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Can the race to embrace tech by lawyers ever be won?
The technology skills gap is not just a problem – it is a growing challenge that is not going away anytime soon, writes Paul Ippolito.
Paul Ippolito
Lawyers cannot adopt and embrace technology fast enough to use it competently, confidently, or effectively in their work.
The gap is at a critical juncture as lawyers struggle to keep up with a world of emerging technologies that refuse to slow down.
How can we prepare for a future where technology evolves faster than we can understand, learn, and adapt to it? The power of technology to drive innovation and disruption should never be underestimated.
From where I sit, it may be a race that cannot be won, but that does not mean we should not try.
Tech moves faster than most lawyers
Technology moves incredibly fast, while most lawyers remain cautious about adopting it, often for prudent reasons.
We are constantly stretched from new to newer to the newest technologies, rarely given time to absorb or consolidate what is already in front of us.
Emerging technologies on my watch-closely list, like advanced AI, blockchain, neurotechnology, and quantum computing, will have transformative impacts in the next 20 years.
However, forget new tech for a moment and ask yourself how well you know the tools you already use daily – things like Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Most of us barely scratch the surface of their potential.
The challenges for lawyers in closing the gap
The pace of technological change far outstrips our ability to learn, teach, and adapt. Keeping lawyers trained for industry needs is an ongoing challenge, and ensuring training remains relevant in real time is another.
Governments, industries, workplaces, and educational institutions must collaborate to identify emerging technologies, future roles, and legacy practices to retire. They need to create clear, accessible, and scalable pathways for reskilling and upskilling lawyers quickly and effectively.
Continuous learning is essential
Continuous learning is no longer optional. It is imperative.
Lawyers resistant to change must recognise that the risk of ignoring or not fully understanding innovative technology outweighs the comfort of staying the same.
Training and education will build the confidence to understand the capacities, limits, and risks of these technologies and their value to clients.
Generative AI has been the most transformative wake-up call technology development in recent times. Tools like ChatGPT, MS Copilot, Gemini, and Claude are increasingly becoming powerful allies for lawyers.
Are we really going to ignore these or defer their use?
Do we ever want to reach the point where clients are using technology more effectively than the lawyers they turn to for advice?
Taking action now
While closing the gap entirely may be aspirational, lawyers should take proactive steps now.
Dedicating just five minutes a day to improving proficiency with existing technology and another five to exploring generative AI tools adds up to 50 hours a year.
This simple daily habit boosts confidence, builds competency, and prepares lawyers for when substantive training becomes available.
Tech is an enabler, not a replacement
We also need to remember technology is just an enabler, not a replacement.
High-value lawyers will remain not readily replaceable because clients value trusted advisers, particularly in high-stakes, uncertain, complex, or bespoke matters.
Technology, no matter how advanced, cannot replicate the intuition, judgement, empathy, or trust that only humans provide. Clients will, however, increasingly accept AI-assisted solutions for routine tasks; as I said above, they will still turn to lawyers for matters requiring deeper expertise.
This forces us to rethink what it truly means to be a lawyer in an age of extraordinary technological capacity and innovation.
The time to act may have been yesterday, but today and tomorrow matter more than ever. Keep doing something to bridge the gap.
Paul Ippolito is the principal of Ippolito Advisory.
