Artificial intelligence may be rewriting the rulebook for lawyering—but it’s not rewriting what makes a lawyer indispensable.
So says Kate Barton, global CEO of Dentons and leader of the world’s largest law firm, in a compelling Fortune piece that urges lawyers to double down not on data—but on emotional intelligence (EQ). Forget chatbots and contract parsers for a minute. Barton’s message is clear: what AI can’t automate is exactly where lawyers must focus.
“Clients don’t need answers—they need perspectives,” Barton writes.
The AI Boom Isn’t the Endgame—It’s a New Beginning
Yes, AI is changing the legal profession at warp speed—tools now handle document review, summarise case law, and spit out decent first drafts of contracts. But as Barton notes, the average lawyer only saves about five hours a week with AI, according to Thomson Reuters’ Future of Professionals report. That’s not because the bots are broken—it’s because the work that truly matters is still deeply human.
Enter: Emotional Intelligence.
Tone. Timing. Reading a room. Knowing when a deal needs silence rather than strategy. These are the traits Barton says will define great lawyers going forward—not just output, but insight.
EQ is Your New Superpower
In a world flooded with data and AI-powered productivity tools, Barton’s take is refreshingly grounded:
- EQ isn’t fluff. It’s the new framework for value.
- Clients live in grey areas—regulatory uncertainty, culture clashes, geopolitical noise.
- Lawyers help them navigate that fog. Not with facts alone, but with judgment.
And EQ isn’t born—it’s built. Barton shares how Dentons invests in EQ from the ground up: through mentoring, training, even embedding it into performance reviews. The firm encourages lawyers to lean into vulnerability—not exactly a go-to trait in BigLaw circles, but essential if you want to lead with empathy rather than ego.
The EQ Revolution Starts Early
Barton makes a bold call: EQ should be woven into legal education, baked into firm culture, and championed by partners—not just HR. It should be measured, modeled, and mentored.
At Dentons, that means online and instructor-led training, plus mentoring programs that go beyond billing targets to ask:
Are you connecting? Listening? Guiding with clarity and empathy?
What Does Winning Look Like Now?
If you think winning is just about “closing deals faster with AI,” Barton has news for you: the game has changed.
Winning now means:
- Handling ambiguity with grace
- Building client trust that algorithms can’t replicate
- Navigating cross-cultural nuance like a diplomatic ninja
- Knowing when to pause for EQ instead of pushing with IQ
The LawFuel Takeaway
AI will continue to reshape legal work—but the lawyers who will thrive are the ones who know when to bring the bots in… and when to just be human.
If your firm is betting big on tech (and it should), Barton’s Fortune piece is a powerful reminder to invest just as heavily in something that can’t be coded: empathy, trust, and emotional savvy.
Or as Barton puts it, success in this new legal era will go to those who “know when to stop analyzing and start empathizing.”
