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Odd Lots · July 13, 2026 · 55m

Why AI Might Actually Create More Work for Lawyers

Gary Wingens

Gary Wingens, chair and partner at Lowenstein Sandler, discusses how AI is reshaping legal work. Rather than eliminating lawyer positions, he argues that falling costs will increase demand for legal services—creating a Jevons Paradox effect where automation paradoxically generates more work. The episode explores AI adoption in law firms, the future of billable hours, and training junior talent in an AI-augmented practice.

This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.

Highlights

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Jevons Paradox for Legal Services
As AI automates routine legal work and reduces costs, total demand for legal services paradoxically increases—creating more work overall, not less.
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AI as Comparative Advantage in Law Firms
Firms that adopt AI gain a cost advantage, allowing them to undercut competitors and capture market share, which increases total billable hours across the firm.
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Junior Lawyer Training Shifts From Grunt Work to Judgment
As AI handles routine tasks, junior lawyer training must shift from learning to do document review and legal research to developing judgment, client relations, and strategic thinking.
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Editorial

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Billable Hours Model Evolution, Not Elimination
The traditional billable hours model may change in structure, but it won't disappear because demand for legal work is likely to increase faster than automation reduces hours per case.
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AI Adoption as Firm Survival Necessity
Law firms that don't adopt AI risk being undercut on price and losing talent to competitors who offer better tools and faster career development.
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Misc

✧Legal work is counterintuitively becoming more abundant as AI reduces friction, not less—the classic Jevons Paradox applied to lawsuits and deals
✧Billable hours model may evolve but demand for legal services is likely to increase, not decrease
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