How Agentic AI Can Fix the Legal Industry

A junior lawyer at a mid-sized firm in Mumbai once shared this story with me. He was in charge of reviewing 250 contracts over a long weekend. No backup, no automation, just caffeine and Ctrl+F. By Monday morning, blurry-eyed and sleep-deprived, he missed a critical clause buried in an appendix. It cost the client over ₹60 lakhs.He didn’t get fired. But he never trusted his own eyes the same way again. This is not a one-off. Across firms, corporate legal teams, and courtrooms, something is breaking - under pressure, under volume, under time. The legal profession is built on precision, but drowns in repetition. This is where a quiet revolution is beginning to help. Meet the New Legal Intern—That Never Sleeps

Imagine this: a legal assistant who reads every word, remembers every case, never forgets a deadline, and doesn’t get tired. It doesn’t ask for a raise. It just shows up and does the work—again and again. This isn’t fiction. These are the new digital agents quietly joining the legal workforce. Think of them as smart interns who know their boundaries. They don’t argue cases or make final decisions. But they can go through 1,000 contracts and flag inconsistencies. They can read through court rulings and suggest which ones might help your case. They can watch regulation updates and alert you if something affects your client. They don’t just wait for orders. They go looking for problems to solve. And they do it in minutes, not weeks. What’s Broken in the legal industry and How AI Can HelpLike many other industries, the legal industry also has problems. Not intentional, but just the nature of work and lack of tools to tackle that in the past.Too much to read: From contracts to compliance documents to court filings, the volume is overwhelming. Not enough people: Legal teams are expected to do more with less, especially in fast-moving companies. Time is money: Clients no longer want to pay by the hour for things they think a computer can do. And frankly, they’re not wrong. What this new form of AI can do is simple but powerful: it handles the grunt work. It reads, highlights, summarizes, compares, and warns. You still need lawyers to argue, to think, to negotiate. But the long hours of manual scanning, searching, and sorting? That can go. No, Lawyers Won’t Be Replaced Every time technology enters a new profession, there’s panic. But the legal field won’t disappear. It’ll evolve. These AI agents won’t replace your courtroom arguments or your ability to negotiate a settlement. But they’ll make sure you didn’t miss a line in the fine print. They’ll make sure that the most relevant cases are on your desk before you walk into a hearing. Think of them as force-multipliers. Not competition. Smaller Firms, Bigger PowerOne of the most exciting things? This kind of support is not just for big city law firms or global giants. Smaller firms in Nagpur, Jaipur, or Bhubaneswar can use the same kind of tools. A two-person legal team can now review documents with the speed and accuracy of a 20-person team. It levels the playing field. It brings more fairness. And it helps smaller players punch above their weight. What About Ethics and Errors? Yes, AI can make mistakes. But so can humans. The point is not to hand over responsibility, but to share it wisely. Use as Co-Pilot and not Pilot. The best use of this technology is not full automation. It is a collaboration. Let AI handle the heavy lifting and let lawyers stay in charge of interpretation and judgment.Firms will need guidelines, transparency, and clear oversight. But this is true of any responsible tool. India’s Moment to Leap AheadWith over 50 million pending cases in India and an overwhelmed judiciary, there is no better time to bring in help. AI agents could support court clerks in summarizing filings. They could help legal aid groups offer faster answers to those who can’t afford big legal teams. They could bring consistency, reduce errors, and cut down delays. We don’t have to wait for foreign firms to lead the way. India has the talent, the problems worth solving, and the urgency to do something bold. Final ArgumentIn the courtroom of progress, technology has made its case. It has shown that it can support, not supplant. That it can reduce stress, not jobs. That it can make the legal system work better for everyone: from overworked lawyers to everyday citizens just looking for fair answers. The question is not whether the legal industry will change. The change is already here. Many are adopting and those who may not will be left behind.-- Anand Mahurkar, Founder & CEO, Findability Sciences