What’s AI got to do with it?

AI is no longer a “future skill” — it’s here, now, and central to how we recruit the next generation of lawyers.

Whether you’re applying for a training contract or designing early careers strategy, in this article, Samantha share insights for both candidates and career professionals on Shoosmiths’ AI-enhanced recruitment process, the evolving role of original thought, and what it takes to future-proof legal talent.

I wouldn’t say it’s one of my favourite songs, but there’s a line in Tina Turner’s iconic song that sticks in my mind, “Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?” Well, in the career world today, the question might be: “Who needs original thought when AI can write it for you?”

And my answer is clear: you do.

As we embrace the next evolution of early careers recruitment in law, the role of AI isn’t just a hot topic, it’s a critical skill we’re recruiting for, right now, and the industry is rife with talk about essential skills we need for the ‘world of today and tomorrow’.

The AI moment in law

GenAI is no longer something for the distant future. It’s here, it’s now, and it’s transforming the legal industry in real-time, in all areas of the business. From research and drafting to client service and firm operations, as a law firm, AI tools are becoming embedded into how we deliver legal work.

At Shoosmiths, we’re not just observing the AI shift: we’re driving it.

Our AI strategy is led from the top, with CEO David Jackson and partner Tony Randle championing a forward-thinking, innovation-first approach. Shoosmiths is proud to be the first law firm to actively link part of our firmwide bonus scheme to AI contribution and engagement, with a new AI dashboard, team-based integration, and real cultural change that’s not just performative - it’s practical.

This includes every level of our firm, from trainees to leadership.

This innovative approach was recently recognised when Shoosmiths and I were shortlisted at the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Awards 2025, underlining our commitment to shaping the future of AI in law.

Which brings me to the start of the legal career pipeline: our students, graduates, and solicitor apprentices. We’ve evolved our process to welcome AI use at the application stage, but it comes with a clear caveat: only you can be you.

Encouraging AI use, with boundaries

I’ve been actively encouraging students to use AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot during the application process, much like they would use Google, since 2023 (and we were the first law firm to do so!) AI is already integrated into our daily lives, and to ignore that reality during the job application process would be disingenuous.

But with great AI power comes great responsibility, and we deliberately chose to lead early in this space, rather than wait, because it reflects both workplace reality and the culture we want to build.

What we want to see from applicants is smart, integrated use of AI. Students who use AI as an assistant, not a ghostwriter, tend to stand out for the right reasons. Those who let it become their entire voice, however, often fall flat - or worse, all sound the same.

The best candidates use AI to:

  • assist with their research of the Firm and legal market
  • check whether their answer reflects their unique personality
  • sense-check how their stated strengths align with the skills required of a future solicitor
  • tidy grammar, change tone, or spark creative structuring

But what’s never OK? Copy-pasting AI outputs with no personal critical thinking. We can spot it easily: overuse of emojis, odd formatting, repetitive sentence lengths, predictable structures, the notorious em dash, and generic-sounding statements which lack warmth and personality. If you outsource your voice, you outsource your value, and frankly, risk being replaced by the very tool you’re relying on.

Is original thought the new competitive edge?

While AI can process information and generate content, it often lacks the human touch: warmth, empathy, judgment, and contextual understanding. In a world where AI handles routine tasks, original thought becomes a premium skill. Candidates who demonstrate creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence stand out. They're not just users of AI; they're thinkers who leverage AI as a tool, not a crutch.

We’ve always looked for more than just academic excellence or legal knowledge, but the advent of Gen AI has highlighted how we’re searching for candidates who also have AI literacy, strong prompting skills, and an understanding of ethics, risk, and human judgment to compliment their current skill set and knowledge.

We particularly value those who can show awareness of the ethical implications of AI, from confidentiality to bias, and who can navigate these responsibly, we are a law firm after all!

Here’s what else stands out to us:

  • the ability to use AI to work more efficiently - whether that’s drafting emails, reviewing structure, summarising notes, or building LinkedIn posts
  • creative problem-solving using AI tools
  • a growth mindset: curiosity, not complacency
  • the human skills AI can’t replicate - like emotional intelligence, client rapport, and collaborative working

At Shoosmiths, we see AI as a co-pilot, not a replacement. And we want our early talent to be confident in the driving seat.

