By Grace Kim

Law firms must prepare now for what Professor Richard Susskind calls "GenAI Plus." He issued the warning at the International Bar Association's 2026 conference. His message was direct: the next stage of generative AI is coming, and firms that wait will fall behind.

Susskind has spent decades advising the legal profession on technology. His framing matters because his past predictions about legal tech have tracked with what firms actually experienced. When he names a new phase, practitioners tend to listen.

What is 'GenAI Plus'?

The term signals a step beyond the generative AI tools firms already use. Current tools draft documents, summarise material and answer questions. "Plus" points to systems that do more of the work lawyers now bill for.

The exact definition remains Susskind's to elaborate. But the label itself tells firms something. The technology is not settling at the current level.

What does the warning change for firms?

Susskind's advice carries practical weight. Firms that treat AI as a side project will struggle. The warning pushes preparation onto the current agenda, not a future one.

Practical steps follow from the timing of the message:

• Assess which current workflows generative AI already touches.
• Identify tasks that "GenAI Plus" could absorb next.
• Train lawyers now rather than after the shift arrives.
• Question billing models built on hours that technology may eliminate.

The firms that move first will set the pace for clients and competitors alike.

Why the IBA stage matters

The International Bar Association draws lawyers from across jurisdictions. A warning delivered there travels fast. It reaches managing partners, general counsel and regulators in a single room.

That audience shapes the profession's response. When the IBA platform carries a technology warning, it becomes a governance conversation, not just an IT one.

The takeaway

Susskind's core point is simple. Firms should not wait for "GenAI Plus" to arrive before they act. Preparation, he argues, must start now.