How AI Is Transforming Legal Profession

AI saves lawyers time and money but legal minds urge caution amid tech surge

- ANINDITA ACHARYA

In April 2025, a courtroom in New York was left stunned when a 74-year-old man showed up with an AI-generated lawyer arguing on his behalf. The panel of judges paused the hearing, visibly confused by the surreal turn of events. Meanwhile, in Tampa, another case made headlines after a lawyer leaned on AI tools like ChatGPT to draft a legal motion. The result? A memo riddled with errors, fake quotes, and incorrect legal references.

These incidents are just a glimpse into how AI has woven itself into our daily lives. We're no longer just using it to plan vacations. It's being used to write legal arguments. According to the 2024 Future of Professionals Report by Thomson Reuters, AI is already reshaping the legal industry. It's helping lawyers speed through routine work like document reviews, legal research, and contract analysis. On average, AI could save lawyers four hours a week and generate up to $100,000 in extra billable time per lawyer each year.

But it's not all smooth sailing. The same report reveals that 43% of professionals are skeptical about the quality of AI-generated work, and 37% are uneasy about its ability to safeguard sensitive legal data.