ILTA 2026 Survey: Law Firm AI Usage Soars, Copilot Leads

• The ILTA 2026 technology survey found 94% of law firms are using or exploring generative AI tools, an increase from 80% last year.
• Microsoft 365 Copilot is the most popular generative AI tool among law firms, used by 76% of respondents.
• Generative AI has debuted as the second-highest security concern for law firms, surpassed only by user behavior.
• Only two AI products, Microsoft Copilot (free version) and Westlaw Advantage, are fully deployed by at least half of the surveyed firms' lawyers.
• Top AI uses include drafting documents, summarizing information, and legal research, with adoption rates between 73-79%.

Generative AI has debuted as the second-highest security challenge for law firms, outranking malware, compliance, and most legacy threats.

The International Legal Technology Association's (ILTA) recently published 2026 technology survey reveals a significant surge in generative artificial intelligence adoption across the legal sector. The comprehensive survey, which gathered insights from over 500 ILTA member law firms spanning a dozen countries and representing 140,000 lawyers, from small boutiques to global enterprises, indicates that an overwhelming 94% of firms are now either utilizing or actively exploring generative AI tools. This figure marks a notable increase from 80% reported in the previous year.

Despite the prominent presence of specialized legal AI vendors like CoCounsel and Harvey at industry events, the ILTA 2026 survey law firm AI usage data presents a surprising leader in terms of popularity. Microsoft 365 Copilot stands out as the most widely adopted or explored tool, with 76% of firms reporting its use. This places it significantly ahead of dedicated legal AI products. The next tier of popularity shows a near three-way tie, with Thomson Reuters CoCounsel at 44%, Harvey at 43%, and Anthropic's Claude, a general-purpose AI, also at 44%. Other tools like Lexis+ with Protégé (26%), ChatGPT Enterprise (22%), iManage (22%), Litera One (17%), and Legora (16%) trail behind.

The ILTA technology survey 2026 further dissects AI adoption patterns by firm size, revealing interesting distinctions. Among smaller firms, those with fewer than 50 lawyers, Microsoft Copilot maintains its lead at 59%, followed by Claude (42%) and CoCounsel (40%). However, Harvey's presence significantly diminishes in this segment, dropping to 22%, and Legora to just 6%. Conversely, within the largest firms, those employing 700 or more lawyers, the gap between Microsoft Copilot and Harvey narrows considerably, with 88% of these firms using Copilot and 84% utilizing Harvey. Claude also remains strong among large firms at 64%, ahead of Legora (47%) and CoCounsel (43%).

While exploration and usage are widespread, full deployment of legal generative AI tools among lawyers remains less common. The survey indicates that only two AI products have achieved full deployment by at least half of respondent firms' lawyers: Microsoft Copilot, with 52% of firms reporting full deployment, and Westlaw Advantage, at 50%. Notably, the 'Microsoft Copilot' leading in deployment appears to be the free version (formerly Bing Chat, included in Windows), rather than the paid Microsoft 365 Copilot. This distinction is somewhat obscured by Microsoft's own product nomenclature, which includes Copilot Chat, Microsoft 365 Copilot (Basic), and Microsoft 365 Copilot (Premium). For products currently in testing or piloting phases, two offerings from iManage were identified as top contenders, though specific product names were not detailed, and only nine products were listed by more than half of firms in this category.

Law firms are leveraging AI for a range of practical applications, with the ILTA 2026 survey identifying several key uses that fall within the 73-79% adoption range. These include generating initial drafts of documents, creating meeting notes and summaries, conducting legal research, and efficiently summarizing or analyzing lengthy or complex documents and files. These applications highlight AI's growing role in streamlining routine legal tasks and enhancing productivity.

However, the rapid adoption of legal generative AI tools also brings significant challenges, particularly regarding security. For the first time, generative AI has appeared on the survey's list of firms' three biggest security challenges, immediately claiming the second position. This places it above traditional threats such as malware, compliance, and most other legacy concerns. An executive summary from the survey underscored this finding, stating that generative AI's debut on the tracked security challenge list saw it 'immediately claimed second place, outranking malware, compliance, and every legacy threat except user behavior.' User behavior remains the only security challenge considered greater by law firms.

The findings from the ILTA 2026 survey offer crucial insights for law firms and compliance officers seeking to benchmark their current AI adoption strategies. The widespread Microsoft 365 Copilot law firm adoption, alongside the varied usage of tools like CoCounsel, Harvey, and Claude, underscores the diverse approaches firms are taking to integrate AI into their operations. Understanding these trends is vital for strategic planning and resource allocation.

Critically, the survey highlights the significant security challenges posed by generative AI, now identified as a top industry concern. This necessitates a thorough assessment of existing security protocols and the development of robust frameworks to mitigate risks associated with AI implementation. Firms must prioritize addressing these security vulnerabilities, especially given that generative AI now ranks as the second-highest security concern, surpassed only by user behavior.

Law firms and compliance officers should leverage these ILTA survey findings to benchmark their current AI adoption strategies and critically assess the significant security challenges posed by generative AI, now identified as a top industry concern.

Source: Insights derived from the latest ILTA technology survey.