Anonymous
08/06/2025 12:22
Subject: Will AI replace Paralegals?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Big Law partner here: at least in the near term, I think AI is going to make paralegals more not less important, since you need someone to verify whatever the AI outputs. Longer-term, it might replace all of us, who knows. Probably will. But one foreseeable medium-term future is a practice dominated by senior attorneys working with paralegals, and the junior/intermediate ranks largely automated away by AI. From a “will I have a job” perspective, paralegal seems to me as good a bet as any, particularly since you don’t need to incur massive loan debt like many lawyers do to take a shot at it.
I was going to say the same thing.
For a ton of careers your ability to seamlessly utilize AI and its advanced functions will become the number #1 job skill since the experienced folk probably won’t become “fluent” but will absolutely tear you a new one if a junior person allows mistakes to slip through.
In theory, it may also impact the law firm business model if clients expect you to complete work 50%+ faster (though they may give you 2x the work).
Yes to demanding more and faster. No to getting more money. Most likely lots of long term downwards pressure on billing hours and billing rates. The clients with in house will use AI and eliminate a good chunk of work.
The top of the pyramids with a large book will be okay for a while. The middle and lower lawyers will be cut to the bone. The current model is going away like secretary pools.
Anonymous
08/06/2025 11:43
Subject: Will AI replace Paralegals?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Big Law partner here: at least in the near term, I think AI is going to make paralegals more not less important, since you need someone to verify whatever the AI outputs. Longer-term, it might replace all of us, who knows. Probably will. But one foreseeable medium-term future is a practice dominated by senior attorneys working with paralegals, and the junior/intermediate ranks largely automated away by AI. From a “will I have a job” perspective, paralegal seems to me as good a bet as any, particularly since you don’t need to incur massive loan debt like many lawyers do to take a shot at it.
Your medium term scenario doesn’t make much sense. Who is going to replace senior attorneys when they retire if there are no junior ones waiting in the wings
The best of the best will continue to climb the ladder. They will be the next senior partners. Probably 2 for every 10.
Anonymous
08/06/2025 11:27
Subject: Will AI replace Paralegals?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Big Law partner here: at least in the near term, I think AI is going to make paralegals more not less important, since you need someone to verify whatever the AI outputs. Longer-term, it might replace all of us, who knows. Probably will. But one foreseeable medium-term future is a practice dominated by senior attorneys working with paralegals, and the junior/intermediate ranks largely automated away by AI. From a “will I have a job” perspective, paralegal seems to me as good a bet as any, particularly since you don’t need to incur massive loan debt like many lawyers do to take a shot at it.
Your medium term scenario doesn’t make much sense. Who is going to replace senior attorneys when they retire if there are no junior ones waiting in the wings
Also you make your money off the junior and mid-level billings...
Anonymous
08/06/2025 10:32
Subject: Will AI replace Paralegals?
Are there many paralegal jobs as it is? I'm in big law on the transactions and tax side, and I think we have 1 paralegal for the whole tax group and one for the whole transactions group. Firm has 1500+ attorneys. I guess litigation probably has more, but i haven't met a paralegal in years. I thought they'd already been made pretty redundant with efiling and overpaid juniors.
Anonymous
08/06/2025 10:19
Subject: Re:Will AI replace Paralegals?
Anonymous wrote:Oh no! Yet ANOTHER thread on what jobs AI is going to replace! Whatever will we do? We must submit to our algorithmic overlords!
CNN says that North Korean spies are using AI to understand how to seamlessly blend in to convos about New Year's Resolutions, Thanksgiving, and football.
https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2025/08/05/world/north-korea-it-worker-scheme-vis-intl-hnk/index.html
I think a lot of what AI will help with is at this interpersonal, not quite monetizable level. That could still help in big ways. But it's almost funny what it helps with.
Anonymous
08/06/2025 10:18
Subject: Will AI replace Paralegals?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Big Law partner here: at least in the near term, I think AI is going to make paralegals more not less important, since you need someone to verify whatever the AI outputs. Longer-term, it might replace all of us, who knows. Probably will. But one foreseeable medium-term future is a practice dominated by senior attorneys working with paralegals, and the junior/intermediate ranks largely automated away by AI. From a “will I have a job” perspective, paralegal seems to me as good a bet as any, particularly since you don’t need to incur massive loan debt like many lawyers do to take a shot at it.
Your medium term scenario doesn’t make much sense. Who is going to replace senior attorneys when they retire if there are no junior ones waiting in the wings
Who knows? Since when have law firms ever been good at succession planning? If this scenario were to come to pass, the senior lawyers would likely be making way too much money to care, and what happens after their retirement is someone else's problem.
Can someone explain how this works? I thought a partner is an owner of the law firm similar to a shareholder in a company. Do they get bought out when they retire? If so, they are interested in the firm doing well beyond their retirement
Anonymous
08/06/2025 10:12
Subject: Will AI replace Paralegals?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Big Law partner here: at least in the near term, I think AI is going to make paralegals more not less important, since you need someone to verify whatever the AI outputs. Longer-term, it might replace all of us, who knows. Probably will. But one foreseeable medium-term future is a practice dominated by senior attorneys working with paralegals, and the junior/intermediate ranks largely automated away by AI. From a “will I have a job” perspective, paralegal seems to me as good a bet as any, particularly since you don’t need to incur massive loan debt like many lawyers do to take a shot at it.
