Ropes & Gray and Akerman turn AI adoption into funded capacity

On October 8, Reuters reported that Ropes & Gray will let more than 1,000 associates and counsel credit up to 100 hours of approved AI projects toward annual billable targets, while Akerman is also crediting work on internal AI projects. Ropes said associates had invested more than 35,000 hours in AI initiatives during 2026, including nearly 400 hours per first-year associate. For BD teams, the commercial significance is the ability to show that adoption is resourced and repeatable rather than dependent on volunteer enthusiasts. Client-facing claims should still be tied to named workflows, quality measures and matter outcomes, because training-hour totals alone do not establish client value.