Survey Shows Nearly Half of Early-Career Lawyers Rely on AI Every Day

Nearly half of lawyers who graduated from American Bar Association-accredited law schools in 2022 say artificial intelligence has become an essential part of their daily work, according to a survey released by the National Association for Law Placement (NALP) and the NALP Foundation.

The survey, which gathered responses from 1,302 graduates, found that 48% consider AI a key part of their day-to-day responsibilities. Another 30% said they have access to AI tools but rarely use them, while 22% reported not using AI in their current roles.

Legal research was the most common application of AI, with 57% of respondents using it for that purpose. Around 55% said they rely on AI to collect and organize information, while 40% use it to help prepare documents.

This is the first time the annual NALP Foundation survey has included questions about AI usage among recently licensed lawyers, reflecting the growing adoption of AI tools across law firms and corporate legal departments.

The survey also found that 96% of respondents did not use AI during law school, as such tools were not widely available when they were students. ChatGPT launched in November 2022, several months after the surveyed graduates completed their studies.

Beyond AI, the report highlighted continued job mobility among the 2022 graduates. About 63% said they have already worked in two or more positions since graduating, while 11% reported actively looking for a new job, a decrease from earlier graduating classes.

The survey also showed that average law school debt continued to decline for a third consecutive year, with respondents reporting an average balance of $81,876 three years after graduation, compared with $88,669 for the class of 2021.