns, and the future shape of the law firm talent model, join Kate Orr and other leading voices at Legal Innovators New York on November 19 and 20.
Private practice and in-house legal professionals can attend for free to network with 500+ industry leaders and to gain fresh strategies for 2026.
Comments