In the rapidly evolving intersection of law and technology, I’ve spent over 15 years analyzing and anticipating how emerging technologies will reshape our legal frameworks. Today my presentation at the British Legal Technology Forum in London offered a probable glimpse into what many industry leaders are reluctant to acknowledge—the radical transformation awaiting the legal profession by 2030. And no, it’s not the augmented intelligence kind, rather the leaps and bounds kind, which could kill law firms and GCs.
Our Monkey Minds
No matter how many times I write and talk about exponential growth (now going back ten years), groups are still likely to underestimate the change that is nearing in the legal sector. So, I began my presentation with a sobering reminder of the exponential nature of technological advancement. While the legal profession has historically moved at a measured pace, technology is accelerating at breakneck speed. In one tangential example about incredible growth during the passage of 8 years between my presenting at the conference was the price change of Bitcoin which has 100x during that period – a discussion point of my first talk. This isn’t merely about investment opportunities, but serves as a metaphor for the accelerating pace of change that will fundamentally alter legal practice – and confound the most ardent naysayer.
For reference on the speed of change, in 2024 Google produced 25% of their code via AI. By 2025, AI systems will be responsible for producing more than 50% of their code that reaches production. I highlighted newer tools like Cursor and Lovable.dev which transform how applications can be built and deployed. This shift represents more than a change in tools; it signals a fundamental reconceptualization of how legal solutions are designed, built, and implemented. What once required teams of specialized programmers, consultants, or vendors could be accomplished through natural language interfaces and AI assistants inside your organization, now. Think about the low-code, no-code tools you have now, but with the ability of you spinning up full blown beta applications in minutes, production in days.
The Coming AI Revolution in Legal Practice
At the heart of my vision is what I call “LexBotics”—agentic, dialogistic interactive legal agents capable of handling a wide range of legal tasks. These aren’t simple chatbots but sophisticated AI systems connected to both large language models and smart contract infrastructure. Unlike current legal technology, which primarily augments human work, these agentic systems will increasingly operate autonomously, making decisions and executing legal processes with minimal human oversight. Seems impossible, right? It’s starting to happen on newer agentic platforms outside of the legal industry.
The implications are staggering—I predict a 60-65% reduction in the number of lawyers and 30% fewer law firms by 2030. This isn’t merely speculation, but a data-driven projection based on current technological trajectories. Transactional practice will increasingly shift to blockchain-based smart contracts, while litigation may evolve to include AI agents creating legal arguments and, in some jurisdictions, AI judges evaluating evidence and rendering decisions.
As I’ve noted elsewhere, “By 2030 we should see significant reliance on agentic AI doing a high percentage of legal tasks. You will likely see legal organizations which offer a suite of interconnected agents each tasked with a different role. These LexBotic systems could remove the need for much human intervention in compliance and general transactional practice”.
Blockchain: The Overlooked Legal Revolution
While AI captures headlines, I emphasized blockchain technology as equally transformative for legal practice. I highlighted what I call “The Blockchain Imperative”—the need for cryptographic identity and provability in an era where AI can clone voices, mimic writing styles, and can generate convincing images. Without blockchain-based verification, no communication will be truly secure in the new age, but more importantly it will allow for legal documents to be rapidly “certified” via agents, especially as more of these will be AI generated and distributed.
As we zoom into practice areas like banking/finance, smart contracts will undoubtedly continue to blossom on decentralized finance (DeFi). Real World Assets (RWA) tokenization will bring traditional assets onto blockchain systems, fundamentally changing how legal interacts with areas like recording property rights, how they are transferred, and enforced. This shift will alter “the how” of the transactional legal practice, enabling a rapid onramp for LexBotic systems.
DAOs and the Future Law Firm
Perhaps most provocative is my vision of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) reshaping the law firm itself. These blockchain-based organizations operate without central authorities, instead being governed by transparent code and collective decision-making. The future law firm might itself be a DAO, incorporating AI partners, utilizing encrypted, blockchain-based data management systems, and leveraging LexBotic systems to serve client needs. (See my original DAO Law Firm Thesis)
This model fundamentally challenges traditional legal hierarchy and firm structure. Rather than partnership tracks and billable hours, AI partners and legal professionals might operate within decentralized networks, contributing specialized expertise as needed. Client relationships would similarly transform, with smart contracts automating fee arrangements and performance metrics.
Preparing for 2030
The good news, it’s not all doom for traditional practitioners. Instead, I offered practical strategies for navigating this transformed landscape. I advised experimentation with emerging tools, platforms, collaboration with startups and universities, and recognition that even large legal technology enterprises will need to adapt quickly.
As I note in my presentation, it is likely that the shining star legal professionals who thrive will embrace “digital clones” of themselves for client meetings, utilizing immersive experience technologies, and develop deep expertise in evaluating and implementing AI-driven systems.
Conclusion: Reimagining Legal “Reasonableness”
The legal landscape of 2030 will be unrecognizable to many current practitioners. However, for those willing to embrace transformation, experiment with emerging tools, and reconceptualize their professional roles, the future offers unprecedented opportunities in the short term to deliver more efficient, accessible, and effective legal services. The question isn’t whether technology will transform legal practice, but how legal professionals will respond to this inevitable revolution of machines doing much of the legal work.
Help?
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