HOW AI IS TRANSFORMING LEGAL PROFESSION

In April 2025, a courtroom in New York was left stunned when a 74-year-old man showed up with an AI-generated lawyer arguing on his behalf. The panel of judges paused the hearing, visibly confused by the surreal turn of events. Meanwhile, in Tampa, another case made headlines after a lawyer leaned on AI tools like ChatGPT to draft a legal motion. The result? A memo riddled with errors, fake quotes, and incorrect legal references.

These incidents are just a glimpse into how AI has woven itself into our daily lives. We’re no longer just using it to plan vacations. It’s being used to write legal arguments. According to the 2024 Future of Professionals Report by Thomson Reuters, AI is already reshaping the legal industry. It’s helping lawyers speed through routine work like document reviews, legal research, and contract analysis. On average, AI could save lawyers four hours a week and generate up to $100,000 in extra billable time per lawyer each year.

But it’s not all smooth sailing. The same report reveals that 43% of professionals are skeptical about the quality of AI-generated work, and 37% are uneasy about its ability to safeguard sensitive legal data.

“AI has made legal research faster, easier, and more accessible. What used to take lawyers hours, reading judgments, finding laws, can now be done in minutes. AI tools help find relevant cases quickly and even summarise them. This isn’t just helpful for big law firms… smaller practices and legal aid lawyers can now access the same resource, which is a huge win for access to justice,” said Shreya Sharma, Founder, Rest The Case.

With modern legal research software, lawyers can now pull up data and analyse precedents faster than ever. This means more accurate research in less time, which not only boosts a lawyer’s productivity but also cuts down on costs for clients. Some tools, like Casetext and Fastcase, even integrate directly with practice management software. This allows lawyers to link their research straight to specific case files, keeping everything streamlined and organised.

“AI is rapidly transforming the legal landscape, particularly in the realm of legal research and case analysis. Traditionally, legal research was a time-consuming process involving hours of sifting through case law, statutes, and legal commentary. Today, AI-powered tools streamline this task by scanning vast databases in seconds, offering relevant case law, precedents, and statutes with remarkable speed and precision. Natural Language Processing (NLP) enables AI systems to understand legal language, context, and even intent, reducing the risk of human oversight. These tools not only locate relevant cases but also highlight key arguments, extract legal principles, and detect inconsistencies, thereby enhancing the quality of legal reasoning. The former Chief Justice of India, Dr DY Chandrachud had very recently discussed in public domain, the utility of E-HCR and E-SCR that have been introduced in every High Court and also the apex court. These electronic record technologies offer the conversion of oral arguments, in real time, into vernacular language, by using NLP, for the benefit of the common man,” said Rushil Chandra, Assistant Professor, School of Law (SOL), Dr Vishwanath Karad MIT World Peace University.

AI is transforming how the legal world works by automating repetitive tasks, improving decision-making, and making legal work more accurate. Today, AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants are being used to respond to client questions and share real-time updates on case progress. Advanced tools like Premonition and Ravel Law go a step further by using predictive analytics to forecast case outcomes based on past rulings and legal trends. That means lawyers can plan smarter and give clients more informed advice. For handling massive volumes of digital evidence, platforms like Relativity and Everlaw make the e-discovery process much faster and more affordable by automating how documents are identified, collected, and analysed. But there’s a catch. These tools are only as good as the data they’re fed. Poor data management can lead to gaps, errors, or even missed evidence, mistakes that can seriously hurt a case.

“India’s legal studies and research are being transformed by AI by improving efficiency and accessibility, and by significantly expanding reach through tools such as SUVAS and legal chatbots. Instant legal guidance is provided by AI-powered tools such as LAWFYI’s AI Legal Aid chatbot, particularly in rural and underserved areas, which democratises access to legal knowledge. This grants students, researchers, and even laypeople the ability to comprehend laws without immediate professional assistance,” said Dr SN Sridhara, Vice Chancellor of Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, Chennai.

While the benefits of AI in the legal system are undeniable, its drawbacks are becoming harder to ignore. Clear guidelines are essential to ensure AI is used ethically and responsibly. “We need regular audits to make sure these tools are fair, clear accountability when errors occur, and strong privacy laws to protect sensitive legal data. At the end of the day, AI should support justice—not take its place. The focus must always stay on fairness, transparency, and human judgment,” said Sharma.