Colin Levy is a lawyer, adjunct professor of law, and General Counsel at Malbek, a management company. With over a decade of experience at the intersection of technology and law, Levy has authored two influential books: “The Legal Tech Ecosystem” and his newly released “Code Switch: The Lawyer’s Guide to AI”. In this session, Levy explored the essential skills that will define the future legal professional in an AI-augmented world, emphasising the irreplaceable value of human judgment, contextual understanding, and accountability in legal practice.

Overview

The legal profession stands at a critical juncture as artificial intelligence reshapes how work is performed. Rather than viewing AI as a replacement for legal expertise, Levy advocates for a collaborative approach where technology augments human capabilities. The core challenge isn’t whether firms should adopt AI, but how to develop the judgment and critical thinking skills that distinguish human lawyers from automated systems. This distinction becomes increasingly important as AI handles routine tasks like document review and initial research.

The session highlighted a growing skills gap in the legal profession. Traditional apprenticeship models, where junior lawyers learned judgment through close mentorship with experienced partners, are being disrupted. Simultaneously, firms face.

bottlenecks as limited senior staff must validate work produced at scale by technology. Education and training frameworks must evolve to emphasise practical technology skills alongside legal theory, whilst senior lawyers must embrace continuous learning to remain relevant.

Cost considerations emerged as a practical constraint often overlooked in ROI discussions. Token-based pricing models and context window limitations create real financial barriers for firms processing large document volumes. Despite these challenges, firms recognising that clients increasingly expect AI adoption are developing transparent policies and training programmes to meet market expectations.

Key Takeaways

• Judgment, contextual understanding, and accountability remain uniquely human contributions that AI cannot replicate, particularly in understanding nuance, emotion, and imperfection.
• AI should be viewed as an imperfect collaborator, not a replacement, augmenting human work whilst requiring human verification and oversight. Experimentation and hands-on practice are essential for lawyers to develop competence with AI tools, understanding both their strengths and hallucination weaknesses.
• Define the problem and process first, then select tools; AI cannot solve unclear briefs or replace clear thinking about objectives.
• Traditional apprenticeship models need modernisation to teach technology skills and critical thinking alongside legal knowledge.
• Token costs and context window limitations create significant and often underestimated financial constraints for large-scale AI adoption.
• Three distinct adoption profiles exist among legal professionals: enthusiasts, thoughtful experimenters, and sceptics; all have valid perspectives.
• Continuous learning is now core to legal practice, not optional, as the profession must adapt to a dynamic technological landscape.