Lawyer Demand to Be Radically Transformed By AI - Paul Weiss Talks Straight

What will happen to the JD Class of, say, 2027?

Already by then AI could be doing the tasks students assumed they would be doing after graduating a top law school and becoming licensed as lawyers. 

Those outside the boundaries of actually practicing law have been telling me for a few years that most of the legal sector would be automated. They made a point of explaining that to me because I'm career coach and could warn college students and their parents to re-think any plan to apply to law school.

Well, now someone high-placed in the profession of law is saying essentially the same thing, on the record. In the international edition of Law.com, chair of Paul Weiss Brad Karp gives the raw lowdown:

“Over time, I believe we will see junior associates supplemented, if not significantly replaced, by technologists and data scientists for a broad portfolio of projects ... We will see more and more work come to be characterized as commoditized and increasingly be handled by AI technologists and data scientists, under the supervision of lawyers.”

Obviously, much of law, just like much of the whole general category of knowledge work, will mutate into a commodity. A sign of the times is that unemployed and underemployed white-collars are lopping off academic degrees from their resumes. I forecast that the high school diploma will become the terminal degree. Later, certifications and licenses will be added. 

Note that Karp doesn't give a timeline. And the pile-on of comments on the Reddit post about Karp's remarks picked that up: no prediction when. However, Karp does make clear that Paul Weiss is applying AI products across practices. Explicitly he says that AI will impact hiring, billable hours, client service and client spend. The scope is extraordinary. 

The future of law schools? Of course, they will have to downsize in number. But how many will be shuttered and of those left standing, what will be the new order of things curriculum?

Is the life you’ve known collapsing? As your intuitive career coach/tarot reader I guide you to what could be next. One door closes, another one can open. Free confidential consultation. If we work together, fees are what you can afford. To connect: Jane Genova (text/phone 203-468-8579, janegenova374@gmail.com). In-person and remote.





 

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