Headline risk
9%
Low RiskLegal Counsel
AI displacement pressure score based on US employment data, wages, and demand signals. Built from 3 related occupations weighted by relevance.
Why this score
72% of tasks overlap with current AI
80% human advantage from judgment & presence
79% demand buffer from the local labour market
These factors interact with each other — the final score is not a simple sum of these bars.
Share of tasks AI can handle today
Work that requires human presence or coordination
How strong local hiring demand is for this role
How complete the underlying data is
Workflow profile
How this role's daily work breaks down across different dimensions.
Workflow dimensions (0 = low, 1 = high)
US employment data
Employment overview
Share of job tasks AI can currently perform
Annual median wage
Projected employment change 2024–2034
Education and training typically needed
Key metrics
Job zone
5The occupation usually needs extensive preparation, training, and experience.
Median wage
USD 151,160USD 99,760 to USD 215,420
Openings
31.5K4.1% projected change
Median age
46.41.1M employed
What this job involves
Represent clients in criminal and civil litigation and other legal proceedings, draw up legal documents, or manage or advise clients on legal transactions. May specialize in a single area or may practice broadly in many areas of law.
Entry requirements: Extensive preparation
The occupation usually needs extensive preparation, training, and experience.
Wage context
Median annual
USD 151,160
Mean annual
USD 182,760
10th percentile: USD 72,780
25th percentile: USD 99,760
75th percentile: USD 215,420
Hourly median: USD 73
Employment: 747,750 workers
Demand outlook
Current employment
864.8K
Projected employment
900.7K
Openings: 31.5K
Projected change: 4.1%
Education: Doctoral or professional degree
Work experience: None
On-the-job training: None
Median wage: USD 151,160
Employment of lawyers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Workforce profile
Based on a survey of workers currently in this occupation.
Protects from AI displacement
- Can telework 68.6% of workers
- License required >99.5% of workers
Typical background
- Professional degree >99.5% of workers
- On-the-job training 54.09% of workers
- Prior work experience 56.1% of workers
Other characteristics
- Specific vocational preparation <5% of workers
- Adaptability: Work schedule variability 47.8% of workers
- Work pace 49.5% of workers
Day-to-day work
Lawyers advise and represent clients on legal proceedings or transactions.
Lawyers work for a variety of organizations, usually in office settings. Some work for federal, local, or state governments. Most work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week.
Lawyers typically need a law degree and a state license, which usually requires passing a bar examination.
Key tasks
- 1. Interpret laws, rulings and regulations for individuals and businesses. · AI can do 75%
- 2. Analyze the probable outcomes of cases, using knowledge of legal precedents. · AI can do 0%
- 3. Examine legal data to determine advisability of defending or prosecuting lawsuit. · AI can do 0%
- 4. Prepare, draft, and review legal documents, such as wills, deeds, patent applications, mortgages, leases, and contracts. · AI can do 0%
- 5. Gather evidence to formulate defense or to initiate legal actions by such means as interviewing clients and witnesses to ascertain the facts of a case. · AI can do 0%
- 6. Confer with colleagues with specialties in appropriate areas of legal issue to establish and verify bases for legal proceedings. · AI can do 0%
Tools commonly used
Work environment
- E-Mail 5.0/5
- Telephone Conversations 4.9/5
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals 4.8/5
- Contact With Others 4.8/5
- Freedom to Make Decisions 4.7/5
- Spend Time Sitting 4.5/5
Who does this work
Median age: 46.4
1.1M employed · Under 25: 0% · 25–54: 69% · 55+: 30%
Data sources: O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Component occupations
How this score works
The score measures how much this role's tasks overlap with current AI capabilities, adjusted for human-only requirements and local job market demand. This is a structural pressure estimate, not a prediction of job losses. Learn how scores work →