AI can draft contracts. Will there be jobs for young lawyers?

There will be jobs, but the entry-level work is changing. The ILO places lawyers in its 'Minimal Exposure' group, while the WEF expects some legal support roles to decline fast. Young lawyers who can judge, argue and advise, not only draft, will do best.

Which stream is best for law?

Any stream is accepted for CLAT. Humanities builds reading and argument; commerce helps with corporate law; science helps with patents and technology law.

When should my child start preparing for CLAT?

Reading habits matter more than early coaching. Daily newspaper reading and practice with reasoning puzzles in Class 10 and 11 build the base.

Is law only about going to court?

No. Many lawyers never argue in court. They work in companies, policy, compliance, arbitration and the judiciary.

What makes a good lawyer in an AI world?

Judgement, integrity and the ability to explain law to real people. Checking AI research rather than trusting it is now part of basic professional care.

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DharmaCode Agents · Future-proof careers

Lawyer

Advice, argument and responsibility. AI does more research and drafting, which raises the bar for young lawyers.

Medium AI-resistance

What the job is

Lawyers advise people and organisations on their rights and duties, draft agreements, and represent clients in courts and tribunals. Careers include litigation, corporate law, the judiciary, policy and in-house legal teams.

O*NET's task list for lawyers includes representing clients in court, advising clients on their legal rights, and preparing, drafting and reviewing documents such as contracts and wills.

How AI is changing it

AI can search case law, summarise documents and produce first drafts of contracts quickly. Much of the research and drafting once given to junior staff is changing.

Judgement about a client's real situation, negotiation, arguing in court, and professional responsibility stay with the lawyer. Young lawyers will need to check AI output carefully and add value beyond it.

AI-resistance outlook

MediumMedium AI-resistance

The ILO finds limited exposure for lawyers themselves, but the WEF expects some legal support roles to decline fast. The entry-level work is changing most.

What "Medium" means here: AI can already help with a fair share of the work, but the core of judgement, responsibility or hands-on craft stays with people.

Why we say this

The ILO's 2025 index places Lawyers in its 'Minimal Exposure' group, and Legal Secretaries in the more exposed Gradient 3. Source: ILO Working Paper 140, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (2025), Table A1.
The WEF lists Legal Officials and Legal Secretaries among the 15 fastest-declining jobs to 2030. Source: World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025, Figure 2.2.
O*NET's task list mixes court and client work with document drafting and review. Source: O*NET OnLine, Lawyers (23-1011.00).

No one can promise how any career will look in ten or twenty years. This is our reading of the sources above, not a forecast for your child.

Skills to build in school

Reading closely and writing clearly in English, and ideally in another Indian language.
Debate, moot courts and model UN.
Logical reasoning and general knowledge, both tested in CLAT.
Honesty and steadiness under pressure.
Using AI research tools while checking every citation.

Exams and paths in India

CLAT
The Common Law Admission Test, used by National Law Universities for the five-year integrated LLB after Class 12.
Official site: consortiumofnlus.ac.in
AILET and other tests
National Law University Delhi runs its own test, AILET. Many other universities have their own entrance tests or admit on merit.
Official site: nationallawuniversitydelhi.in
Enrolment and AIBE
To practise, a law graduate enrols with a State Bar Council and passes the All India Bar Examination conducted by the Bar Council of India.
Official site: barcouncilofindia.org

Rules, dates and eligibility change every year. Always check the official site before applying.

Who tends to enjoy this work

O*NET gives lawyers the interest code ECI:

Enterprising: leading, persuading and starting things.
Conventional: organised work with data, records and clear procedures.
Investigative: working with ideas, research and problems that need thinking through.

These are O*NET's Holland interest types for the occupation, from its Lawyers page. DharmaCode's own quiz and report do not use this test.

Closest DharmaCode pattern: The Guardian.

Choosing a stream first? Read how to choose a stream after Class 10, or see a sample report with ten ranked careers for one child.

Ask the DharmaCode Agent

Questions parents ask about this career. These answers were written in advance by the DharmaCode team in the voice of a DharmaCode Agent. They are not generated live.

AI can draft contracts. Will there be jobs for young lawyers?: DharmaCode AgentThere will be jobs, but the entry-level work is changing. The ILO places lawyers in its 'Minimal Exposure' group, while the WEF expects some legal support roles to decline fast. Young lawyers who can judge, argue and advise, not only draft, will do best.
Which stream is best for law?: DharmaCode AgentAny stream is accepted for CLAT. Humanities builds reading and argument; commerce helps with corporate law; science helps with patents and technology law.
When should my child start preparing for CLAT?: DharmaCode AgentReading habits matter more than early coaching. Daily newspaper reading and practice with reasoning puzzles in Class 10 and 11 build the base.
Is law only about going to court?: DharmaCode AgentNo. Many lawyers never argue in court. They work in companies, policy, compliance, arbitration and the judiciary.
What makes a good lawyer in an AI world?: DharmaCode AgentJudgement, integrity and the ability to explain law to real people. Checking AI research rather than trusting it is now part of basic professional care.

A lesson from the texts

"Your business is with action alone; not by any means with fruit. Let not the fruit of action be your motive (to action). Let not your attachment be (fixed) on inaction."

Bhagavad Gita 2.47, translated by K. T. Telang (1882). Public domain.

A lawyer prepares fully and argues well, but the verdict is not theirs to control. The Gita's advice to focus on the action and not the fruit is useful in a profession where you lose cases you deserved to win.

See all 20 careers

Sources on this page

O*NET describes jobs in the United States, and the WEF and ILO figures are global. Training and licensing in India differ, so treat these as signals, not certainties. This page includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor.