New Associate Hiring is Flat – Is AI The Cause?
Entry‑level associate hiring in the US has stayed flat for four years, likely due to AI and other market shifts.Summary
Data from SurePoint’s 2026 Law School Hiring Report shows that the number of new associates hired by AmLaw 200 firms has been essentially flat over the past four years (7,489 in 2022 to 7,426 in 2025), even as the firms’ revenues grew by tens of billions. While lateral hires have risen, the flat trend predates widespread AI adoption, suggesting other forces at play. Artificial Lawyer argues that clients’ reluctance to pay for inexperienced lawyers, firms’ preference for higher‑paying laterals, and in‑house legal teams using technology all contribute to the slowdown, with AI likely amplifying the shift toward laterals. The article concludes that firms need to accelerate junior lawyer training to maintain value as AI handles routine tasks, and warns that the flat hiring trend could signal a deeper disconnect between revenue growth and new lawyer recruitment.
(Source：Artificial Lawyer Legal Technology Blog)