The typical pattern is called “deskilling”. It doesn’t usually mean a skilled profession will disappear overnight. Instead, the job might be done by less expensive folks like paralegals.

An example is in the banking industry, where making a loan used to require deep analysis of a person’s credit worthiness. Now they use an algorithm (credit scores) which means someone with less experience can do it.

If law follows the same pattern, a job done by someone making $500/hour might be done by someone making $50/hour.

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2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

[deleted]

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samtp 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

If you think paralegals + AI can do the job of good lawyers you don't understand the profession at all.

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notatoad 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

i don't think that's the point anybody is making. "good lawyers" is not the profession at risk here. a top tier courtroom lawyer won't be replaced by AI.

but how much of the revenue of the average law firm comes from that, vs the day-to-day "we need this relatively routine contract reviewed" sort of work?

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rayiner 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Yes. And it would be the continuation of a trend that’s already been going on for two decades. When I started out as an associate at a fancy Wall Street firm, we had 30 people working on reviewing documents for this matter even that level of firm today would not be able to justify doing that anymore. We’re going to move from a pyramid model to more of a diamond shaped model with many fewer associated attorneys doing the legal research and information marshaling.

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samtp 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

> Instead, the job might be done by less expensive folks like paralegals.

So who is going to define your strategy, represent you in court, adapt the strategy to changing circumstances, negotiate with counter-parties on a mutually accepted settlement? A paralegal? An AI model? Please

	▲	victorbjorklund an hour ago \| parent \| next [-]
		Very little of corporate law is in court. The mass of things is “does this contract look good?” And “what do we need to change in our business when regulation X comes into force?”
	▲	44 minutes ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		[deleted]

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citizenkeen 6 minutes ago | parent | prev [-]

Former attorney here. A good paralegal is worth 3-4 junior attorneys. A good paralegal with AI should probably still have a senior attorney oversee them but this will absolutely hollow out firms.