Will AI replace lawyers?

Part of the work, not the whole job. AI could take on about 31% of the working time in a typical lawyer job today. The other 69% still needs a person.

Lawyer at work

69% of the work still needs a person.

Needs a person: 69%A person checking AI: 14%AI alone: 17%

The bracket under the bar is the evidence range for the share AI could take on: 16 to 31%. One end comes from how well AI did each responsibility in real use, or a second rating where that isn't measured. The other is our figure, which also follows research across the industry.

22 responsibilities in a typical lawyer job. Median pay $159,670 a year in the U.S. (BLS, May 2025).

Still needs a person

  • Interpret laws for clients and businesses AI helps
  • Negotiate contracts for clients
  • Advise clients on legal rights and options AI helps
  • Draft and review legal documents AI helps
  • Consult colleagues on legal issues
  • Interview clients and witnesses for evidence

AI can do or help with

  • Interpret laws for clients and businesses AI helps
  • Advise clients on legal rights and options AI helps
  • Draft and review legal documents AI helps
  • Manage the administrative side of practice AI helps
  • Predict case outcomes using legal precedent AI helps
  • Develop case strategy and arguments AI helps

The biggest responsibilities on each side, ranked by a person's time on the left. "AI helps" means AI takes on part of the work, or most of it with a person checking what it produces, so one can show on both sides. See all 22, with the reason for each and the cost of handing them to AI.

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Questions people ask

Will AI replace lawyers?

Part of the work, not the whole job. AI could take on about 31% of the working time in a typical lawyer job today. The other 69% still needs a person. That is a split of the work, not a forecast of jobs lost.

Which parts of the job can AI do?

The biggest ones AI can do or help with: interpret laws for clients and businesses, advise clients on legal rights and options, draft and review legal documents, manage the administrative side of practice, predict case outcomes using legal precedent, develop case strategy and arguments.

Which parts still need a person?

The biggest ones: interpret laws for clients and businesses, negotiate contracts for clients, advise clients on legal rights and options, draft and review legal documents, consult colleagues on legal issues, interview clients and witnesses for evidence.

How is this measured?

The U.S. Department of Labor lists 22 responsibilities for this job (O*NET 31.0). Each is scored on 4 questions: can AI do it, does it get it right, must a person sign for it, and do people need to deal with a real person. The split is weighted by how much of the job each responsibility takes up. The evidence range for the share AI could take on is 16 to 31%. One end comes from how well AI did each responsibility in real use, or a second rating where that isn't measured. The other is our figure, which also follows research across the industry. Scores version 0.8.5, updated November 10, 2026.

Responsibilities from O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor). Pay from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025. Scores are calibrated to published research and updated every month. How it works.

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