The Future of Legal Education: Adapting for Modern Practice

With 2024’s large graduating class and the overall highest employment rate for law school graduates, the number of attorneys in the United States hit an all-time high in 2025, according to the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Profile of the Legal Profession.

This industry growth has occurred amidst major legal developments and technological advancements, including the increasingly widespread adoption of artificial intelligence tools. Given the dizzying pace of change, what skills are essential for law students and new attorneys to succeed in the legal market?

“First of all, being a lawyer is a really tough way to make a living. There is perhaps a misconception among some newer graduates about the lifestyle versus the effort required to earn it,” says Sarah Thompson, a partner at Ryther Law Group in Murrieta, California. “So, I think having a strong work ethic and drive to learn is fundamental to succeed in a legal career.”

Reflecting on her own experience as a law student and attorney, Thompson adds this advice for those looking to become lawyers: “I wish I’d known as a law student to prioritize practical courses and intensive trial advocacy programs. Those skills are what I use every single day in real-world practice.”

Applying Practical Skills to Novel Scenarios

There has been a lot of buzz about how new technologies, including AI tools and blockchain, will affect the legal field. Given the tech’s novelty, it can seem as if future lawyers will need a radically new skill set to succeed in the legal profession.

But sometimes the best skills for navigating newness are those that are time-tested and practical. Lawyers can confront new technologies the same way they help clients every day: by applying an existing body of knowledge and skills to novel situations.

Thompson understands this dynamic well from practicing animal law. It’s a niche and developing practice area in which she and her team apply established legal knowledge and problem-solving skills to new scenarios.

“It’s similar when using AI. Learning to discern what is and what is not real in the context of AI is extremely important. You must confirm that each source actually says what the AI claims it says. AI is simply not 100% reliable yet. But when we check AI’s accuracy, we’re really just using well-established legal research skills while avoiding over-reliance or ceding decision-making authority to the tools we use.”

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When Legal Skills Are Absent

An emphasis on the need for practical skills goes beyond handling new legal technology. “I would simply highlight effective communication as a primary skill,” says Thompson.

Effective legal communication — whether verbal or written, whether with clients, opposing counsel, or insurance adjusters — isn’t noteworthy for being new. Rather, it stands out when such a fundamental skill is absent.

“I think legal writing is one of the things I’m most concerned about in the legal profession,” says Thompson.
“It’s a fundamental skill. But I’ll read opposing counsel briefs from newer lawyers, and I’m not impressed by the level of writing that I’m seeing.”

Even after 10 years of legal practice, I’m constantly trying to improve my writing and legal analysis. If a seasoned attorney is still learning and growing, a new hire must have that same drive. My biggest worry for new attorneys is a lack of interest in that ongoing growth.

The Need for Experiential Learning

While legal writing, and the grammar and spelling that come with it, are essential, Thompson stresses the need for experience as early as possible. 

“It’s really about learning the necessary tone to take. And the reality is that law schools don’t always teach you the practical ‘nuts and bolts’ for being a lawyer unless you’re in clinics or practical internships,” she says, noting that too many new lawyers graduate without knowing how to file a document in court.

“You often have to rely on paralegals to teach you about local rules or how to get documents served — things you just don’t learn in a traditional classroom.”

What does this mean for people considering law school? “The best law schools are really those that teach you how to think like an attorney, not just know a bunch of abstract legal theory. If you can read and understand statutes and case law, learn how to apply them, and assess a situation, you can figure out your local rules later — or the new legal tech,” Thompson says.

How Experienced Lawyers Can Nurture New Hires

What happens when law school students aren’t practice-ready? As a legal team leader and mentor, Thompson says it’s left to law firms to pick up the slack.

“We have to teach new attorneys the skills they need. And I think the ‘observe and step up’ model works best for legal mentorship. For example, my associate began as an intern and gained extensive experience observing our client interactions. It’s really an exercise in trust: I review every email at first, then move to reviewing only complex communications. Eventually, they handle calls and all the facets of client interaction on their own.”

Law firms are also centers for experimenting with AI in legal workflows. Every law firm can approach AI use somewhat differently. “I have instilled in my team very early on that I am not impressed by generic AI outputs,” says Thompson.

“We only use specialized legal research software like LexisNexis because you can verify the content directly through the sources it links to. My team knows not to even bother bringing me something from ChatGPT for a final product.”

Regardless of law firm-level best practices for AI, certain ethical requirements are hard and fast. “We have strict boundaries regarding client privilege. You can’t put anything confidential or privileged into a non-confidential platform. Even for clients who bring us AI-drafted letters and insist we use them, we have to set expectations. We simply won’t regurgitate that text. We have to confirm every citation and put the arguments in our own words.”

Keeping the Desire To Learn and Grow Alive

Though concerned about important skills such as legal writing quality, Thompson doesn’t subscribe to a theory of decline in the legal world. Some experiential gaps simply come with the turf. Law students can only learn so much of the “nuts and bolts” in three years of law school, and legal education has to maintain some level of generality. This is where mentorship and on-the-job learning are important for attorneys.

The key, Thompson says, is to maintain a desire for growth and to accept that legal education doesn’t end with earning a J.D.

“Even after 10 years of legal practice, I’m constantly trying to improve my writing and legal analysis. If a seasoned attorney is still learning and growing, a new hire must have that same drive. My biggest worry for new attorneys is a lack of interest in that ongoing growth.”