Generative AI and the legal sector: where do you stand?

Reading time: nine minutes

Generative AI is everywhere – it’s slowly becoming a part of everyday life, whether personal or professional. Regardless of your opinions on generative AI, one fact can’t be denied: if you don’t use it, someone else will, and they’re likely completing work and job applications more efficiently than you.

However, you may also have interacted with people who seem to be overusing generative AI, which could result in them creating lower quality or less original work.

How can you strike your own balance when you enter the working world?

Generative AI usage in job applications

Let’s be frank: people are using generative AI in job applications. You’ll probably use it in job applications at some point. Law firms are acknowledging this: for example, some have recently introduced prompt engineering tasks into their application processes, asking applicants to draft a large language model prompt based on a legal problem. Every person's decision to use generative AI is deeply personal – but it’s a decision you have to make.

So, let’s discuss the pros and cons of using generative AI in job applications.

Want more advice on applications and AI? Explore LawCareers.Net’s guide and start building a standout application strategy.

What are the benefits of using AI in job applications?

For many, job searching is extremely dejecting. It can begin to feel like a numbers game after receiving several rejections. Generative AI can help with this as it allows you to be more efficient during the application process. 

It’s worth noting that you should be using AI to support a job application you’re writing – not creating an application entirely using AI. Most law firms don’t want to see AI-generated applications, but rather evidence that AI has been used responsibly to enhance an existing application – whether that’s through refining sentences or conducting your initial research. You should always check what the law firm you’re applying for wants to see regarding AI – remember, your authenticity is integral to a successful application.

To summarise, generative AI can be useful for:

• reviewing your job applications, including catching spelling errors and missed details;
• helping you to phrase things professionally when you feel stuck; and
• researching companies and helping you to and original resources that you can investigate further.

What are the risks of using AI in job applications?

I’ve marked many job applications and very often come across answers from different people that start with the exact same sentence. When I’m looking at 500 job applications for three roles, I’m likely going to write off your application straight away if I can tell you’ve used generative AI. The market is too competitive, and people who submit applications that read like they’ve been crafted by the individual themselves, rather than AI, simply give off the impression that they want the job more.

Secondly, generative AI takes away the personable tone that you can add to a job application. Generative AI doesn’t fully know your experience and skill set, and it doesn’t have your writing style or tone of voice. This means that applications written solely with generative AI sound the same. If you take the time to adapt an answer created using generative AI, you can mitigate this: however, if you don’t, it’ll be obvious.

Worse than being unmemorable, is having the generic or obvious generative AI writing style that everyone has made fun of at this point. It’s not just a generic writing style – it’s an uncanny valley nightmare voice that strikes irritation into the hearts of those who read it! As a marker, the second your application sounds like this, it’s going to the bottom of the pile.

Finally, there’s a more nuanced discussion, particularly relating to the legal sector, which prides itself on accuracy and integrity. Even if using generative AI is faster, are you doing the due diligence check for potential AI hallucinations? When generative AI hallucinates in a job application, it poses the same risk as lying in a job interview. What’s going to happen at an interview when there’s a massive disconnect with your application and how you present yourself in real life? Do you want to be misrepresenting yourself (even if by accident) in a sector like law?

The legal sector is built on integrity and following rules. You should have full accountability and respect for this work. Is passing off generative AI applications as your own work something that fits with these values? If you’re applying for a job in the legal sector, is ‘lying’ a quality that you want to be exhibiting?

What's the dilemma of using/not using AI in job applications?

You can use generative AI and, if discovered, risk being judged, sabotaging your own development, making mistakes or even losing out on job opportunities. However, if you don’t use generative AI, you risk being slower.

The above risks must be considered, but you should also acknowledge the benefits of using the tool to make application writing more efficient. The job market is competitive right now, and many applicants will be using generative AI to increase their output. If you opt to use generative AI in your job applications, make sure you’re fully aware of the risks involved.

If you’re going to use generative AI, you must be confident that you know why you’re using it, and that each choice you make aligns with your values as a future lawyer. However, if I had to summarise my thoughts, I’d say:

• use it for planning and idea generation;
• don’t use generative AI to create full pieces of work or content;
• use it as a final-stage spellchecker, but be aware that it can make mistakes;
• always double check work created by generative AI; and
• weigh up whether the time saved by using generative AI is worth the time required to make sure it’s producing accurate, high-quality content for you.

How's generative AI used in the legal sector?

Generative AI is booming at the moment – every sector is trying to figure out how it’ll fit organically into their pre-existing structures. I’d like to take a moment to outline how this is manifesting in the legal sector.

Drafting

You can use generative AI to help create the general structure for the first versions of a document. An example of a prompt for this could be:

'I have to create a document to do X, how would you recommend I structure it to communicate X, Y and Z effectively to X audience. Ask me any questions you need to inform your response.'

