Trainee Talks: Robots in Robes? AI Enters the Legal World
Artificial Intelligence has thrust itself to the forefront of modern technology, so much so that if you aren’t incorporating it into business in some way, you may be falling behind from the rest of the pack. The legal sector is no exception, as someone who started their legal career with little knowledge of AI tools, (only 3 years ago), I now use regulated AI in my day-to-day work instinctively.
When used correctly, AI can result in higher efficiency. AI can automate routine tasks such as reviewing documents, contract analysis and legal research. Tasks that once took hours to complete can be completed in minutes.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the legal sector, evolving from a novel innovation into a core driver of efficiency and strategic decision-making. It is estimated that over 90% of legal professionals now rely on AI to automate routine tasks, saving more than 240 hours annually while contributing to substantial revenue growth. 1 Legal professionals are becoming less wary of AI and embracing its power to positively impact the working day and utilise their time more efficiently.
A recent study conducted by Thomson Reuters2 found that amongst legal professionals currently using AI tools:
- 77% use it for documents review
- 74% use it for legal research
- 74% use it to summarise documents
- 59% use it to draft briefs or memos
These figures highlight AI’s ability to become a trusted partner in legal practices and not just to help with general day to day productivity. One of the most significant impacts AI can have upon the legal sector is its ability to accelerate tasks that are integral yet repetitive and time consuming, freeing up valuable time for lawyers. The 2025 Future of Professionals Report predicted that AI could free up approximately 240 hours per year per legal professional.3
First AI law firm opens
In May 2025 the first purely AI driven law firm, Garfield. Law opened its virtual doors. Authorised by the SRA to provide regulated legal services in England and Wales it is the first of its kind offering solely AI services, including assisting companies in recovering unpaid debts, guiding them through the small claims court all the way up until trial.4 A landmark moment for legal services in England and Wales and undoubtedly Garfield. Law will act as a guinea pig for AI fronted law firms of the future.
Managing Risk
As with all developing technological advances, the risk of AI in the workplace is regularly discussed and reviewed. In November 2023 the Solicitors Regulation Authority released a Risk Outlook report on the use of AI in law firms.5 They note within the report that as humans we can all hold our own individual biases, so too can AI. It is crucial therefore that the use of AI is always under heavy scrutiny of human eyes and that AI is not left alone to carry out legal work but instead used to enhance a lawyers work and efficiency.
The Report claims that there have already been incidents where AI drafted legal arguments have included no-existent cases, and this can be down to systems such as ChatGPT working by anticipating the text that should follow input they are given, but they do not have a concept of reality. Something known in the AI world as a ‘hallucination’ and clearly highly dangerous if used without human intervention.
When AI Advises: Who Takes Responsibility?
It is imperative that as lawyers, we take accountability for our use of AI as much as if it was our own work. We must remember that although it has been sourced from elsewhere, we ultimately hold responsibility for everything that we put our name to. The legal sector is a profession built on trust, ethical standards and liability and we must approach AI use carefully to ensure transparency. Human input remains essential and legal responsibility cannot be allocated to a machine in an industry built on ethics and trust.
Moving forward with AI
AI is best understood if it is seen as a tool to augment, not to replace, lawyers. It is most effective when used for repetitive, data heavy work and research and document processing. As explored above, it is much more problematic and error prone when used in complex legal reasoning, advocacy, negotiation and client relationships. Vigorous human input must be maintained in these areas to avoid the risks and problems explored, above.
It is certain that the legal sector needs to adapt to include AI in some way, even if this is only in administrative contexts. It appears from research carried out that more law firms are now operating with AI than those that are not, and there is definitely a united fear of being left behind in avoiding the use of AI completely. However, it is safe to say that currently, its use is heavily regulated and those using it are becoming aware of the risks it can pose. It is certainly interesting to speculate as to what the future holds and indeed, looks like, for the future of the legal sector and AI.
[1]https://legal.thomsonreuters.com/blog/how-ai-is-transforming-the-legal-profession/
[2]https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en/reports/2025-generative-ai-in-professional-services-report
[3]https://legal.thomsonreuters.com/blog/how-ai-is-transforming-the-legal-profession/
[5]https://www.sra.org.uk/sra/research-publications/artificial-intelligence-legal-market/