Last week, the event 2026 LTH Horizons London brought together a range of sessions, perspectives and discussions on where legal tech is heading. Among the topics discussed, one particular theme stood out, along with a slightly provocative piece of content.
First, if you haven’t seen it yet, I recommend this short video by Douwe Groenevelt:
“The last of them”, a humorous (and slightly uncomfortable) scenario set in 2035, where AI has replaced lawyers.
It is, of course, highly exaggerated. But that’s also why it can be thought-provoking, precisely because it is provocative and challenges us to reflect on a more relevant question:
What parts of legal work can we actually replace with AI, or better integrate into our legal work?
Lawyers don’t resist change. Law firms do.
One of the more thought-provoking sessions was a lightning talk by Justin North on applying behavioural science to change management in law firms.
Justin North
His conclusion was simple, and slightly counterintuitive: Lawyers are not the problem. Law firms are.
Based on their research, lawyers are generally open to change. But the structures around, the incentives, processes, culture, are not. And that’s where most transformation efforts fail.
If you want change, understand behaviour
A particularly striking example was around time recording. Their analysis showed that women, on average, bill 20% less than the time they actually spend. In other words, they systematically reduce their own billing. This is not a technology issue. It’s not even a process issue. It’s behavioural.
And it highlights something important: You cannot change outcomes if you don’t understand behaviour.
From tools to transformation
If we are serious about legal transformation, we need to move beyond the question of what tools to use and instead focus on how we change the way people work, make decisions, and are rewarded. This requires a deeper integration of behavioural science into both legal tech and change management, not as a side note, but as a core capability.