At a recent Legal Marketing Association Annual Conference panel in New Orleans, one line stood out: “Don’t write about the law. Write about the people it serves.”

It may seem like a simple idea. But it’s one that highlights a persistent disconnect between what law firms produce and what clients value when it comes to thought leadership. An LMA conference panel brought together a highly credible mix of in-house and industry leadership offering perspectives on how general counsel engage with thought leadership.

The speakers included:

The discussion was backed by a JD Supra and LIMELIGHT survey of nearly 200 corporate counsel and business leaders – Trust, Relevance, & AI in 2026 – What GCs Want from Law Firm Thought Leadership. GCs are actively consuming thought leadership, but much of what they read falls short of expectations. For law firms, this gap represents not just a challenge, but a significant opportunity to differentiate.

The Good News: GCs Are Paying Attention

Eighty-two percent of GCs consume legal thought leadership at least weekly, and nearly half engage daily. Many spend several hours each week reading articles and alerts to stay informed. This level of engagement underscores that GCs are open to law firm content. However, their time is limited, and content that does not demonstrate relevance or value is simply passed over.

Why do GCs read thought leadership?

The survey says:

  • 58% – Need for industry insights and updates
  • 55% – Guidance from alerts and legal analysis around breaking news
  • 46% – Answers to specific legal questions
  • 45% – Strategic counsel related to their business

GCs are not just looking to understand what has happened; instead, they are looking for foresight. They want to anticipate what is coming next, understand how emerging developments could affect their organizations, and identify the steps they should be taking in response.

This forward-looking perspective is where many law firm articles fall short, as they tend to focus heavily on summarizing the law rather than interpreting its implications. Law firms tend to write about what happened. Clients want to know what happens next and what to do about it.

What do GCs look for in thought leadership?

  • 75% – Clarity of insight and writing
  • 62% – Depth of knowledge about their particular sector
  • 56% – Transparency and acknowledgement of complexity

At its core, the most effective thought leadership bridges the gap between legal analysis and business application. The most important question every GC is asking when they read your content is: “Why does this matter to me?” The most effective thought leadership helps assess risk or compliance, provides actionable takeaways, and explains how an issue affects their business.

How Law Firms Can Better Meet Client Expectations

Law firms don’t need to produce more content. They need to produce more relevant content. Here are some ways to improve thought leadership:

  • Start with the client, not the law. Focus on the audience, their challenges, and the decisions they are trying to make. Before writing, ask: Who is this for? What are they dealing with right now? What decision are they trying to make? Consider who the audience is, what challenges they are facing, and what decisions they need to make.
     
  • Lead with the takeaway. Spell out what happened, why it matters to clients, and what they should do next. If the key insight is buried halfway down, you’ve already lost them.
     
  • Translate law into business impact. Move from: “Here’s what the law says” to: “Here’s how this affects your business.” Go beyond describing what a regulation or decision says and explain how it affects operations, risk, and strategy.
     
  • Be specific and prioritize clarity. GCs want to know how this new development affects their sector; how companies like theirs are responding; and what risks are emerging in their space. Writing in plain language, avoiding unnecessary jargon, and structuring content for easy reading all contribute to a better user experience. If your content can’t be easily shared with a CEO or business leader, it won’t travel.

Impact of AI-Generated Thought Leadership

The survey suggests that trust in AI-generated legal insight remains cautious and measured.

How do GCs feel about AI-generated thought leadership?

  • 40% – Are skeptical of AI-generated legal content
  • 18% – Prefer content written entirely by humans
  • 27% – Are comfortable with AI-supported content if its use is disclosed

When asked about their comfort level with AI-generated content, respondents made one point clear: human expertise still matters. This reflects an important distinction. While AI is increasingly accepted as a tool, it is not yet viewed as a substitute for professional judgment. GCs still expect accountability, credibility, and insight to come from experienced practitioners.

This behavior has significant implications for law firms. It suggests that even as AI changes how content is surfaced, it does not eliminate the need for high-quality, original thought leadership. GCs are not simply looking for information or a summary of the decision or new law; they are looking for informed perspective.

How are GCs using AI platforms when researching legal or business questions? 

The survey says:

  • 69% – Use AI responses as a starting point for deeper research
  • 49% – Click through to source materials
  • 36% – Review citations provided by the AI

Rather than treating AI-generated responses as definitive answers, most survey respondents view them as an entry point into a broader research process. As AI platforms become more integrated into how GCs search for information, firms that produce high-quality, relevant content will be better positioned to be cited, discovered, and ultimately trusted.

Use AI thoughtfully. AI can support efficiency in drafting and research, but it should not replace the elements that clients value most: clarity, originality, and insight. Transparency around its use, combined with a strong human voice, will be essential in maintaining trust.

The Long-Term Value of Thought Leadership

A common misconception is that thought leadership should immediately generate new business. That’s not how it works. Only 27% of respondents have hired a firm directly because of content, but 34% said it helped firms stand out, and 25% added firms to a shortlist for future matters.

If you find a law firm’s thought leadership content especially helpful, what are you most likely to do next?

The survey says:

  • 80% – Subscribe to more updates from that author/firm (LinkedIn, JDSupra, etc.)
  • 60% – Forward it to colleagues
  • 30% – Follow the author or firm on social media
  • 25% – Add the firm to a shortlist for future matters
  • 10% – Reach out to the firm with a question or follow-up
  • 5% – Nothing, I just move on

Have you hired or added a new law firm to your consideration set because of their thought leadership content?

The survey says:

  • Yes – 27%
  • No – 39%
  • Not directly, but their content helped them stand out – 34%

Thought leadership should be viewed less as a direct lead-generation tool and more as a long-term investment in relationship building. Each article builds familiarity, reinforces expertise, and creates a reason to stay connected. That’s how it turns into business. Thought leadership isn’t a lead-generation tool. It’s a relationship-building engine.

Conclusion

GCs are engaged with thought leadership, but they are also highly selective. They value content that respects their time, addresses their business challenges, and provides actionable guidance.

For law firms, the path forward is not to produce more content, but to produce better content and content that is grounded in the realities of the client’s world and focused on helping them navigate complex issues. Ultimately, the most effective thought leadership demonstrates an understanding of the client’s business and a commitment to helping them succeed. That is what builds trust, strengthens relationships, and, over time, drives meaningful business results.

GCs have told us exactly what they want: clarity, relevance, practical insight, and business context. The firms that deliver that consistently will stand out. The ones that don’t will continue to produce content that gets skimmed, ignored, or forgotten.

If you need help with your thought leadership and content marketing strategy, contact me, Tommy Santora, at tsantora@jaffepr.com.

Trust, Relevance, and AI: What GCs Really Want in Content

April 20, 2026
Panelists:
Eric Greenberg, EVP and GC, Cox Media Group
Oyango Snell, President & CEO, CLOC (Corporate Legal Operations Consortium)
Kenneth Gary, CEO & Founding Partner, Limelight
Adrian Lurssen, VP & Co-Founder, JDSupra

JD Supra and LIMELIGHT presented findings from a survey of nearly 200 corporate counsel and business leaders on how they discover, evaluate, and act on law firm thought leadership.
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/report-trust-relevance-ai-2026-what-gc-7462638/