Top US law firm Kirkland & Ellis is investing $500 million to build a custom AI platform, marking one of the largest technology bets in the legal sector.
The firm, which reported $10.6 billion in revenue last year, will deploy the funds over three to four years starting with $100 million in 2026.
Kirkland will still license some third-party AI tools but declined to specify whether its in-house platform will rely on a specific generative AI model.
The push comes as major law firms race to use AI for operations and legal work. London-based Freshfields recently partnered with Anthropic to develop legal-focused AI tools.
Kirkland's platform will be built on input from 250 of its own lawyers and involve over 180 tech professionals inside and outside the firm.
The investment highlights a broader shift in the industry: law firms that once avoided custom software development now see it as essential.
But AI adoption brings risks. Courts have sanctioned lawyers for relying on AI-generated case citations that were fabricated or inaccurate. Sullivan & Cromwell recently apologized to a federal judge after AI errors led to false citations in a filing.