Washington, DC, Nov. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) in partnership with Everlaw, the cloud-native litigation and investigation platform, today released The Role of Generative AI in Proving Corporate Law Department Value report. According to the findings, in-house legal professionals are nearly unanimous in their view that GenAI can help them demonstrate their value to the enterprise—with all but 4% agreeing—while 81% of legal leaders cite greater speed of legal support and matter resolution as top benefits, underscoring how efficiency is driving adoption. Yet if GenAI promises to help teams show their value, most remain under-equipped to prove it: only 12% of in-house teams track technology return on investment, and just 16% track outcomes relative to cost.
From Cost Center to Strategic Business Partner
As legal departments embrace GenAI, the function is evolving from a focus on cost control to one centered on measurable business impact and enterprise value. While 83% of respondents track outside counsel spend, few are measuring outcomes such as time-to-resolution or legal’s contribution to growth. GenAI is beginning to change that dynamic.
- Efficiency drives adoption: 76% say GenAI’s greatest impact will be improving internal team efficiency and resourcing.
- Expanding GenAI’s role in cost management: Legal teams also believe GenAI will help them identify cost saving opportunities on outside counsel services (43%) and improve analysis of law firm billing patterns (42%).
- Legal’s perception is shifting: Only 4% of in-house legal leaders believe GenAI will not impact their ability to better articulate business value, indicating a move away from being seen solely as a “cost center.”
- Metrics lag behind progress: Only 16% of legal teams track litigation outcomes relative to cost, and just 12% track technology ROI. Small minorities also track measures like time-to-resolution (28%), outside counsel performance (12%), or impact on business outcomes (9%).
- Momentum is building: 69% of respondents say it is “critically” or “very important” to adopt GenAI for metrics and reporting in the next three to five years. More than half also cite data fragmentation and limited tool integration as key barriers.
Despite these promises, legal teams cite a lack of infrastructure as the main roadblock to effectively measuring and reporting about their business impact.
“In many organizations, the legal function has long been categorized as a cost center–an essential but reactive support team focused on managing risk and controlling expenses. Today, that perception is being challenged,” said Jason L. Brown, ACC president and CEO. “This research shows that generative AI is accelerating legal’s evolution from a support function to a strategic, data-driven partner in business decision-making.”
“Efficiency wins are real, but the next phase is about proof and capturing results with the same rigor the rest of the enterprise expects,” said Chuck Kellner, Strategic Discovery Advisor at Everlaw. “Closing that gap will require strategic investment in reporting technology, strong governance around data security, and targeted upskilling in AI-driven analysis, so legal teams can move from testing GenAI’s potential to systematically measuring performance and demonstrating impact across the business.”
Context
The Role of Generative AI in Proving Corporate Law Department Value report, based on survey data from 284 chief legal officers, general counsel, and legal operations professionals worldwide, explores how corporate legal departments are adopting and adapting to generative AI. It examines the metrics legal teams are using to measure performance, track ROI, and redefine their strategic role within the business and the role GenAI plays in bolstering their visibility as strategic partners to the business. The full report is available here.
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About ACC
The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) is the premier global legal association that promotes the common professional and business interests of in-house counsel who work for corporations, associations and other organizations through information, education, networking, and advocacy. For more than 40 years, ACC has set the standard for in-house counsel and raised awareness regarding the value of the chief legal officer in the C-suite and boardroom. With nearly 50,000 members employed by over 12,000 organizations and spanning 100+ nations, ACC connects its members to the people and resources necessary for both personal and professional growth. By in-house counsel, for in-house counsel® remains the foundation for ACC’s market leadership. For more information, visit www.acc.com and follow ACC on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
About Everlaw
Everlaw helps legal teams navigate the increasingly complex ediscovery landscape to chart a straighter path to the truth. Trusted by Fortune 100 corporate counsel, 91 of the Am Law 200, and all state attorneys general, Everlaw's combination of intuitive experience, advanced technology, and partnership with customers empowers organizations to tackle the most pressing technological challenges—and transform their approach to discovery and litigation in the process. Founded in 2010 and based in Oakland, Calif., Everlaw is funded by top-tier investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, CapitalG, HIG Growth Partners, K9 Ventures, Menlo Ventures, and TPG Growth. Follow us on LinkedIn.
Cherri Sinclair Association of Corporate Counsel 2026774778 c.sinclair@acc.com
