Assess: Before adopting any tool, Gibson Dunn runs a three-step review process, said Meredith Williams-Range, the firm’s chief legal operations officer.
Tools must first pass an internal audit covering security, privacy, and risk. Next, they undergo proof-of-concept testing with a small group. Finally, tools must demonstrate real value to lawyers through hands-on use, a process that can take days or, as with a Harvey pilot, stretch over several months.
Apply: ChatGPT Enterprise is one tool making its way through Gibson Dunn’s internal processes. In June, the firm launched a pilot with more than 500 participants — a mix of lawyers and staff — to put the product through its paces.
Williams-Range said she emailed practice group leaders and managing partners around the world, asking them to submit lawyers willing to test the tool. Three days later, 450 people had signed up — more than twice what she expected.
Gibson Dunn says it’s also evaluating using rival AI models Google Gemini and Claude Enterprise. The firm works with a range of vendors, including Harvey, Thomson Reuters, and Microsoft. Some tools, like Harvey and CoCounsel, are used to support legal work, while Copilot helps with administrative tasks.
For more specific use cases, the firm collaborates with developers to build custom workflows tailored to its practices and data, Williams-Range said.
Align: The firm’s AI policy is reviewed quarterly to stay current with changing regulations, she said. It also includes a procurement playbook with specific terms around security and how it shares learnings about the tools.
Gibson Dunn also has a strategic advisory board made up of over 30 partners across offices globally. This brain trust meets monthly to guide policy decisions, debate use cases, and determine whether tools like ChatGPT Enterprise should be limited, expanded, or customized.
“Just because we can doesn’t mean we should,” Williams-Range said, referring to the principle that guides the board’s work.