You'd then use this structure to flesh out and begin your own, human-written document.

Some people might even be using generative AI to create entire first drafts of documents. Here, the risk factor isn’t editing this content to make it your own – it’s passing off generative AI work as human work. At best, if not discovered, you’ll be producing potentially inaccurate and low-quality versions of a human-produced output you could make. At worst, if discovered, this will affect your relationships with your colleagues and even your job prospects. This is especially important, as discussed earlier, in a sector focused on integrity.

Using generative AI as a base, or to help plan, is fine – but using it to create the majority of any piece of work isn’t. A big part of a client's experience with a law firm is the personable nature of working with lawyers – overusing generative AI can take away this element and affect your working relationships with clients.

Overuse of generative AI in this instance will also personally set you back – you won’t develop the drafting skills required to be skilled at your job. As a graduate, you’re supposed to be in training and learning, so if you don't refine these skills now, you’ll and it more difficult later down the line. You should be learning from those with experience around you. Generative AI can tell you the formula, but experienced lawyers will have learned what works best in practical scenarios.

Due diligence

Generative AI can be incredibly powerful in reviewing large amounts of information quickly, which has the potential to drastically reduce workload and save you time. However, generative AI is fallible and biased. It can miss things and make mistakes. You should always double check any generated AI output.

Document review

For tasks like sorting and identifying key files, generative AI can increase efficiency. This does come with the downside of extreme privacy risks. However, using a built-in generative AI system, like A&O Shearman’s Harvey, will mitigate this.

Legal research

Finding information and pointing to sources using generative AI is, again, much quicker when using generative AI. However, what happens if you’re asked to provide your sources for certain facts? How do you prevent AI hallucination? In this instance, using generative AI to point you towards primary sources is probably wiser than taking your information directly from it.

Key takeaway: generative AI helps with efficiency, but everything must be checked.

The growth of generative AI and future job opportunities

The rise of generative AI creates new career opportunities. You could specialise in law surrounding fair use and AI or safety and AI, for example. As a young person, this is your opportunity to build a career in this niche.

You can (and should) make yourself stand out by demonstrating your understanding of, and interest in, generative AI. There’ll likely be an increase in generative AI-specialised jobs in law in the future.

You can present yourself as:

• ‘tech-aware’ – you have opinions on generative AI, and can have nuanced and honest discussions on its positives, negatives, opportunities and risks, while understanding that it’s part of a wider digital landscape in an increasingly technologically centered world;
• ‘digital native’ – you grew up around generative AI, so it’s second nature to use it and to do so ethically;
• ‘efficient’ – you’re not hiding your use of generative AI – you’re open about the fact it makes you more efficient; and
• ‘responsibly using generative AI’ – you understand there are certain instances where it’s not appropriate to use – either legally, professionally or for your own personal self-development.

Conclusion

Generative AI is a tool, not a replacement for lawyers. Graduates who use generative AI carefully, ethically and purposefully will have an advantage. Make sure you put thought into your relationship with generative AI. Especially in the legal sector, transparency and honesty about how and why you use it is incredibly important.

However, that doesn’t mean generative AI is a bad thing or something you need to hide – for example, can you tell that I used generative AI to write the base plan for this article? Scroll down to read the plan it provided – so you can see how and where I edited and adapted it!

Sally McCarroll is an alumni coordinator at upReach. 

Generative AI plan

Generative AI & the Legal Sector: What Graduates Need to Know

• Generative AI is becoming part of everyday legal work
• Graduates need to understand how it’s used and the risks involved

2.  How Generative AI is Used in Legal Work

Keep this practical and easy to follow:

• Drafting – helping create first versions of documents
• Due diligence – reviewing large amounts of information quickly
• Document review – sorting and identifying key files
• Legal research – finding information and pointing to sources
• Fact-checking – checking dates, cases, and laws

Key point: Generative AI helps with speed, but everything must be checked

3.  Why This Matters for Graduates

Opportunities

• Many firms don’t yet have clear Generative AI rules
• This creates new career opportunities (e.g. Generative AI risk, compliance)
• Graduates can stand out by showing they understand Generative AI

• You can present yourself as:
  • Tech-aware
  • Efficient
  • Responsible with Generative AI use

4.  Generative AI in Job Applications

The Benefits

• Faster applications
• Ability to apply to more firms

The Risks

• Mistakes or “hallucinations”
• Generic or obvious Generative AI writing style
• Losing your personal voice

The Dilemma

• Use Generative AI and risk being judged
• Don’t use Generative AI and risk being slower

5.  Using Generative AI Properly (Key Skill for Graduates)

• Always check information yourself
• Use Generative AI to and sources, not replace them
• Watch out for errors and bias
• Never input confidential information

6.  What Law Firms Want Now