What should AI handle—and when should a human step in?

Start with responsibility

The useful question is which tasks can follow an approved process and which need a person’s judgment. Receiving an enquiry, collecting required details and arranging a routine reminder are different from interpreting a legal problem or deciding what advice to give.

For law firms, advice, strategy and final professional decisions stay with the attorneys. AI staff coordinate the surrounding work within the boundaries the firm has approved.

Give routine work clear rules

Define the information an AI staff member may capture, the messages it may send and the circumstances that require escalation. Set limits for ambiguity, urgency and requests outside the approved workflow. An unclear instruction should become a review task, not an invitation to improvise.

Human oversight also needs an owner. A dedicated account support agent can monitor operational exceptions and coordinate improvements. That role supports the firm; it does not substitute for an attorney’s professional judgment.

Marketing needs approval too

Maya, STARK’s AI marketing coordinator, supports content, campaigns and publishing through the firm’s approval process. The content-approval view below separates what is awaiting review from what has been approved or returned for changes.

That distinction matters when material carries the firm’s name. The appropriate professional should review legal substance and sensitive claims before publication. A drafted post is not the same as an approved post.

A practical check for your firm

STARK combines custom AI staff with dedicated human account support. The boundaries are part of the setup, alongside agreed support hours, permissions and escalation rules.

• List tasks that can follow a documented rule.
• Identify decisions reserved for an attorney or other professional.
• Specify the escalation owner and the information they need.
• Define approval requirements before any external communication is sent.