Artificial intelligence is wiping out entry-level legal work that historically trains the next generation of elite lawyers. Big Law's entire business model depends on armies of junior associates learning on the job, and AI threatens to erase that crucial rung.
The profession's most important classroom—the early-career grind of junior and summer associates—is quietly being reshaped, with the path to partnership being rewritten in real-time. Firms are racing to extract knowledge from their lawyers and embed it into AI workflows, client portals, and self-service tools, according to Stanford Law professor David Freeman Engstrom.
This shift could mean preparing for a world that requires fewer human lawyers, Engstrom told Axios. The pressure is mounting as law firms seek efficiency gains from automation, potentially reducing the demand for junior talent that has long been the bedrock of legal training.
However, Tiffany J. Tucker, assistant dean for career development at the University of Houston Law Center, argues AI may create new legal jobs rather than erase entry-level ones. Students with AI skills are becoming "the more attractive candidates," she said, warning that those lacking AI prowess risk being left behind.
Engstrom also noted that AI could unlock new legal business for currently unmet needs, suggesting the technology's impact may be more nuanced than pure job elimination.