Your medium term scenario doesn’t make much sense. Who is going to replace senior attorneys when they retire if there are no junior ones waiting in the wings
Who knows? Since when have law firms ever been good at succession planning? If this scenario were to come to pass, the senior lawyers would likely be making way too much money to care, and what happens after their retirement is someone else's problem.
Anonymous
08/06/2025 10:09
Subject: Will AI replace Paralegals?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Big Law partner here: at least in the near term, I think AI is going to make paralegals more not less important, since you need someone to verify whatever the AI outputs. Longer-term, it might replace all of us, who knows. Probably will. But one foreseeable medium-term future is a practice dominated by senior attorneys working with paralegals, and the junior/intermediate ranks largely automated away by AI. From a “will I have a job” perspective, paralegal seems to me as good a bet as any, particularly since you don’t need to incur massive loan debt like many lawyers do to take a shot at it.
Your medium term scenario doesn’t make much sense. Who is going to replace senior attorneys when they retire if there are no junior ones waiting in the wings
AI will do it. Clients won’t even need to hire law firms. They’ll just ask ChatGPT how to handle their cases. Sure, it might hallucinate and make a fatal error with zero recourse for the clients, but the AI judge might hallucinate too! It’s fine.
Anonymous
08/06/2025 10:00
Subject: Will AI replace Paralegals?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Big Law partner here: at least in the near term, I think AI is going to make paralegals more not less important, since you need someone to verify whatever the AI outputs. Longer-term, it might replace all of us, who knows. Probably will. But one foreseeable medium-term future is a practice dominated by senior attorneys working with paralegals, and the junior/intermediate ranks largely automated away by AI. From a “will I have a job” perspective, paralegal seems to me as good a bet as any, particularly since you don’t need to incur massive loan debt like many lawyers do to take a shot at it.
Your medium term scenario doesn’t make much sense. Who is going to replace senior attorneys when they retire if there are no junior ones waiting in the wings
I've been asking the same question about software engineers. Who is going to replace the mid/upper level SWE if they don't hire entry level?
Anonymous
08/06/2025 09:59
Subject: Will AI replace Paralegals?
Anonymous wrote:Big Law partner here: at least in the near term, I think AI is going to make paralegals more not less important, since you need someone to verify whatever the AI outputs. Longer-term, it might replace all of us, who knows. Probably will. But one foreseeable medium-term future is a practice dominated by senior attorneys working with paralegals, and the junior/intermediate ranks largely automated away by AI. From a “will I have a job” perspective, paralegal seems to me as good a bet as any, particularly since you don’t need to incur massive loan debt like many lawyers do to take a shot at it.
Your medium term scenario doesn’t make much sense. Who is going to replace senior attorneys when they retire if there are no junior ones waiting in the wings
Anonymous
08/06/2025 08:44
Subject: Re:Will AI replace Paralegals?
Oh no! Yet ANOTHER thread on what jobs AI is going to replace! Whatever will we do? We must submit to our algorithmic overlords!
Anonymous
08/06/2025 08:30
Subject: Will AI replace Paralegals?
Anonymous wrote:Big Law partner here: at least in the near term, I think AI is going to make paralegals more not less important, since you need someone to verify whatever the AI outputs. Longer-term, it might replace all of us, who knows. Probably will. But one foreseeable medium-term future is a practice dominated by senior attorneys working with paralegals, and the junior/intermediate ranks largely automated away by AI. From a “will I have a job” perspective, paralegal seems to me as good a bet as any, particularly since you don’t need to incur massive loan debt like many lawyers do to take a shot at it.
I was going to say the same thing.
For a ton of careers your ability to seamlessly utilize AI and its advanced functions will become the number #1 job skill since the experienced folk probably won’t become “fluent” but will absolutely tear you a new one if a junior person allows mistakes to slip through.
In theory, it may also impact the law firm business model if clients expect you to complete work 50%+ faster (though they may give you 2x the work).
Anonymous
08/06/2025 08:27
Subject: Re:Will AI replace Paralegals?
There’s a lot of physical binder work for paralegals. Yes people use digital files but a lot of the time you need it organized in hard copy.
Anonymous
08/06/2025 05:56
Subject: Will AI replace Paralegals?
Big Law partner here: at least in the near term, I think AI is going to make paralegals more not less important, since you need someone to verify whatever the AI outputs. Longer-term, it might replace all of us, who knows. Probably will. But one foreseeable medium-term future is a practice dominated by senior attorneys working with paralegals, and the junior/intermediate ranks largely automated away by AI. From a “will I have a job” perspective, paralegal seems to me as good a bet as any, particularly since you don’t need to incur massive loan debt like many lawyers do to take a shot at it.
Anonymous
08/06/2025 05:50
Subject: Will AI replace Paralegals?
Is becoming a Paralegal( whether at a BigLaw firm or a small firm) a viable long term career option?