Small Firm Embraces AI, Sees 27% Cost Savings and Profit Boost

Ad Astra Law Group leveraged AI to boost productivity after an associate departure, leading to lower costs and higher profits.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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When an eighth-year associate left Ad Astra Law Group, a six-lawyer firm in San Francisco, the firm decided not to hire a replacement. Instead, they turned to AI to help their remaining team stay productive. The results were significant - staffing costs dropped 27% and profits increased, all while the firm billed fewer hours. The firm found that AI tools like Legion helped them quickly draft documents like complaints, allowing senior attorneys to focus on higher-level strategy and client service.

Why it matters

This case study shows how small and medium-sized law firms can leverage AI to boost productivity and profitability, even when facing associate departures. While much of the legal AI conversation focuses on large firms, this demonstrates the potential benefits for smaller practices that serve individual clients and small businesses, where cost sensitivity is a key concern.

The details

After an eighth-year associate left Ad Astra Law Group, the firm decided not to hire a replacement, but instead see if AI could help their remaining team stay ahead. They partnered with AI provider Legion and found that tasks like drafting complaints that used to take two days could now be done in just two and a half hours. This immediate productivity boost led to a 27% drop in staffing costs and higher profits, even as the firm billed fewer hours. Managing Partner Katy Young noted that the time savings allowed them to take on smaller matters that wouldn't have been viable with a human-only approach, and the higher-quality initial drafts gave them strategic advantages in negotiations.

  • When an eighth-year associate left Ad Astra Law Group in early 2026.

The players

Ad Astra Law Group

A six-lawyer law firm based in San Francisco that serves small and medium-sized businesses and individuals.

Katy Young

The managing partner of Ad Astra Law Group who oversaw the firm's adoption of AI technology.

Legion

An AI provider that partnered with Ad Astra Law Group to help automate document drafting and other legal tasks.

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What they’re saying

“It used to take two days to draft a complaint, now it takes me two and a half hours. So immediately, yes, there is an impact on my billing— I'm billing two and a half hours instead of eight hours.”

— Katy Young, Managing Partner, Ad Astra Law Group (Above the Law)

“That's a 45-page complaint. That looks like I already poured 10,000 bucks into it and we're damn serious. I'm getting way better responses.”

— Katy Young, Managing Partner, Ad Astra Law Group (Above the Law)

What’s next

Ad Astra Law Group plans to continue expanding its use of AI tools to boost productivity and profitability, with a focus on automating more legal tasks while maintaining close supervision by senior attorneys.

The takeaway

This case study demonstrates how small and medium-sized law firms can leverage AI technology to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance the quality of their legal work, even in the face of associate departures. By adopting a strategic and vigilant approach to AI integration, firms like Ad Astra can unlock significant productivity gains and better serve their clients.