Will ChatGPT Replace Me Before I Graduate Law School: Me No, But Others Maybe…LawyersUpdated on Oct 2, 2026 View more like this | Visit LIVINGSTON, NJ | Contact Annett Enterprises |
Will ChatGPT Replace Me Before I Graduate Law School: Me No, But Others Maybe…
ChatCPT can let me practice almost any area of law that I want. Right now, people have to specialize.
The only one area of the law that I think ChatGPT can't likely do is patents because drafting a patent is about describing something that is both unique and nonobvious. I don't believe AI will ever be good at this, at least not in the near future.
Luckily, as a patent agent for the past 10 years, I am already skilled in this field.
My personal belief is that if you have a smart legal mind, then this will be a great time to be a lawyer.
The problem for the law is that there was always a place/need for average and even below-average lawyers doing the grunt work. They either won't be needed anymore or you will need far fewer of them.
The problem is that a lot of law firms make a lot of their money off this grunt work.
I asked ChatGPT the following question...
"Are there any states where in-house counsel is prohibited from representing their company in court?"
Here was the answer...
"There is no blanket prohibition in any U.S. state that prevents in-house counsel from representing their company in court. However, there are rules and regulations that in-house counsel must follow in order to do so.
In-house counsel must be licensed to practice law in the state where they intend to represent the company. Many states offer a limited license for in-house counsel, which allows them to provide legal services only to their employer within the state.
This limited license may or may not permit in-house counsel to represent their company in court, depending on the state's specific rules.
Some states may require in-house counsel to be admitted pro hac vice, a temporary authorization to practice law in a particular case or proceeding, if they are not licensed in that state. Pro hac vice admission typically requires the in-house counsel to associate with a local attorney, who is licensed to practice law in the state.
It is essential for in-house counsel to check the rules and regulations for each state where they plan to represent their company in court. These rules can vary by jurisdiction and may be subject to change over time.
However, as a practical matter, in-house counsel often do not represent their companies in court because they may lack the litigation experience or expertise required to effectively do so. Instead, they usually work with and oversee the work of external law firms that specialize in litigation and courtroom practice."
So, what I am thinking is that companies, at least the smart ones, will be poaching from law firms people with courtroom experience to be in-house counsel because with a very small team and ChatGPT they will be able to do all the grunt work that you used to hire a large law firm to do for them and they will now litigate themselves
So I believe the practice of law will move from firms to companies and there will be a lot of small boutique firms that will serve as part-time in-house counsel for smaller firms, which is where you will find me since I am already there.
Mark Annett
The only one area of the law that I think ChatGPT can't likely do is patents because drafting a patent is about describing something that is both unique and nonobvious. I don't believe AI will ever be good at this, at least not in the near future.
Luckily, as a patent agent for the past 10 years, I am already skilled in this field.
My personal belief is that if you have a smart legal mind, then this will be a great time to be a lawyer.
The problem for the law is that there was always a place/need for average and even below-average lawyers doing the grunt work. They either won't be needed anymore or you will need far fewer of them.
The problem is that a lot of law firms make a lot of their money off this grunt work.
I asked ChatGPT the following question...
"Are there any states where in-house counsel is prohibited from representing their company in court?"
Here was the answer...
"There is no blanket prohibition in any U.S. state that prevents in-house counsel from representing their company in court. However, there are rules and regulations that in-house counsel must follow in order to do so.
In-house counsel must be licensed to practice law in the state where they intend to represent the company. Many states offer a limited license for in-house counsel, which allows them to provide legal services only to their employer within the state.
This limited license may or may not permit in-house counsel to represent their company in court, depending on the state's specific rules.
Some states may require in-house counsel to be admitted pro hac vice, a temporary authorization to practice law in a particular case or proceeding, if they are not licensed in that state. Pro hac vice admission typically requires the in-house counsel to associate with a local attorney, who is licensed to practice law in the state.
It is essential for in-house counsel to check the rules and regulations for each state where they plan to represent their company in court. These rules can vary by jurisdiction and may be subject to change over time.
However, as a practical matter, in-house counsel often do not represent their companies in court because they may lack the litigation experience or expertise required to effectively do so. Instead, they usually work with and oversee the work of external law firms that specialize in litigation and courtroom practice."
So, what I am thinking is that companies, at least the smart ones, will be poaching from law firms people with courtroom experience to be in-house counsel because with a very small team and ChatGPT they will be able to do all the grunt work that you used to hire a large law firm to do for them and they will now litigate themselves
So I believe the practice of law will move from firms to companies and there will be a lot of small boutique firms that will serve as part-time in-house counsel for smaller firms, which is where you will find me since I am already there.
Mark Annett
