For Loyens & Loeff, AI is not reducing the importance of junior lawyers. Instead, it is changing how they learn, develop expertise, and contribute to client work.
In a recent interview with La Libre, Hélène Deroubaix and Kris De Schutter shared their views on how AI is creating new opportunities for the next generation of legal talent. Coming from different stages of their legal careers, their perspectives highlight the importance of investing in young professionals, who today account for nearly 70% of the firm's lawyers in Belgium.
According to Hélène, the use of AI can help young professionals progress faster by reducing time spent on repetitive tasks and allowing them to focus earlier on work that requires analysis, judgement and problem.
Kris pointed out that while AI can support legal work, it cannot replace the strategic advice, critical thinking, and professional judgement that clients rely on. He noted that while certain standardised legal tasks may increasingly be automated, clients continue to seek lawyers who can confidently challenge assumptions, navigate ambiguity, and develop solutions that cannot simply be found in documents or databases.
Learning differently, not learning less
The legal profession has always evolved alongside new technology. AI represents the next stage of that evolution. Kris also emphasised that experienced lawyers continue to play an important mentoring role in developing the next generation of talent. At the same time, learning goes both ways.
As AI reshapes the profession, experienced and junior lawyers alike are adapting to new ways of working and learning from one another. "The young professionals joining us today will have a different experience" said Kris, and that while "experienced lawyers have a mentoring role to play, while we also learn a great deal from younger colleagues."
Investing in future talent
Preparing the next generation for an AI-enabled profession is already an important part of the firm's approach.
Through initiatives such as our AI Summer School program, students and future professionals gain practical insight into how AI is being applied in legal and tax practice, while learning why human expertise, responsibility and client judgement remain indispensable. This reflects a broader theme in our approach to AI, as also discussed by Executive Director Lieselot Oosterkamp and Head of HR Jaap Haasnoot in a separate conversation on the future of the profession.
As AI continues to transform the profession, Loyens & Loeff remains committed to developing future talent and helping colleagues build the skills needed to succeed in an evolving workplace.
The full interview was originally published in La Libre, available here in French (paywalled).
