Guest post by Keane Tan, a behavioural psychologist at the MAPD Group, where he leads work on technology adoption, workplace culture and behavioural change
Tan: The psychology of change is personal
When people talk about the future of legal work, they often focus on the technology. But after 18 months of helping law firms within the MAPD Group roll out Microsoft Copilot, I can say with confidence: getting lawyers to use AI isn’t about the tech at all.
It’s about behaviour and the complex mix of beliefs, fears, habits and incentives that shape how people really work.
We started small. With around 130 employees using Copilot in a pilot group, we’re now currently at 400 users and by the end of the year, all 550 of our colleagues will be using it across all 10 of our legal brands. The story started as one of steady persuasion and experimentation and we’re now moving towards value realisation.
At its heart, this has been a behavioural change project. It has revealed as much about how lawyers think as it does about how AI performs.
Crucially, it’s also shown that AI is not a threat to the profession but a growth enabler: a way to strengthen each firm’s value and client proposition by helping people spend more time on the work that matters most.
The psychology of resistance
One of the biggest misconceptions in legal tech is that once people have access to a tool, they’ll use it. That’s not how it works. Many of our colleagues were too busy to find time for AI. Others didn’t feel confident experimenting. And some simply didn’t see the point.
Lawyers are trained to value precedent, precision and professional autonomy. Those traits make them good lawyers, but they also make them cautious adopters of new technology. If the purpose and benefits of AI aren’t clear, or if it feels like a threat to expertise, resistance is almost guaranteed.
That’s why our starting point wasn’t ‘Here’s Copilot, use it’. It was: “What problems do you want to solve?”
The deeper barriers
Naturally, some lawyers worry about accuracy or regulatory risk, which is understandable given recent news stories. But in my experience, the most common resistance comes from something subtler, namely a pride in traditional methods.
Many lawyers take genuine satisfaction in crafting a well-worded letter or building an argument from first principles. The idea that an AI tool could draft an email or summarise a document can feel unnecessary. “Why would I need it to do that? I’m already good at it.”
Addressing that mindset requires empathy, not evangelism. Telling people that AI will make them ‘more efficient’ rarely wins hearts. But showing them that it can free up time for deeper client relationships, creativity and strategic thinking often does.
AI becomes a trusted assistant, not a replacement. The human stays firmly in the loop, with judgement, empathy and ethics remaining central to every decision.
One size does not fit all
The MAPD Group includes multiple law firms, each with its own unique heritage but propelled by a single shared purpose to make a positive difference. We respect the individual heritage of each brand because that’s part of what makes our collective stronger, but we don’t overplay it.
At the end of the day, every firm shares the same ambition: to deliver excellent, human-centred legal work that clients trust. And that is where AI can help, not hinder.
We learned quickly that success depends on meeting each team where they are. The way you talk about Copilot to a cautious litigator in a regional office is not the same as how you talk about it to a marketing manager or trainee.
The psychology of change is personal, and progress depends on trust.
Our lessons
One unexpected discovery was how much AI adoption depends on the basics. Copilot sits within Microsoft 365, so if people aren’t comfortable with Teams, OneDrive or even Outlook, they’ll struggle to make best use of it.
Another key lesson has been the importance of psychological safety. For many lawyers, time is their scarcest resource, and billable targets make experimentation feel like a luxury they can’t afford.
We’ve tried to counter that by giving explicit permission and encouragement to play. In training, we emphasise that it’s okay to make mistakes. We share examples of what Copilot can and can’t do. And we highlight stories from within the group of people who’ve tried something, failed, learned and improved.
Having AI champions within teams has also been crucial. When peers, not just managers, model curiosity and openness, it normalises experimentation. It signals that this isn’t about forcing compliance but about professional growth.
Behind it all, we’ve applied the same rigour we use in any area of risk and compliance, ensuring that every AI use case integrates with our proprietary data and meets the same high governance standards as the rest of our business.
Lessons for the wider profession
So, what would I say to other firms starting their AI journey?
First, treat it as a people project, not a tech project. The technology is the easier part. The challenge is changing mindsets in a profession built on trust, caution and precedent.
Second, lead with real problems, not abstract potential. Identify the bottlenecks or pain points in daily work and design AI support around those.
Third, build confidence gradually. Celebrate small wins, share examples, and make sure people feel supported, not judged, as they learn.
Fourth, remember that AI adoption is about enabling growth, both for individuals and for the firm as a whole. Done right, it deepens client value, strengthens compliance and enhances professional satisfaction.
And finally, be patient. Change in law firms takes time. But with the right combination of empathy, structure and persistence, even the most traditional teams can start to see AI not as a threat, but as an ally.
AI won’t replace lawyers, it will amplify what’s always defined great legal work: human insight, care and judgment.
Leave a Comment