Extract from Ryan Harroff and Benjamin Joyner’s article “AI Won’t Replace Paralegals, But Experts Say It’s Likely to Redefine the Role”
Law firms of all sizes are exploring the use of AI-powered tools to streamline tasks often given to paralegals, such as deposition prep and citation check. And many tech companies assert that their products and services can, among other things, accelerate case preparation and take on a sizable chunk of legal research.
But staffing experts in the industry say the new technology is unlikely to make paralegal professionals obsolete. Instead, it will put a higher premium on paralegals and other law firm staff who can operate AI programs, sources say, adding that paralegals will likely retain a core function in law firms and legal departments for the foreseeable future.
Even though AI-powered tools aren’t likely to eliminate many paralegal jobs in the near future, they will still prove a source of disruption. Law firms and in-house teams will look for professionals who have demonstrated the ability to adopt new technologies, sources say, and they may also shift work responsibilities based on employees’ competence with new tools and what tasks software can and cannot do at the moment.
