Allison Hill offered a clear read on why AI is reshaping in-house teams—and why the pressure lands first on junior lawyers.
Corporate law departments are adopting AI faster than firms, trimming the kind of work that used to anchor early careers. “Lawyers in the early stages of their careers are most vulnerable because much of their work involves such tasks as contract negotiations, legal research and document review, all of which AI can handle,” she said.
The Microsoft cuts, she noted, crystallize how big companies are rethinking headcount in light of new tooling—leaner teams, fewer entry points, and a market that’s tightening for attorneys under five years out. In some cases, junior in-house lawyers are even eyeing firm roles to improve their trajectory, a reversal from the norm.
Hill’s playbook: learn the tech—and double down on the human edge. “The underlying side that I’m seeing is how important it is for lawyers to really learn that muscle of discernment and strategic thinking instead of just being executors and task takers."