Ethics and Professionalism in the Era of AI
I had a professor in law school that was utterly terrifying. When he walked into the classroom, the entire room would go silent. He seemed to take perverse pleasure in making his students squirm. Each of his previous exams were on file at the library, along with his commentary on the answers, which was brutal. When he wasn’t terrifying his students, he would often lecture us about how our reputation means everything in this business.
At the time, I assumed his teaching style was simply part of his gruff personality. I was just trying to survive. After more than thirteen years of practicing law, I have a new appreciation for the lessons that he was trying to impress upon us. He wanted us to prepare maniacally, to leave no stone unturned, and to recognize the significance of putting our name on something. Your name follows every piece of work you produce. Over the course of your career, your reputation will follow you. At the time, I understood that concept intellectually. Today, I understand it through experience.
Reputation Is Earned One Interaction at a Time
One of the things I have learned over the years is that trust compounds. Once a client believes that you are thoughtful, honest, and dependable, every conversation becomes easier. Clients are more comfortable asking difficult questions. Colleagues become more willing to collaborate. Reputation creates efficiency because it reduces uncertainty.
The opposite is equally true. A single careless mistake, an unnecessary exaggeration, or a failure to follow through on a commitment can undermine trust that may have taken years to build.
That is why professionalism is not something that exists only in the courtroom or in formal legal writing. It is reflected in the small decisions made every day. Things like returning phone calls, admitting mistakes when they occur, being prepared. These habits may seem ordinary, but together they become your reputation.
Clients Place Extraordinary Trust in Their Lawyers
People rarely hire an attorney because everything is going great. Usually, something important is at stake. It may involve a business someone spent years building, an invention that represents countless hours of work, or a financial investment. In some areas of legal practice, the stakes involve someone’s personal freedom.
Clients place an extraordinary amount of trust in the lawyers they hire. Accordingly, a competent lawyer must give every matter the attention it deserves, communicate honestly, even when the answer is not what the client hopes to hear. In some cases, it means recognizing when someone else may be better equipped to solve a particular problem. Ultimately, the client’s best interest must be the guiding principle.
Changing the Conversation
Lawyers don’t enjoy the best reputation in our society. Indeed, I like to joke about cartoonish lawyer characters like Saul Goodman and Jackie Chiles. Popular culture often portrays attorneys as dishonest, overly aggressive, self-promoting, or motivated primarily by money. Even more charitable stereotypes paint lawyers as perpetually busy, difficult to reach, and always watching the clock. Like most stereotypes, these exist for a reason. But they are not the whole story.
In building O'Neill Law, one of my goals has been to create a different kind of client experience. I want clients to feel comfortable calling with a question. I want conversations to be direct, practical, and free of unnecessary legal jargon. I want clients to feel that they have hired someone who is genuinely interested in solving their problem and not simply interested in billing another hour. That does not mean always telling clients what they want to hear. Sometimes, the most valuable advice an attorney can give is advice that a client hoped not to receive. Professionalism requires honesty, not flattery.
The Human Element
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the legal profession. It is making research faster, drafting more efficient, and information more accessible than ever before. These are exciting developments that we should all embrace.
Though we won’t know exactly what the post-AI landscape will look like, I am quite confident that relationships will matter more than ever. People will hire an attorney that will listen carefully, look them in the eye, understand their problems, and offer what they cannot get from a machine: human connection.
Technology may continue to transform how legal services are delivered. I do not believe it will ever eliminate the importance of character.
