With generative AI increasingly making its way into big law’s back office, prominent firms like Latham & Watkins and Linklaters, among others, have started unveiling their active pursuit for tech-savvy personnel. Close to two dozen roles across software development, analysis, programming, and data engineering are on offer to prop up the companies’ AI capabilities. The move illuminates the growing pressure on traditional law firms to imbibe advanced technology amidst a sea change in their operations.
Davis Wright Tremaine partner Vidhya Prabhakaran said, “I can’t imagine that every top 100 firm won’t have a few positions that involve the transformative power of generative AI”. The advent of AI will not only impact the ways lawyers carry out research and draft briefs, but it will also streamline marketing and business development operations.
Most job descriptions map out the need for experienced AI professionals, with Allen & Overy, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, and Goodwin Procter all emphasizing the necessity of having worked on “cutting edge” AI issues. Allen & Overy has added seven key members to its tech-savvy team since February and plans for another four, according to David Wakeling, head of the firm’s markets innovation group.
The original report also includes an industry-wide pay scale, which outlines that most AI-focused jobs pay between $85,000 to $165,000 per year depending on experience and the firm’s location. However, John Mann, managing director of the executive search firm Alex & Red, warns that the salaries on offer might not match the skill set required and suggests that firms need to be more flexible and responsive to candidates negotiating for higher salaries.
Moreover, some law firms have started rolling out their proprietary new AI tools. Dentons has recently released ‘fleetAI,’ a chatbot based on GPT-4 that aids the firm’s attorneys in the UK, Ireland, and Middle East offices with legal research and content generation, with plans to extend its reach globally in the future.
Though AI’s widespread adaptation stirs debates about job replacement, alternative voices argue that it will spur more job creation than it destroys. Rachel Dooley, the chief innovation officer at Goodwin, posits that the introduction of AI technology will be less of a threat and more of an aid to employees, enhancing their roles rather than replacing them. She concludes, “I don’t think it’s a replacement tool, It’s an elevation tool.”