According to Thomson Reuters’ 2026 AI in Professional Services report, 41% of law firms surveyed worldwide are already using generative AI, nearly twice as many as a year earlier. This technology is changing how lawyers conduct research, analyze contracts, and prepare legal strategies.

However, 64% of legal professionals surveyed in five European countries, including Spain, by Karnov Group a company specializing in legal information and technology, believe there is a high or very high risk that younger professionals will fail to develop sufficient legal skills because of their use of AI. This finding highlights the need to combine technology with professional judgment.

For students nearing the end of their law degree who plan to practice law, programs such as Esade’s Spanish-language Máster Universitario en Abogacía y Procura + Máster de Especialización combine the use of legal AI tools with highly specialized training, teaching and assessment redesigned for the AI era and the development of essential professional skills.

But how is AI transforming the practice of law, and what applications and risks should future lawyers understand? We explore these questions below.

What is AI in the legal profession?

AI in the legal profession encompasses technologies that can process information, identify patterns, and generate content to support legal work. Generative AI has expanded these capabilities by enabling interaction through natural language.

However, AI in the legal field complements rather than replaces legal reasoning. Interpreting laws and defending a client’s interests still require professional judgment.

Main uses of AI in law firms and legal departments

As we explain in our article on AI for lawyers in Spain, this technology speeds up tasks and streamlines complex legal processes. Its use is already widespread: according to the White Paper on Artificial Intelligence and Law published by the Spanish General Council of Lawyers, 60% of legal professionals in Spain already use AI-powered applications.

International reports identify similar tasks as the main applications of AI. Thomson Reuters’ 2025 Generative AI in Professional Services report identifies document review and summarization, legal research, and the drafting of legal documents and contracts as the leading applications. LexisNexis’s The AI-Dependent Lawyer survey of 543 legal professionals in the UK points to the same trends.

The main uses of artificial intelligence in the legal field include:

  • Legal research: Finding legislation, case law, and legal scholarship relevant to a case.
  • Document review, analysis, and summarization: Summarizing lengthy case files and extracting relevant information, including during due diligence processes.
  • Drafting legal documents and contracts: Preparing draft legal documents based on instructions and reference templates.
  • Contract review:Analyzing clauses, comparing documents, and identifying potential inconsistencies.
  • Litigation preparation: Organizing evidence, summarizing case files, and exploring legal arguments.
  • Regulatory compliance: Identifying regulatory changes and assessing their potential implications.

In corporate legal departments, AI is used primarily for contract management. Consulting firm Gartner identifies six key applications: extracting data from contracts, automating contract reviews, analyzing contractual risks, summarizing legal documents, receiving and classifying internal inquiries, and transcribing and summarizing meetings.

Adoption is also growing rapidly. According to a survey by the Association of Corporate Counsel and Everlaw, active use of generative AI among surveyed in-house lawyers in the United States rose from 23% to 52% in one year.

The image shows a law student participating in a legal activity with a laptop, documents, and notes. The scene represents one of the main challenges of artificial intelligence in law: benefiting from technology without delegating professional judgment.

Legal aspects of artificial intelligence you should know

AI raises new legal questions, from data protection to liability for automated decisions. Future lawyers will need to understand the regulations governing the development and use of these technologies.

In the European Union, the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) establishes obligations based on the risk posed by AI systems. For example, it classifies certain systems that assist judicial authorities in interpreting and applying the law to specific cases as high-risk.

Since February 2025, it has also required organizations that use AI systems in their professional activities, including law firms and legal advisory firms, to promote AI literacy among their staff.

In addition, Spain’s Digital Omnibus adopted in 2026 (Regulation (EU) 2026/1744) has amended some of the AI Act’s requirements and postponed certain obligations for high-risk systems, making it important to keep track of the implementation timeline.

However,the legal aspects of artificial intelligenceextend beyond the AI Act. They also affect several areas of law:

  • Personal data protection:The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) sets out the conditions for processing personal data, including through AI systems.
  • Intellectual property: Using protected works to train models and exploiting AI-generated content raise copyright questions.
  • Fundamental rights:Certain applications can affect privacy, equality, nondiscrimination, and the right to effective judicial protection.
  • Cybersecurity: The AI Act, NIS2, and DORA, as well as risks such as prompt injection.
  • Employment law: Using algorithms to recruit employees, organize work, or evaluate performance requires transparency toward employees and their representatives, as well as safeguards for human oversight.
  • Nonpersonal data and platforms:The Data Act, Digital Services Act (DSA), and Digital Markets Act (DMA).
  • Legal liability: Developing and using AI systems can give rise to contractual or noncontractual obligations, as well as other forms of liability, including liability for professional misconduct, depending on the circumstances.

In Spain, the General Council of the Judiciary also approved Instruction 2/2026 in January 2026 on the use of AI in judicial proceedings. It establishes limits and requires human control over judicial decisions.

Legal risks of using AI in the practice of law

A common question among lawyers is: “What are the legal risks of using AI?”
One of the main risks is hallucinations: seemingly reliable responses that contain fabricated information, such as nonexistent laws, fictitious case law, or incorrect legal interpretations.

