We’ve all been there: baffled by a legal document so densely packed with jargon that it feels like deciphering an ancient script. This complexity has long been mistaken for competence in the legal field, where verbosity is often equated with thoroughness. But as we step into the era of artificial intelligence (AI), the traditional pillars of legal writing are being challenged.

The rapid advancement of AI technologies such as Harvey, Spellbook, and Lex Machina is reshaping the landscape of legal practices. These tools enhance research, drafting, and analysis, which raises a paradoxical scenario: instead of reducing lawyers to mere cogs in a machine, AI is setting the stage for a more human-centric approach to lawyering.

AI excels at tasks like identifying risks and referencing legal precedents—skills hammered into lawyers during their education. However, it falls short in areas requiring nuance, trust, and personal judgment. By automating the more mundane aspects of legal work, AI is giving lawyers a precious gift: time. Time that can be redirected from parsing through legal minutiae to engaging in meaningful, strategic communication.

Imagine a lawyer walking into a business meeting with a single, clear slide that conveys a recommendation directly aligned with company goals, rather than a cumbersome 20-page memo. This shift from exhaustive analysis to concise, impactful communication not only enhances understanding but also positions lawyers as true business leaders.

Businesses have never truly valued legal services by the poundage of paperwork; they crave clarity, direction, and advice that dovetails with their strategic objectives. As AI begins to dismantle the old bastions of complexity, the focus is moving towards who can articulate the most clear and effective solutions.

The evolving role of AI in law is not a harbinger of obsolescence for legal professionals, but rather an opportunity to elevate their role. The most valuable skills in this new era—judgment, prioritization, and the ability to provide practical, actionable advice—are precisely those that AI cannot replicate.

The future of law looks promisingly human. As AI takes on the rote tasks, lawyers are free to refine their roles, focusing on delivering succinct, insightful analyses that drive business forward. Rather than being overshadowed by technology, lawyers are finding that AI can enhance their most human qualities, redefining their value within the business ecosystem.

This transformation in the legal profession is not just a shift in tasks but a fundamental reevaluation of what it means to practice law. It’s about leveraging AI to return to the core of lawyering: providing strategic, human-centered counsel that aligns with the broader goals of the businesses they serve. In this way, AI doesn’t dehumanize the legal profession; it helps it rediscover its humanity.