Charting Change In Legal: Pricing and the evolving dialogue around the billable hour

In the latest episode of Charting Change in Legal, Caroline Hill and Ari Kaplan catch up on some of the key topics debated at The Corporate Legal Operations Consortium (CLOC) conference, including cost, pricing, and what is top of mind for legal leaders. Fresh from moderating a panel at CLOC, Kaplan reflects on how the AI conversation has quickly matured, from early experimentation to real-world application, and now to much sharper scrutiny around cost. The assumption that technology automatically delivers savings is being challenged, particularly once the need for human oversight is factored in. That “validation tax” is prompting firms and in-house teams alike to reassess the true economics. There is also the looming possibility that GenAI vendors will stop subsidising token use and providing flat fees. Hill draws a parallel with earlier cloud adoption, where predictable pricing gave way to more complex cost models. Today, legal teams face similar uncertainty, with less control and a growing need to adapt budgeting strategies. This plays directly into the ongoing in-house versus law firm debate, where scale may yet prove decisive. What does feel more settled is the continued splitting of legal work: routine tasks increasingly moving to technology, leaving lawyers to focus on higher-value judgement. Have a listen to this interesting and, as usual, vibrant, discussion.