The consequences have already become apparent in the courts. In July 2026, the High Court of Justice of Galicia fined a lawyer €1,800 for submitting an appeal drafted using AI that contained 24 fabricated or inconsistent legal citations.

Liability, confidentiality, bias, and dependence: four key risks for lawyers

Beyond hallucinations, other legal risks associated with AI in the legal profession include:

  • Professional liability: Using AI tools does not exempt lawyers from their duty of care or from potential liability arising from their actions. They must therefore retain control over legal decisions and the quality of their work.
  • Confidentiality and data protection: Entering client information into AI systems without appropriate safeguards can compromise professional confidentiality and violate data protection regulations. It is essential to assess how that data is stored, processed, and used.
  • Bias and discrimination: AI systems can reproduce biases or discriminatory patterns present in their training data. This can lead to analyses or recommendations that unfairly disadvantage certain individuals or groups.
  • Dependence and delegation (or even loss) of judgment: Delegating to AI the tasks that help lawyers develop their legal judgment, such as researching, reading, drafting, and reasoning, can prevent junior professionals from developing essential skills. This is compounded by automation bias: the tendency to accept a machine’s response without verifying it.
The image shows a group of students attending a classroom session, highlighting the importance of preparing future legal professionals for the age of artificial intelligence.

Legal AI: current tools and applications

Compared with general-purpose AI assistants, legal AI platforms offer features tailored to the work of lawyers and legal departments. These include:

  • Harvey: A generative AI platform specializing in the legal sector, enabling users to work with legal documents, conduct research, and analyze risks.
  • vLex (Vincent AI): A legal research assistant that combines generative AI with access to legal sources and case law.
  • CoCounsel, by Thomson Reuters: An AI solution offering features for legal research, document review, and other professional workflows.

How to build AI skills for your legal career

To prepare for this changing professional landscape, focus on developing four key skills:

  • Legal reasoning and critical thinking:Analyzing AI-generated information, identifying potential errors, and checking its conclusions against reliable sources.
  • Digital skills: Becoming familiar with legal AI tools, their applications, and their limitations.
  • Regulatory knowledge:Understanding the legal and ethical implications of using these technologies.
  • Professional skills: Combining technology with essential legal skills, such as legal advocacy, negotiation, and client communication.

In other words, legal professionals need to learn about technology (what it is and how it works), how to use it effectively, how to apply it judiciously and when not to use it, and how to understand and respond to its implications through governance and regulation. Rather than mastering a particular tool that may become obsolete within months, the decisive skill will be learning how to learn.

AI is also creating new opportunities for specialization in areas such as technology regulation, data protection, and advising on intelligent systems, expanding the traditional career paths available to law graduates.

Esade’s Spanish-language Máster Universitario en Abogacía: prepare to practice law in the AI era

If you are nearing the end of your law degree and want to practice law, choosing a master’s program that prepares you for the profession, offers specialized training, and incorporates new technologies can make a difference at the start of your legal career.

Esade’s Spanish-language Máster Universitario en Abogacía y Procura + Máster de Especialización brings these three elements together through a dual degree and a hands-on approach to learning based on simulated litigation, designed to develop the skills required by the profession.

  • Harvey: Esade Law School integrates this legal AI platform into its law master’s programs through an agreement with Harvey Law School Programs.
  • vLex: An AI-powered legal information platform that is also integrated into Esade’s curriculum.

Both solutions give students hands-on experience with the technologies transforming legal practice.

But access to these tools is only the starting point. Esade Law School has launched a project to transform its law master’s programs for the AI era, rethinking what students learn, how they are taught, and how they are assessed. Assessment focuses on the learning process, not just the outcome, with greater emphasis on oral arguments, simulations, and real-world cases. Class time focuses on what AI cannot replace: debate, negotiation, judgment, and communication.

Frequently asked questions

How is artificial intelligence affecting law firms?

AI is transforming the work of law firms by automating repetitive tasks and streamlining processes such as legal research, contract review, and the preparation of legal documents. This allows lawyers to devote more time to higher-value activities, such as strategic advice, negotiation, and defending their clients’ interests.

What are the main legal risks of using AI without supervision?

The main risks include generating incorrect or fabricated legal information, breaching client confidentiality, discriminatory bias, loss of judgment due to overreliance on AI, and failure to comply with legal or professional obligations. To minimize these risks, it is essential to verify AI-generated results and establish protocols that ensure responsible use.

Can AI replace a lawyer in court?

No. AI can help prepare arguments, analyze documents, and search case law, but it cannot take the place of a lawyer representing a client in court. A lawyer remains essential for interpreting each case, defining the legal strategy, and assuming professional responsibility.

What training do I need to specialize in AI and law?

It is advisable to develop a solid legal foundation and knowledge of technology regulation, data protection, and AI applications. If you want to practice law in Spain, Esade’s Spanish-language Máster Universitario en Abogacía y Procura + Máster de Especialización combines the training required to qualify as a lawyer with specialized legal studies and digital skills developed through legal AI tools such as Harvey and vLex, which are integrated into a curriculum redesigned for the AI era.

Prepare to practice law in the AI era. Discover Esade’s Spanish-language Máster Universitario en Abogacía y Procura + Máster de Especialización and take the next step in your legal career.