There are Gen Z-ers who are already lawyers! With that said:
A recent study of 800 attorneys reveals that artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing not just how lawyers work, but why they find their profession meaningful, with 96 percent reporting AI helps them meet business goals more efficiently and 76 percent saying it directly improves their burnout levels. The research, commissioned by Ironclad, a legal technology company, shows younger attorneys are leading this transformation, using AI to shift from perfectionist-driven work cultures toward more strategic, purposeful legal practice.
The big picture: AI is reshaping legal work beyond simple automation, serving as what Jasmine Singh, general counsel at Ironclad, describes as “a coworker that helps when I need a brainstorming partner; an intern that helps do the rote or repeat work; a sounding board when I want to try a bunch of ideas and see what sticks.”
Generational divide: Younger attorneys are embracing AI’s burnout-reducing potential more enthusiastically than their older counterparts.
- Gen Z lawyers show 91 percent agreement that AI reduces burnout, compared to 75 percent of millennials.
- “I believe that Gen Z sees the virtue of AI because they have not internalized the message that we have to both be perfect and do perfect work; instead, they are creating the new message that our work has to be effective, impactful, and deliberate–and AI can help with all of those things,” said Singh.
Key productivity gains: Legal teams are using AI to handle significantly larger workloads with fewer people.
- Document review and contract analysis time has been cut by 75 percent at Ocrolus, a fintech data analytics firm.
- “AI has transformed our legal operations by automating document review, cutting contract analysis time by 75 percent, and enabling our small legal team to manage workload equivalent to a department triple our size,” said Katelyn Canning, director and head of legal at Ocrolus.
Most common AI applications: Survey respondents identified their primary use cases for AI tools in legal practice.
- Summarizing case law: 61 percent.
- Document review: 45 percent.
- Contract review: 44 percent.
- Drafting legal documents: 42 percent.
- More than half said AI opens time for strategic work.
Career impact: AI is creating new professional development opportunities, particularly for in-house legal teams.
- 64 percent reported AI improves communication.
- 46 percent see new career growth opportunities thanks to AI.
- For in-house teams specifically, that figure jumps to 55 percent.
What they’re saying: Legal professionals emphasize that AI enhances rather than replaces core legal expertise.
- “AI is unlocking these superpowers for lawyers—but core legal expertise is more important than ever now. We’re going to see the lawyers with good judgment and curiosity rise to the top,” Singh noted.
- Singh described her transformation: “With more time, more clarity and the right tools at her side, she’s found a version of legal work that’s not only more productive, but more sustainable.”
Recent Stories
DOE fusion roadmap targets 2030s commercial deployment as AI drives $9B investment
The Department of Energy has released a new roadmap targeting commercial-scale fusion power deployment by the mid-2030s, though the plan lacks specific funding commitments and relies on scientific breakthroughs that have eluded researchers for decades. The strategy emphasizes public-private partnerships and positions AI as both a research tool and motivation for developing fusion energy to meet data centers' growing electricity demands. The big picture: The DOE's roadmap aims to "deliver the public infrastructure that supports the fusion private sector scale up in the 2030s," but acknowledges it cannot commit to specific funding levels and remains subject to Congressional appropriations. Why...
Oct 17, 2025Tying it all together: Credo’s purple cables power the $4B AI data center boom
Credo, a Silicon Valley semiconductor company specializing in data center cables and chips, has seen its stock price more than double this year to $143.61, following a 245% surge in 2024. The company's signature purple cables, which cost between $300-$500 each, have become essential infrastructure for AI data centers, positioning Credo to capitalize on the trillion-dollar AI infrastructure expansion as hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's xAI rapidly build out massive computing facilities. What you should know: Credo's active electrical cables (AECs) are becoming indispensable for connecting the massive GPU clusters required for AI training and inference. The company...
Oct 17, 2025Vatican launches Latin American AI network for human development
The Vatican hosted a two-day conference bringing together 50 global experts to explore how artificial intelligence can advance peace, social justice, and human development. The event launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development and established principles for ethical AI governance that prioritize human dignity over technological advancement. What you should know: The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Vatican's research body for social issues, organized the "Digital Rerum Novarum" conference on October 16-17, combining academic research with practical AI applications. Participants included leading experts from MIT, Microsoft, Columbia University, the UN, and major European institutions. The conference...