I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Tom Hagy, Founder of Critical Legal Content and HB Litigation, during an JD Supra Office Hours session focused on how law firm marketers can use AI to support content development—without sacrificing judgment, voice, or credibility.

Tom has spent decades as a legal editor, writer, and strategist, helping attorneys turn complex legal issues into clear, readable, and useful thought leadership. In our conversation, he shared a grounded, editorially disciplined view of AI: not as a replacement for human thinking, but as a way to help marketers do what they already do—develop stronger ideas, create better drafts, and publish content that serves real audiences—more efficiently and with greater consistency.

Below are the key takeaways from the session, with a focus on how AI fits into everyday law firm content workflows.

Start with Content Development, Not the Tool

Tom encouraged marketers to think about AI the way an editor thinks about staffing: as a hyper-efficient junior researcher or assistant, not an author of record.

Your first prompt doesn’t need to be perfect. What matters is the back-and-forth—refining, challenging, expanding, and redirecting the output, just as you would with a junior writer. AI works best when marketers stay in an active editorial role, guiding the conversation instead of outsourcing the thinking.

As Tom put it, the value isn’t in a single answer—it’s in the relationship you build with the tool as you push it toward something genuinely useful.

Use AI to Generate Ideas—and Better Angles on Familiar Topics

One of AI’s most immediate strengths is content ideation, especially for law firms that need to sustain editorial calendars across multiple practices.

Tom regularly uses AI to:

• Find fresh angles on evergreen topics firms have covered for years
• Surface industry-specific concerns facing in-house counsel or executives
• Generate topic lists for blog series, webinars, and client alerts

A key insight: be explicit about who the content is for and where that audience already turns for information. Referencing trusted organizations—industry groups, bar associations, or professional networks—helps AI generate ideas that feel grounded in the right ecosystem, rather than generic legal commentary.

The goal isn’t volume. It’s relevance.

Translate Attorney Expertise into Client-Ready Content

Many attorneys still write as though their primary audience is other lawyers—even when the intended readers are in-house counsel or business leaders. Tom shared several practical ways marketers can use AI to help bridge that gap.

His advice: use AI as a translator of complexity, not a simplifier of substance.

Marketers can ask AI to:

• Explain a technical draft “as if I’m five”
• Rewrite the same content for an experienced professional audience
• Pull out three key takeaways at the top of a piece
• This process preserves legal accuracy while improving clarity and readability—making content more likely to be read, understood, and acted upon.

As Tom noted, even attorneys don’t enjoy dense, impenetrable writing. Clear structure and audience awareness benefit everyone.

Don’t Fear the First Draft—Experiment with Structure

There’s an ongoing debate about whether AI should be allowed to write a first draft. Tom’s answer was refreshingly pragmatic: try both approaches.

For some marketers, starting with a rough AI draft makes the work easier—it’s often simpler to revise and refine than to begin with a blank page. For others, AI is most useful at the outlining stage, helping answer questions like:

• What should this article cover?
• What questions does the reader actually want answered?
• How should this be structured for clarity?

Either way, AI can handle the heavy lifting of organization, freeing marketers to focus on editorial judgment and refinement.

Repurpose What You’ve Already Written

One of Tom’s favorite applications of AI is repurposing existing content—something many firms underutilize.

With AI, marketers can take:

• A webinar transcript
• An older client alert
• A prior article

…and quickly generate:

• Updated versions
• Summaries
• LinkedIn posts
• Slide talking points
• Podcast scripts

As Tom put it, “take one thing and make it five things.” AI dramatically reduces the friction involved in extending the life and reach of good content—especially when firms already have deep libraries of material.

Audit Your Content Library for Hidden Value

Beyond individual pieces, AI can help marketers step back and look at content across an entire firm or practice.

Tom described uploading batches of documents and asking AI to:

• Summarize themes
• Identify gaps or overlaps between practices
• Surface evergreen topics worth updating
• Explain why certain pieces were prioritized

This “why” matters. It allows marketers to compare AI’s logic with their own instincts, rather than blindly accepting the output. The result is a faster, more strategic way to identify content opportunities that align with business development goals.

Write for Visibility—Without Losing the Human Reader

While the session focused on content development, Tom also touched on how publishing norms are shifting as AI-driven search becomes more common.

His advice for marketers:

• Use clear, intent-driven headings
• Consider FAQ-style sections where appropriate
• Keep each section focused on a single, self-contained idea
• Be specific in references (“Nebraska regulators” instead of “the state”)

This structure helps content surface in AI answers without abandoning traditional editorial standards. Not every piece needs to follow this model—but for many blog posts, it can meaningfully improve discoverability.

Accuracy, Voice, and Judgment Still Belong to Humans

Throughout the conversation, Tom returned to one essential point: editing is not casual reading.

Marketers remain responsible for:

• Checking sources
• Verifying claims
• Trusting their instincts when something “sounds off”
• Preserving attorney voice and credibility

AI can accelerate content development, but it doesn’t replace editorial accountability. Tom also emphasized transparency, noting that he discloses AI assistance while making clear that content is reviewed and edited by an experienced human.

Key Takeaways for Law Firm Marketers

• Treat AI as an editorial partner, not a replacement for judgment
• Use it to strengthen ideation, structure, and clarity—not to bypass thinking
• Focus on audience needs at every stage of content development
• Repurpose and audit existing content to maximize value
• Maintain responsibility for accuracy, voice, and credibility

AI won’t decide what your firm should write about—or why it matters. But in the hands of thoughtful marketers, it can make the process of developing, refining, and publishing strong thought leadership faster, more consistent, and more strategic.

If you’d like to watch the full Office Hours session or discuss how these ideas fit into your firm’s content program, feel free to reach out.

Paul Ryplewski is VP of Client Services at JD Supra. Connect with him on LinkedIn. Follow his latest writings on JD Supra.