The Rise of AI In Law and How Its Changing the Way We Practice Law
In recent years, many law firms have had to start using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in a number of ways and for numerous reasons. AI is now being prompted by firms to perform tasks that were previously performed by large teams of lawyers. Legal AI tools such as LexisNexis Pulse and Harvey AI are able to summarise complex legal documents, extract important information from lengthy legal documents and even support e-discovery. AI is also transforming administrative work. Scheduling, document management, and client communication can be streamlined, allowing lawyers to spend more time on strategic thinking and client interaction. In areas like litigation, AI can assist with e-discovery by identifying relevant documents far quicker than a human team could. It is important to note that AI is not replacing the work lawyers do, but rather, it is changing how that work is done. The focus is shifting from time-consuming manual tasks to more analytical, client-focused work, which is where human skill remains essential. So, why is everybody talking about this? Well, AI is a tool that has been created to mimic human intelligence through learning, reasoning, and self-correction. There now exists an intersection between AI and the law. AI is reshaping the way that modern lawyers practice law, whether that be drafting, research and even the way we service our clients. While the unknowns of AI can be very daunting, as future practitioners, it is important to adopt a growth mindset and learn how to use these tools responsibly.
The Benefits of Using AI in Law
AI is enhancing the quality and efficiency of legal work in so many ways. Its usage enables quicker and more comprehensive legal research by rapidly analysing large volumes of case law and identifying relevant precedents. In contract management, AI tools can draft, review, and flag potential risks withinseconds, improving both speed and accuracy. By automating administrative tasks such as billing, scheduling, and document management, firms are able to reduce costs and improve productivity, often passing these benefits on to clients. AI can also use historical data to predict possible case outcomes, helping lawyers develop more informed strategies. At the same time, it improves consistency by reducing human error in repetitive tasks and enhances client service through quicker turnaround times and more efficient initial interactions. However, in spite of all of these upsides, AI still requires human oversight to avoid inaccuracies, protect confidentiality, and ensure ethical standards are maintained, as the ultimate responsibility for legal work remains with the practitioner.
The Mavundla Case: What May Arise Through the Irresponsible Use of AI and a Lack of Oversight
Although using AI has incredible benefits, we must also acknowledge the fact that if not used responsibly and without human oversight, AI can lead to very serious and undesirable outcomes. AI tends to “hallucinate” and what this essentially means is that generative tools can create information that is not exactly accurate. In a 2025 case, Mavundla v MEC: Department of Co-Operative Government and Traditional Affairs KwaZulu-Natal and Others (Mavundla case), a candidate attorney at a firm had generated case citations using an AI tool without verifying them, due to having to manage large volumes of work and being under pressure. The candidate’s superiors and legal team failed to check the references, and some legitimate case names were misused in the wrong context. And so naturally this led to various legal issues and questions. Had the practitioners breached their ethical duty to the court by submitting fabricated authorities? Does reliance on AI research excuse the submission of non-existent cases? From this case, key principles emerged, these being that attorneys cannot delegate their responsibility to verify authorities to AI and must not mislead the court, even unintentionally, including by citing non-existent cases. Senior lawyersmust properly supervise junior staff to ensure accuracy and although the use of AI is welcomed in assisting in legal work, human oversight is in fact a necessity, rather than a matter for consideration.
In Summary…
AI is without a doubt transforming the legal profession, making research faster, contracts smarter, and administrative tasks quicker. Yet, as the Mavundla case reminds us, these tools are only as reliable as the humans using them. Lawyers cannot outsource their professional responsibility to a machine; ethical oversight, careful verification, and sound judgment remain absolutely necessary. The future of law is not about replacing lawyers with robots, it’s about working smarter and more efficiently, combining human insight with AI’s speed and analytical power. By embracing a growth mindset and using AI responsibly, lawyers can focus on the strategic, creative, and client-centered aspects of practice, areas where human skill is irreplaceable. AI is a powerful assistant, but the heart of legal practice will always remain human.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Reshoketsoe Reneilwe Modiba, known as Shoki, is an LLB graduate and an LLM candidate in Mercantile Law at the University of Pretoria, specialising in banking law, insolvency law and transnational business law.
She has experience as a content creator and marketing intern at the Department of Library Services at the University of Pretoria, where her responsibilities included creating engaging reels, static posts and stories to promote library services and communicate important information to students across various social media platforms.
Shoki has participated in several mentorship programmes, including being a mentee in the 2024 For Women in Law intake, where she attended all contact and online sessions and actively contributed in meetings with mentors and guest mentors, while also supporting fellow mentees. She is also a mentee in the 2025 South African Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges (SAC-IAWJ) programme, where she engaged in regular contact sessions, court observations, webinars and reflection sessions. Through these experiences, she developed skills in legal writing, research and drafting, while gaining insight into court hierarchy, legal ethics and career development.
Outside of her academic pursuits, Shoki is a creative at heart and enjoys writing poetry, short stories and drawing.