AI Impact on the Legal Profession: How AI Is Changing Law | Levantage.

AI Impact on Legal Profession: How Will It Affect Lawyers?

These days, AI is everywhere, from mobile apps to browser extensions to video games. In the legal industry, AI is becoming increasingly common among law firms, both large and small, to help streamline tasks and improve productivity. But as everyone rushes to adopt this new technology, it’s not quite clear what AI’s impact on the legal profession will be in the long term.

Specifically, legal professionals are already asking questions like: how much should I rely on AI for various legal tasks, and what are the potential pitfalls, including ethical considerations or the possibility of mistakes? While the answers to these questions can vary from one legal practice to the next, one thing is clear: lawyers need to adapt to the AI landscape, or they will be left behind. And it’s not just major law firms that should take advantage of this technology; small and mid-size firms need to join the fray.

While automation is often the name of the AI game with other industries, for legal professionals, large-language models like ChatGPT are designed for augmentation, not replacement. Lawyers still provide essential legal services, but AI can handle more time-consuming and repetitive tasks, such as document review or legal research. Overall, the AI tools you use can make a huge difference. At Levantage, we work with law firms to evaluate where AI genuinely adds value and where traditional legal judgment must remain firmly in control. While you can’t stop the change, you can adapt to it and learn how to use AI in ways that support your practice, so let’s examine the current

How AI is Being Used in Law Today

AI implementation within the legal profession is no longer theoretical; it’s happening now. Various legal tasks are being outsourced to AI, including:

• Streamlining Intake
• Document Review
• Contract Analysis
• Summarization
• Legal Research
• Drafting Documents
• Soliciting Client Updates via Text and Email

Before, these tasks would be handled by interns or paralegals, but now artificial intelligence can speed up the process and deliver nearly identical results in a fraction of the time. Best of all, because these AI tools are designed to get smarter and improve over time, they’ll only become more efficient and productive in the future.

For example, with legal research, feeding cases and relevant documents into an LLM can help the system parse through complex paperwork and legal proceedings and deliver the exact information needed for the current project. As more data is put into these systems, AI tools can even help with predictive elements, such as anticipating a case outcome or providing a risk assessment.

That said, predictive AI is always going to be limited, and it’s sometimes impossible to know the future. As with any tool or technology, any insights provided by artificial intelligence must be verified and cross-checked with human experience, research, and intuition.

AI is also being deployed in legal education, as many law schools are now teaching AI adoption techniques or allowing students to leverage AI tools to help with coursework. Instructors are also utilizing the technology to improve productivity and handle time-consuming tasks so they can focus more on developing better lectures and projects for their students.

Finally, many major law firms are developing internal or third-party AI tools to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and deliver better results for their clients. As mentioned, all legal professionals can benefit from artificial intelligence, thanks to the ubiquity of these programs. You don’t need the budget of a massive firm to take advantage of different tools, but you will need the right skills and knowledge to maximize their potential.

The Impact of AI on Law Firms

While AI’s impact on the legal profession is complex and ever-changing, law firms are already starting to see the results of AI adoption. So how exactly will AI affect lawyers? Here are some of the most profound and dynamic ways that artificial intelligence is affecting legal professionals and the industry as a whole.

Efficiency and Automation

Before AI, tasks like legal research and doc review were incredibly time-consuming and inefficient for small and mid-size operations. Only large law firms could really have the resources to manage these tasks efficiently, while other practices struggled to keep up.

Now, with advanced AI tools, routine legal tasks are much easier to automate. Better yet, the technology can not only speed up these processes but also ensure accuracy and precision, minimizing mistakes created by human error.

As legal AI tools become even more prolific in learning relevant case law and are able to absorb more legal data, they can be used for broader projects, allowing smaller law firms to compete with larger teams. Basically, the more you use AI, the better it gets at helping you, creating even more value and time savings for your practice.

Changing Business Models

Since paralegals and assistants are no longer required to handle menial tasks, lawyers and firms can create a more adaptive business model to satisfy their clients. First, you can draft alternative fee models based on how much automation can save from your bottom line. Second, you can focus more of your attention on high-value strategies, leveraging your legal expertise to deliver the best results for your clients.

Overall, adding AI to your operations gives you much more flexibility with the number of clients you can handle, as well as the size and complexity of each case. Before, you may have been extremely limited in what kinds of cases you could take on, but now you can adapt accordingly and possibly even scale your practice.

