The Rise of AI in Law: Young Lawyers’ Perspectives

As published on CanadianSME

By: Matthew McGuigan and Bradley Gould

In just five years, artificial intelligence (“AI”) has gone from a sci-fi fantasy to a reality influencing nearly every aspect of our lives. From generating creative recipes to analyzing data and editing content, AI has become a tool for efficiency across industries. The legal field is no exception.

AI is often described as a game changer for the legal profession. It can dramatically reduce the time lawyers spend summarizing or drafting lengthy contracts, deliver research results in minutes instead of days, and summarize complex meetings with ease. Used properly, it can make lawyers more efficient and self-sufficient than ever before.

As young lawyers who regularly use AI tools in our legal practice, it’s easy to see why firms are investing heavily in these technologies. The speed and accuracy with which AI completes time-consuming tasks is remarkable. Even in our few years of practice, we’ve seen first-hand how AI has transformed the way we work. As a perfect example, we used AI to edit this article and ensure that it did not contain any inconsistencies or redundancies.

Still, not everyone is eager to embrace it. Some resistance is expected, but surprisingly, much of it comes from younger lawyers. Many young lawyers feel that the very tasks AI now performs are those traditionally assigned to junior associates and articling students. It’s understandable that some might see AI as a threat. But in truth, AI presents a huge opportunity. If we learn to use it wisely, it can make us even more valuable.

Below are a few lessons we’ve learned using tools like Thomson Reuters’ CoCounsel that may help young lawyers navigate, and thrive in, this new AI-driven world.

1. Focus on Understanding the Law – That’s How You’ll Get the Best Out of AI

AI can take on repetitive or administrative work, freeing you to focus on the substance of legal issues. Use it to save time, but reinvest that time in understanding the “why” behind the task.

Your legal judgment determines how effectively you use AI. The more deeply you understand the legal concepts at play, the better your prompts will be, and the better the AI’s results. AI can be powerful, but only if it’s guided by a lawyer who knows what to ask and how to interpret the answer.

2. Become the AI Expert at Your Firm

Don’t fear AI. Master it. Be the person your colleagues turn to when they need help using these tools. While most AI platforms are intuitive, their full potential becomes clear only when you spend time exploring their features and limitations.

Professional development doesn’t stop with learning the law. Invest time in learning how AI fits into your practice by:

– Attending firm-sponsored training sessions and seminars on AI tools; 

– Using downtime to experiment with AI features and assess how they can enhance your workflow; and

– Keeping an eye out for new AI tools that could benefit your practice or your firm and sharing your insights with leadership. 

Knowing how to use AI efficiently doesn’t just make you more productive. It makes you indispensable.

3. Always Make AI-Generated Content Your Own

AI can be an incredible time-saver, but it’s not infallible. We’ve all seen stories of lawyers relying on hallucinated case law or inaccurate citations. The key is to treat AI as an assistant, not a replacement.

Before relying on AI outputs:

–Test multiple prompts. Small changes can yield vastly different results, and experimenting helps ensure balanced, accurate answers. 

–Review and edit everything. Treat AI outputs as drafts, not final products. Always check for accuracy, tone, and flow before sending work to others. 

–Verify the sources.  AI tools often sound confident even when the law is unsettled. Only you, not the AI, can exercise legal judgment. 

Remember: AI supplements your skills; it doesn’t replace them.

Final Thoughts

Change always brings uncertainty, but it also brings opportunity. As young lawyers, we are uniquely positioned to adapt to, and lead, the next phase of our profession. By learning to use AI intelligently and ethically, we can become not only faster and more efficient, but also more thoughtful, valuable contributors to our firms.