AI is altering the legal profession as record number of Asian Americans enter law school

Artificial intelligence is transforming legal careers just as Asian American enrollment in U.S. law schools has reached an all-time high.

Raising the alarm on AI: In an X post on July 26, lawyer and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang cited a law firm partner who told him, “AI is now doing work that used to be done by first to third year associates. AI can generate a motion in an hour that might take an associate a week. And the work is better. Someone should tell the folks applying to law school right now.” Yang is one of many who forecast widespread automation reshaping opportunities for new graduates.

Asian enrollment record: Nearly 10% of first-year law students in 2024 identify as Asian American, according to new data from the American Bar Association. This marks a sharp rise from 7.5% last year and reverses a decline that saw Asian American enrollment drop by 40% between 2009 and 2016. Experts say the current surge reflects wider recruitment, growing Asian American populations and a greater emphasis on diversity in law schools. New scholarships and outreach programs have contributed to the most diverse law school classes on record.

AI adoption in law firms: The surge in Asian American law students comes as law firms rapidly adopt AI in daily practice. At least half of the 10 largest US law firms now use generative AI tools for drafting documents, reviewing contracts and compliance. DLA Piper uses Microsoft Copilot and custom models for routine work, while Ropes & Gray relies on Harvey and Hebbia to cut the time for fund document review from 10 hours to two.

Current challenges: Recent surveys by the Thomson Reuters Institute show that while most lawyers now use generative AI tools weekly and 95% of law firms expect AI to be central to their workflows within five years, only about 10 % currently have formal AI policies in place. High-profile cases have exposed risks, with attorneys in New York and Texas facing court sanctions for submitting filings containing fictitious citations generated by AI programs such as ChatGPT.