What would it look like if getting simple legal help was as accessible as a Google search? As a prospective law student in the middle of law school applications, this question has become front and center as I look ahead to my graduate studies and beyond.
But the truth is the legal status quo (like with any other industry in 2025) is rapidly shifting towards AI-powered automation. Legal informatics and AI go way back, but only recently has “human law” faced such a real test: either embrace automation, or risk becoming obsolete in the face of robot lawyers. For the newest generation of prospective lawyers, the thought of being replaced by AI before our legal careers even begin weighs surprisingly heavy. But beneath the anxiety lies opportunity: prioritizing technological innovations and automated solutions isn’t just a choice anymore – it’s a strategic necessity for every lawyer, law firm, legal department (and even law student) to stay afloat. As the Clio Legal Trends Report suggests, clients now expect faster, smarter, and more affordable service. But the question we must answer is: in a world where so much can be automated, what role remains for the human-in-the-loop?
AI and Access to Justice: Leveling the Playing Field
Large segments of the population still struggle to get affordable legal help, whether they’re fighting eviction, resolving a family matter, or starting a small business. AI is expanding access and providing basic expertise – saving human attorneys for the truly complex stuff: Automated forms & document drafting: Tools can help people create basic legal documents (wills, rental agreements) on their own Legal chatbots and triage at online clinics now offer simple answers and direct people to the help they need translation and “plain English” AI: More
At the core of great lawyering is more than just efficiency, it’s client care
But as history and headlines remind us, AI can’t replace judgment, empathy, or human insight. At the core of great lawyering is more than just efficiency, it’s client care. Tools like the DIY legal form programs in New York have made court paperwork more accessible – but negotiating a custody agreement or restoring a family’s peace? That takes a lawyer who listens and understands nuance.
Human + Machine: Where the Edge Truly Lies
There have been missteps like the viral story of a recorded robot acting as “legal counsel” in a New York court. These stories aren’t arguments against tech, but reminders: every tool has limits, and in law, verification is just as vital as innovation. That’s why, amid all the hype about artificial intelligence, I believe “natural intelligence” (the human kind) is more valuable than ever. In a world where polished legal text is a click away, context, compassion, ethics, and credibility are what will set a lawyer apart. The rise of legal AI tools thus automates the mundane –scanning medical records, summarizing depositions, prepping intake forms– and restores the most precious asset of law: human attention. A lawyer’s unique value is judgment, reputation, and the ability to connect with clients and juries, and not just paperwork.
Why Law Needs More Technologists (and Curious Students!)
Law schools have only begun to teach students how to bridge law, process, and technology. But the field needs more “legal technologists”– not just coders, but future lawyers who can understand AI's benefits and its pitfalls; who can turn efficiency into access, and automate the mechanical so they can focus on strategy, ethics, and service As I look to begin my legal studies, I’m both excited and challenged by these changes. The lawyers who thrive won’t be the ones who beat the robots at their own game – they’ll be the ones who let AI do what it does best, and then use it to do more of what only humans can do. What will you automate so you can focus on lawyering that matters?
