What Happens When AI Takes the Work of Junior Associates?

AI isn’t coming for junior associate work—it’s already here.

From due diligence and document review to drafting basic corporate agreements and managing signature packets, the tasks that once defined the early years of associate life are increasingly being handled by machines. AI tools are faster, cheaper, and more accurate than ever—and they will only continue to improve.

I'm no longer practicing regularly, but when I need to draft a simple agreement or conduct preliminary legal research, I have to admit: ChatGPT is a pretty solid junior associate. Tools developed specifically for law firm practice are undoubtedly even better.

This shift raises a fundamental question: how will we evaluate junior associate performance when many of the traditional metrics no longer apply?

Historically, associates built credibility and earned trust by handling the details. They showed their value by staying late to check every citation, manage complex closing checklists, and ensure nothing was overlooked. But as AI takes over much of that work, firms will need to rethink what excellence looks like in those early years.

Professional skills—long considered “soft”—will become core. Communication, time management, ownership and initiative, managing up, and even early business development capabilities will grow in importance. These are the skills AI can’t replicate, and they will become increasingly central to identifying future leaders.

The legal profession still needs associates who have the potential to become partners, business generators, and trusted client advisors. We must continue to develop and nurture that talent. But how we get there—and how we support that journey—must evolve. From day one, associate training programs need to elevate professional skills from a secondary focus to a central pillar of development.

Tools like the one we’ve built at WorkBetter are an important part of this strategy—but they’re not the whole solution. Video content can support learning, but it must be integrated into a broader, more comprehensive approach. A combination of mentoring, live programming, on-demand resources, and coaching is what will truly prepare the next generation of law firm leaders—and sustain the long-term success of our profession.

There is, appropriately, a strong focus right now on training associates to use AI tools responsibly—and that’s essential. But the next step is looking beyond AI integration to what comes after. That will require preparing associates early to deliver the human judgment, adaptability, and interpersonal insight that AI can never replicate.

By: Kandice Thorn, Founder, WorkBetter for Lawyers