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Lawyers Weekly recently asked Australian BigLaw firms what they are looking for in new graduates, what they are expected to do, and the skills that they are expected to have.
The legal graduate market is changing as artificial intelligence reshapes the way firms approach early-career lawyers.
While graduate hiring numbers remain relatively resilient across many major Australian firms, the work graduates are expected to perform is evolving.
Rather than removing graduates from the legal workforce, AI is increasingly being used to automate routine and repetitive tasks, allowing junior lawyers to spend more time on complex legal analysis, client interaction, and strategic work.
This shift is evident across several BigLaw firms in Australia, with Lawyers Weekly asking several firms as to what new skills graduates are expected to have.
Graduates continue to develop traditional legal skills through research, drafting, document review, due diligence and matter management; however, it is technology that is changing how quickly they move towards higher-value responsibilities. Concurrently, legal practices are prioritising human-focused skills that resist automation.
This comes as legal experts have recognised that while AI and technology will reshape legal work, the most valuable in-house lawyers will be those who combine legal expertise with trusted relationships to help organisations navigate complex strategic decisions.
Elements such as analytical reasoning, commercial decisions, ethical judgement, and interpersonal engagement are rising in prominence, coupled with a necessity for graduates to navigate AI frameworks with professional integrity and a keen awareness of their practical constraints.
The unfolding landscape indicates that artificial intelligence is not displacing early-career practitioners, but is instead recalibrating their professional functions and hastening their transition into tech-literate legal experts with a sharper commercial focus.
AI is changing the type of work graduates do
A recurring sentiment among legal practices is that AI is essentially altering the graduate experience by minimising administrative burdens and accelerating their exposure to high-level strategic advisory and direct client engagement.
Junior lawyers and legal graduates are highlighting that AI is reshaping graduate legal jobs rather than eliminating them, with opportunities shifting towards firms and practice areas experiencing growth.
Meanwhile students who develop AI skills, commercial awareness, relationships, and strategic career choices will be best positioned to succeed, a theme also consistent in the responses to the Lawyers Weekly survey.
Clayton Utz chief people officer Amy Lennox highlighted that for future graduates, the focus is on meaningful, high-quality experience, particularly as the legal profession evolves, with AI changing – not eliminating – the opportunities available to graduates.
“We expect to welcome about 64 graduates next year, compared with 72 this year,” Lennox said
“When we ask our graduates what they value most, the answer is consistently the same: meaningful and engaging work on substantive matters, working directly with our clients, and learning from our market-leading partners and senior lawyers.
“That’s why the size of our graduate intake reflects a deliberate decision to prioritise depth of experience and close access to high-profile work.”
When asked about what new skills graduates are expected to have, Lennox noted that the changing nature of AI is decreasing the focus on tasks that are supposedly more tedious, rather than technical.
“The nature of that work is shifting, with less time spent on routine document review and first-pass research, and more time on complex analysis, client communication, and matter management earlier in their careers,” Lennox said.
Similarly, Olivia Holmes, the chief people officer at Macpherson Kelley, indicated that the focus for graduate tasks has also shifted.
“As AI and technology take on more routine tasks such as discovery, basic drafting and document review, graduates will have opportunities to work directly with clients earlier in their careers,” Holmes said.
“Macpherson Kelley’s planned national graduate intake for 2027 remains consistent with previous years.
“While AI is undoubtedly changing the way lawyers work, we see technology creating different opportunities for graduates to develop their commercial understanding, professional judgement and client capability alongside their legal expertise.”
Moreover, Shannon Lyndon-Lugg, director of people and culture at Maddocks, said: “What’s changing is how that work gets done; tools like Harvey, which we rolled out across the firm in August, can support a first draft, or an initial analysis.”
And Peter McDonald, who is the co-managing partner at A&O Shearman, said: “While technology is helping to streamline routine tasks, the focus remains on building the legal expertise, commercial acumen and client skills that are central to being a trusted adviser.”
AI is accelerating graduates towards higher-value work
Instead of perceiving artificial intelligence as a danger to entry-level positions, legal practices are utilising it to strip away monotonous duties and fast-track the career growth of junior lawyers.
Lyndon-Lugg stated that with the repetitive work being automated, the graduates at Maddocks would be able to focus on the more demanding tasks.
“AI will enable a level of repetitive work to be taken off them earlier in their careers, enabling them to reach towards the more interesting and complicated work faster,” Lydon-Lugg said.
A spokesperson at DLA Piper similarly emphasised that graduates will develop the ability to work alongside emerging technologies while gaining exposure to more intricate matters.
“Our graduate program is designed to build legal expertise, commerciality, adaptability and confidence in working alongside emerging technologies from the outset,” the spokesperson said.
“Through a combination of formal learning and practical experience, graduates are expected to learn how to leverage AI and legal technology responsibly while applying the judgement, critical thinking and commercial insight that remain fundamental to legal practice, supported by senior lawyers and partners invested in their development.”
Brit Ibanez, managing partner of Hamilton Locke, stressed the importance of the firm’s graduates being comfortable in using AI, specifically in learning to use an internal software.
“One of our core firm values is agility, so our graduates have always been expected to be comfortable working in a technology-enabled environment,” Ibanez said.
“This includes being willing and able to quickly learn and effectively use the technology and tools available to them, including our AI platform, Legora.
“Where we place additional emphasis is on their ability to understand both the opportunities and limitations of new technology and tools, including AI, and use them to enhance their work.”
Corrs Chambers Westgarth is also focused on recruiting high-performing graduates, catering for the ever-changing landscape of AI technology, while also maintaining the conventional training methods.
“We expect to welcome around 90 graduates this year, consistent with recent cohorts which have been in the 90s,” a Corrs Chambers Westgarth spokesperson said.
“We offer a structured, partner-led teaching program for graduates and junior lawyers focused on technical excellence, client service, strategic thinking, and judgement.”
“Traditional on-the-job training remains an important part of this; our approach reflects a deliberate commitment to developing well-rounded lawyers equipped to succeed in any environment, including an evolving, AI-enabled legal environment.”
Human judgement remains essential
While AI is taking over more routine legal tasks, BigLaw firms consistently emphasise that human skills are becoming more valuable than ever.
Graduates are increasingly expected to bring judgement, critical thinking and strong client relationships to their work – areas where technology cannot simply replace the lawyer.
“The same durable skills that have always made a good lawyer matter more today than ever: commercial acumen, clear writing, critical thinking, and the ability to build strong client relationships,” Lennox said on behalf of Clayton Utz.
“Professional judgement cannot be delegated; courts and clients hold lawyers responsible for what they produce, and that hasn’t changed in the age of AI.”
Baker McKenzie’s national managing partner, Anne-Marie Allgrove, noted that the firm is ensuring that the graduates are working on human-centric tasks initially, before understanding how to utilise AI in other aspects of law.
“Baker McKenzie graduates play a hands-on role from the outset, working directly with clients, supporting the management of matters and undertaking core legal work, including research, drafting and analysis,” Allgrove said.
“As AI-enabled tools become more widely used in legal practice, our graduates are also learning how to use these technologies to enhance efficiency and productivity, particularly in areas such as research and drafting, while exercising the judgement, critical thinking and ethical reasoning that remain central to legal practice.”
Ibanez highlighted that Hamilton Locke focuses on hiring graduates who are willing to learn and are very precise with their work, rather than relying on AI skills.
“We look for graduates who demonstrate a curiosity for growth and learning and have strong attention to detail, strong written and verbal communication skills and life experience equipping them to understand our clients’ needs,” Ibanez said.
