Jobs · Lawyer

Will AI replace lawyers?

Part of the work, not the whole job. AI could take on about 28% of the working time in a typical lawyer job today. The other 72% still needs a person.

22 responsibilities · a typical lawyer job

72% of the work still needs a person.

Still needs a person: 72% of the timeAI could take on: 28%

Median pay $159,670 a year in the U.S. (BLS, May 2025).

Still needs a person

  • Supervise legal assistants
  • Interview clients and witnesses for evidence
  • Present evidence in court
  • Represent clients in court
  • Present cases to judges and juries
  • Consult colleagues on legal issues

AI can do or help with

  • Interpret laws for clients and businesses AI helps
  • Predict case outcomes using legal precedent AI helps
  • Advise clients on legal rights and options AI helps
  • Draft and review legal documents AI helps
  • Decide whether to pursue a lawsuit AI helps
  • Develop case strategy and arguments AI helps

The biggest responsibilities of each kind. "AI helps" means a person still does it, with AI taking on part of the time. 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 28% of the working time in a typical lawyer job today. The other 72% 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, predict case outcomes using legal precedent, advise clients on legal rights and options, draft and review legal documents, decide whether to pursue a lawsuit, develop case strategy and arguments.

Which parts still need a person?

The biggest ones: supervise legal assistants, interview clients and witnesses for evidence, present evidence in court, represent clients in court, present cases to judges and juries, consult colleagues on legal issues.

How is this measured?

Each of the 22 responsibilities the U.S. Department of Labor lists for this job (O*NET 31.0) 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. Scores version 0.4.1, updated September 27, 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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