Jobs · Paralegal

Will AI replace paralegals?

Part of the work, not the whole job. AI could take on about 44% of the working time in a typical paralegal job today. The other 56% still needs a person.

Paralegal at work

12 responsibilities · a typical paralegal job

56% of the work still needs a person.

Still needs a person: 56% of the timeAI could take on: 44%

Median pay $62,890 a year in the U.S. (BLS, May 2025).

Still needs a person

  • Meet with clients about their cases
  • Help with real estate closings

AI can do or help with

  • Draft legal letters and organize case files AI helps
  • Draft and review legal documents AI helps
  • Research the facts of a case AI helps
  • Research statutes and court decisions AI helps
  • File court papers with the clerk AI helps
  • Organize exhibits and files for trial 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 12, with the reason for each and the cost of handing them to AI.

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Questions people ask

Will AI replace paralegals?

Part of the work, not the whole job. AI could take on about 44% of the working time in a typical paralegal job today. The other 56% 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: draft legal letters and organize case files, draft and review legal documents, research the facts of a case, research statutes and court decisions, file court papers with the clerk, organize exhibits and files for trial.

Which parts still need a person?

The biggest ones: meet with clients about their cases, help with real estate closings.

How is this measured?

Each of the 12 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 0.3.1, updated September 24, 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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