Lawyers and AI: What It Means for the SQE

Sir Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Rolls, recently spoke at the Association of Law Teachers Conference about how AI is changing the justice system and legal education. Here, we look at his predictions and also ask: what might this mean for the SQE?

AI is already changing legal practice

• AI is being used to help write, and in some cases fully draft, legal claims

• AI may soon make decisions on smaller disputes, like personal injury damages

• Top firms like Freshfields have moved beyond experimenting with AI; it's now core infrastructure

  
  

Clients are using AI too

• Clients are turning to tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and legal-specific tools like Harvey or Legora before they call a lawyer

• Lawyers will increasingly be asked to explain or confirm what AI has already told clients

• Younger clients won't want to pay lawyers the same prices for slower outcomes, putting pressure on firms to use AI themselves

• Law firm recruitment is already falling as a result

Will AI replace lawyers?

• No, but the role is changing

• Humans are still needed to develop the law and interpret machine-led decisions

• Public trust in the justice system depends on human involvement

• The thoroughness and trustworthiness of solicitors will matter more than ever

Skills lawyers will need

• Ability to use AI beyond what clients can do themselves

• Spotting AI "hallucinations", like the recent Sullivan & Cromwell case where a major court filing contained multiple AI errors

• Identifying fake AI-generated documents (and defending genuine ones)

• Strong client-facing skills: empathy and communication to guide clients through complex AI-driven decisions

How legal teaching will change

• Shorter attention spans and online learning are already shifting how students engage

• AI tools may improve learning outcomes, but could also make it harder to build analytical skills

• Students will still need to know the fundamentals to meaningfully evaluate AI output

Ethics is becoming essential

• Data protection and security can no longer be treated as optional

• Solicitors must understand how to use AI responsibly and explain its conclusions to clients

• The ability to "understand, marshal, and explain complexity" will be critical

What this means for the SQE

• The exam may need to assess AI literacy and responsible AI use

• Greater focus on ethics, data, and client-facing skills will be important

• The fundamentals aren't going away: solicitors need solid legal knowledge to spot AI mistakes

• How the SQE adapts to changing learning styles could be key to improving pass rates

Whatever changes are coming to the SQE, one thing is clear: a solid grounding in the law isn't going anywhere. Revision Killer gives you the structured notes and flashcards to build exactly that foundation.