Survey: 96% of lawyers say AI helps meet business goals while reducing burnout

There are Gen Z-ers who are already lawyers! With that said:

A recent study of 800 attorneys reveals that artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing not just how lawyers work, but why they find their profession meaningful, with 96 percent reporting AI helps them meet business goals more efficiently and 76 percent saying it directly improves their burnout levels. The research, commissioned by Ironclad, a legal technology company, shows younger attorneys are leading this transformation, using AI to shift from perfectionist-driven work cultures toward more strategic, purposeful legal practice.

The big picture: AI is reshaping legal work beyond simple automation, serving as what Jasmine Singh, general counsel at Ironclad, describes as “a coworker that helps when I need a brainstorming partner; an intern that helps do the rote or repeat work; a sounding board when I want to try a bunch of ideas and see what sticks.”

Generational divide: Younger attorneys are embracing AI’s burnout-reducing potential more enthusiastically than their older counterparts.

• Gen Z lawyers show 91 percent agreement that AI reduces burnout, compared to 75 percent of millennials.
• “I believe that Gen Z sees the virtue of AI because they have not internalized the message that we have to both be perfect and do perfect work; instead, they are creating the new message that our work has to be effective, impactful, and deliberate–and AI can help with all of those things,” said Singh.

Key productivity gains: Legal teams are using AI to handle significantly larger workloads with fewer people.

• Document review and contract analysis time has been cut by 75 percent at Ocrolus, a fintech data analytics firm.
• “AI has transformed our legal operations by automating document review, cutting contract analysis time by 75 percent, and enabling our small legal team to manage workload equivalent to a department triple our size,” said Katelyn Canning, director and head of legal at Ocrolus.

Most common AI applications: Survey respondents identified their primary use cases for AI tools in legal practice.

• Summarizing case law: 61 percent.
• Document review: 45 percent.
• Contract review: 44 percent.
• Drafting legal documents: 42 percent.
• More than half said AI opens time for strategic work.

Career impact: AI is creating new professional development opportunities, particularly for in-house legal teams.

• 64 percent reported AI improves communication.
• 46 percent see new career growth opportunities thanks to AI.
• For in-house teams specifically, that figure jumps to 55 percent.

What they’re saying: Legal professionals emphasize that AI enhances rather than replaces core legal expertise.

• “AI is unlocking these superpowers for lawyers—but core legal expertise is more important than ever now. We’re going to see the lawyers with good judgment and curiosity rise to the top,” Singh noted.
• Singh described her transformation: “With more time, more clarity and the right tools at her side, she’s found a version of legal work that’s not only more productive, but more sustainable.”