Law firms with some of the strongest technology practices in the market are among those falling most behind on AI integration, a new report has shown.
Associates in US firms deeply embedded in advising clients on technology and IP, as well as conducting high-value transactional matters, were more likely to report lower levels of confidence when using AI compared to other top 100 US firms.
In several cases these firms “have treated AI more as a commercial story so far, by building practices around advising AI clients, developing deep subject matter expertise externally, but perhaps not turning that knowledge inward into the conditions that produce associates confident to use the technology”, the research said.
Associate confidence in using AI was not strongly correlated with financial spend on AI tools. Simply investing more in AI did not move the dial – instead the firms with the most confident users were those that focused on both delivering high-quality training and ensuring practice leaders embraced use of AI.
The ten best performing firms for AI integration in this survey were Clifford Chance, Dechert, DLA Piper, Freshfields, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, Mayer Brown, Morgan Lewis & Bockius, Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe, Perkins Coie and Polsinelli.
The findings of the AI report – AI is everywhere, associate confidence isn’t – were published by Chambers, the leading data and intelligence partner for lawyers, firms and in-house teams. As part of its 2026 talent survey, researchers surveyed 4853 associates across 64 top US firms and asked them to rate their experience of AI use in their day-to-day work.
Associates at firms performing best at AI integration were also more likely to score their firm positively in other areas of their working life, including work/life balance, training quality and leadership vision. Satisfaction with more transactional factors, such as pay, was no different in high or low performing firms.
This was not the case in all types of firm – larger firms underperforming on AI integration tended to underperform across the board on delivering associate satisfaction. In more niche and specialist practices, a lack of AI confidence was not associated with poor experiences in working life overall.
Cait Evans, global talent head of research at Chambers, says: “If law firms want to fully unleash the benefits of AI, they need to go beyond simply investing in the tools. Across the market, associates still lack confidence in using AI and need quality training alongside a leadership that is seen to be actively embracing its use.
“It is surprising to see that those associates working for firms with the most expertise when it comes to advising their own clients on AI are among the least confident at using it themselves. It demonstrates fundamental differences as to how law firms relate to AI, with those who treat the technology as integral to their own operations generally doing far better than those approaching it from a commercial and advisory perspective.
“Announcements such as global law firm, Freshfields’ recent multi-year partnership with Anthropic, which will be deploying AI across more than 5,700 lawyers and staff globally, signal that the pace of operational commitment is accelerating. The question our data raises is whether that commitment will reach associates in a way that builds genuine confidence, not just capability on paper.
“There is still a great deal of skepticism to overcome but as AI adoption accelerates, AI integration is becoming part of the fabric of what a strong associate experience looks like. Firms that understand that earliest, and build accordingly, are the ones creating the strongest foundations for the future.”