By Legal Futures Associate LexisNexis
AI presents an obvious challenge for training junior lawyers
Yet many lack the experience to test, challenge, or refine AI outputs. So how can junior lawyers learn legal judgement and argumentation in the age of AI?
- 65% of lawyers said they are faster when using legal AI tools such as AI from Lexis+
Yet AI is raising fundamental questions about how new lawyers are learning the law:
- 72% have concerns junior lawyers using AI will struggle to develop legal reasoning & argumentation
- 69% are worried new lawyers lack verification and source-checking skills
- Only 2% of lawyers believe AI strengthens their learning.
AI adoption is not the same as integration
Leaving your lawyers to find the right AI tool for their specific use case won’t result in innovation. An ad-hoc AI workflow strategy will lead to inconsistent quality, avoidable mistakes, blurred accountability and reduced client transparency.
- 65% of lawyers use AI for legal research. Three-quarters of these lawyers rely on at least one legal AI platform.
- 53% use AI for matter related document analysis. Two-thirds of these lawyers rely on at least one legal AI platform.
- 52% use AI for knowledge management. Roughly three-quarters of these lawyers rely on at least one legal AI platform.
- 51% use AI for client document drafting. Roughly three-quarters of these lawyers rely on at least one legal AI platform.
Despite high AI use rates, only a small number of lawyers say AI is embedded in their team’s strategy and operations.
- Only 17% say AI is embedded in their strategy and operations
Read our AI workflows report for more information on AI integration.
AI could impact the rainmaker model
- 20% of firms are heavily or completely dependent on rainmakers for revenue
- 41% said they have little or no reliance on rainmakers for revenue
- 48% of firms now offer knowledge and training subscriptions while 40% have introduced technology or automation tools
- 65% of lawyers use AI for legal research, while matter-related document analysis (53%), knowledge management (52%) and client document drafting (51%) are also commonly used.
Small firms are at risk of burning themselves out
Small law firms are going to great lengths to ensure a smooth, sophisticated client experience, even if it leaves them sweating. Yet the back office reality is, most have capacity issues, margin pressure, or inefficient workflows that aren’t sustainable over time.
- 84% rate their client experience as good or excellent
- Almost two-thirds say their law firm has grown since three to four years ago
Yet growth is held back by back-office operations
- The biggest workflow issue is administrative tasks, with 52% listing them as a blocker
- The weakest performing area for law firms is the cost of overheads. 42% say this is a problem
The next challenge is trust
The legal profession is one that’s firmly rooted in trust. So even the most advanced tech stack will mean very little if lawyers do not trust it. For CTOs at leading law firms, the challenge is no longer whether to adopt AI, but how to make it trustworthy across the business.
- 80% of lawyers at large firms use AI for legal research. Roughly two-thirds use AI for knowledge management, large-scale document review, document analysis and client document drafting.
- 85% say their top concern is relying on inaccurate or fabricated information
- 56% are concerned about keeping up with new technology
- 30% say AI is not in their strategy and operations.
Lawyers will only trust AI when they can trust the source, verify the output, and use it within a secure environment.
