Adoption First: Designing a Legal AI and Data Strategy That Sticks

What does it actually take to get 70-80% of attorneys using AI every month? In this episode, Tim Fox, Chief Data and AI Officer at Ogletree Deakins, makes the case that adoption isn't a byproduct of a great tool - it's a strategy in itself.Tim shares his journey from mailman to litigator to C-suite AI strategist, and breaks down how Ogletree Deakins moved past the hype cycle to hit usage numbers most firms only dream about. His thesis: if people aren't using the tool, it wasn't worth building. That philosophy shapes everything from how they evaluate vendors to how they staff their AI program.He explains why AI requires dedicated people (not just platforms), why early adopters can only carry you so far, and why the buy-vs-build debate misses the real question - which is whether anyone will actually show up to use what you deploy. Tim also gets honest about what attorneys really think about time savings, and why "five hours saved" doesn't land the way technologists expect it to.Timestamps:(00:00) Intro(01:50) Mailman transitioning to legal AI leader(06:09) Transforming firm data into strategic advantage(07:45) Settlement data extraction insights(09:09) Leveraging external data for competitive advantage(10:32) Four key barriers to AI adoption(15:31) Training staff for effective AI usage(18:55) Buy and build AI strategy explained(21:33) How to run vendor demos successfully(25:36) Managing legal tech ecosystem sprawl(36:27) Regulatory data insights for labor law(39:10) Sequencing data strategy and governanceConnect with our guest:Tim Fox on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-fox-legal/ Learn more about Ogletree Deakins: https://ogletree.com/ Connect with Tom:Tom Baldwin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tombaldwin/ Learn more about Entegrata: https://www.entegrata.com