I’ve always been deeply intrigued by the legal industry - first, because of its complexity, and second, because of its elusive nature. A close friend of mine, now a highly respected physician in England, once said, “Any field that doesn’t deal with numbers is just a place where students learn to push the clouds.” He was referring to disciplines like law - where success is not always quantifiable, and outcomes can be more philosophical than scientific.
The irony? The law firm of the future is quite literally moving to the cloud.
My first encounter with the law came not from textbooks, but from movies and literature. Fiction painted a world where good triumphs over evil, and justice prevails. That idealism resonated with me and set me on the path to becoming a lawyer.
Studying law in 2003, in a small European country few had heard of, was a world apart from today. Resources were scarce. Students didn’t have laptops—except during final exams, where we’d type projects using school computers or at internet cafés. I often studied from Romanian and Russian law books just to cobble together a full outline. Countless hours were spent in the library translating foreign legal texts into something I could use in class. It was challenging, but formative.
Fast forward to 2015, and my experience at a law school in New York felt like stepping into the future. Every student brought a laptop to class, lectures were streamed online, and exams were taken digitally. The transformation was visible and exhilarating—but also a bit disorienting. Were we truly ready?
In Thinking Machines, Luke Dormehl explores the idea that “technology creates unemployment.” It’s a provocative claim. As the legal world embraces automation and AI, one must ask: Are we facing a new wave of displacement? Or is this the beginning of a more innovative era?
Artificial Intelligence now mimics perception, learning, reasoning, and decision-making—the core of what many legal professionals are trained to do. Once, AI was a concept confined to science fiction and computer labs. Today, it’s embedded in our everyday tools, and its impact on the legal sector is profound. Legal work—often categorized as white-collar, cognitive labor—is increasingly being automated. Unlike the Industrial Revolution, where machines replaced physical tasks, AI is now challenging mental ones.
The shift is already visible. Tasks traditionally assigned to junior associates—like document review and e-discovery—are now handled by AI. Platforms like LegalZoom and Wevorce use algorithms to help clients draft contracts, resolve disputes, and even file for divorce, without ever stepping into a law firm. As a result, many firms are rethinking how they hire and operate.
While this new frontier is filled with promise and innovation, it also brings serious questions: What does the future hold for aspiring lawyers? What value will human professionals add in an AI-driven system? Are law schools evolving fast enough to prepare students not just to practice law—but to understand technology, ethics, and systems design?
As someone who has lived through two vastly different legal education systems and witnessed firsthand the digital transformation of the profession, I believe the legal industry is at an inflection point. Change is no longer optional—it is essential.
We’re no longer just pushing clouds. We’re navigating them.