The AI Edge in Legal Reviews

Imagine being able to review a 50-page agreement in just minutes, with full confidence that you haven’t missed any red flags. Sounds too good to be true, right? But for many legal teams, it’s becoming a reality, thanks to AI-powered contract lifecycle management tools.

AI acts like a second set of eyes, spotting risks that even the most experienced attorneys might miss under tight deadlines....like that hidden liability language buried on page 16.

With its ability to analyze massive amounts of text in seconds, it can pinpoint key clauses and issues in a fraction of the time it would take a human. 

But AI isn't here to replace human expertise. Instead, it handles the repetitive, time-consuming tasks, freeing up in-house attorneys to focus on the more strategic aspects of their work.

In a recent Deloitte study, 88% of legal teams have already experienced gains in productivity and efficiency, with more than three-quarters (78%) reporting reviewing contracts as one of the areas where AI has had the greatest impact.

The accelerated review in practice

Not all AI tools are created equal. According to Jessica Coonrod, associate counsel at Steve Madden, “Docusign AI-Assisted Review is a tool that’s built with lawyers in mind, with the understanding that we don’t only work with lawyers,” she said. That’s one of the reasons they chose it to streamline the fashion retailer’s contract review process.

With multiple brands under one umbrella and a small in-house team, efficiency is a must at Steve Madden. Docusign AI-Assisted Review became a valuable tool for Jessica and her team, enabling them to handle a 30% spike in contract volume—without expanding headcount or compromising accuracy.

Beyond increasing bandwidth, Docusign also brought much-needed standardization to the review process. By applying the same criteria to every agreement, the AI ensures consistency across brands and teams. This is especially valuable for junior associates and interns with limited contract experience and small legal teams which don’t have the staff to build in redundancies in the review process – AI-Assisted Review takes on the role of a second pair of eyes.

Docusign AI-Assisted Review acts as both a support tool and a safety net, guiding their attention to potential risks and ensuring nothing critical is overlooked per your organization’s pre-approved playbooks.

Why AI is a game changer for CLM

AI can be applied to much more than just contract review. A full-featured AI-powered CLM can provide immense value across your business, from automating tasks to managing risks. Here’s how:

Works with everyday tools

A great AI-powered CLM can connect effortlessly with the tools your people already use—like Salesforce and Microsoft Word. Easy integration minimizes disruption, accelerates adoption, and unlocks the benefits of automation faster.

Designed for everyone (not just legal!)

AI makes CLM easier to use and accessible across the business. Tools that integrate seamlessly with other key business systems enable non-legal teams—like sales and procurement—to manage standard agreements and routine tasks with minimal legal intervention. As Steve Madden's associate counsel put it: “It’s about making things frictionless for our business teams so that when the time comes, they don’t have to interact with us—they can do it themselves.”

Scales with you

Your CLM should meet your needs - that means enough seats for all your users and the right tools to facilitate communication, organization, workflow, and tracking. Whether you’re a startup or a conglomerate with a twenty-brand portfolio (and counting), implementing a new CLM is time consuming and frustrating so choosing one that is flexible enough to meet your needs as your business grows and changes is essential futureproofing.

Adapts to your needs

Your solution should adapt to your business, not the other way around. AI-powered CLMs, like Docusign CLM, offer the flexibility to customize workflows and contract language to meet your organization’s unique needs—whether it's automating approval paths according to agreement type, jurisdiction, or contract value, or inserting contract clauses conditionally based on responses to intake questions.

Data-driven

Data is gold and the language of business. Need help influencing an executive for more resources or for a reasonable SLA? Bring data to the conversation. With AI-powered tools like Docusign CLM, legal teams can extract critical insights from their agreements—turning data into stories that reveal bottlenecks, identify trends, and highlight key clauses to accelerate reviews and stay ahead of obligations and risks.

Proactive not reactive

AI-powered CLM tools can anticipate risks, not just react to them. Predictive analytics and automated alerts help legal teams catch contract deviations early, preventing compliance issues and missed deadlines. A proactive approach keeps risks in check and workflows running smoothly.

Security and compliance you can trust

How a solution uses, processes, and stores your data matters – especially in an AI-centric world. An AI-powered CLM solution built for the enterprise ensures that your data is protected and agreements remain compliant with your business and legal requirements. See why CISOs trust Docusign.

Interested in learning how Docusign can streamline your contract management process, reduce risk, and improve efficiency across your business? Learn more about Intelligent Agreement Management and contact us.