Source: Legal Cheek

Legal Cheek features an interview with a commercial lawyer who embodies the emerging role of the "hybrid lawyer," a professional who combines deep legal expertise with a strong proficiency in technology and artificial intelligence. The article provides a firsthand account of how AI is not replacing lawyers but rather transforming their roles, creating new opportunities for innovation and efficiency. The interviewee, from the law firm Ashurst, describes how her work involves both traditional legal tasks and collaborating with the firm's tech and AI development teams to create new solutions for clients.

This hybrid role involves identifying client challenges that can be addressed with technology, helping to design and test new AI-powered legal tools, and training other lawyers on how to use them effectively. The piece emphasizes that future legal professionals will need a broader skillset that includes an understanding of data, an aptitude for technology, and a willingness to adapt. It paints an optimistic picture of the future, where lawyers are empowered by AI to focus on higher-value strategic advice, leaving more routine tasks to automated systems. The "hybrid lawyer" is presented as a key figure in the evolution of legal services.