Will AI replace paralegals?
Updated
Paralegals score 52 of 100 for AI exposure. The largest share of their task time, 43%, is work AI speeds up while they stay in charge. AI can take over 37% outright, and 20% stays with people.
- 37% AI can do it
- 43% AI helps
- 20% Needs a person
High exposure
Higher than 79% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 12 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 3 of them today, speeds up 6 and leaves 3 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Prepare, edit, or review legal documents, including legislation, briefs, pleadings, appeals, wills, contracts, and real estate closing statements. Drafting and reviewing contracts and briefs is core language work. | 72% AI can do it |
| Prepare affidavits or other documents, such as legal correspondence, and organize and maintain documents in paper or electronic filing system. Drafting affidavits and letters is routine text AI handles well. | 70% AI can do it |
| Gather and analyze research data, such as statutes, decisions, and legal articles, codes, and documents. AI gathers and summarizes statutes and cases well, with verification. | 68% AI can do it |
| Investigate facts and law of cases and search pertinent sources, such as public records and internet sources, to determine causes of action and to prepare cases. Research suits AI, though some records need physical retrieval. | 60% AI helps |
| Keep and monitor legal volumes to ensure that the law library is up-to-date. Update alerts are automatable, but physical volumes need handling. | 55% AI helps |
| Prepare for trial by performing tasks such as organizing exhibits. AI can index exhibits; trial prep judgment stays with lawyers. | 40% AI helps |
| File pleadings with court clerks. Electronic filing is automated, but courthouse filings need physical presence. | 35% AI helps |
| Direct and coordinate law office activity, including delivery of subpoenas. Scheduling and coordination can be automated; subpoena delivery is physical. | 30% AI helps |
| Arbitrate disputes between parties and assist in the real estate closing process, such as by reviewing title searches. Title review suits AI, but arbitration needs neutral human judgment. | 30% AI helps |
| Call upon witnesses to testify at hearings. Witness calls need live human contact and persuasion. | 18% Needs a person |
| Appraise and inventory real and personal property for estate planning. Property inspection and valuation require physical presence and expertise. | 18% Needs a person |
| Meet with clients and other professionals to discuss details of cases. Live client and professional meetings need human presence and trust. | 15% Needs a person |
How paralegals compare
All occupations (923)
Legal (7)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $62,890 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 392,880 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- -0.3% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Draft and redline contracts in Microsoft Word
- Verify AI-generated case citations in Thomson Reuters Westlaw
- Organize trial exhibits and filings in Orion Law Management Systems
- Make court filings in person with clerks
- Serve and deliver subpoenas in person
- Review title searches for real estate closings
Safer roles nearby
4 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about paralegals and AI
Will paralegals be replaced by AI?
Partly. About 5 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly drafting and reviewing legal documents and gathering research data. Client meetings, witness contact, and courthouse filings stay with people because they need a human in the room.
Which paralegal tasks is AI taking over?
Drafting and reviewing legal documents scores 72 on exposure, and preparing affidavits and correspondence scores 70. AI produces first drafts of briefs, contracts, and letters quickly, so paralegals spend less time on initial text and more on checking it.
Which paralegal tasks stay human?
Meeting with clients and other professionals scores 15 on exposure, the lowest in the job. Calling witnesses to testify scores 18. These tasks need live trust, persuasion, and physical presence, which only a person in the room can supply.
How can paralegals stay valuable as AI takes over drafting?
Verify every AI-generated citation against the source in Westlaw before it goes into a filing. Take responsibility for the trial exhibit and filing process in Orion, and handle in-person court filings and subpoena service that need a person at the courthouse.
Related jobs
Next steps for paralegals
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