The advantages and disadvantages of the immediate impact of AI in the legal sector

The rise of artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming legal practice. Its ability to analyze vast amounts of information —from due diligence processes to reviewing legislation or case law— makes it an increasingly common tool in law firms, allowing for the automation of repetitive tasks and freeing up time for strategic analysis and high-value advisory.

However, this technological advancement also poses significant challenges in a profession based on responsibility, trust, and technical judgment. Aspects such as the reliability of results, human oversight, and the protection of confidentiality require strengthening security and control standards in the use of these tools.

In this context, Jesús Vicente, director of the Legaltech division at ECIJA, highlights a deeper transformation within the sector: the shift from documents to data. As he explains, law firms now operate like true knowledge industries, with decades of accumulated information —databases, precedents, contracts— that can be transformed into a strategic asset to develop their own artificial intelligence solutions.

The key, he points out, lies in transforming this knowledge into structured and governed data, capable of feeding more accurate and specialized models, aligned with the real needs of clients and lawyers. In this regard, ECIJA is already promoting initiatives that seek to leverage its accumulated experience through AI, improving the efficiency and scalability of legal services without compromising rigor or professional judgment.

For her part, Alba Pascual, director of Talent at ECIJA, emphasizes the impact of this transformation on the development of legal talent. Far from reducing the need for junior positions, artificial intelligence is driving a shift towards more hybrid roles, capable of interpreting results, supervising systems, and providing solid legal judgment from the early stages. In this sense, training plays a key role, integrating technological skills and critical thinking.

Overall, artificial intelligence does not replace the lawyer but redefines their role. It automates low-value tasks and allows work to focus on analysis, strategy, and decision-making. For ECIJA, this evolution represents an opportunity to transform the delivery of legal services while always maintaining human oversight as an essential element and ensuring the quality and trust standards that the sector demands.

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