Competitive Pressure

Even if you’re still on the fence about AI adoption, you can’t afford to wait any longer. There’s a reason why law schools are already getting students ready for an AI-empowered future. Law firms that focus on utilizing these tools will become more competitive, while those still using antiquated legal research tools and tactics will fall behind.

That said, make sure to pace yourself and not put yourself in a challenging situation. AI technology, especially when used for legal principles, requires a bit of a learning curve, so it’s imperative to learn and master the basics before rushing to add more clients or increase your workload.

Ethical Considerations

Another reason to adopt legal AI tools responsibly is to ensure you can manage any potential ethical setbacks. Yes, generative AI can handle many repetitive tasks and make your life easier, but relying too heavily on it can lead to various problems, some of which can pose significant risks to your firm, but there is a lot a firm management team can do to mitigate risks.

First, human oversight is always required, ideally from someone experienced in legal education and guidelines. AI can sometimes “hallucinate” data, so it’s crucial to spot any mistakes and correct them immediately, especially when dealing with relevant case law and statutes.

Another ethical consideration is the risk of imparting bias onto a particular AI tool. These programs are highly adaptive to each user, so they may repeat or enhance biases that you might not even be aware of at the time. So, it’s always best to have a second set of eyes to ensure that there aren’t any blind spots being ignored.

Although many legal professionals are implementing AI, it’s vital to notify clients when and how you’re using the technology concerning their case. For example, clients may worry about sensitive or private information getting exposed, or they may have doubts about the efficacy of AI. Being open and transparent from the beginning about utilizing AI is essential to maintaining trust and a strong lawyer/client relationship.

AI Adoption and Education: The New Essential Lawyer Skillset

Technology and legal professionals have always shared something of a symbiotic relationship. Just as you couldn’t imagine doing the work without the aid of a computer today, it will seem just as natural to leverage AI tools in the future. So, now is the perfect time to focus on adoption and education so you’re not struggling to keep up.

First, you must understand that AI is not a magic wand that can do whatever you want. A core part of the learning process is knowing what these tools can and cannot do within the scope of practicing law. For example, generative AI can help scan and summarize legal documents, but you can’t just prompt your way to winning a case.

To that end, it’s also imperative to manage expectations, especially with legal tech. Not all AI programs are designed by lawyers, so they may not work well within your practice. Instead, you want to utilize tools created specifically for the legal world whenever possible.

There’s also an ethical element to learning and adapting to AI. As the rest of the world progresses, you can’t use ignorance as an excuse. Remember, law schools are already adopting the technology, meaning new lawyers are entering the field with these necessary skills and experience. Additionally, government agencies and legal departments are using AI, so legal teams need to adapt accordingly.

If you want to serve your clients to the best of your abilities, that means adding AI to your wheelhouse. But that doesn’t mean you have to learn how to code or manage raw technical data. Adding AI to your toolkit doesn’t fundamentally change the work you’re doing, but rather helps streamline your workflows. It’s not about reinventing the wheel; it’s about making your wheel more efficient. In the end, you don’t have to master technology to use AI, but you must know how to supervise it effectively.

Benefits of Legal AI

Seeing how law firms and lawyers are working with AI is one thing, but how will the technology help your practice? Let’s look at some of the most compelling reasons to start using artificial intelligence today.

• Improved Accuracy – Whether you’re drafting legal documents or reviewing paperwork, errors happen. Fortunately, AI is far less prone to making mistakes, especially the more it’s used. Not only can improved accuracy eliminate costly setbacks, but it can also help you deliver better outcomes for your clients and better overall satisfaction.
• Competitive Edge – The rise of AI is empowering legal professionals to expand their outreach and increase their client rosters. Because more of your time and resources are spent on high-level strategizing, you can outpace the competition and stand out against other law firms.
• Faster Research – A core part of being a lawyer is researching relevant case law. With the power of AI, you can review and summarize paperwork much faster, allowing you to be more proficient and knowledgeable when working on different cases. Plus, because AI can reference more materials in less time, you can utilize more relevant data and make better-informed decisions for your clients.
• Cost Savings – While AI won’t replace paralegals and interns, it can help reduce workloads significantly so your paralegals and interns can be more efficient, allowing you to operate your firm more methodically, cutting back on costs and wasted time. These savings can help improve profitability or enable you to reach out to lower-income clients.
• Reduced Burnout – Burnout is a common problem among legal professionals, especially those managing small to mid-size firms. By outsourcing repetitive tasks to AI, you can lighten your workload and manage stress more effectively.

Although these benefits are within reach, it’s still imperative to understand how each tool can help achieve a specific goal. While it’s tempting to stack different AI programs in your workflow, doing so without a clear plan can lead to more problems and inefficiencies.

