Lawyers

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Will "Lawyers" be replaced by AI & Robots?

There is very little chance of this occupation being replaced by robots/AI. However, our poll suggests a higher chance of automation: a 40% chance of automation within the next 2 decades.

Automation Risk Level

Totally Safe

or 4% probability of automation

Projected Growth

6%

by 2024

Median Annual Wage

$118,160

or $56.80 hourly

People Employed

619,530

as of 2016

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Least likely

How this compares with other jobs: 116 out of 706

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How likely do you think this occupation will be taken over by robots/AI within the next 20 years?

Job description

Represent clients in criminal and civil litigation and other legal proceedings, draw up legal documents, or manage or advise clients on legal transactions. May specialize in a single area or may practice broadly in many areas of law.

SOC Code: 23-1011

Comments

Victor says

Use of AI will certainly change the way Law is practiced. It will not, however, affect lawyers dramatically, nor reduce drastically the number of lawyer jobs posts. A lawyer´s practice is much, much more than memorizing legislation and court decisions. The exercise of jurisdiction is complex and requires subjective, analytical and even philosophical thinking.

The situation is very different for paralegals, whose work is often "mechanical" and non-subjectively orientated.

Apr 11, 2019 at 11:39 PM

John says

This should be split into two. The work carried out by barristers (litigation lawyers) is very different and distinct from the work carried out by solicitors (non-litigation lawyers). Presumably one or the other is more susceptible to automation.

Apr 03, 2019 at 06:15 PM

Mark says

I agree that in many countries that is the case, however the data we are using is for the US, and the United States does not draw a distinction between lawyers as pleaders (barristers) and lawyers as agents (or solicitors).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrister#United_States

There is a separate page for Paralegals and Legal Assistants, and interestingly the probability is much higher.

https://willrobotstakemyjob.com/23-2011-paralegals-and-legal-assistants

Apr 09, 2019 at 12:05 PM

bob joe says

there can be automation following the learning of law by AI, which can happen quickly and can be better than humans.

Apr 02, 2019 at 11:51 AM

Dominic says

perhaps some fields of law could be automated

Apr 01, 2019 at 07:12 PM

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