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Artificial Intelligence, commonly referred to as AI, has become one of the most talked-about developments in the legal profession. For trainee solicitors and aspiring lawyers, it raises an understandable question: if AI can draft, summarise, proofread and streamline administrative tasks, what does that mean for the traditional role of a trainee solicitor?
Since beginning my training contract in 2025, I have come to see the answer as more reassuring than alarming. AI is not making junior lawyers less important. Instead, it is changing what makes a good junior lawyer stand out.
The core skills trainees develop remain just as important as ever. In many ways, they may become even more valuable.
The traditional trainee experience continues to play a vital role in legal development. Trainees learn far more than how to complete individual tasks. They learn how files progress, how transactions are managed, how to communicate with clients and third parties, and how to prioritise competing demands.
They also learn how to draft clearly, identify potential issues, assess risk and develop professional judgement.
Those skills cannot be replaced by technology. They are built through experience, repetition, supervision and exposure to real legal work. AI may be able to assist with certain tasks, but it does not replace the need for a human lawyer who understands the client, the file and the wider commercial or personal context.
In fact, the more technology is used, the more important it becomes that there is a capable person reviewing, questioning and taking responsibility for the work.
Early in my training contract, a significant amount of my time was spent handling administrative tasks alongside my fee-earning work. Some of those tasks were time-consuming and, at times, frustrating. However, they were also valuable.
They helped me understand how transactions progress in practice, how teams operate and why organisation matters so much. They also showed me the importance of being prepared, accurate and aware of the wider picture.
There is a reason why trainee solicitors have traditionally learned from the ground up. Practical awareness cannot be gained from textbooks alone. It comes from being involved in the day-to-day detail of legal work and seeing how each task fits into the overall progress of a matter.
At the same time, it is impossible to ignore how quickly technology is influencing the way legal professionals work.
AI tools are becoming increasingly capable and can assist with tasks that would previously have taken up a considerable amount of time, particularly administrative, repetitive or process-driven work. Used responsibly, AI can improve efficiency, support clearer communication and reduce unnecessary friction during the working day.
A good example is copy-typing.
There may be occasions where a historic PDF deed, perhaps dating back to the early 1900s, contains a deed of covenant that needs to be typed up manually. What might previously have taken 10 to 15 minutes can now be completed far more quickly using a firm-approved AI tool to scan the extract and produce a typed version for review.
In that sense, AI can help reclaim valuable time.
However, a time-saving tool is not the same as legal judgement.
This distinction is becoming increasingly important across the legal profession.
AI can assist with proofreading, structuring information, simplifying language and producing useful starting points for research. It can also help refine client-facing communication and organise information more efficiently.
For a trainee solicitor, that can be genuinely useful. A clear explanation of an unfamiliar concept can encourage further research and help build understanding. However, AI should not be treated as the answer in itself.
AI does not know the client. It does not know the file history. It does not understand the commercial or personal realities behind a transaction. It cannot assess risk in the same way a trained solicitor can, and it cannot take responsibility for the advice being given.
Trainee solicitors are not simply learning how to complete tasks. They are learning how to think, how to question, how to apply judgement and how to operate as solicitors.
That is where human training remains essential.
When speaking with colleagues and friends who are working towards a career in law, I often say that trainees should be careful not to become over-reliant on AI.
There is real value in working through a problem yourself. There is value in carrying out your own research, testing your understanding and learning how to structure your thinking without immediately turning to technology for assistance.
Those moments can feel difficult, but they are often where development happens.
At the same time, there is also value in understanding how AI tools can support productivity when used appropriately and responsibly. The challenge is finding the right balance: using AI as an aid, while still developing the fundamental legal skills that every solicitor needs.
I am proud that Martin Tolhurst Solicitors is exploring this balance carefully and proactively.
The focus is not on introducing AI for the sake of it. It is about understanding where technology can assist our work, while ensuring that human oversight, professional judgement and accountability remain central to the process.
As a firm, we are undertaking structured training with an AI specialist company. We have also adopted a policy that AI should not be used until that training has been completed successfully.
So far, the training has been insightful. It has provided an opportunity to work with colleagues to identify where AI tools may support our work, while reinforcing the point that they are not a replacement for legal expertise.
Our “human in the loop” approach means that content produced with the support of AI is still subject to scrutiny, review and professional judgement.
The firms and trainees who benefit most from AI are unlikely to be those who rely on it heavily. They are more likely to be those who understand both its benefits and its limitations.
AI may improve efficiency, reduce administrative friction and support some day-to-day tasks. However, responsibility for accuracy, judgement and client care will always remain with the lawyer behind the screen.
For trainee solicitors, this should not be something to fear.
If anything, AI places even greater value on the skills that training contracts are designed to develop: clear thinking, attention to detail, communication, judgement, accountability and client care.
Technology may change how trainee solicitors work, but it does not change why good legal training matters.
AI is unlikely to replace trainee solicitors because junior lawyers develop judgement, client awareness, drafting skills, risk assessment and practical legal experience. AI can support certain tasks, but it does not replace professional responsibility or human oversight.
Trainee solicitors can use AI responsibly by treating it as a support tool rather than a source of final advice. Outputs should always be checked, verified and reviewed in line with firm policies, confidentiality requirements and professional obligations.
Trainee solicitors will continue to need strong communication, organisation, drafting, research, judgement and client care skills. As legal technology develops, they will also benefit from understanding how to use AI tools safely, critically and efficiently.
Human oversight is essential because AI does not understand the full context of a legal matter, the client’s objectives or the professional responsibilities involved. Lawyers remain responsible for accuracy, judgement and advice.
Are you interested in legal careers or training at Martin Tolhurst Solicitors? Visit our careers page to learn more about life at the firm.
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