Over the past few years, law firms and legal departments have been adopting technology at a faster pace than ever before. From cloud-based management systems to AI-empowered research tools, these innovations can help streamline decision-making, reduce manual work, and potentially boost overall client satisfaction.

Yet, even the most sophisticated tools and processes can carry hidden vulnerabilities. Enter “red teaming” and the concept of “agentic workflows,” two ideas that can help lawyers and legal professionals using AI identify risks and optimize how technology informs their practice.

What Is an Agentic Workflow in a Legal Context?

“Agentic workflow” is a term often used to describe a process in which automated systems or “agents” handle tasks under certain rules or conditions. Think of it as delegating a portion of your routine legal tasks to a well-trained virtual assistant. Simple examples include automated docket scheduling systems that track court deadlines or AI-driven software that scans documents for relevant case law.

A more advanced agentic workflow might draft preliminary versions of legal briefs by pulling from a database of precedents, updating references, and suggesting possible arguments. While this can be a tremendous time-saver, especially for busy law firms, it also introduces new considerations about data security, client confidentiality, and the risk of over-reliance on technology.

Because these agents operate autonomously or semi-autonomously (depending on how attorneys configure them), they may be susceptible to biased data sets, coding errors, or unanticipated usage patterns. In other words, they can become convenient “targets” for mistakes or intentional manipulation—unless they’re carefully tested and monitored.

Defining Red Teaming

The term “red teaming” originally comes from the military and cybersecurity arenas, where organizations carry out simulated attacks on their own defenses to find weak spots. A designated red team acts as a “friendly adversary,” seeking to exploit vulnerabilities so that the defending party can fix issues before real threats appear. Historically, red teaming might involve attempts to breach a building’s physical security or hack a company’s network to expose software weaknesses.

In the context of law firms, this concept translates to methodically examining your internal processes (including agentic workflows) from the standpoint of an external or internal adversary. For instance, if your firm uses an AI-powered tool to automatically categorize contracts, a red team might test the system’s reliability by feeding it unusual contract language or meta tags the software has not encountered before.

If the system misclassifies critical documents, that’s a red flag. Similarly, if staff on the red team can manipulate the system to disclose sensitive data that should remain confidential, that’s another issue worth addressing. The main objective is to reveal vulnerabilities before they lead to ethics violations, data breaches, or other negative outcomes.

Why Law Firms Should Care About Red Teaming Agentic Workflows

1. Regulatory Compliance and Ethical Obligations

Legal professionals are constantly navigating ethical rules and regulations. The American Bar Association (ABA), for example, requires lawyers to maintain confidentiality and to employ competent methods to protect client data.

Automating certain tasks can be helpful, but it can also create liability if the technology fails or is misused. Red teaming agentic workflows helps attorneys confirm that their automated systems adhere to professional standards, ensuring they meet or exceed ethical obligations.

2. Mitigating Data Breach Risks

Confidentiality is the backbone of any law firm. If an unauthorized party gains access to sensitive client information, the fallout can be severe—both financially and reputation-wise. Red teaming allows you to discover whether your systems, processes, or employees inadvertently leave openings for intrusion.

By actively looking for ways your agentic tools could be tampered with (or how someone might intercept data feeds), you can spot weaknesses that traditional compliance checklists might skip.

3. Preserving Attorney-Client Trust

When clients entrust private details to you, they expect that information to remain secure. Beyond that, they count on accurate advice and reliable document handling. If an automated workflow misfiles an important contract or fails to highlight crucial case-law updates, the client could be harmed.

Red teaming helps identify points of potential error in these workflows. Catching these issues early ensures clients continue to view your firm as both technologically savvy and reliably safe.

4. Fine-Tuning Efficiency

Although the main purpose of red teaming is to expose vulnerabilities, the process can also reveal opportunities for improvement. Maybe your automated contract review software is reliable 80% of the time but stumbles on certain specialized clauses. Or perhaps a scheduling tool misses local holidays that could affect court deadlines.

By simulating real-world complications, a red team might discover small changes—like an add-on feature or a custom data set—that radically boosts your system’s accuracy and efficiency.

Building Your Red Team Strategy

If you’re thinking about implementing a red team to test your agentic workflows, it’s wise to approach the process in a structured way:

Identify Your Key Systems

Start by pinpointing the most critical processes in your firm’s workflow. Do you rely heavily on automated tools for e-discovery? Contract analysis? Document drafting? You’ll want to focus your red team efforts on these pivotal areas first.

Assemble a Diverse Team

Red teams often work best when the participants come from a variety of backgrounds: attorneys, IT specialists, security consultants, paralegals, and even outside experts who can give a fresh perspective. A cross-functional team is better positioned to explore different types of vulnerabilities.

Define Clear Objectives

Spell out the specific vulnerabilities you want your red team to examine. Are you primarily concerned about unauthorized data access, GDPR compliance for client data, or the reliability of AI-driven document generation? Clarifying these goals helps the red team conduct meaningful tests.

Adopt a Methodical Testing Approach

Red teaming isn’t a one-off event. Consider it an iterative process: the red team tests your systems, you patch vulnerabilities, and then further rounds of testing happen down the line. This cyclical process helps maintain ongoing security and reliability even as your software tools evolve.

Document Findings and Solutions

All discovered vulnerabilities or inefficiencies should be recorded in detail. Having a comprehensive view of the issues, along with recommended fixes, ensures your organization can implement meaningful changes. This documentation will also serve as a proof of diligence to regulatory bodies or clients who might inquire about your risk management practices.

Agentic Workflows: Pitfalls to Keep in Mind

As exciting as agentic workflows can be, it’s essential to keep an eye on potential pitfalls:

1. Over-Reliance on Automation

Automation can quickly backfire when lawyers start assuming the system “knows best.” A tool may be excellent at handling common tasks but fail spectacularly in edge cases. It remains the attorney’s responsibility to review final outputs with a critical eye.

2. Biased Algorithms

In legal settings, bias can creep in if the underlying AI or automated workflow was trained on skewed data. If your law firm primarily deals with a specific type of client or region, the system might overfit that narrower data set and struggle with more diverse scenarios. Red teaming can help you spot signs of bias or blind spots in your agentic workflows.

3. Privacy Conflicts

Even if the tool itself has robust security, integrating multiple systems could inadvertently expose sensitive data. For instance, linking an AI-driven contract review tool with a time-tracking application might inadvertently create logs that reveal client identities or privileged information. A thorough red team assessment should review all data flows to ensure there aren’t unexpected leakages.

4. Ethical Considerations

Certain jurisdictions have stringent guidelines on AI usage in legal proceedings or client consultations. As the rules evolve, you’ll need to ensure your agentic workflows don’t overstep regulatory boundaries or compromise ethical standards.

Moving Forward With Confidence

Red teaming agentic workflows isn’t just about checking boxes for compliance or risk management. It’s about evolving your practice thoughtfully, ensuring that when you leverage modern technology, you do so with both eyes open. A proactive stance—where you search for weaknesses before they harm your firm or your clients—can give you a distinct advantage in a competitive market.

At the end of the day, the goal is to find that balance between efficiency gains and the timeless principles that guide legal practice: confidentiality, integrity, and client-centered advocacy. By adopting a thorough red team approach to every new piece of technology, you’ll not only protect your firm from unnecessary hazards but also strengthen your reputation as a forward-thinking, reliable legal partner. And in a field where trust is paramount, that kind of confidence can be invaluable.

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