FasterOutcomes Thought Leadership Series: Insights from In-House Counsel, Patrick T. Maddigan, Esq.
Coaching AI Into Your Legal Practice: A Football Playbook for Attorneys
When I’m working late in the fall, there’s usually a football game playing on mute in my home office. For me, football has always been more than a pastime—it’s a metaphor for life and for my practice as a solo attorney.
Running a law practice feels like playing multiple positions at once. I’m quarterbacking strategy, managing timelines like a clock operator, and fielding client texts that can sometimes feel like a coach’s press conference.
Today, my files are thicker, my timelines are tighter, and my clients expect answers faster than Amazon delivery. The speed of the game is changing—and it’s happening fast. That’s why I’ve started to embrace AI in legal practice. Not as a “trick play,” but as a teammate I can coach to play alongside me.
Preparation and Good Habits Win the Game
As a former athlete and now youth sports coach, I’ve seen firsthand that games are won with two things: preparation and good habits. To me, adopting AI is no different.
In football preseason, we’d “install” the offense and defense. With AI, my “installation” comes in the form of preparation:
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Vetting vendors like scouting opponents
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Choosing the right tools for my workflow
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Demanding strong data privacy and encryption practices
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Learning how to use the tools effectively to stay competent and ethical
This preparation lets me live up to my duties as an attorney—to protect client confidences, supervise the tech, and verify the outputs.
Practicing With AI: Reps, Drills, and Game Film
Every week, I treat AI adoption like practice. That means:
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Reviewing AI outputs from my own files
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Running the same prompts through multiple tools to compare performance
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Keeping a “scorecard” of what works and what doesn’t
Like studying game film, I track my own progress. I maintain a list of successful prompts, a bank of reliable clauses, and repeatable templates for common matters. This is my AI playbook—a set of proven processes that make the technology a reliable teammate.
Building the AI Playbook
I’ve also drafted an AI Data and Informed Consent Policy that explains to clients where and how AI fits into my practice. It’s part of my game plan:
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No raw AI output leaves the office without attorney review
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All data remains private and under my control
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AI is used to augment, not replace, my professional judgment
The result? Clients get more efficient, accurate, and responsive legal service—without sacrificing the attorney oversight they expect.
Treat AI Like a Football Season
If you’re an attorney adopting AI, think of it as building a team for a long season:
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Assign the right roles to the right tools
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Drill regularly to build skill and consistency
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Coach AI to complement—not replace—your strengths
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And always make sure your star player is you
AI, used wisely, becomes the trusted teammate who shows up in crunch time.
Final Whistle
The legal profession is changing. Attorneys who prepare, practice, and build strong habits around AI adoption won’t just keep up—they’ll lead.
Treat AI as part of your team. Build your playbook. Trust your preparation. And when the pressure’s on, you’ll have the confidence to deliver.
Also—Go Patriots!
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