The Human Advantage
Last month I delivered a keynote at the Law Ninjas’ Next Gen Summit in Sydney. Walking in, I was confident what topic would be front and center of almost every presentation…and i was right.
Every conversation centred on artificial intelligence. How do we adopt it? Which tools are you using? How do we implement it safely across our organisation? How do we bring our people on the journey? What will legal services look like in five years? They’re all the right questions, and we’re learning together.
But i chose to speak about something different: leadership.
Because while AI is transforming how we work, it isn’t changing what matters most. If anything, the AI era places an even greater premium on human judgement, trusted relationships and the ability to lead through uncertainty.
From my first year in private practice, to leading a global legal team of 55+ lawyers for the world’s second-largest fashion retailer, to now as CEO of Law Squared, the most important lessons have rarely come when everything was going well. They came during uncertainty and rapid change. Which is exactly where many of us find ourselves today.
One belief I hold, which I shared at the Summit is that success as a leader isn’t measured by what you achieve, but by what the people around you achieve. Every day I watch our lawyers support clients through complex commercial decisions, navigate difficult moments, and build relationships that extend well beyond legal advice. Their success, and the success of our clients, is what drives us.
That philosophy also shapes how we’ve built Law Squared. AI will continue to change how legal work is delivered, and we’re embracing that wholeheartedly. But our value has never rested in producing documents or lengthy legal opinions. It rests in helping clients make decisions with confidence, by pairing smart technology with experienced lawyers who understand your business and genuinely care about the outcome.
It’s also why, as we enter our second decade, we’ve launched a new set of values across the Squared Group. Co-created with our whole team, these aren’t words on a wall. They’re a framework for how we make decisions, how we work with each other, and how we partner with you. You can see them above and we hope you feel them in action through every interaction with us.
We’ve also just launched the new Law Squared website. It’s been a labour of love, and we think it better reflects who we are today and where we’re headed. Take a look, and i’d love to hear what you think.
The legal profession is changing rapidly, but our purpose isn’t. Practical advice, commercial judgment and trusted relationships are capabilities technology will never replace.
As always, thank you for the trust you place in us.
Claire
CEO, Law Squared
