Young legal professionals: why you should embrace legal AI now?

-Shruthi Raghavan

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We have been using technology for a while now. Maybe not AI per se, but that most likely has been the trajectory – from leaving a paper trail to a large digital footprint. It is only understandable that the move towards Artificial Intelligence (AI) is as natural as it is to evolve.

Born a Gen-Z but brought up with Millennial ideologies, I remember a significant change from learning in school to learning in university. During my formative years, I did not have a laptop (and did not need one), but fast forward to university, it seemed impossible to function without one. This was a testament to how technology and our reliance on it progressed in just a few short years. This is not the case with some of our more senior counterparts, especially those who have not grown up with computers, be it the old-style desktops or more portable laptops.

Skipping a few years ahead, the new buzzword and trend is Generative AI (GenAI). What does it do? Without going into technicalities, Generative AI is a ground-breaking sub-category of AI that generates content—texts, music, videos, images—based on the dataset it’s trained on. It mimics patterns of the original dataset to create coherent, seemingly original content. In short, GenAI mimics human learning capabilities, encapsulating vast amounts of information into bite-sized versions readily consumed by users. Let's be real, nobody (I hope) voluntarily wants to read pages and pages when the same can be neatly and concisely wrapped up and provided on a digital plate.

GenAI and the Legal Industry

Generative AI in law has been closely explored by lawyers, particularly because law is a content-heavy field. I can confidently list a few areas of legal practice that have significantly improved due to GenAI applications, such as automated document review, legal research, drafting and contract summaries, e-discovery, compliance and risk management, and contract lifecycle management.

The question then arises, do our jobs as entry-level lawyers become redundant with the advancement of GenAI? Although some may think so, the current situation suggests otherwise. AI is increasingly being used as a tool to aid young lawyers rather than replacing them. While traditional junior roles may change in the future, there will be a rise in cross-disciplinary roles integrating law and technology. Those who understand the potential of technology and harness its benefits will have a competitive edge. Younger lawyers, having grown up with technology, are more open to using GenAI, while more experienced legal professionals may need some persuasion (hint: if you’re one of the more experienced professionals, now is the time to try legal AI).

Technologically fluent lawyers will eventually become the standard.

Personal Experience with Legal AI

Giving a personal example, I have been working in the Managed Services wing of Robin AI for the past 6 months. Robin AI uses a unique combination of a human lawyer and Legal AI (branded as “Lawyer-in-the-Loop”) to review contracts for various customers. One of the major benefits is that the average turnaround time for a fast review request is 1 hour and 20 minutes, which is quick!

As a young lawyer, using Robin AI's Word add-in feature has helped me improve my speed and efficiency in reviewing contracts. Some contracts are extremely lengthy and hard to navigate, but the Microsoft Word Add-In has solved this by allowing me to pinpoint specific clauses within seconds. Additionally, the AI chat feature has been a lifesaver when I need high-level summaries of contracts.

People may ask, if GenAI is this capable, what about the role of human lawyers? AI augments and enhances our capability as lawyers. The time I take to review a contract is significantly less than a lawyer of similar competency who doesn’t use a platform like this.

Shifting Legal Training and the Role of GenAI

Traditionally, junior lawyers are trained under a strict regime, following rigorous instructions from seniors. While effective for mundane tasks, this structure may hamper creativity and independent judgment, both of which are crucial in a lawyer’s formative years. Introducing GenAI into junior roles allows them more time to think creatively and develop legal solutions, fostering a culture of innovation.

AI in legal practice isn’t just a trend; it’s a shift towards more forward-thinking and tech-integrated lawyering.

The Future of Legal Practice

It’s inevitable that the future of legal practice will involve collaboration between AI and human lawyers, leveraging both to provide the best outcomes for clients. AI streamlines routine tasks, enhances learning, and increases the scope for client interaction, acting as an indispensable assistant. By leveraging legal AI, younger lawyers can work more efficiently, make better-informed decisions, and position themselves as leaders in a rapidly evolving legal-tech landscape. AI not only strengthens their current performance but also sets them up for success in the future.

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