AI is reshaping law — not replacing lawyers

AI is speeding up contract review, legal research, and document automation so lawyers can draft memos, flag risks, and predict litigation outcomes in seconds.

The impact is augmentation: AI handles grunt work while lawyers focus on strategy, advocacy, and client advice.

Paralegals and junior associates aren’t necessarily doomed — many are being retrained as legal technologists to supervise AI, validate outputs, and manage data workflows.

Startups like Harvey and CoCounsel (acquired by Thomson Reuters) are leading the change by offering AI copilots for drafting, summarizing, and prepping cases.

Bottom line: adopt AI to gain efficiency and focus on uniquely human skills — persuasion, judgment, and empathy.