Overall, the best way to determine where and how AI can make the most impact for your firm is to identify the largest pain points you’re experiencing and then find a tool that can minimize or eliminate them. Once you’re comfortable with that tool, rinse and repeat the process.

Ideally, one program can mitigate multiple pain points so you can improve efficiency without needing new subscriptions or monthly payments.

Ethical Considerations Lawyers Must Consider

While AI is powerful enough for large law firms and accessible enough for all legal professionals, it’s still imperative to understand the potential ethical ramifications of using this technology. A substantial part of AI’s impact on the legal industry is how individual lawyers will adapt and manage ethical factors, like:

Human Oversight

No matter how many legal documents and proceedings you feed into an AI program, it will not be able to replicate a lawyer, especially one with experience and insight. There’s a certain level of intuition required to be a legal professional that AI can’t capture, which is why human oversight is essential.

Not only will overseeing AI’s output ensure its accuracy and relevance to each case, but doing so can prevent an overreliance on the technology. Even if each document, memo, or report is 100 percent accurate, you still need to understand why, so you must involve yourself and your team in the process, so everyone stays on the same page.

Data Security and Confidentiality

Cyber attacks are an unfortunate side effect of modern life, and as a legal professional, you have a sworn duty to protect the information of your clients. While AI systems can help you research and consolidate data faster, you still have to make sure it’s secure from outside sources, even if that means individuals within the firm.

So, as you adopt more AI tools, don’t forget about cybersecurity best practices, such as managing access to specific files or programs so sensitive data isn’t being shared freely by an AI assistant to anyone who requests it.

Professionalism and Integrity

As we mentioned, AI can never truly replace lawyers, so it’s crucial to understand what its place within your firm should be. Maintaining professionalism in the age of AI requires a certain level of diligence and understanding. Again, overrelying on AI to summarize or generate documents means it’s harder for you to do the same when necessary.

Also, make sure to address potential biases within the system and be as open and honest about your AI practices when talking with clients. Overall, AI is supposed to be a tool that you control, so you must always know what it’s doing and why. For example, if you present a legal brief with errors and don’t even know they exist, you can’t just blame the AI. Ultimately, the responsibility falls to you. That said, the risks inherent with using AI are not a reason to avoid it, but instead a reason to adopt it thoughtfully and carefully.

How Lawyers Should Approach AI Adoption Today

For most law firms, the right approach to AI is neither full avoidance nor blind adoption. The most effective firms start by identifying a small number of high-friction tasks, such as document review, intake, or research, and testing AI in controlled, well-supervised ways.

Clear guidelines, human review, and transparency with clients matter more than the specific tool you choose. Firms that focus first on workflows, oversight, and training tend to see better results than those that chase the newest technology. In practice, AI works best when it is introduced deliberately, measured carefully, and aligned with how lawyers already work.

The Future of the Legal Profession: What Will Change and What Won’t

So, how will AI affect the legal industry, and how can you prepare for it? First, let’s review what it’s changing right now and what it is likely to change in the near future.

• More Efficient Workflows – By mitigating pain points, AI can speed up the tasks that take the longest.
• Value Delivery – Law firms that use AI can provide better value for their clients, both by saving costs and ensuring better results.
• Competitiveness – Smaller practices can now compete with mid-size and large firms without needing to invest in expensive or complex infrastructure or extra labor.
• Roles for Junior Lawyers – Up-and-coming legal professionals can focus less on tasks like doc review and more on strategy and client relationships.

But what are AI’s limitations? Here are the legal elements that won’t change because of new technology.

• Judgment and Strategy – An AI program can provide pages of research for a specific case, but it can’t tell you the best way to win.
• Advocacy – You know what’s most important to your firm and your clients, not AI. You set the priorities, and artificial intelligence helps you meet those goals.
• Client Relationships – Clients want to work with a lawyer who understands them and is committed to fighting on their behalf. AI should never be used to replace the human part of being a lawyer.

Overall, AI will never replace lawyers. However, lawyers who don’t know how to use AI effectively will fall behind. Fortunately, you don’t have to be a tech wizard or follow all the latest insider gossip to know how to implement AI tools into your firm. Similarly, you don’t have to try and fail with a dozen different programs to get it right.

If you’re ready to see how AI can augment your practice, Levantage AI Advisors can help. We’ll work with you to build a custom-made system that delivers value for your firm. It’s not about adding bells and whistles; it’s about focusing on the tools that work best without the hype or confusion so you can focus on what you do best.