How we’re future-proofing our assessment centres

We committed to integrating AI into our recruitment process at Shoosmiths, firstly by embracing candidate’s use of AI at application stage in late 2023, and now we’ve launched our AI-enhanced assessment centre, which has evolved to include access to AI tools on the day, and reflects the reality that today's recruits will operate in an AI-integrated environment.

During the assessment centre, in one task, candidates are asked to deliver a five-minute verbal presentation on their earlier group task, and are encouraged to use Microsoft Copilot to help them prepare. Importantly, there are no marks for the AI output itself. Instead, we assess how candidates chose to use the tool: to structure ideas, summarise key themes, tailor content to the assessor, or order their thoughts.

We take this approach because it mirrors the reality of legal practice today - where lawyers must learn how to integrate AI effectively without losing professional judgment.

We follow this with discussion-based questions in an interview-style task to explore candidates:

  • use of AI in studies, work, or personal life
  • awareness of risks in using AI in legal settings
  • understanding of how AI is transforming the legal sector.

This task forms just one part of the overall assessment process, but it gives us a window into how candidates are beginning to demonstrate their AI fluency, innovative thinking, and a future-ready mindset.

It's important to note that candidates who went through our assessment centre in 2025 will join the firm in 2027 and qualify as solicitors in 2029 (or 2031 on the solicitor apprenticeship route). This timeline underscores the importance of hiring talent now who are suitable for the future, ensuring our firm remains at the forefront of legal innovation. We're preparing for that future now.

Building future-ready lawyers

Innovation doesn’t stop once a candidate is recruited. Our internal training programme, Elevate, includes dedicated innovation modules, creative thinking exercises, and exposure to tools and initiatives like Shoosmiths Eight, which is our legal tech and client solutions hub. We encourage trainees to think about law not just as a service, but as a journey to helping clients.

We also align closely with the O-shaped lawyer framework, through our partnership with BPP. Our goal is to produce lawyers who are not only technically brilliant, but also emotionally intelligent, adaptable, and commercially minded. This isn’t just about skills for the sake of skills, it reflects what our clients increasingly expect from their legal advisers: innovation, judgment, and the human connection that technology alone cannot deliver.

And that’s the point. As AI takes on the heavy lifting of legal knowledge, document review, and drafting, the roles of future lawyers will shift more and more toward judgment, strategy, and human connection, which is what the O-Shaped lawyer model champions.

What's AI got to do with it?

So, what’s AI got to do with legal recruitment and skills now and beyond?

Everything.

But, just like in the song – love needs both heart and mind, AI can’t (and shouldn’t) do all the work for your career and job application, you’ll need both your own heart and mind to succeed, because we’re recruiting for people: real, thoughtful, self-aware people, who know how to use the tools of today to shape a better legal world tomorrow.

If AI is the backing singer, you’re still the lead vocal.

So step up, sing your own song, and show us what makes you... you!

An important note on how this article was created

In the spirit of everything I’ve written above, I used Gen AI to assist me in shaping this article, but not in the way you might expect. I began by drafting some initial ideas and creating a basic structure, before explaining my professional background and the audience I was trying to reach.

Then I asked: “What questions could you ask me, that will ensure my voice, opinion, and thoughts remain at the forefront of this article?”

In response, AI turned the tables and prompted me, asking challenging questions about my stance on student use of AI, ethical boundaries, the future skills we’re recruiting for, and what Shoosmiths is doing to stay ahead. These prompts helped me surface ideas that might have otherwise remained half-formed, allowing me to shape a clearer narrative and strengthen my key messages.

AI supported with structure, tone, and flow. But the content, the opinions, the strategy, the perspective - are mine. I used AI the way I hope students and graduates will: not to shortcut original thinking, but to elevate it. Not to write for me, but to write with me.

That’s where the real value lies, and it has a role to play in the future of every profession, including ours.

 

Read more about Shoosmiths and AI

Disclaimer

This information is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It is recommended that specific professional advice is sought before acting on any of the information given. Please contact us for specific advice on your circumstances. © Shoosmiths LLP 2025.

 

Insights

Read the latest articles and commentary from Shoosmiths or you can explore our full insights library.