Lawyers

Search for and examine public and other legal records to write opinions or establish ownership.

AI: Fully automatable - AI systems are highly capable of searching and examining public and legal records at scale to support opinions and establish ownership, often exceeding human speed and thoroughness.

Perform administrative and management functions related to the practice of law.

AI: Fully automatable - Administrative and management tasks in legal practice (scheduling, billing, document management, routine compliance) are highly automatable and commonly handled by AI-driven systems by 2025.

Analyze the probable outcomes of cases, using knowledge of legal precedents.

AI: Partial - AI can analyze precedents and produce probabilistic outcome assessments with growing accuracy by 2025, but such analyses still require human legal judgment and context sensitivity.

Advise clients concerning business transactions, claim liability, advisability of prosecuting or defending lawsuits, or legal rights and obligations.

AI: Partial - AI can draft and recommend advice on transactions, liability, and litigation strategy, but cannot replace licensed attorney judgment, client counseling, and ethical/legal responsibilities.

Select jurors, argue motions, meet with judges, and question witnesses during the course of a trial.

AI: Partial - AI can support jury selection, craft motion arguments, and suggest witness questions, but cannot itself perform in‑court activities that require a licensed human advocate and live interaction.

Interpret laws, rulings and regulations for individuals and businesses.

AI: Partial - AI can interpret laws, rulings, and regulations and explain implications for businesses, but final authoritative interpretation and certified legal advice remain the domain of human lawyers.

Present evidence to defend clients or prosecute defendants in criminal or civil litigation.

AI: Partial - AI can prepare evidence presentations, exhibits, and legal narratives for litigation, yet cannot physically present evidence in court or assume the advocacy role of a human attorney.

Work in environmental law, representing public interest groups, waste disposal companies, or construction firms in their dealings with state and federal agencies.

AI: Partial - AI can perform regulatory research, draft filings, and prepare arguments for environmental agency dealings but cannot itself hold client relationships, perform licensed advocacy, or assume ethical responsibility for representation.

Present and summarize cases to judges and juries.

AI: Partial - AI can prepare and summarize case materials for judges and juries, but cannot fully substitute for the in-person rhetorical, ethical, and procedural responsibilities of human advocates.

Study Constitution, statutes, decisions, regulations, and ordinances of quasi-judicial bodies to determine ramifications for cases.

AI: Partial - AI tools in 2025 can research and synthesize constitutional, statutory, and regulatory materials to outline ramifications, but conclusions still need human legal evaluation and discretion.

Negotiate settlements of civil disputes.

AI: Partial - AI can generate settlement options, simulate negotiation scenarios, and draft offers, but real-time bargaining, assessing client risk tolerance, and ethical decision-making need human negotiators.

Prepare, draft, and review legal documents, such as wills, deeds, patent applications, mortgages, leases, and contracts.

AI: Partial - AI can draft and review many standard legal documents and suggest edits, but jurisdictional nuance, ethical responsibility, and complex bespoke drafting still require human lawyer oversight.

Supervise legal assistants.

AI: Partial - AI can assist with task assignment, review work product, and provide training materials, but full supervisory responsibilities, personnel decisions, and professional accountability remain human roles.

Examine legal data to determine advisability of defending or prosecuting lawsuit.

AI: Partial - AI can analyze case data, precedent, and probabilistic outcomes to inform whether to defend or prosecute, but final advisability requires human judgment about strategy, client goals, and ethical considerations.

Evaluate findings and develop strategies and arguments in preparation for presentation of cases.

AI: Partial - AI can synthesize findings and propose strategies and arguments, but tailoring persuasive legal theory and making strategic choices for court presentation still depend on experienced lawyers.

Gather evidence to formulate defense or to initiate legal actions, by such means as interviewing clients and witnesses to ascertain the facts of a case.

AI: Partial - AI can conduct intake interviews, organize evidence, and suggest lines of inquiry, but evidence-gathering that requires human rapport, credibility assessment, and sworn testimony cannot be fully automated.

Probate wills and represent and advise executors and administrators of estates.

AI: Partial - AI can automate drafting probate documents, generate checklists and advice for executors, and identify issues, but cannot fulfill licensed attorney duties or exercise final fiduciary judgment in court proceedings.

Prepare legal briefs and opinions, and file appeals in state and federal courts of appeal.

AI: Partial - AI can draft briefs and legal opinions and prepare filing documents, but ensuring appellate strategy, nuanced legal reasoning, and compliance with court procedures requires human oversight and sign-off.

Confer with colleagues with specialties in appropriate areas of legal issue to establish and verify bases for legal proceedings.

AI: Partial - AI can collate specialist analyses and facilitate coordination, but professional consultations, privileged communications, and interdisciplinary judgment remain human-led activities.

Help develop federal and state programs, draft and interpret laws and legislation, and establish enforcement procedures.

AI: Partial - AI can draft statutory text, model impacts, and interpret existing laws to aid program development, but it cannot make policy decisions or carry statutory accountability without human policymakers.

Represent clients in court or before government agencies.

AI: Not automatable - AI cannot formally represent clients in court or before government agencies, because representation requires licensed human attorneys and recognized legal standing that AI lacks in 2025.

Act as agent, trustee, guardian, or executor for businesses or individuals.

AI: Not automatable - Acting as a legal agent, trustee, guardian, or executor requires legal status, fiduciary responsibility, and court-recognized authority that AI cannot assume.