AI and the Future of Legal Careers

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer just a buzz word with it now reshaping the way in which legal services are delivered. From speeding up contract reviews to predicting litigation outcomes, AI is changing both the daily work of lawyers and the client’s expectations of these lawyers. Nowadays, its practically a requirement for aspiring solicitors to understand AI and its commercial implications with those failing to adapt falling far behind in a rapidly evolving profession.

Applied in many areas of legal practice, generative AI tools can summarise judgments, draft memos and flag risky clauses in seconds. Delegating routine tasks such as these allows legal teams to focus on more important things like strategic analysis which, in practice, means firms can complete due diligence or litigation preparation far more efficiently. Allen & Overy for instance, partnered with “Harvey AI”, described by David Wakeling, a partner at A&O Shearman, as a “game-changer” that delivers “unprecedented efficiency and intelligence”.

Regulators are keeping pace with AI’s rapid development. The EU passed the AI Act, described as the “first comprehensive legal framework of its kind”, banning certain “unacceptable” uses of AI and imposing transparency obligations for general purpose AI . In the UK, AI oversight follows “five core principles: safety, transparency, fairness, accountability and contestability.” The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) reminds solicitors that professional duties, such as “acting with integrity and in the client’s best interests” still apply when using AI. This means firms must ensure AI is used responsibly, with proper training and human oversight.

The benefits of AI for law firms are very clear. Thomson Reuters estimated that AI could “free up around 150 hours per year,” by using AI tools. This allows lawyers to achieve greater volumes of work, focus on more important work and improve work life balance. Yet, risks remain. The integration of AI into legal work has created new malpractice risks, especially when lawyers rely on it without properly checking what’s outputted. Nicholas Lieberknecht highlights the following as malpractice risks: failure to verify AI generated information, breaches of confidentiality, lack of oversight in delegated AI-assisted work as well as unauthorised practice of law in the provision of legal advice.

A well-known illustration of these risks occurred in Mata v Avianca, Inc where an attorney submitted a legal filing which contained fabricated case citations produced by ChatGPT. The lawyer, Mr Shwartz, said he “greatly regrets” relying on ChatGPT and was “unaware of the possibility that its content could be false”. The court then sanctioned the lawyer, fining him and his firm $5000, for breaching his duty of competence as use of AI does not take away the professional responsibility to verify the accuracy of your work. This case has since become a cautionary example of the importance of human oversight when AI is used, to prevent situations like this.

For lawyers, the challenge is to embrace AI without undermining trust. Efficiency must be paired with transparency and ethical safeguards, as clients increasingly expect tech-enabled services. Firms that fail to adapt may lose ground to competitors. For aspiring solicitors, AI will not replace lawyers but does reshape the skills required. Some universities now even teach AI in first year courses, Kings College London, for example, offers a course called Introduction to Generative AI in Law. Recruiters value graduates who understand AI’s potential and limitations, with future roles likely including “legal technologists” and “AI compliance specialists” working alongside traditional solicitors. Adaptability, problem solving and commercial awareness remain crucial.

AI is bringing both opportunity and disruption to the legal profession. For firms, it promises efficiency and client value, but only if adopted responsibly. For lawyers, it is clearly reshaping careers and the skills that matter. For aspiring solicitors, demonstrating awareness of these changes is not optional; it is a part of showing that one understands the future of the profession and ones place within it.

Allen & Overy, ‘Allen & Overy Partners with Harvey AI’ (AOShearman, 2023) https://www.aoshearman.com/en/news/ao-announces-exclusive-launch-partnership-with-harvey accessed 26 September 2025
EU AI Act Article 5
Policy paper, A pro-innovation approach to AI regulation Para 10
Eleonora Dimitrova, AI and the solicitor’s duty of competence: Time for SRA guidance? (August 2025)
Thomas Reuters “How UK lawyers are redefining excellence in an AI-Driven world” (2025) https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en-us/posts/legal/uk-lawyers/ accessed 4 September 2025
John Hyde “UK’s biggest law firms race to lead AI adoption” (2025) https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/uks-biggest-law-firms-race-to-lead-ai-adoption/5124536.article accessed 25 September 2025
Mata v Avianca, Inc., No. 22-CV-1461 (PKC), 2023 WL
King’s College London, Introduction to Generative AI in Law https://www.kcl.ac.uk/professional-education/catalogue/legal-generative-ai-the-law accessed 26 September