AI for law firms: which tasks to automate first
Updated
Across the 1.2 million US jobs in legal services, the work scores 53 of 100 for AI exposure, weighted by how many people do each job. AI can take on about 898 hours a year per full-time person, 45% of a working year. The task that frees the most hours across the industry is to prepare, edit, or review legal documents, about 183 hours a year for each person who does it.
- AI exposure, weighted by employment
- 53 out of 100 High exposure
- Hours AI can take on
- 898 hours a year per full-time person
- Task time AI can do today
- 29% AI speeds up another 52%
Tasks to automate first
The 15 tasks where AI can take on the most hours across legal services: how exposed each task is, how much of the job it takes and how many people do that job. Hours are per person in the role that does the task. How we score each task.
| Task and who does it | 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. Done by paralegals. | 72% AI can do it 183 hours a year for each person in the role |
| 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. Done by paralegals. | 70% AI can do it 181 hours a year for each person in the role |
| 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. Done by paralegals. | 68% AI can do it 156 hours a year for each person in the role |
| 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. Done by paralegals. | 60% AI helps 144 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Prepare, draft, and review legal documents, such as wills, deeds, patent applications, mortgages, leases, and contracts. Contracts, leases and wills are template heavy drafting AI does well. Done by lawyers. | 78% AI can do it 86 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Interpret laws, rulings and regulations for individuals and businesses. Legal research and explanation AI drafts well, lawyer verifies advice. Done by lawyers. | 60% AI helps 72 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Study Constitution, statutes, decisions, regulations, and ordinances of quasi-judicial bodies to determine ramifications for cases. Reading statutes and decisions to assess impact is strong AI work. Done by lawyers. | 66% AI can do it 70 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Examine legal data to determine advisability of defending or prosecuting lawsuit. Reviewing case files for merit is document work AI handles well. Done by lawyers. | 58% AI helps 64 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Prepare for trial by performing tasks such as organizing exhibits. AI can index exhibits; trial prep judgment stays with lawyers. Done by paralegals. | 40% AI helps 94 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Perform administrative and management functions related to the practice of law. Billing, scheduling and admin tasks are routine digital work AI handles. Done by lawyers. | 65% AI can do it 62 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Analyze the probable outcomes of cases, using knowledge of legal precedents. Outcome prediction uses precedent search, but judgement stays with lawyer. Done by lawyers. | 42% AI helps 49 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Search for and examine public and other legal records to write opinions or establish ownership. Records searches are digital and AI assisted, some need physical access. Done by lawyers. | 50% AI helps 49 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Evaluate findings and develop strategies and arguments in preparation for presentation of cases. AI can draft arguments and stress test strategy, lawyer decides direction. Done by lawyers. | 40% AI helps 45 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Prepare and distribute invoices to bill clients or pay account expenses. Billing software and templates generate and send invoices routinely. Done by legal secretaries. | 75% AI can do it 133 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Negotiate contractual agreements. Contract redlines are AI friendly, but live bargaining stays human. Done by lawyers. | 35% AI helps 36 hours a year for each person in the role |
What stays with people
19% of the task time across these roles needs a person, and the output of the rest still needs someone to check it. The tasks below take the most of that time.
- 29% AI can do it
- 52% AI helps
- 19% Needs a person
- Meet with clients and other professionals to discuss details of cases. Paralegals, 15% exposed
- Represent clients in court or before government agencies. Lawyers, 8% exposed
- Supervise legal assistants. Lawyers, 15% exposed
- Present and summarize cases to judges and juries. Lawyers, 12% exposed
- Select jurors, argue motions, meet with judges, and question witnesses during the course of a trial. Lawyers, 6% exposed
Adoption path
Start with the tasks where AI helps a person, then automate the routine ones, then give whole workflows to agents with a person approving the output.
Teams in this industry
The business functions in legal services, by share of the workforce, with each one's exposure.
- Legal and compliance, 75.2% of the workforce, score 51
- Operations and admin, 10.4% of the workforce, score 56
- Finance and accounting, 5.2% of the workforce, score 62
- Customer service, 2.9% of the workforce, score 64
- IT and software, 1.9% of the workforce, score 58
- Marketing and content, 1.3% of the workforce, score 60
Roles in legal services
The 20 largest roles, each linked to its task-by-task score. Shares come from the BLS industry staffing estimates, May 2025. Of the roles with at least 2% of the jobs, secretaries score highest at 66, lawyers lowest at 48.
- Lawyers, 37.2% of the workforce, score 48 out of 100
- Paralegals, 25.3% of the workforce, score 52 out of 100
- Legal secretaries, 10.5% of the workforce, score 56 out of 100
- Office clerks, 2.5% of the workforce, score 60 out of 100
- Receptionists, 2.1% of the workforce, score 62 out of 100
- Secretaries, 2% of the workforce, score 66 out of 100
- Bookkeepers, 1.7% of the workforce, score 67 out of 100
- Administrative supervisors, 1.7% of the workforce, score 55 out of 100
- Title examiners, 1.6% of the workforce, score 55 out of 100
- General managers, 1.6% of the workforce, score 44 out of 100
- Accountants, 1% of the workforce, score 60 out of 100
- Billing clerks, 0.9% of the workforce, score 59 out of 100
- File clerks, 0.7% of the workforce, score 59 out of 100
- Digital marketers, 0.7% of the workforce, score 62 out of 100
- Customer service representatives, 0.6% of the workforce, score 74 out of 100
- Recruiters, 0.6% of the workforce, score 62 out of 100
- IT support specialists, 0.6% of the workforce, score 59 out of 100
- Executive assistants, 0.5% of the workforce, score 65 out of 100
- Loan clerks, 0.4% of the workforce, score 64 out of 100
- Administrative services managers, 0.4% of the workforce, score 38 out of 100
Questions about AI for law firms
Which tasks should a law firm automate first?
The first task to automate is to prepare, edit, or review legal documents (72% exposed). Next come the tasks to prepare affidavits or other documents (70%) and to gather and analyze research data (68%). Together they free the most hours across the industry.
How many hours can AI save a law firm?
About 898 hours a year per full-time person, 45% of a 2,000-hour working year. For a team of 10 that is about 8,980 hours, the time of 4.5 full-time people. The figure is the share of task time AI can remove today, weighted by how many people do each job.
Which roles in a law firm are most exposed to AI?
Of the roles with at least 2% of the jobs, secretaries score highest, at 66 of 100, and lawyers lowest, at 48. Each role's page lists its tasks one by one.
Will AI replace jobs in legal services?
AI can do 29% of the task time across these roles today. Another 52% gets faster with AI while a person stays in charge. 19% needs a person. One task that stays with people is to meet with clients and other professionals to discuss details of cases.
Where should a law firm start with AI?
With the quick wins: approved assistants for the tasks AI helps with, under a written AI policy. Then automate the 7 tasks on this page AI can do end to end. An AI audit maps the tasks in your team and ranks them the same way this page does.
Next steps
Find the tasks to automate first in your team
We map the tasks in your business, score each one the way this page does and build the automations that pay back first.