The Practice Magazine

Our bi-monthly magazine showcases the latest academic research on the legal profession. Each issue explores a specific theme and features the latest scholarship and original analysis. Written for busy practitioners and those interested in the global legal profession.

Adding Value in the Age of AI

Current issue July/August 2026

How do we decide what value is—and who produces it?

Cover of The Practice on Adding Value in the Age of AI

July/August 2026

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Introducing the July/August 2026 Issue

Business of law Collaboration Culture Career paths Future of law

How we approached this complex question of what value is and who is driving it in today's uncertain market.

From the Editors

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How Lawyers Can Add Value in the Age of AI

Michele DeStefano

Business of law Future of law General counsel Legal technology Law firms

Drawing on 50 interviews with chief legal officers (CLOs), law firm partners, legal operations professionals, and non-lawyer corporate executives around the world, this article posits that the lawyers who will distinguish themselves are those who figure out how to create value-add in an era of AI.

Lead Article

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Moving from Adoption to Responsible Impact

Future of law General counsel In-house departments Leadership Legal ethics

How should general counsel and senior legal operations leaders approach integrating AI into the legal department, beyond simply driving adoption? A workshop at Harvard Law School revealed how much is still undecided.

Value to a Degree

Business of law Career paths Debt Law schools Students Talent

In the United States, few decisions put the question of value under a brighter spotlight than higher education: a six-figure investment made at age seventeen whose returns may not arrive for decades. But economic uncertainty, political polarization, and advances in AI are rewriting how we think about that value.

Leading Businesspeople with Law Degrees

Culture Future of law In-house departments Leadership Legal technology Quality metrics

DHL Supply Chain Americas chief legal officer Mark Smolik talks with Michele DeStefano about how organized, well-structured data—not the latest tool—is the real foundation for using AI in a legal department. Drawing on a digitalization journey that began in 2009 with paper files and filing cabinets, Smolik explains how his team brought roughly 80 percent of its work in-house and what he wants from law firms moving forward.

Speaker’s Corner